Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow, everybody. 

It’s not a holiday of which I have any fond memory. We must have celebrated it in 1960, when my husband was working at Smith College; and I think my sister and mother were both there, but I have no memory of the actual event. Although I think I remember that it took some of the pressure off Christmas. Here, the meal is the star event on Christmas Day. In my years at Oberlin, I tended to stay on campus while everybody else went away to eat their turkeys.

 

The odd thing is that Black Friday has become a big thing here in the last few years. It feels a bit odd and empty with nothing to precede it. Back in my day, there was no such thing: just a general feeling that it was time to think about Christmas shopping.

 

Not much news here – little knitting, little strength. I've been re-reading Alan Bennett's "Untold Stories" which I find rather gloomy. Alexander came this morning. We got to the garden, and sat for a damp while on the nearest bench. When did I last walk all the way around? Archie is coming tomorrow. Maybe we can get a bit further. Helen is still in Thessaloniki. Not much in the way of cheetahs, either, although I did spot a couple of kittens at one point, just on their way out.

 

Comments

 

Thank you for them. Shandy, I did look at embroidery at the Bodleian and it’s rather wonderful, as you say.

 

I really mustn’t abandon the subject of ladder-back knitting/invisible stranding until I have at least an idea of what we’re talking about. I watched the video about the hat pattern, and I’ve got part of the idea, but thinking back I don’t see why there aren’t vertical stripes where you don’t want them. I must go back to it.

 

And I will certainly make an effort to find “The Big Night”. All I’ve got is Netflix. And a CD-player, but that’s more than a bit old fashioned.