Author of The Blackout Book and the online course Bloom Where You’re Planted
This promises to be a holiday season like no other in our memory, what with the hotly contested election, a new series of lockdowns and restrictions, and another wave of COVID-19 taking over the mainstream media headlines.
With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, the Centers for Disease Control, individual states, and a handful of universities seem to be competing for the most “thorough” advice on how families and friends should handle the holiday.
Some families are voluntarily changing how they intend to celebrate this year due to their concerns about the health of family members, which is understandable and well within their rights,. However, others are chafing at what they see as the restrictive and invasive nature of the “guidance.”
Trigger Warning: A while back, I wrote an article about 12 words and phrases I never wanted to read again. This article is FILLED with them.
The CDC has come out with this advice for a “safe” Thanksgiving.
- Limit the number of attendees as much as possible to allow people from different households to remain at least 6 feet apart at all times. Guests should avoid direct contact, including handshakes and hugs, with others not from their household.
- Host outdoor rather than indoor gatherings as much as possible. Even outdoors, require guests to wear masks when not eating or drinking.
- Avoid holding gatherings in crowded, poorly ventilated spaces with persons who are not in your household.
- Increase ventilation by opening windows and doors to the extent that is safe and feasible based on the weather, or by placing central air and heating on continuous circulation.
- For additional information on increasing ventilation, visit CDC’s information on Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Home.
- Winter weather can be cold, wet, and unpredictable. Inclement weather makes it difficult to increase ventilation by opening windows or to hold an event outdoors.
- If setting up outdoor seating under a pop-up open air tent, ensure guests are still seated with physical distancing in mind. Enclosed 4-wall tents will have less air circulation than open air tents. If outdoor temperature or weather forces you to put up the tent sidewalls, consider leaving one or more sides open or rolling up the bottom 12” of each sidewall to enhance ventilation while still providing a wind break.
- Require guests to wear masks. At gatherings that include persons of different households, everyone should always wear a mask that covers both the mouth and nose, except when eating or drinking. It is also important to stay at least 6 feet away from people who are not in your household at all times.
- Encourage guests to avoid singing or shouting, especially indoors. Keep music levels down so people don’t have to shout or speak loudly to be heard.
- Encourage attendees to wash their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, use hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
- Provide guests information about any COVID-19 safety guidelines and steps that will be in place at the gathering to prevent the spread of the virus.
- Provide and/or encourage attendees to bring supplies to help everyone to stay healthy. These include extra masks (do not share or swap with others), hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol, and tissues. Stock bathrooms with enough hand soap and single use towels.
- Limit contact with commonly touched surfaces or shared items such as serving utensils.
- Clean and disinfect commonly touched surfaces and any shared items between use when feasible. Use EPA-approved disinfectantsexternal icon.
- Use touchless garbage cans if available. Use gloves when removing garbage bags or handling and disposing of trash. Wash hands after removing gloves.
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Plan ahead and ask guests to avoid contact with people outside of their households for 14 days before the gathering.
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Treat pets as you would other human family members – do not let pets interact with people outside the household. (source)
It remains to be seen if there will be any enforcement of this guidance or if these are merely suggestions. In no particular order, here are some of the announcements from various states about the upcoming holiday.
California
Governor Gavin Newsom of California was the first to issue advice for Thanksgiving.
- Gatherings that include more than 3 households are prohibited. This includes everyone present, including hosts and guests. Remember, the smaller the number of people, the safer.
- Keep the households that you interact with stable over time. By spending time with the same people, risk of transmission is reduced. Participating in multiple gatherings with different households or groups is strongly discouraged.
- The host should collect names of all attendees and contact information in case contact tracing is needed later.
- Gatherings that occur outdoors are significantly safer than indoor gatherings. All gatherings must be held outside. Attendees may go inside to use restrooms as long as the restrooms are frequently sanitized.
- Gatherings may occur in outdoor spaces that are covered by umbrellas, canopies, awnings, roofs, and other shade structures provided that at least three sides of the space (or 75%) are open to the outdoors.
- A gathering of no more than three households is permitted in a public park or other outdoor space, even if unrelated gatherings of other groups up to three households are also occurring in the same park or other outdoor space. If multiple such gatherings are occurring, mixing between group gatherings is not allowed. Additionally, multiple gatherings of three households cannot be jointly organized or coordinated to occur in the same public park or other outdoor space at the same time – this would constitute a gathering exceeding the permitted size.
- Shared items should not be used during a gathering. As much as possible, any food or beverages at outdoor gatherings must be in single-serve disposable containers. If providing single-serve containers is not possible, food and beverages must be served by a person who washes or sanitizes their hands frequently, and wears a face covering. Self-serve items from communal containers should not be used.
- When gathering, face coverings must be worn in accordance with the CDPH Guidance on the Use of Face Coverings (PDF), unless an exemption is applicable.
- People at gatherings may remove their face coverings briefly to eat or drink as long as they stay at least 6 feet away from everyone outside their own household, and put their face covering back on as soon as they are done with the activity.
- Face coverings can also be removed to meet urgent medical needs (for example, to use an asthma inhaler, take medication, or if feeling light-headed).
- Gatherings should be two hours or less. The longer the duration, the risk of transmission increases.
- Singing, chanting, shouting, and physical exertion significantly increases the risk of COVID-19 transmission because these activities increase the release of respiratory droplets and fine aerosols into the air. Because of this, singing, chanting, and shouting are strongly discouraged, but if they occur, the following rules and recommendations apply:
- All people who are singing or chanting should wear a face covering at all times while singing or chanting, including anyone who is leading a song or chant. Because these activities pose a very high risk of COVID-19 transmission, face coverings are essential to reduce the spread of respiratory droplets and fine aerosols;
- People who are singing, shouting, chanting, or exercising are strongly encouraged to maintain physical distancing beyond 6 feet to further reduce risk.
- People who are singing or chanting are strongly encouraged to do so quietly (at or below the volume of a normal speaking voice).
