Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone out there is ready to get their grub on...cause if yer not, I call dibs on your stuffing!!!

Time to spend time with loved ones and be thankful for all things. As you sit back and relax this holiday morning watching the 84th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, cringing at the Pikachu and Hello Kitty balloons and closing you eyes and longing for Bullwinkle and Underdog instead, here's a little bonus oldtime radio treat for you to plug your earholes from the inane chatter of the announcers and clatter of marching bands as well.

This program was a special broadcast from Armed Forces Radio for Thanksgiving of 1944. Germany had surrendered to allied forces in WWII and the war in the Pacific was coming to a head and our fighting boys had been away from home for too many Thanksgivings. This was to be their last and some of radio's finest wanted to send a "We miss you" audio card.



The host for the show is the wonderful Lionel Barrymore...


...and he's joined by musical and comedy stars alike in what to me is warm and just plain feels like the holidays are here. I hope you enjoy.

Also appearing are Percy Faith...

...Dinah Shore...

...Harry Von Zell...

...the funny and too-often forgotten Wally Brown...

...for a touch of class, John Charles Thomas...

...the comic stylings of Fanny Brice and Handley Stafford in their roles as "Baby Snooks" and "Daddy" respectively...

...Frank Morgan...

...and even an original Thanksgiving song written by Irving Berlin. Hey, if he gave us "White Christmas" and "Easter Parade"...why not a Thanksgiving tune too.

Have a great long weekend and I'll talk to you soon.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!

Time to take stock in all things in our lives we are thankful for - and time to stuff our faces!

I am thankful for the turkey's giblets. I don't know what function they serve for the bird itself, but they sure make gravy taste good!

I am thankful for that green bean/cream of mushroom soup/french fried onion casserole that everyone serves and most only take a polite spoonful of, just because the good ol' American casserole is in need of a come-back and should be represented!

I am thankful for that can-shaped glob of gelatinous cranberry jelly that everyone forgets to put on the table until the meal's almost over. HINT: The real treat in this is the next day when you make a miniature turkey sandwich on a leftover biscuit. When sliced, this sweet/tart/canned/unnaturally red goo is the EXACT size of said biscuit and fits perfectly!

I am thankful for black olives on the relish tray that fit so perfectly on the ends of your fingers!

I am thankful for the first child at the "kiddie table" that spills his milk. It panics and embarrasses the mother of said child, but relaxes and relieves everyone else and lets us enjoy the get-together more!

I am thankful for giant balloons of cartoon characters in the Macy's parade! The only time I ever get to see Felix, Underdog and Bullwinkle anymore!

I am thankful for kids learning to trace their outstretched palm on tan construction paper and drawing a turkey!

I am thankful that gravy tastes good on EVERYTHING!

I am thankful for the one freaky vegetarian who shows up at every one's house every year with a dish of brussels sprouts. That just leaves more stuffing and gravy for me!

I am thankful for the official start of eggnog season! Make mine EXTRA nogg-y PLEASE!

I am thankful for the two or three at the table with repressed, pent-up aggression, who have too much wine and start a fight at the table. While every one's distracted I get more stuffing and gravy!!

I am thankful for the trytophan in the turkey that finally takes the winds out of the sails of the arguers and signals "time for pie!".

I am thankful that in my 46 years of Thanksgivings, I have always had good friends and family to spend this day with, and hopefully always will.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours...save some stuffing and gravy for me!