Thanksgiving 2012

Every year some radio station or TV news station takes a poll to ask people if we think we should wait until after Thanksgiving to display Christmas decorations.
And every time they do this, most of the people who respond say 'Yes" we should celebrate Thanksgiving as a separate holiday without having it being overshadowed by Christmas.

But the merchants always want to push Christmas even before  Halloween, and sometimes even as early as August. I can remember when the Town of Chapel Hill had to pass an ordinance against displaying Christmas decorations until after Thanksgiving. At University Mall in Chapel Hill, I was told that the Christmas decorations are hidden in the ceiling, and after closing time on Thanksgiving Day, they come down to the floor on elevators. Then, so they say, a crew works on the decorations through the night, and have everything ready when they open again in the morning. I was Santa Claus there one year, (a really fun job, let me tell you!) and that's when I heard this.

I like the idea of giving thanks for the good things we have before we celebrate having them, as an appropriate start to the Holiday Season.

I hate the idea of people killing each other on Black Friday the very next day.
That is one tradition I do not observe.

Some don't want to celebrate Thanksgiving at all, in sympathy with our Native American friends. (Which is why I don't tell the Pilgrim story!) Then there are the Jehovah's Witnesses, who don't celebrate any holidays, not even birthdays. (those poor kids!)

When a loved one goes missing or is murdered during a holiday time, it tends to put a damper on the festive occasion, and the reminder keeps coming back around every year.

For those who came late, Debbie went missing the night of November 30, but as it was after midnight, and before daylight began, the date is also considered December 1. That year (1997) Nov 30 was the Sunday night of Thanksgiving weekend.

But I love the holidays, though it may always be a challenge to celebrate it the way I think it should be. But, you know what?, that is a challenge I always accept!

Happy Thanksgiving to All!

15-Year Anniversary

By the end of this month, we will be observing the 15-year anniversary of when Debbie Key was last seen. The 10-year anniversary got a lot of attention, which I am still thankful for. (see slide show at the bottom of this page) This time around, I would like to point out some other significant events that have occurred in 1997.

1997 - Deaths
Perhaps most memorable are Mother Theresa and Princess Diana, but also were comedian Red Skelton, poet Allen Ginsberg, and the lovely Nicolette Larson.
Carrie Slaughterbeck may have become the first person to die from blue-green algae.
Not as well loved but also remembered is Anton LaVey, founder of the Church of Satan.
Let' not forget the entire congregation of Heaven's Gate, with the appearance of the Hale-Bop Comet, on March 26, 1997

Other Anniversaries in '97
Vampire fans in the US and UK have observed the 100-year anniversary of when Bram Stoker (a favorite author of mine) published "Dracula," the novel that made him famous. (1897)
And in Roswell, New Mexico, a festival was held in celebration of the 50-year anniversary of the alleged UFO crash that made that town famous. (1947)

Other Events
Another favorite author of mine, Kathy Reichs won the Ellis Award for her first novel, "Deja Dead." This author's work was the inspiration for the TV series, "Bones."
The first mass protest against Scientology took place in Clearwater, Florida.
"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (the TV series, not the movie) began in 1997 and continued through 7 episodes. (1992 for the movie)

We do not live in the past. We get on with our lives and strive to progress. But one of the best ways of doing this is by learning from our history.

As for Debbie Key, at the present time I am not aware of any plans to commemorate the coming date, but I would not be surprised if any of our friends were to show up at that parking lot across the street from the Jade Palace Chinese Restaurant on Main Street in Carrboro, NC. It's been known to happen before around this time, and if you ask me, I'd say to enjoy a good Chinese dinner at Jade Palace is a good enough reason to go there anyway. Should an impromptu gathering occur, that's likely where it will be.

Holiday Season is approaching.
Peace on Earth. Good Will to People.