- Instrumental music is allowed as long as the musicians maintain at least 6-foot physical distancing. Musicians must be from one of the three households. Playing of wind instruments (any instrument played by the mouth, such as a trumpet or clarinet) is strongly discouraged. (source)
Oregon
Thanksgiving falls in the midst of Oregon’s two-week “freeze” and Governor Kate Brown wants to see get-together limited to no more than six people total, and from no more than two households, regardless of whether the event is being held indoors or outdoors. Indoor visits in long-term care facilities are prohibited. (source)
New Jersey
Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey, via executive order, has limited indoor gatherings to no more than 10 people. (source)
Kentucky
Governor Andy Beshear issued a dire warning:
“Those that you may think that you may only have five, ten Thanksgivings left with — if we’re not careful this year, you may not have more than one.” (source)
Gov. Beshear and the state health officials recommend the following guidelines:
- Avoid gatherings with people who do not live in your household.
- Always wear a face mask or covering around others.
- Maintain a social distance of at least six feet.
- Avoid large gatherings, especially ones held indoors.
- Do not host or attend crowded Thanksgiving parades.
- Avoid shopping in crowded stores before Thanksgiving, on Black Friday or throughout the holiday season. (source)
Wisconsin
Governor Tony Evers and DHS Wisconsin hope that residents will skip the in-person get-togethers entirely and follow the guidelines of his Executive Order on Thanksgiving as well as the rest of the month. They offered these alternatives.
- Sharing meals with people who live in your household.
- Preparing meals or treats and delivering to loved ones in a way that avoids contact.
- Having virtual gatherings with friends and family.
- Shopping online or ordering delivery.
- Watching sports, events, or parades from home.
Several universities in Wisconsin are taking matters into their own hands. Students at the University of Wisconsin and the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay will be required to take a COVID test before leaving and upon their return if they wish to go home for Thanksgiving. At UW in Oshkosh, “the university is encouraging students to simply stay put.” (source)
Iowa
Governor Kim Reynolds has ordered Iowa residents to limit indoor gatherings to 15 people or less from now until December 3rd, directly impacting the Thanksgiving holiday period. (source)
Utah
Governor Gary Herbert of Utah seems reluctant to issue restrictions on family-oriented events but says that state residents can expect some recommendations in the next few days.
“We are a family oriented state. My tradition, I always gather with my family, ever since I can remember. To have a change in that is a little disheartening to me,” Gov. Herbert said in a brief interview on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. “So we need to find ways to maybe get together in small groups, or see what we can do.” (source)
At least one doctor in the state is less hesitant.
Dr. Todd Vento, an infectious diseases physician at Intermountain Healthcare said his recommendation is to skip the family get-together.
“This is the year when, unfortunately, there’s 20% positive tests, exponential growth, hospitals are overwhelmed,” he told FOX 13 on Wednesday. “The advice from experts would be to not gather.”
Dr. Vento recommended Utahns gather virtually, using video-conferencing apps. (source)
Alabama
The University of Alabama at Birmingham has a fun-filled list of suggestions, too.
Health officials said if you plan on hosting a thanksgiving gathering, have a small outdoor meal if possible. If it has to be indoors, space out the guests and have windows open.
UAB said during thanksgiving, sharing is a big part but instead, pre-portion meals versus having the traditional buffet line.
They also recommend limiting the number of cooks to just one and keep everyone out of the kitchen, aside from the cook. (source)
Dr. Michael Saag, an infectious disease specialist at the university, suggests Alabamans limit their table to 5-7 people and have everyone else join in via Zoom.
Virginia
Meanwhile, in Virginia, Governor Northam has ordered that public and private events decrease the number of people allowed by 90% and now children ages 5-10 are no longer exempt from wearing masks.
“My message today is for every Virginian,” Northam said Tuesday. “We all need to step up our vigilance and our precautions, especially as we head toward the Thanksgiving holiday.”
…If you do gather with people outside your household for Thanksgiving, Virginia officials encouraged taking some extra precautions. Keep gatherings small, celebrate outside if possible and keep indoor areas well-ventilated with open windows. (source)
Other recommendations include remaining masked and sitting with your chairs at least 6 feet apart during your Thanksgiving celebrations.
North Carolina
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services recommends not traveling anywhere for Thanksgiving. But if you do, or if you host an event, keep these guidelines in mind:
- Host your gathering outdoors, when possible. If this is not feasible, make sure the room or space is well-ventilated by opening windows and doors to the extent that is safe and feasible based on the weather.
- Arrange tables and chairs to allow for social distancing between guest. People from the same household can be in groups together and do not need to be 6 feet apart – just 6 feet away from other groups or families.
- Practice the 3 Ws (Wear, Wait, Wash) during the event: Wear a face covering when not eating or drinking, Wait six feet apart from others, and Wash your hands regularly.
- When guests need to remove a face covering to eat or drink, it is recommended they maintain 6 feet distance from people outside their household and put their face coverings back on after they are done eating or drinking.
- Limit people going in and out of the areas where food is being prepared or handled, such as in the kitchen or around the grill, if possible. Have one household approach the food serving area at a time to prevent congregating.
- Consider identifying one person to serve all food so that multiple people are not handling the serving utensils.
- Use single-use options or identify one person to serve sharable items, like salad dressings, food containers, and condiments, so that multiple people are not handling the items. (source)
The state also recommends attendees all be tested for COVID 3-4 days before the event. (source)
Georgia
The state of Georgia recommends the following strategies:
- Quarantine for 14 days before you gather.
- Get tested before you go and limit your contact with others until you reach your destination.
- Evaluate travel distance, including how many stops, overnight stays and potential contact with non-household contacts it would take to reach your destination, and see if driving versus taking a flight is better given those factors. It’s best not to travel too far, and you should avoid coming from or going to areas with high community transmission.
- Limit the number of people at gatherings. There’s no magic number–more people pose more risk. The size of the gathering depends on the host’s ability to safely keep attendees apart, not crowded into a confined space, and outdoors is better than indoors.
- Socially distance and wear masks, even if you’ve all been tested. Being tested with a negative result isn’t necessarily a free pass to mingle without preventative measures. If you’ve quarantined for 14 days already, you can merge your social bubbles and interact freely but cautiously.
