My favorite wine store was having more than the usual number of wine tastings in order to boost holiday sales, consequently I was heavily scheduled for evening wine tastings all week. I made a killer apple walnut cake from scratch while drinking a bottle of one of their recommendations. I love this time of year. I’m thankful for the wine.
My parents brought me up Roman Catholic, I was baptized and given first communion in that church. The churches I attended as a child at some point had folk singers with guitars, but overall the music wasn’t very good.
My formative years were spend at a Quaker school. Quakers aren’t big on consumerism, or extraneous showy thanks one or two days a year, and they aren’t really hymn singers.
When I was 9 or so, while over here visiting relatives in New England for the holiday, I attended a Congregational Church. The music was better than at any church I had attended to that point in time — lots of Mozart, Handel, the choir spectacular. I vowed to become a Congregationalist when I grew up. I’m thankful for the music.
As it happens I was never confirmed in any church as shortly after returning to the United States for good I lost my religion. Hedging my bets I currently call myself agnostic.
While I appreciate all redefinitions of the Trinity, I understand better the description of atheists at the inevitable holiday mealtime thanks to God. As I read of the typical agnostic’s half head bow I shiver proudly realizing I am an advanced agnostic. I bow my head not at all, I simply lower my eyelids halfway, putting me only a fraction away from the atheists who stare straight at the wall in front of them.
The eye lowering serves me well as we move easily on to the food and drink, toasting diversity and disagreement. I’m thankful for my friends and family.
Be generous, and accept generosity.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Tags: Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving to you, Coop. Gratitude is a virtue in church. To the lucky agnostic it can be a vice.
Doug´s last blog ..Trinity
It sure can.
Happy Thanksgiving Cooper.
Eat drink and enjoy the day off.
It was nice I ran in the morning, fed others, and then fed myself.
He yours was the same.
Amen and God bless ya. Handel in church makes for joyous listening. But where was his counterpart?
;-)
pssttt… what was the wine of which you speak highly?
sauerkraut´s last blog ..Meet Kirk Cameron, Asshat.
Kind of hard to rememeber. ;)
You know, living in wine country there are a lot of wineries around too, though the wine stores don’t always carry them. I love topping at the wineries.
A good Merlot is from Lagaria in Sicily — 2007 is not bad.
I am agnostic in my beliefs also. My Roman Catholic up-bring totally turned me off of organized religion. Surprisingly it is the experiences I have had in my later life that make me feel there is more then random chance that guides us.
Bathwater´s last blog ..Better Times
Nothing is random from the standpoint of physics but other than that you’d have to go a long way to convince me
happy thanksgiving cooper
john´s last blog ..Brazil
hope you t day was nice john.
I get the prayer thing, happy turkey da.y I will be eating pork.
I’m thankful for garlic and cilantro.
kait´s last blog ..Dark Black Dresses Roll From the First State Dinner
I wouldn’t want to have to live without either of those things.
Christians can be comfortable with their eyes closed because their place is secure in case of rapture. But an Agnostic needs to keep her eyes open, so when Rapture comes, you’ll be able to shout “Hallelujah!” before it’s too late.
People in the Sun´s last blog ..On the Health Care Debate in the Senate and Facebook and New Moon and Sam Brownback’s Mom
I’ve never quite Looked at it that way PITS, but the rapture isn’t central to the religion I was originally indoctrinated to.
You had me at “I made a killer apple walnut cake from scratch while drinking a bottle of one of their recommendations.”
I prefer my eyes open and my head unbowed, it matters less each year as I enjoy the family more every year. Strange as that may seem.
It was damn good too.
I enjoy being in a choir; the title of this post is actually a great one to sing this time of year. I wish we were friends IRL ‘cuz that cake sounds spectacular. Happy Thanksgiving.
lol it was spectacular, especially for someone who doesn’t bake.
Understated gratitude, I like it.
Happy Thanksgiving Coop.
Did you run this year?
g´s last blog ..Been Busy
Turkey Trot at 8 — of course.
Happy Thanksgiving.
I just thought of a word to describe your future brilliant lines: Cooperific.
You can let me know.
Bone´s last blog ..There are 10 kinds of people in this world
future brilliant line? the pressure is too great. ;)
I can never believe you don’t think of yourself as a writer when you write some of the most wonderful posts in the blogosphere
sucking off your mojo
Happy Thanksgiving. I’m thankful for posts like these.
I’m thankful you still comment after all these years.
I’m glad that you are able to find the positive about this time of year.
I am not so pleased. I am thankful to be still fully functional, as are many. Never once heard a complaint like:” I can’t wait to go blind, or not be able to walk.“
This is the time of the year where it is okay to be boring, and socially acceptable to be as bland as rotten poo, and blend with the scenario.
Bill:“What are you doing Bob?“
Bob“I’m buying more blah for blah at blah“
Bill:“ha-ha-ha, well happy blah to you and the blah.“
Bob:” You too, happy blah.“
I actually believe the Holiday season (these days) is a marketing ploy to distract us from the cold weather prohibiting us from going outside free of 3 layers of clothing. It’s also the time when Christians can justify buying junk. I love spring.
Bennet´s last blog ..Consumption sumption, what’s your function?
Not much of a shopper myself and prefer to spend time drinking, listening to music and being with people I like.
Happy Thanksgiving Cooper!!
Chris´s last blog ..Twin Blogging
hope you had a good one Chris with the whole new fam and all.
I take it one step further and look around at the people who are praying and not, as obviously that other writer did too, or how would he know what they were doing? I figure if a devout person notices me, she or he isn’t paying attention to business.
Indeed, as the science writer whose blog had the original post is an atheist it probably doesn’t matter, but I’ve caught plenty of the devout staring around over the years.….
Wise words, had a great read Thanks.
Cooper,
I’m a fractional head-bower, I really enjoyed your piece.
Thanks,
Billy
I am glad you stopped by I have had you on my reader fro some time.
Maybe it shouldn’t, but it depends on the people I’m with, as follows:
really like — fractional head-bowing out of respect for person
so-so — eye-lowering
don’t like you at all — stare straight ahead
I was raised Lutheran — they’re really good singers and have the best coffee.
Have a good Christmas — try some Argentinian malbec!
Chris J´s last blog ..Hardwiring 101 for Women
Well, coffee matters, but I think your it depends outlook for eye lowering is a good idea.
I will try it. I live in Maryland wine country believe it or not and have had some wine from malbec grapes grown here, but I will check out some Argentinian t your recommendation.