Thanksgiving

MONDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2010

Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got
Till it's gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

From the song Big Yellow Taxi
Lyrics by Joni Mitchell

Today is the second Monday in October and it is Canadian Thanksgiving

In my mind, Alberta-born Joni Mitchell’s words are very appropriate for Thanksgiving. We all, myself included, take so many things for granted. On this Thanksgiving Day, I want to express my appreciation for all I have.

I am fortunate to live in a country such as Canada. When I think of all the countries in the world that are experiencing war and extreme poverty, I feel so grateful to live here. Canada is not perfect, but compared to conditions in many nations, this is a virtual paradise – at least for the majority of us. Too many Canadians are marginalized. Too many live in poverty and squalour in this land of plenty.

I am fortunate that I have family and friends. Unlike I have never experienced the horrors and devastations of war. My human rights have never been violated and I have never lived in a refugee camp. For all of this, I am thankful.

Finally, I wish to thank all the followers and supporters of Number 16. I want you to know that I appreciate you and that I do this for you.

Happy Thanksgiving and God bless. I’d also like to wish my friends in the United States a happy Columbus Day

Note : I invite you to read my Thanksgiving short story. Just click the tab that reads “Fiction.”


ON THIS DAY

Eleanor Roosevelt was born on October 11, 1884. I consider her to be one of the greatest women of the 20th century and the greatest First Lady the United States has ever known. She was born Anna Eleanor Roosevelt in New York City to a family of wealth and privilege. Her uncle, Theodore Roosevelt, was the 26th President of the United States.  Her husband, Franklin, was a distant cousin and they shared the same last name.

As First Lady from 1933 to1945, she established a separate and distinct identity from that of her husband, Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1940, she became the first American First Lady to address a U.S. political convention when she addressed the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Mrs. Roosevelt wrote a six-day-a-week newspaper column called My Day from December 30, 1935, until September 26, 1962. Illness forced her to cease writing the column and she passed away at her Manhattan home on November 7, 1962 at the age of 78.

Throughout her life, Eleanor Roosevelt was a tireless fighter for social justice and human rights. She was strongly committed to the success of the United Nations and was a leader in the drafting and adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. She served as the President and Chair of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights and was also United States Delegate the United Nations General Assembly.

To watch a video of Eleanor Roosevelt addressing the United Nations, click the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rDoS7XErcw


ON THIS DAY IN SPORTS

137 years ago, on October 11, 1873, the Toronto Argonaut Football Club played the very first game in its history, losing to the University of Toronto. Now that’s a team with a history!


SPORTS

Baseball

The Philadelphia Phillies will be playing in the National League Championship Series for the third straight year. They eliminated the Cincinnati Reds from postseason play by defeating them 2-0 yesterday in Cincinnati. Philadelphia swept the series 3 -0. Philly seems unbeatable right now, especially with great starting pitching and Roy Halladay. It’s difficult to imagine that this team won’t go all the way.

In the American League, the Tampa Bay Rays forced a deciding game five against Texas with a 5-2.victory over the Texas Rangers. I’m pleased because I want Tampa Bay to win represent the American League in the World Series.

- Joanne