- When eating your meal together, open your windows to increase ventilation and keep at least 6 feet apart, or keep family units together, while spacing out non-household members.
- Minimize the number of people handling the food and washing the dishes.
- If you or a family member are at higher risk for severe infection, you should reconsider gathering together and instead celebrate virtually.
Is this your picture of a normal holiday scene? Probably not. But we’re not living in normal times. Let’s keep each other safe, and do what it takes now to be able to come together for the holidays. (source)
Washington
Washington state has some of the strictest guidelines in the country. Governor Jay Inslee ordered sweeping instructions on the state and included these tidbits that apply to Thanksgiving and other social gatherings.
Indoor gatherings, outside one’s household, are prohibited unless participants quarantine for 14 days before the gathering or quarantine for seven days before and receive a negative COVID-19 test within two days of the planned gathering…
…Outdoor social gatherings should be limited to no more than five people from outside your household, Inslee said. (source)
However, enforcement will be limited.
“You’re not going to expect state troopers coming to your door if you have a big Thanksgiving dinner,” Inslee said. “We do hope people who want to abide by the law will abide by the law.” (source)
Colorado
Governor Jared Polis of Colorado was pretty gung-ho with his Thanksgiving imagery.
Polis described the Thanksgiving setting as “indoor, intimate contact around a table” where COVID-19 was highly likely to spread.
Polis compared risky COVID-19 behavior during the holidays to Russian roulette.
While referencing risk reduction by self-quarantining for the family dinner, Polis said, “It’s not fun to play Russian roulette in one in a hundred chances the bullet is in the chamber, but it’s a heck of a lot better than playing Russian roulette with the bullet in one in ten chambers.”
This quote followed Polis describing the tricky situation where family members are divided on whether or not they quarantine. Polis stated that even if only some family members quarantine, the risk of COVID-19 being present is still lowered. He continued to encourage as many family members to self-quarantine as possible if they plan on gathering for the holiday.
Polis continued, “The more family members that make that decision to self-quarantine, the more likely it is that you’re not bringing a loaded pistol for Grandma’s head.” (source)
Texas
Dr. Philip Huang, Dallas County Health and Human Services director, has some fun-filled suggestions for Texans, including eating your meal quietly after quarantining for the next two weeks to prepare for it.
For those celebrating with other households, the county recommends having plenty of hand sanitizer, limiting the duration of the gathering to less than two hours, wearing a mask when not eating or drinking, and even eating in silence.
“It can’t be a holiday as usual,” Huang said. “There is this new normal we’re having to deal with. It definitely can’t be like how it’s been in the past.”
Though eating quietly may not be the norm for families at Thanksgiving, Huang said the recommendation was made because the virus can spread through droplets that are emitted when someone speaks, laughs, coughs or sneezes.
Dr. Sonja Bartolome, a lung disorders expert at UT Southwestern, said that while a silent dinner table is desirable, she understands people are not likely to commit to that. “That’s going to be very difficult,” Bartolome said. “Your best bet is to limit the number of people.”
President of the Texas Medical Association, Dr. Diana L. Fite, suggested Texans also watch how much alcohol they drink because people tend to speak louder — and thus emit more droplets and aerosols — when they drink.
“There’s no question that you can spread aerosols when you’re eating, especially if you’re both talking and eating at the same time,” Fite said. (source)
One columnist suggested that watching the football game together could be the most dangerous time of the day.
Keep the visit to needed conversation and family contact.
Then go back home to watch the games.
The most dangerous hours this entire holiday season might be the time huddled too close with Grandma or Grandpa around the TV just idly watching the Dallas Cowboys play the Washington team. (source)
New Mexico
Governor Michelle Lujan-Grisham of New Mexico has issued strict guidelines for citizens and businesses. Small businesses could face massive fines for continuing to operate as normal. She also has the following advice for the upcoming holiday.
Make plans for a different kind of Thanksgiving – one without non-household members. (source)
Arizona
At the University of Arizona, school officials have asked students who go home for Thanksgiving not to return to campus after the holiday.
The university is asking all students to fill out a survey on their planned Thanksgiving travel and to schedule a COVID-19 test as close to their travel date as possible to prohibit the transmission of COVID-19.
After Thanksgiving, all classes will be held online only and students who travel out of the Tucson area are encouraged to finish the semester remotely.
Lastly, the university is requiring students to select one of the three following travel options: Students planning to travel for Thanksgiving break can choose to complete the rest of the semester outside of the Tucson area or completely online from their student residence. Students who do not travel for Thanksgiving break are able to complete the semester as is from their student residence. (source)
Michigan
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer says the situation is “dire” and has issued a three-week epidemic order that includes the restriction that only two families can gather indoors at a time.
Whitmer asked people to “make the difficult but right choice” and avoid large gatherings during the holiday.
“If you are considering spending Thanksgiving with people outside of your household, I urge you to reconsider,” Whitmer said.
“As hard as it is not seeing [family members] this Thanksgiving, imagine how much harder it would be if you weren’t able to see them for a future holiday ever again,” she added. (source)
New York
New York’s Governor, Andrew Cuomo, recommends skipping Thanksgiving altogether.
“My personal advice is, you don’t have family gatherings – even for Thanksgiving,” the governor said as he listed off a number of smaller gatherings that have led to recent outbreaks across the state.
“My personal advice is the best way to say ‘I love you,’ this Thanksgiving, the best way to say ‘I’m thankful for you,’ is to say, ‘I love you so much, I’m so thankful for you, that I don’t want to endanger you, and I don’t want to endanger our family and I don’t want to endanger our friends. So we’ll celebrate virtually,’” he added. (source)
Don’t forget state quarantines and travel restrictions
If your loved ones are out of state, you may also have quarantines with which to contend.
Some states have no restrictions, while others have visitors fill out health forms or show negative COVID tests. Maine demands that people returning to or entering the state without a negative COVID test undergo a 14-day quarantine and arrive with enough food to see them through the 2 week period.
You can learn about the current travel restrictions between states in this article.
American opinions are split.
Many are very concerned about the ongoing pandemic and plan to follow the recommendations. One Washington state resident is cancelling her family’s plans.
