For those of you who think Norman Rockwell only painted idealized images of white people, he didn’t. His idealized images are popular, but he painted many other, harder-edged pictures. The soft and sweet ones were done for magazines who would not let him paint anything else. It’s an interesting story. If you’re in the neighborhood of Stockbridge, Massachusetts, I recommend the Norman Rockwell Museum. The man was more than a painter of white privilege. Quite the contrary. I’m sure he’d be greatly distressed to discover he’s been remembered that way.

Thanksgiving — our version of it — is a particularly American experience. I especially love this Thanksgiving cover for Life Magazine. It reminds us that the Pilgrims were a humorless bunch. Not the kind of people I’d like to know.

They wouldn’t approve of our traditional Thanksgiving, not a bit. I don’t think you’d want them at your table and they wouldn’t be thrilled to be there. I enjoy Thanksgiving, mostly, even though it’s going to be a very small one this year. It will not, however, be our smallest because there will be three of us. Garry and I have had Thanksgiving when we were the only two. We were fine. Well, I was. I suspect Garry felt a little neglected.

Orange Cardinal — grown from a baby last month

Dark-Eyed Junco

Sparrows

I like the idea of Thanksgiving, the day to be grateful for what we have (as opposed to what we wish we had). It’s good to have a day dedicated to gratitude and overeating, visiting with family and friends. But — you knew there was going to be a “but” didn’t you? — I am frequently reminded there are people who don’t have a family and others who don’t have much to celebrate, and of course Native Americans, who on the whole, don’t find Thanksgiving a reason to rejoice.

I think this year, the top of the order for gratitude is that we are alive and with some luck, will be able to stay that way until the vaccine is available. After all these months in hiding, it would be nice to come out of this pandemic with life intact. Meanwhile, enjoy the pictures 🙂 Notice how that squirrel is turning white, I think because it’s winter. But not all of them change color and I have no idea why some do and others don’t. Oh the questions we ask that never have answers.

Enjoy your holiday. And, by the way, you really don’t have to overeat. It’s not a requirement. Honest

Categories: #Birds, #gallery, #Photography, #Squirrel, celebration, History, Holidays, New England

Tags: #gallery, #Photography, history, Holiday, Marilyn Armstrong, Norman Rockwell, Thanksgiving