Thanksgiving Day

As American families gather today to give thanks this year, the nation is at peace -- and what a blessing it is. Only a year ago, many hearts trembled as tens of thousands of our finest young citizens were assembling far, far away in a bleak and desert landscape with war on their horizon and their lives on the line. The president spent the holiday with the troops in Saudi Arabia while, back home, anxious loved ones prayed with a special, if quiet, fervency.Today the fast, brutal war that was to come is now history.

Thanksgiving Day 2011 dawned bright and beautiful as over 60 volunteers made their way to help serve the Loverde Family Community Fund's Thanksgiving Day feast for the homeless. Around 1 p.m., the first of 160 guests from the Westside Homeless Shelter, Mosaic Community Services, and Spring Grove Hospital Center were greeted and shown to their tables. For the fifth year in a row, a delicious home-style Thanksgiving dinner would be servedScittino's, in Catonsville Junction, had expertly prepared the tasty, loosen-your-belt holiday feast.

In between the Macy's parade, turkey dinner and afternoon football, Elizabeth Nightingale plans to slip in a bit of holiday shopping on Thanksgiving. Since most stores will be closed that day, the executive assistant at Advertising.com, a Baltimore Internet advertising company, will do her browsing and buying online. Thanksgiving was once a lost day for most retailers, who closed for the holiday. But now dozens of national chains such as Sears, Toys "R" Us and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. are planning special offers on their Web sites a day ahead of the traditional "Black Friday" rush.

SEVILLE, Spain - Here, the orange trees are the only things changing color as autumn takes its hold. The palmeras and the jasmine vines that climb the wall outside my apartment - and fill the patio below with an inimitable scent - are alive and will flourish well into winter. The cypress trees in the gorgeous royal gardens of Alcázar, silent witnesses to endearing displays of Spanish affection, have been that same dusty green for dozens, if not hundreds, of years and won't start changing now. But it's not the fall colors I miss while I'm spending this semester in Spain, even though not a thing could compare with seeing the Blue Ridge Mountains ablaze with autumn.

When the annual responsibility of "having Thanksgiving" for my immediate family and my nearest relatives first passed on to me, I was 26, and my kitchen measured 9 by 14 feet. There was room for only one cook, and I was on my own.That first Thanksgiving dinner was three hours late because the turkey took longer to cook than the time indicated on the chart. When the bird was finally tender, the hot rolls (punched down twice), sweet potatoes, corn pudding and pumpkin pie still had to be baked.

Coming soon to a dinner table near you: Thanksgiving Day! Starring: Stuffing, Potatoes, Vegetables and Bread. And featuring: Tom Turkey.Turkey in a supporting role? It's true. They've always been stars in the making, those Thanksgiving side dishes, and now their time has come to shine.Nutritionists and other health experts have been telling us for years to move those all-important fruits and vegetables to the center of the plate. Now, with restaurant chefs, cookbook authors and home cooks paying more attention, those unheralded sides have been polished up, spiced up and given all the glamour they need to take center stage.

Behind a push from City and Poly alumni who want to renew a tradition dear to their hearts, legislation was introduced Wednesday in the Maryland House of Delegates to allow the City-Poly football game to return to Thanksgiving Day if the two schools request the change. That, however, appears unlikely to happen, because unless City's and Poly's football programs withdraw from state championship contention — which they could have done at any time — the move to Thanksgiving Day would upset the state playoff system for all of the teams in City's and Poly's playoff regions.

25 years ago George Plimpton, the unquenchable amateur, tries his hand as a rookie quarterback for the Baltimore Colts on "Plimpton! The Great Quarterback Sneak," a one-hour ABC television network special at 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 26 on WJZ-TV. From the start of the training season, at the Colts' camp in Westminster through all the classes, scrimmages, calisthenics and inevitable trips to the infirmary, George observed and, whenever humanly possible, participated. He had donned football helmet and shoulder padding before to do research for a book, the best-selling "Paper Lion."

I am saddened to know that some employees will spend part of their Thanksgiving Day at work ("Stop the madness," Nov. 22). Holidays are much anticipated as a day of rest with family and friends. I am old enough to remember when stores were even closed on Sunday in deference to the needs of workers. Even though the blue laws are gone, I think workers today need that consideration more than ever. Some will say gee, aren't they lucky they have a job to go to, and I think that is a valid concern, but it's disheartening to me to see commerce take precedence over precious down time.

Unemployment is high, national debt is mounting and the government appears utterly incapable of doing anything productive. The Middle East is roiled, Europe is teetering on the brink of financial collapse, and China is beefing up its military. But the real threat to America may be this: Toys "R" Us is opening at 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving. Walmart stores will open at 10 (two hours earlier than last year), and Target, Macy's, Kohls, Best Buy and others will open at midnight. Is nothing sacred?