“Our family is canceling Thanksgiving plans that included other family households,” said Alyse Read, who lives in Edmonds. “We will Zoom or Skype and share our traditions this year.” (source)
However, others take an extremely dim view of the guidance and believe that these restrictions aren’t really about the virus at all.
At this moment, our governments are telling us when to open our businesses, when to see our family, and when and how we are allowed to BREATHE.
This is NOT America. This is not FREEDOM. This is NOT about safety or a virus.
This is about implementing SOCIALISM.
Wake up. https://t.co/qBLPgU71Ar
— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) October 31, 2020
How will your family celebrate Thanksgiving this year?
Have you decided how your family will be celebrating Thanksgiving this year? Will you make any changes? Do you have any family members who fall into the “vulnerable” category? What are your thoughts on this guidance? Let’s talk about it in the comments.
I love your blog.
Do not stop praying for our country. https://youtu.be/dQgd6W0qhV4 American Revival.
I am really annoyed by the micromanaging aspect of this. I think by now people who know they are high risk should either know what to do to keep themselves safe, or be adult enough to accept the danger (if it even exists) based on their own judgement. We all know about social distancing. We all know about masks. This strikes me as a power grab at worst, or more useless measures at best.
I don’t know what bothers me more- knowing people are trying to stampede me off a cliff, or watching other people willingly be stampeded. I have family members who are obviously petrified and that makes me quite angry. Unfortunately I’m the junior member so they don’t listen to me. So I’ll have a quiet holiday, as usual, feel a little bad for other people who are used to more, and wonder when enough people are going to see what’s going on to stop it.
Redundancy thanks for your comment. I totally agree with you. And even while reading Daisy’s article-and seeing my state of Az. mentioned I was finding myself getting caught in the fear trap again.
Although we have not been good little doobies and wearing masks 24/7 or social distancing all the BS hype runs off on me a bit out of concern for others. To the point of me thinking-gee there will be 23 people at my place for Thanksgiving I hope……no one gets sick…..no one comes here sick….etc. Honestly I have myself a swift in the behind and said don’t be a lemming. So we will pray and ask God’s blessing on the day and all that come to our house and carry on being thankful and not afraid! Have a blessed Thankshiving!
Those plans are closely held. I suggest that anyone coming for Thanksgiving leave their cell phones at home and that cars are parked outside the view of nosey neighbors.
That is a FANTASTIC idea. After all, we are in the middle of “snitch culture” right now and nobody wants repercussions from just seeing their family. Though I like this suggestion though, I don’t think it’s workable for most.
Good idea, park around the corner and put your phone in an emp wallet.
I like the way you think. As unfortunate as it is that our world has come to this, thinking and being more tactical is best.
There’s no pandemic, people. Wake the ‘h’ up. They are making up the numbers, making up the diagnoses. We’ve been told this hundreds and hundreds of times. What does it take to make you see this.
What they are doing is making you DO AS YOU ARE TOLD. That tells them when America is ripe for the fake mandatory vaccine with all the goodies in it to kill you, the population of America. Then we are also ripe for the TAKEOVER OF AMERICA. You are all contributing to the takeover of America because, as a russian doctor once told me, “Americans are stupid”. He said it very boldly, like he was brainwashed. Our enemies are brainwashed to hate us. They are already in USA. They’ve been living among us for atleast 1/2 a century, but much more prevalent now. They are close enough to you so you can kiss their azzes. They are our neighbors. Right in your own neighborhoods. The Chinese too. Living and working among us. They will not be expected to take the fake vaccine. It’s us that our enemies within and without USA, want DEAD. Wake up. You will be made to take this shot and you are being brainwashed that it’s good for you. You will NOT live through it. Hello?
“There’s no pandemic”
been saying that since february (the “end of the world!” boards all down-voted me). but really, you can’t blame all the scaredy-cats for being scared, there hasn’t been a real plague in the west for 70 years now so nobody knows what a real plague looks like anymore. so the lying media feeds them a meme and the people don’t know any better so they stampede.
the defining characteristic of a real plague is the large piles of bodies everywhere. in a real plague the only edicts the government has to enforce are for body disposal – there’s no need for edicts for masks or isolation or business restrictions/closures, everyone just does that on their own. the very fact that governments are attempting to enforce all these edicts is a clear demonstration that there is no plague and that they’re just control freaks.
Agreed, there is no pandemic. The definitions set by the WHO and the CDC have not been met. They may eventually, though, as more fall ill from the radiation levels assaulting all biologic life. Simply compare the symptoms to that of radio sickness or microwave illness.
Causation does not equate to causality, except when it does.
The corporate conditioning has been highly effective, I would say.
Basic psychology. 🙂
Ken, I totally agree with you there is no pandemic and I knew that right form the start. This is all about grooming people to become compliant little robots and guess what, it’s working. I have never ‘social distanced’, worn a mask or even paid attention to any of this bull cr*p. Fortunately I live in an area where most people feel the same and nobody worries too much about all the craziness. But I honestly thought that by now the rest of the country would start to see all this for what it is. The fact that they don’t scares the living daylights out of me.
My family will forgo the holiday this year, but not because of the dire narrative being crammed down our throats. My wife and I lost 3 jobs in March that probably won’t ever return. Thankfully she got a new one at a grocery store, and working Thanksgiving pays double. Our relatively stable situation was destroyed in about two weeks during the initial hysteria. Working on holidays is now essential to keeping us afloat.
@Jimmy,
Sorry to hear about your financial hardship.
Unfortunately, your story is but one of many around the country. It is easy for those in power to deem your job non-essential, or enact restrictions that force a manpower draw down, here is your pink slip, when they have their taxpayer paid pensions and other benefits guaranteed.
Anyone notice how the “flatten the curve,” is now “stop the spread!”
“The arrogance of men is thinking nature is in our control and not the other way around.”
I saw an article where CDC downgraded the number of covid deaths to 10,000.
Hey, Jimmy!
I’m so sorry to hear about your current difficulties. I sent you an email so please check your inbox.
