Mountain Views News, Sierra Madre Edition [Pasadena] Saturday, November 24, 2018

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Mountain View News Saturday, November 24, 2018 

WALKING SIERRA MADRE.. The Social Side By Deanne Davis

KATIE Tse..........This and That


HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Walking Sierra Madre this time of year is a delight, 
pure and simple. There are still pumpkins on lots 
of folks’ porches, which will last for months, till 
the squirrels find a weak spot. Yes, it’s OK to have 
pumpkins and Christmas lights simultaneously. 
Those easterners who say we don’t have Autumn 
color haven’t seen OUR leaves. Sadly, there are 
so many places where Thanksgiving is going to 
be very different this year, specifically in Paradise 
and Malibu where so many, including members 
of our family have lost their homes to fires. 

 This is the time for the old traditional favorites 
to go along with the turkey, but I’m adding a 
corn casserole which made my mouth water 
just reading the recipe. Best of all, is inviting 
family and friends to share the feast and all the 
familiar family stories. Like this one, but I know 
none of you folks have ever had the following 
experience...

The Ghost of Thanksgivings Past

The Festive Bird is in the stove,

And time now for a nap.

I laid me down, closed my eyes,

And at the window heard a tap.

It’s far too soon for guests to come,

I need a little peace!

The stuffing’s ready, cranberries chillin’,

Pies overflow with pumpkin fillin’.

The tap just keeps on at my window,

But I’m not gonna look!

There’s nothing more for me to do,

This is one tired and sleepy cook.

So I snuggled deep down in my afghan,

Turned my head the other way.

I don’t care who’s at that window,

They can tap all day.

Off I went to slumberland and dreamed a lovely 
dream,

A kitchen, clean and washed and spotless, 
everything just right.

But then I dreamt a dreadful dream,

That made me shriek with fright!

The tapping at my window,

More insistent grew.

And what was out there tapping,

I’ll now describe to you.

The Ghost of my Thanksgivings Past,

A turkey that was huge!

Tapped an enormous beak at my window,

And gobbled…. “J’ accuse!”

“Fifty Thanksgivings, and more,” he said,

“Since you walked down the aisle.

Many turkeys you’ve served up, 

With sweet potatoes and a smile.”

“All those turkeys come and gone,

And still your gravy’s awful!

And the year the turkey hit the floor,

Should be declared… unlawful!!”

“Most of them were nicely done, I’ll give you that,” 
he said.

“But some were cooked so badly,

You should have ordered Chinese instead!”

What an awful dream, I thought, as I cowered in 
my bed.

The Ghostly Turkey wasn’t finished,

With his accusations many.

And I, offering excuses,

Discovered I hadn’t any!

But then he smiled and said to me,

“Your crimes are all forgiven.

For those who’ve gathered at your table,

Have rejoiced and laughed for hours.”

“We turkeys relish meals like these,

They are sweet as summer flowers!

Enjoy today, with friends and family,

gathered ‘round your table,

Give thanks for health and joy and peace...

Then share this Thanksgiving fable.”

And with a last gobble…gobble, the Ghost of 
Thanksgivings Past,

 Flew up, up, and away…

And I heard him exclaim, ere he flew out of sight…

“Happy Thanksgiving to all…

And for heaven’s sake, learn to make better gravy!”

 

Hope your Thanksgiving was the best one ever!

My book page: Amazon.com: Deanne Davis

Blog: www.authordeanne.com

 “A Tablespoon of Love, A Tablespoon of Laughter” 
is available there…

As are all the Emma Gainsworth Fall Pumpkin 
Adventures

Follow me on Twitter, too! https://twitter.com/@
playwrightdd

I know this piece is coming 
out after Thanksgiving, 
but I think it’s still fine 
to wish you a Happy 
Thanksgiving holiday 
season with your family 
and friends. I’ve been 
writing for this paper for close to ten years now. 
(Although if you frequent my column you know 
I’m often guilty of recycling old stories. Oops!) 
Anyway, all that is to say that I think I’ve already 
said everything there is to say on the topic of 
Thanksgiving. I’ve already touched on all the 
familiar things, like having too much turkey left 
over, and Black Friday, with its opportunities for 
spectacular sales and physical injury.