I am saddened to know that some employees will spend part of their Thanksgiving Day at work ("Stop the madness," Nov. 22). Holidays are much anticipated as a day of rest with family and friends. I am old enough to remember when stores were even closed on Sunday in deference to the needs of workers. Even though the blue laws are gone, I think workers today need that consideration more than ever. Some will say gee, aren't they lucky they have a job to go to, and I think that is a valid concern, but it's disheartening to me to see commerce take precedence over precious down time.

Certainly, the Piscataway must have been among the Native Americans who understood The Way of the Heron. They lived along the shores, too. They inhabited land at the edges of the Chesapeake in what became Southern Maryland. They must have noticed how the great blue heron, stalking fish in the marshes, got along with other birds - even the teasing red-winged blackbird - and from that observation came a whole feast of philosophy about the peaceful life. The Way of the Heron, Evan Pritchard says, is an ancient Algonquin teaching, and he knows it well enough that he can share its timeless wisdom easily with those who are open to it. Mr. Pritchard, a descendant of Algonquin-speaking people, is the director of the Center for Algonquin Culture in New York, a professor of Native American history at Marist College, a teacher of philosophy and ethics, and the author of several books, including, "Native American Stories of the Sacred" and "No Word For Time, The Way of the Algonquin People.

When Chad McCormick took over Old Mill's football program this fall, he knew everything about the Patriots. After seven years with the program, including five as a varsity assistant coach, he kept the Patriots moving right back to the playoffs for a 13 th straight year. Friday night, McCormick's No. 3 Patriots (12-0) host another undefeated team, No. 4 Catonsville, in the state Class 4A semifinals. A win would put Old Mill in the state final for the second time in three years after the 2009 championship.

In Tuesday's lunchtime roundup, John Houser III tells readers how to turn their Thanksgiving table into at tailgate, and a report from the first Gastronaut Society dinner at Corner BYOB. Look for the story in Wednesday's Taste section, and have a look at his photo gallery now . Speaking of tailgating, check out this video of an early Thanksgiving Day turkey tailgate at M&T Bank Stadium, an annual tradition even before this year's first-ever NFL Thanksgiving home game in Baltimore.

This schedule will be in effect Thursday: County offices Government offices, courts and libraries: Closed in Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Frederick, Harford and Howard counties. Parking meters Free Public schools Closed in all jurisdictions. Trash No pickup in Anne Arundel, Baltimore and Howard counties. In Carroll, Frederick and Harford, check with contractors. Howard has no recycling pickup. Harford waste-disposal center and waste-to-energy center closed.

Unemployment is high, national debt is mounting and the government appears utterly incapable of doing anything productive. The Middle East is roiled, Europe is teetering on the brink of financial collapse, and China is beefing up its military. But the real threat to America may be this: Toys "R" Us is opening at 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving. Walmart stores will open at 10 (two hours earlier than last year), and Target, Macy's, Kohls, Best Buy and others will open at midnight. Is nothing sacred?

Breaking one of retailing's last taboos, K mart Corp. opened most of its stores for business on Thanksgiving Day for the first time ever -- drawing bargain hunters as well as those seeking a rTC respite from turkey, televised football and pesky relatives."

You can tell your age by whether your most vivid Thanksgiving Day football memory is Roger Brown and Alex Karras sacking Bart Starr in 1962, Clint Longley throwing his touchdown pass in 1974 or, if you're a real youngster, Mark Rypien giving a sneak preview of this struggling season in 1990.been 30 years since the NFL had what is still remembered as the most celebrated Thanskgiving Day game of them all -- the Lions' 26-14 upset of the Packers in 1962.What made it so dramatic was that the Packers came in with a 10-0 record and the Lions were 8-2. The Packers won that first meeting, 9-7, in the game Vince Lombardi featured in his book "Run to Daylight."

Update: Kohl's is the latest retailer to announce it is opening doors at midnight on Black Friday in Baltimore. And the retailer says it will remain open 24 hours on Friday. It also promises to award customers $15 cash for every $15 spent at Kohls.com or in the store from Nov. 23rd through the 27th. No limit on the cash amount you can earn, Kohl's says. Not sure how Kohl's employees' feel about 24 hour opening. But the petition against Target's early opening continues to gain supporters.

Share your good news and events with the community. Contact Laurel Leader editorial assistant Pat Farmer, paf1@patuxent.com , or phone and fax 410-332-6653. 5K Turkey Trot - Registration cost cheaper until Nov. 11. Thanksgiving morning, Nov. 24, 8 a.m., First United Methodist Church of Laurel, 424 Main St. Also, One Mile Fun Walk. Runners and walkers of all ages and abilities. Benefits Laurel Advocacy and Referral Services. $25 until Nov. 11; $30 after Nov. 11. Pick up runners packets Wed., Nov. 23, 4-7 p.m. at race location and on morning of race, 7 a.m. Late registrations available during those times.