All the best,
Daisy
How bout I’m grown and we will make our own grown folk decision and the rest of everyone else can take a long walk off a short path to a cliff.
This is ridiculous
Uncle John should be ok cause he’s at least 60% alcohol by dinner lmao ????
Ron Paul said in closing of a recent post on his site,
” While those more at risk — such as the elderly and people with certain health problems — could be encouraged to take extra precautions, all Americans should be given back the liberty to make their own healthcare decisions.”
No singing? Only one cook? I don’t know about your family but if there was TALKING why even get together?
We are going to get together. Don’t tell but there will be four households!!! There will be THREE cooks. We will be mindful of the guidelines but it will be an almost normal Thanksgiving. We haven’t been together since March. Enough is enough.
“No singing?”
yeah, do they seriously expect anyone to buy that? what is wrong with these people?
never mind, we know what’s wrong.
We don’t sing but how can we have a true Thanksgiving unless we can talk to each other about the hot button issues that will drive us all out of our minds until next year.
We may have to incorporate the park around the though that is a great idea!
We will be having a peaceful protest on November 26th. All are welcome, bring a snack to share. 😉
“Mostly Peaceful” lol
After all it is family
“Gatherings that include more than 3 households are prohibited”
governor newsom can suck eggs.
This is absolutely insane! Who do these”officials” think they are telling the American people what they can and can’t do, who they can and can’t see or have to their home and how to react with each other??
I am incredibly tired of their fear tactics. Don’t let them keep instilling fear in you and your family and friends. We need to come together to stop them from continuing this insanity.
I wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving.
Happy Thanksgiving. The only way to stop is by not listening to them. I would rather get arrested and then demand they show the law. governors do not make law.
My views are different than many here (not trying/wanting to start a debate, just making a statement) and I believe the virus/pandemic is real. I have friends who have lost family members and friens/coworkers to COVID. My sister had it and luckily recovered. Numbers are spiking in my area and even more so in the state my daughter and son-in-law live in. I am high risk and my doctor has said if I get COVID I will have a difficult time recovering. We are trying to stay home as much as possible.
We have decided to combine our Thanksgiving/Christmas to one day in December. We’ll have the big dinner and then open presents. Next year when the virus is better controled and we’ve all be vaccinated, we’ll have the big celebrations. By then we’ll be a family of 6 instead of 5. I figure losing one holiday during a pandemic is not going to destroy us. We’ve been together as a family almost monthly all year and that will continue after this holiday craziness is over.
The bad part of this virus is that in my area almost all the hospitals are at 90% capacity in the ICUs and if I should get the virus, I will probably end up on a ventalitor in the ICU.
thanx for this, topaz. i am a retired registered nurse and see, better than most, i think, the damage covid is causing in my community. nobody wants to take these precautions. and many won’t, saying their rights are violated. we always have with us requirements that infringe on our rights: we must pay taxes, we must drive on the right side of the road, we must buy a permit to hunt, fish, or take firewood in a public forest. this is not much different. i don’t like it but i know it is important at this time.
i, too, am very high risk, and will be deferring my thanxgiving dinner. as i am thoroughly isolated, i am “safe” and will be providing some of the special dishes i usually make for my friends and family, which they will safely pick up on my porch.
i will be in an upstairs window watching and waving. i may only have 5 or 10 thanxgivings left. i want them! if i insist on having this one, i might lose all the rest. we must remember that many folks who have covid are simply carriers, like typhoid mary. they may spread the illness without knowing it. many have a light case, rather like the flu–tho who would want even that. in my county, yesterday, a man of 41 with NO underlying conditions died of covid.
i don’t like being told what to do. but i don’t want to be take up hospital spaces and resources if i can avoid it. science, folks! germ theory!
No one is guaranteed tomorrow. I just pray for those who choose to forego holidays with family and friends this year on account of covid precautions, that they not live to regret it when there is an empty seat at next year’s table due to a car accident, cancer, heart attack, stroke, medical error, pneumonia, natural disaster or some other cause of death that is not COVID.
We’ve lost grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, and friends over the past couple of years unexpectedly from all of these situations (none from COVID). So we proclaim to the overlords that there just may not be a “next year”. Carpe diem.
For those at high risk, yes, they need to take whatever precautions they deem necessary. But those measures should not be imposed on the rest of us.
Are you really going to get vaccinated? There is a reason that ALL the makers of the COVID vaccine have applied for protection against lawsuits from the government. This means if you do get a debilitating illness from the vaccine they are judgement proof and you are stuck living a life of misery due to whatever damage said vaccine has done to you.
Our Thanksgiving plans are changing, but not from the Corvid virus. I have a DD whom is moving to another state as her husband got promoted and that means a move for them. Grandson will be moving with them as he still lives at home. the changes we are making is that the 9 of us that are still here will be getting together as we have 2 granddaughters living one in CA, one in Washington State, and one military whom not sure if he can get here or not. Since the plan was as always to have Thanksgiving at my DD’s house, we still are going there thought they are moving. We ordered our dinner and I will be picking it up the day before Thanksgiving and all we have to do is heat it up. So much going on that that is the only change we are making. Otherwise it would be as it has always been and we would still be getting together. No government will dictate how we should spend our time together. We of course will take precautions, put it will not stop our holidays from moving forward.
Please everyone continue to pray for our country and our president. Stay safe and follow the rules of the stores you visit. If they require a mask then please wear one.
Anyone who says this virus is super dangerous to everyone, the statistics are accurate, the test is accurate, lockdowns are necessary, social distancing is backed by science, we should do contract tracing, and masks help…
Is either a lying sociopath or someone utterly and completely fooled by lying sociopaths.
Resist the Covid cult and its socipathic cult leaders like Dr. Todd Vento in Utah, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and so many others.
I do not like being told what to do by my government but speaking right now I have COVID. It is not a fun illness and it does not compare to the seasonal flu. Believe me I was so extremely skeptical of all this crap when it started. My family did most things right. We sanitize and wear masks blah blah blah. Still have no idea as to where we picked this crap up because we are for the most part a stay at home family. So my lovely governor from Michigan has told us minions that we shouldn’t do this or that for thanksgiving and for once I will listen only because to keep my extended family safe we will have to finish our quarantine through December 6th. Then we will celebrate a lovely thanksgiving with all of my extended family.
