Thanksgiving 2008

I put together a scrapbook of Thanksgivings past this year. They are all look pretty much the same, but we have transitioned from impatient little kids through the teenage years to a throng of beautiful young adults. We clean house, make and eat a lot of food, play games and sit and talk, pack up the leftovers to send home with the kids, and clean up again. Everyone pitches in and enjoys seeing each other.

The day started with the Southern Arizona Roadrunners cross-country run (see video of the amazing water filled ditch). This year, Bob, Laura, Hannah, and Colleen all started the day at Reid Park for the annual SAR run. Galen ran on his own. Laura, Bert, Hannah, Sean and Collen came early to help out and figure out where to put the table. Bert peeled 37 potatoes! No matter how many lists and how much pre-planning there is, there's a lot left to do. It was complicated by a cold front (cold for Arizona) with a lot of rain this year. We settled on an inside dinner this year.

We were about 24 this year with some after-dinner drop-ins plus 2 visiting dogs and a cat. We missed Kin who was recuperating this year and Matt who made dinner for his family, but we welcomed Kyle back from Budapest and Diana who missed '07 flying from China to New York.

We finally started the buffet line and did the go- around to say what we're grateful for, and the eating began. There was a lot of laughing at the big kids' table catching up, and and it was a lovely day. If we're outside there's a fire and a lot of lingering. If we're inside, there's a run to the store for benadryl.

Here's a snippet of video from the run. This water wasn't here on Bob's first lap around, but was pretty deep by the time the ladies ran.

A Peaceful November

Our Peace Corps Fellows planted a peace pole on Friday, Nov. 21, 2008, on the north side of Old Main - the first building on the University of Arizona campus. It was an idea conceived in July 2007 in Flagstaff at the Arizona AmeriCorps conference. We heard Terri Mansfield, who heads the Arizona Department of Peace Campaign who told us there's a peace pole in a conference room at the Pentagon and one in Iraq and another 200,000 poles around the world. Steven and Adam thought, "why not?" and embarked on a 14 month journey to raise funds, locate it and seek approvals.

Becca and the other students planned a meaningful ceremony with dignataries, inspirational speakers, a Tohono O'odham blessing by the tribal elder and CESL and other students speaking the words, "May Peace Prevail on Earth" in their native languages. Becca also led the effort to make many, many oragami cranes, a symbol of peace that comes out of Hiroshima. The cranes were strung among the trees.

The site is a lovely grove of trees. It is a point of welcome for visitors, it is near the CESL building which hosts international students and scholars, andthe location is contemplative and historic, and pretty far off the path for the skateboarders that plague a lot of the campus property. The ceremony was held in International Education Week, the day before the 45th assassination of John F. Kennedy, who created U.S. Peace Corps.

My dear friend Bert argues it is symbolic and won't do anything....without further action. We agree, and invite you to take a peaceful action today.

You can see an Arizona Public Media/ KUAT video of some of the ceremony courtesy of Anna Latta by clicking on the title of this entry above.