Thanksgiving Favorites

Every family seems to have their own twists on the Thanksgiving meal. Some traditional favorites include Turkey, of course, Ham, green bean casserole, dinner rolls, cornbread, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potato casserole, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie and pecan pie. But most families also have their own special dishes alongside the normal spread. 

Crystal likes to have turkey, dinner rolls, mashed potatoes and gravy, and cranberry sauce, but her family also includes salad and corn, instead of green bean casserole. Candied yams are a favorite, too.

Mark really likes to mix it up and prefers chicken to the traditional turkey. He also likes plain rice and vanilla cake.

Margaret enjoys many of the normal components, but her mother makes a mean spinach and artichoke casserole and her husband prefers chocolate mousse for dessert!

Thanksgiving during the pandemic will be a little different for some people this year, but we can at least still have our favorite foods. 

Top Ten: Mark’s Favorite Rhoda Episodes

10. Joe (9/9/74)

9. Rhoda’s Wedding (10/28/74)

8. With Friends Like These (10/20/75)

7. Friends and Mothers (11/24/75)

6. If You Don’t Tell Her, I Will (12/29/75)

5. The Separation (9/20/76)

4. The Ultimatum (1/30/77)

3. The Return of Ida (10/2/77)

2. Rhoda vs. Ida (10/7/78)

1. The Total Brenda (12/9/78)

Top Ten: Mark’s Favorite Mary Tyler Moore Show Episodes

10. Love is All Around (9/19/70)

9. Feeb (1/8/72)

8. Enter Rhoda’s Parents (10/7/72)

7. Just Around the Corner (10/28/72)

6. Put on a Happy Face (2/24/73)

5. The Lars Affair (9/15/73)

4. Chuckles Bites the Dust (10/25/75)

3. Ted’s Wedding (11/8/75)

2. Mary’s Big Party (3/5/77)

1. The Last Show (3/19/77) 

Advocating for Change

It’s important for members of the DD community to advocate for themselves and their rights, and we’re thinking about this right now, because we just had an election. With a new administration comes opportunities for change, so here are some changes we would like to see.

The pandemic has made clear that more remote services need to be made available, not just in-person services. It’s important for people to stay connected, even if they’re stuck at home. There have been some positive changes, with a larger budget for technology and online programming, but we’d like to see even more.

It would also be great to see more support for independent living, including more job development opportunities and specialized housing for individuals who would like to live on their own. 

Another important issue are long wait times for adaptive equipment and equipment repair. It would also be great if individuals could advocate for changes to their equipment if it’s not working for them. 

Hopefully there will be more dialogue and more paths for change for individuals in the DD community in the near future.

Some of Our Favorite Presidents

Barack Obama (2009-2017)

A senator from Illinois, he was our first African American president. He is known for helping pass the Affordable Healthcare Act, otherwise known as Obamacare. He also has a beautiful singing voice and can kill a fly with a single swat. 

Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865)

Also from Illinois, “Honest Abe” was previously a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. He was president during the United States Civil War and issued the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing the slaves. He was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth in 1865.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1933-1945)

Our longest serving president, FDR was elected four times and died in office during his final term. He was president during World War II and was known for suffering from polio and using a wheelchair.

George Washington (1789-1797)

Our very first president, George Washington was a general in the American Revolutionary War. He won two terms and was a very popular president.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy (1961-1963)

Kennedy was the first Catholic president. He was a senator and U.S. Representative from Massachusetts. He was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963.

Top Ten: Mark’s Favorite West Wing Episodes

10. Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc (9/29/99)

9. 20 Hours in LA (2/23/00)

8. Two Cathedrals (5/16/01)

7. Manchester, Parts 1 & 2 (10/10/01 & 10/17/01)

6. 20 Hours in America, Parts 1 & 2 (9/25/02)

5. Inauguration, Part 1 & Over There (2/5/03 & 2/12/03)

4. Eppur Si Muove (3/3/04)

3. 2162 Votes (4/6/05)

2. Election Day, Parts 1 & 2 (4/2/06 & 4/9/06)

1. Tomorrow (5/14/06)