We choose to be adults and do the right thing to protect our health and the health of others. It is an inconvenience to have these guidelines but it is necessary as the virus has been out of control and getting worse for some time. Perhaps those who are naysayers are convinced it is all a hoax but the death toll and the overrun hospitals would say otherwise. This is about freedom but not in the selfish way some think. It is about the freedom to continue to live healthy lives. It is about the freedom to not cause illness and death to others. The world will keep revolving and Thanksgiving will come again next year as will Christmas and the other major holidays. If we can shut down in a way that brings down the frequency of this virus then we all win! If those who insist on their “rights” continue to flaunt the guidelines or pretend there is no issue because it has not yet affected you then many of us may lose our right to live. “Is this your picture of a normal holiday scene? Probably not. But we’re not living in normal times. Let’s keep each other safe, and do what it takes now to be able to come together for the holidays.” Do the right thing!
“It is about the freedom to not cause illness and death to others”
the politically-driven shutdowns dropped the economy by .3 and it looks like half of small independent businesses will never reopen. what about all THAT illness and death to others?
fact of the matter is that as far as pandemics go, cov19 has been nothing more than a slightly-worse flu season (.0056 fatality rate vs .0045), and I’ve heard it’s actually less than that.
Wear a BLM or Antifa t-shirt…you will get a free pass to do anything you want.
Where’s that like button??????
Hahahaha We’ll have 6+ households and 20+ people! Sit where you want, sing as loudly as you want, stay as long as you want, and have another beer 🙂
I have a crazy idea.
Why not let people choose what they want to do. If you want to lock down, distance, eat in silence or avoid family altogether then that’s your prerogative. If we want to go on with our lives, enjoy our families, go to church or to work every day that should be our prerogative. We don’t need the government to mandate our daily lives. It’s my choice. I say we refuse to obey our government officials in this matter. They will destroy our lives AGAIN! Remember-those crying out for lockdowns won’t miss a single paycheck!
Little people,(Petty Tyrant Governors) with a lot of power are very dangerous,and must be dealt with promptly,(recall elections).
Thanksgiving isn’t changing here – except for perhaps dealing with the empty nest this year. It’ll still just be the family (which will just be Hubby and I if the boys can’t make it). We may go visit family one other weekend when the traffic is lighter.
Christmas plans on the other hand have been put on “hold” since many of us work in the medical field and logistics, and I am waiting on a consult for potential eye surgery. We can get together anytime when things calm down after the holidays, like January lol.
Many of us are high risk, and I am tired of a YEAR of constant flu-protocols, but will continue at least through March next year. The masks have been making my asthma act up, so I’ve been staying home more and only wearing them when I absolutely have to – I am high risk due to other factors as well, but have a good online community to reach out to. Being isolated for so long has really been rough, but it’s been nice to get online and chat with people, and the boys help me set up discord so I can chat with them. Yes, we all have phones, but I never did figure out the conference call thingy…
Asthma is one of the medical conditions that exempt one from having to wear a mask. Just go into stores, etc. without one. Most of the time, you will get no comments, but if you do, just say, “I am exempt. I have a medical condition that makes it unsafe for me to wear a mask.” Only Churches are unChristian enough to say YOUR health does not matter.
You have directly experienced the truth of your exemption. You might get asked what condition. Say politely, “That’s personal medical information.”
Be sure to respect social distancing if not wearing a mask.
But all of you should be aware that masks cause you to rebreathe your own germs, increasing your personal risk. I predict an explosion of pneumonia and TB this year, which will kill many–including the young people who are at so little risk from COVID.
I wonder if Michigan’s Governor NIT-WHITmer will travel to her ‘cottage’ in Travers City while her husband goes about asking for privilege’s like he did during the last lock down.
She can join Gov Newsom of California who violated his own orders last week … ‘Our rules are only for the little people, not us who live in the high castles’.
Hypocrites, one and all!
I’m as much a survivalist (really!) and free thinker as the rest of you reading and writing this blog, and I really enjoy the valuable info offered. But people’s thinking should be changing to one of self preservation. I got sick with Covid a month ago, and did my home cures on it with great success, i.e. didn’t end up in the hospital on a ventilator (or with appendicitis/emergency appendectomy like daughter when she caught it. But here I sit a month later, still coughing violently, unable to clear my lungs which I now suspect are damaged. It’s pretty bad and I’m sick of dealing with it. Yet I’m one of the lucky ones….there’s about a quarter million dead people and families who weren’t able to deal with it. Why not just use some self preservation skills and sense and avoid getting this crappy thing? Because about now, if you get as bad as I was at first, there’s not gonna be a hospital bed, ventilator or nurse for you because everybody’s so busy bitching about their “freedom” that they’re forgetting your biggest freedom is being healthy and fit. Which is like the opposite of this illness.
It’s kind of funny. Even though I have cut my shopping down to once a week, always wear a mask when in stores, and work from home 100%, I still managed to get Covid. So I’m really not all that confident of preventive measures. The first day I had it, my lungs really hurt – if I had medical insurance I might have wanted the ER. It felt like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. Instead I used my inhaler, drank mint tea, and ate chicken soup with garlic, plus some OnGuard, vitamin C and aspirin, and slept a lot. The second day it was about half as bad. The third day it was nearly gone. The fourth day it was gone.
I know we all have different amounts of resistance but given the fact that this happened even with a bunch of precautions being taken, AND I whipped it handily, I will take preventive measures to protect other people but I’m not too worried about it myself.
I am so sorry for you getting it and I know of several people that have. My sister is a covid nurse. But I haven’t seen my son that is in the army in a year. My mom is 88 and could get it and die anytime or die from something else. I have an extremely compromised immune system and I am flying to California to see my mom and kids no matter what. I would rather die after seeing them than live without it. My choice.
