Hey Janice,

These are great thoughts to keep in mind. I like that clipart picture–I know what’s on your mind!

I did get to see the end of the parade, but now I have to finish getting ready. I got to see Andy Williams, too, and I always enjoy him. What a voice!

Have a great day!

Margie

And for those who even escape some of the above listed small pleasures…

Simply being alive…and hopefully safe and warm…

Are the greatest pleasures of all….

(Beautiful baby toes!! )

Little Pleasures and The Buffalo

I lived in Chicago’s Old Town neighborhood most of the time from 1964 until I moved to California in 1986. It was a lot like Greenwich Village in those days: cheap apartments, plenty of bars, a variety of shops, and aspiring, struggling artists and writers like myself. The main drag through Old Town was Wells Street.

From late November 1964 until September 1966, when it closed, I worked at Big John’s, a very popular blues bar that was home to younger white blues bands and older black blues bands. That was one of the best times of my life!

Near the southern edge of Old Town along Wells Street was a small ice cream parlor called Little Pleasures. Sometimes I’d take dates there. They loved it!

One time a girlfriend of mine who lived on the northside took me to the Buffalo, an old-fashioned ice cream parlor near her home. It had been there for years. It was larger than Little Pleasures. We went there on a weekday. She insisted we get there by two o’clock. Both of us ordered banana splits and Cokes and sat in an old wooden booth. The banana splits were fantastic!

We took our time enjoying our banana splits. They were terrific! About two-thirty, high school kids suddenly poured into the Buffalo from the nearby high school. The Buffalo was a popular afternoon hangout.

I don’t know if Little Pleasures and the Buffalo are still open. I did a Google search but didn’t turn up anything — except to a link to a post about Little Pleasures that I wrote on my own blog, The Flatted Fifth, a couple of years ago!

Where does the time go?

George Spink
Los Angeles

Very good point Janice about little pleasures!!!
Dawn too.

I’m so happy because…I JUST SAW YOU Janice!!
Finally!!!!!!
now its really officially Thanksgiving!

Dawn I got to see the parade this time!
I wanted to go yesterday when they blew the balloons because last time I went there – 15 years ago – it was really magical.
but yesterday was a NIGHTMARE! Too many people !
So I went this morning again.
And it was once again too crowded

But this time I got the idea to sneak into a store and go through to exit on the other side..which one on Macy’s street!
So I got prime spot to watch the end of the parade!!!!

I took some snap pict and will try to post them. By far my favorite was the Happy Smurf! II know I’ve been pestering al of you with Smurfs but truth is their shape are so simple and round, they are perfect for the parade balloons!!).

Then I love Pikatchu, for the same reason than the Smurf (he’s all rounded!!) although I was never familiar with the cartoon.

Of course I caught my favorite frog Kermit (who I find more interesting from the side and behind because from the front his face dove down!) and Snoopy the aviator!

I admit Horton and Sponge Bob were very cute too and Buzz Lightyear was impressive.

Staggering news from Mumbai…. very sad. And yet it is fair to point out India’s history has often been, alas, very violent, even before Al Qaeda.
My prayers go to the victims.

Have you guys read the French twist in Thanksgiving? Some earlier French Huguenots pilgrims would have celebrated it in 1564 in Florida with the local Timucuan indians, according to the author Kenneth Davis.
But then they got massacred by the Spanish troops the following year… extending religious conflict from Europe to the colonies.
I have to read that book….but not before Tony’s!

George, I love banana splits!!!

Guillaume

Dawn, my lucky star is my Aunt Marie-Myrtile (Mary-Blueberry! my Grand-Pa was a true original!), my Mom’s little sister who passed away from cancer in 2000. It’s hard to explain but I’ve felt closer to her since she passed away and her presence helped me a great deal when I was going through hard times.

I believe in God. But sometimes it’s easier when you have guides, like guardian angels, to help you on God’s path. I know it’s difficult to explain…

As my uncle passed away recently (my Mom’s little brother) I hope to feel his presence too for he was very special in my life (as my Dad was away).

Guillaume

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!

Guillaume….Sounds like you find great solace and help in your lucky star

No need to explain…It helps and it works and that is all that matters… No need to justify it either for the same reason…

Thanks for sharing…

Hope everyone had a pleasant day…Im full…But it was nice to see so many loved ones….(and a new one…She will be 1 on Dec 19th…Another December baby is the family..YAY..Life is good )

Dawn, I’m glad you had a wonderful day with your loved ones!

and I was wondering….are we getting closer to your Bday???!

Guillaume

Very nice poem JD. You know sometimes I fret these days not because of the guests heck my family can come and go as they please. But it always gets me when they leave or in the case of Christmas Eve when we leave because. although we mostly live in Chicago other than a cousin in Vegas. (Yeah lucky I know) and a cousin in New York. It usually takes us months to plan parties or gatherings. And I’d rather celebrate with them something good. Then to have it be too late. When I see or hear of things that take place in places like Mumbi. It makes me want to grab my Mom Dad Sister and Uncles Aunts and Cousins and say THIS IS WHY WE GET TOGETHER!!!!!!! People that live in the past are doomed to repeat the mistakes. Look forward the future may not be as bad as it seems.