Giving thanks in times of turbulence times
Another Thanksgiving is upon us this week, and for some in the Flathead Valley this years holiday season will be a little more difficult.
Many local businesses have been forced to lay off workers in these turbulent times. And its probably safe to say that most of us, even if were assured our jobs are sound, are anxious about what lies ahead in the months and years to come. Im almost to the point where I cant watch or read much more national news about how bad things are or how much worse theyre apt to get.
I find myself wanting to shout Take heart, America. We can get through this if we all pull together.
We need only to look to Americas past to remember how resilient weve always been as one nation under God. Even in the depths of the Great Depression, during one of our countrys bleakest times economically, we forged ahead. We learned to make do, to live within our means.
Well have to learn how to do that again. And we can.
There is still much to be thankful for this year. Look around and youll quickly see the generosity still flowing through this valley. Volunteers on the front line are helping out at food banks. Theyre donating warm coats to the needy. Theyre raising money for the less fortunate. Theyre delivering Meals on Wheels or visiting the elderly in nursing homes. Theyre sending care packages to soldiers stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
These people are the real heroes in this economic crisis. They see opportunities to help and take action. Maybe this year our blessings will be not in financial wealth but in a wealth of humanity.
And well be all the richer if we get involved with the things that truly matter.
ON A LIGHTER note, a couple of months ago I wrote about the weird foods our parents ate, drawing inspiration from colleagues who shared stories of their dads devouring everything from Cheerios sauted in butter to scrambled eggs smothered in baked beans.
I asked readers to share their own stories and thought Id pass along a couple of the best offerings.
April Storr, a new accounts representative at First Interstate Bank, shared her experience.
My dad was always eating weird stuff, but the best were his ice cream sandwiches, Storr said. Two pieces of white bread with a few scoops of ice cream between them. He always tried to tell us that it was just as good as the ones you buy, and we countered with, Yeah, but the bread is not chocolate!
Stacia Dahl, who works at the AARP state office in Helena, said her dad, whos 100 percent German, loved to top a slice of homemade rhubarb pie with blue cheese.
My parents would also make head cheese and feed it to us, Dahl wrote. They also made homemade blutwurst [blood sausage].
One of our online edition readers scolded me for ridiculing the old ways, especially the milk-soaked break and raw hamburger sandwiches (which he referred to as steak tartare) that our grandparents enjoyed. This reader, who didnt give his name, was longing for the good old days of good, simple, tasty, nutritious foods, before chemicals such as Polysorbate 80 and aspartame made us question how safe our food really is.
I have to agree. Maybe these tough times will see a return to making food from scratch, not only because it tastes better but also because it costs a fraction of pre-packaged foods. More food for thought.
Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com