In late September and early October I had the opportunity to spend time with some people who are not afraid. There were six of us who were together most of 10 days; and most evenings, there were parhaps 20 to 30 people coming and going. We ate together, cooked together, talked together. Two of us are well over 75 year old, two of us are 80. No one wore a mask, and no one got sick. I had the time of my life and certainly the best time of 2020. Now, I am back in my home state where even formerly close friends feeel that it is dangerous to speak to each other without a mask on. I hate this new normal and find it absolutely offensive. May I also add that, as a 77 year old, I worked the first three months of the plandemic as a cashier without a mask. It wasn’t until mid-June that my employer started virtue signaling by having us wear masks and sterilize everything. Still no one got sick. “Nuf said.
Life is risky. From the moment you get out of bed, you face multiple risks during your day. You could fall on the way to the bathroom, break a hip and end up in the hospital. You could eat tainted food and get E.coli and end up in the hospital. You could be driving to work, get in a car accident, and end up in the hospital. You could gather will friends or relatives for Thanksgiving, get sick and end up in the hospital.
—When living our lives we choose which risks we are will take and which we will try to avoid by changing our behavior or our environment. This is something we do all day long, in both small and large ways. It is part of being an adult.
—Those who are concerned about their health should take the necessary precautions they deem necessary. Every other adult should be allowed to take whatever risks or risk preventions that they may feel are necessary when considering an activity. This is wise for a government to put out the relative information so that adults can make an informed decision, but they should not be mandating requirements for adults capable of thinking for themselves and deciding what risks they are willing to take.
If there was a real pandemic, I’d still obey God. Face panties, mandates are still foolish. I have no use for governors dictates; they don’t sign my check, and they certainly aren’t my God, nor responsible for my health, that’s between me and the Creator. ????
Children died in China who wore masks while running in gym classes. And if mask wearing will stop the spread why hasn’t it?
Masks reduce spread they do not eliminate it. These masks are not antiviral — they are to stop the bigger droplets carrying the virus.
Once you catch this you do not gain lifetime immunity, nor are you assured it will only affect you to the same level it did the first time if you catch it again.
Healthy friends and family ages 18 to 60 have passed from this or ended up with lungs like Swiss cheese and on oxygen.
The level of arrogance and medical ignorance regarding this virus will eventually play out.
So pound on your chests and politicize the virus all you want. It doesn’t care. And when you fill the hospitals so that the heart attack, stroke, car accident, fire and other patients can get no care — congratulate yourselves.
These politicians are in over their heads. Some mean well and some are would be tyrants. This virus is unlike any other. It is man made for especially insidious effects. We have yet to see what it will do after multiple exposures.
We do not have the truth of it.
I hold no expectations of a lasting vaccine with an easily mutating RNA virus.
So how about being kind to one another? Wearing a mask in a store will not give you TB or Pneumonia from “breathing your own germs” — seriously, get some medical advice! And if you have asthma you need more protection — not less — from this virus, the flu, and particulates!
Wash or replace your mask! Wearing a dirty one will eventually make you sick. Just as I won’t eat food that was left out to long. The world is full of bacteria — our bodies can handle it to a certain level.
I plan on being an adult and doing whatever I want. The governor of the formally great state of Colorado can kiss my, ok, POSTERIOR. Enjoy yourselves and your relatives as much as possible in the coming holiday times. After they put dementia joe in the white house we will all be introduced to the new and improved USSA where all are locked down and forced to wear a mask that does not stop the spread of anything like a virus. EAT, DRINK, and be MERRY for the great reset doth slink towards our shores to be born. With that birth comes the death of the United States.
This is an interesting issue. Government definitely doesn’t have the right to tell anyone what to do in the privacy of their own home. I believe that all this nagging and rule making comes from a genuine concern that we could kill our family members. While I certainly wouldn’t mind if some of my relatives catch Covid and die 😉 I will stick to a thanksgiving with just my household to keep my high risk household family member safe.
@Emiline
EXACTLY!
Bravo for your common sense, which is no longer common at all!
While focusing on Thanksgiving is the current concern, it is but a shade to obscure the intro of vaccinations.
Today on the radio I heard a “science source” explain the NEW message of COVID. The vaccines are above 90% effective. AND, that while better than 70% of the population might NEVER get COVID it is EVERYONE’S
“responsibility” to be vaccinated to protect those whose immune systems may be more compromised.
I am confidant most, if not all of you have Fauci words that “now is the time to do as you are told.”
IF, made mandatory, special “passports” will be issued to be used to verify you have been vaccinated.
No passport, no entry. To:
-supermarkets
-pharmacies
-doctor’s office
-convenience store’s
-offices and/or buildings
-crossing the state border
-checkpoints, used to regulate and control travel even within normal regions and territories. Like entering city limits for whatever reason or need requires you. Such as work.
No one truly believed Biden would win. Many regard COVID as the main thrust of the Biden support.
As I stated in a previous post, life imitates art. A no chance candidate wins due to a virus scare.
He becomes a tyrant and every nuance of daily life is under control.
Masks. Mandatory. Lockdown. Mandatory. Dependence on gov’t,,, initiated.
Back in the 90’s, a man, somewhat a loose canon who drank heavily, warned that Thanksgiving would be a dire day at some point in America. A FAMILY day that would make it easy for the gov’t to use as an means of enforcing a new rule. We may not accept and comply with this “new normal” this year. But if COVID surges, and IF trouble in the streets escalates during 2021, what will happen next Thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving is not about religion or a Faith, it is about America. It’s about FAMILY as well.
Masks. WE wear them because not wearing means you can’t shop. Nothing more.
Vaccinations. Without them we will be more easily forced into compliance. And does anyone recall that the PLAN calls for the military to facilitate dispensing the vaccines?
This Thanksgiving is nothing more then an exercise to evaluate how much we will comply and various methods to be employed which will make us comply.