 I always thought Thanksgiving was a pretty 
innocuous, politically safe holiday compared to 
others with religious overtones, like Christmas 
and Easter. The former is loaded with contentious 
possibilities, as evidenced by the friction between 
the “Merry Christmas” versus “Happy Holidays” 
factions.

 So I was kind of surprised to learn that the 
phrase “Happy Thanksgiving” is a little too 
extreme for some people, who prefer to wish 
others “Happy Turkey Day.” Sigh... I know 
few things in life are simple, even less so in our 
turbulent political climate, but it would be nice if 
some things, like Thanksgiving, didn’t have to get 
revamped and repackaged.

 What’s wrong with being thankful? Even 
if someone wants to strip Thanksgiving of its 
history as a holiday devoted to thanking God for 
His provision, isn’t it still alright to be thankful 
to others at least? Do we have to repackage it as 
a holiday celebrating the consumption of turkey 
instead of thankfulness? I don’t even like turkey! 
Although I’m sure thankful I don’t have to cook it.

 We all have a lot to be thankful for. Some 
more so than others, of course. But I, for one, 
am grateful for life, health, family, friends, job, 
and other countless blessings God has showered 
me with over the years. It’s not good to be easily 
offended, but I couldn’t help take offense at a 
line in a somewhat recent film about the British 
intelligence agents who cracked the German 
enigma machine code. One of the characters 
comments on the incident, saying something to 
the effect that many people credited God with 
saving England from the Nazis, but really, it was 
him and his team who did it, not God.

 Who, pray tell, gave that man the intelligence 
and talent needed in order to build the Turing 
machine in the first place? Who let him be born 
at such a time as he was so that he’d be there 
to help save his nation in their hour of need? 
The presumption to think that it all came from 
himself, as if his own wits saved the day. I mean, 
they did, but who gave him those wits to begin 
with?

 But I digress. One person I’m very thankful 
for is Susan Henderson, my generous editor who 
prints my stories week after week. Thank you, 
Ms. Henderson! Most of all, I’m thankful to Jesus 
Christ, whose death is the only thing sparing me 
and others who put their trust in Him from an 
eternal death sentence. The Bible teaches that all 
things were created through Him and for Him, 
and in Him all things consist. I thank God for 
giving me the ability to put words together in 
sentences. I don’t consider myself some great 
writer, but I hope that any gift He’s given me can 
be used to bring Him glory in some small way.

 So with that, I’ll leave you. Thank YOU 
for reading my article! I wish you a Happy 
Thanksgiving again, and in a few weeks, a very 
Merry Christmas!


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SIERRA MADRE POLICE BLOTTER

During this period, the Sierra Madre Police 
Department responded to approximately 253 day 
and night time calls for service.

Monday, November 12

At about 3:15PM, officers received a radio call of 
a group of suspicious juveniles in the area of 100 
Grove Ln, Sierra Madre. When contacted the 
juveniles are found to be in possession of lighters, 
rolling papers, and a marijuana joint. The items 
were taken for property destruction and the 
parents of each juvenile were notified. 

Tuesday, November 13

A resident came to the police station at about 
12:07PM to report that an unknown person(s) had 
tampered with his vehicle parked in the 300 block 
of W. Sierra Madre Blvd and maliciously placed a 
black banana underneath his vehicles windshield 
wiper. The resident believes that the suspect(s) 
actions are racially motivated and hateful in 
nature.

Case to Detectives

9:55PM

A man came into the lobby to report criminal 
threats via text and email against himself and his 
family.

Case to Detectives

Wednesday, November 14

Officers responded to a call at 3:45PM in the 100 
block of N. Canon, where a suspect forcefully 
removed a juvenile victim's cell phone from her 
hands causing her to fear for her safety.

Case to Detectives

Thursday, November 15

Officers responded to a non-injury traffic collision 
at about 7:33PM at the intersection of Sierra Madre 
Blvd and Lima St.

Sunday, November 18

At approximately 9:52AM a resident in the vicinity 
of Carter Ave. and Lima St observed a vehicle with a 
smashed driver’s side window. Officers responded 
and located the driver who reported that a sports 
equipment bag with tennis gear was missing.

A case of, “If you see something, say something”.

Case to Detectives

 
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