AMERICANS DO NOT WANT FREEDOM OR LIBERTY,they have thrown away everything they were given to make their country great,INCLUDING OUR FATHER AND THE LORD JESUS,now its over the north american continent will be wipped off the face of earth,BUT FIRST THERE”LL BE A NUCLEAR WAR AND AMERICA WILL BE THE ONES TO START IT,and get their ass kicked bad,the world has realized,AMERICANS ARE ALL CRAZY SLAVES AND RABBITS,earth would be much better off if they were all GONE..So spells the end of demonic america…WAR NOW and we know its the only way you would have it,LOT’S AND LOTS OF BLOOD everywhere…And millions of dead bodies,to many to even bury……
I recently saw a mask that said “This mask is as worthless as my governor”
I do have the bumper sticker that says “My governor is an idiot.” I don’t leave it on my vehicle, though I do display it in appropriate places.
.
Just remember this: The new normal ISN’T.
This is all part of fear appeal. Look it up.
.
We are so close to losing our Republic it’s scary.
I sit squarely in the “govt can blow me”column.
Covid has become a political bludgeon for democrats. Every time their narrative starts falling apart, they wave the covid talisman and the sheeple start bowing and kowtowing to this crap.
It has a 99% survival rate for cryin out loud!!!
I haven’t worn a mask YET, nor do i plan to, i don’t care WHO mandates it…
Fear is no virtue.
Thanksgiving AND Christmas will go on as scheduled. I don’t answer to control freaks.
Anyone ELSE notice that covid is being ramped up again because the FATE OF THE US SENATE hangs in the balance in Georgia? They WANT people staying away from the voting booths on January 5th!
Washington, great the strictest of all states. I absolutely hate all this it’s crazy, from an insane president wanna be. So he thinks he has make all these orde that he says is law.. No bands in church, no choirs, no singing even if the congregation is wearing masks. Crazy. Thankfully we go to a church that follows God’s orders, not man’s. We will be open, we will sing.
No one outside your home for Thanksgiving unless they have self isolated for 7 days and then take a test. WE will be having Thanksgiving no matter what. We have all seen each other all year, with no problem. Though our gov. says “it’s just too dangerous” He scares people into thinking the very air they breathe will kill them.
This is all apart of the Great Reset, the “New Green Deal” all to repress the people into forms of communism. People need to wake up and resist or our lives as we knew it will be gone
This is the most asinine thIng I’ve ever imagined, and the most scary. Scary, because people, not just in America, but in all countries around the world, tend to believe all the hype these MONSTERS are spewing , all in the name of power, manipulation and control.
I guess we may be heading full speed to the END TIMES spoke of in the bible where every man, woman and child will be forced to take a MARK in order to buy or sell. That means our very survival would be at stake unless we take this MARK.
I hope we have some time remaining before the inevitable happens. Maybe Trump as president will give us another 4 years,
Or maybe not. Maybe it’s quickly coming to the end. Whatever the case, all who understand the times we live in would be well advised to make peace with The Lord, Jesus Christ.
We live in strange times, indeed.
Wheres my Dennis Leary rant about what they can do with their totalitarian suggestion?
This plandemic is just that. These tyrants pull regulations out of their butts! Based on this link the governor of New Mexico has “modified” their lockdown orders and now includes large retailers such as Dillards and Macy’s key and essential so they can remain open while mom and pop retailers must go belly up. When asked what defined “a large retailer”, the health officials reportedly responded “A large retailer is a large retailer”, further implying, ‘you know one when you see one’. https://www.krqe.com/video/new-health-order-allows-large-retailers-to-remain-open/6043040/
This type of hypocrisy is what drives people crazy and gives no credibility to these clowns. I reiterate what someone else posted, why can family and friends not get together, yet these fools overthrowing the country (BLM, Antifa, etc.) don’t know each other, congregate in mobs, do not practice “social distancing” are under absolutely no type of restraints and these BoBo the clown governors march with them maskless for photo ops and to show how politically correct they are.
My bad – us law abiding adult citizens are the bad guys while the nut jobs run the insane asylum. I plan to live my life and enjoy both Thanksgiving and Christmas. Do ya think the big guys like Macy’s and Dillards are getting to our dear leaders and getting exemptions so their holiday cash cows (we the people) can still be milked? Shame on me – perish that thought.
I had all the symptoms of Covid early last February. Got it at the local gym. I was pretty miserable, the worst cough I ever had by a long shot, sore all over, fever up to 101.5, it lasted four days then I donated it to my nonagenarian mother whose symptoms were not as bad as mine. Supposedly I’m now immune to it. Nor can I pass it on to anyone else.
Unless…unless the virus mutates and I can get it again. If that’s true, then no vaccine will be effective. Yet the vaccine that they’re pushing has serious side effects in the over 50% majority of people who have tested it, including the possibility of death. Is that vaccine worth it?
I resent those face masks and will refuse the vaccine.
As for Thanksgiving and Christmas, we plan quiet ones, not because we fear infection, but because the rest of our family are hundreds of miles away at the closest and will have difficulty coming to visit, if they can come at all. I prefer chicken over turkey anyways.
Thank you, Daisy, for a thorough breakdown of the Thanksgiving gathering rules across the nation. This should read like comedy, but of course the grip on people’s emotions and actions is all too real.
Sometimes I feel like I’m living in an alternate reality. My family and friends all gather normally. Our kids play at the parks and in the backyards and alleys together. Our church group is hosting a potluck this Sunday for maybe 40 people. Not one of us wears a mask or distances. We all accept responsibility for our own personal health and respect anyone who has compromised health who decides to do something different.
I’m thankful for the freedoms I still enjoy while living under the radar but shudder at the arrogance of leaders who think they have a duty to curtail our right to assembly and association.
Who do they think they are?
Went to the grocery store yesterday and a fat woman told me
“ you should be wearing a mask”. I just smiled and told her “ and you should be on a diet and not wearing yoga pants”. The look on her face was priceless.
Mind your own business, stay out of mine and realize the vast majority of people don’t give a damn about your health. My rights are far more important than your health and if you think that’s selfish take it up with the founding fathers as there is no “except for public safety” clause in the Constitution.
@Romeo Charlie,
That made me chuckle.
Thank you for the laugh.
One side note though; More than a few studies have noted those who are obese (which is what? 40%? 60% of Americans?) or those whom are diabetic tend to have more serious effects of COVID.
So, wouldnt it make sense for a big government push for everyone to exercise, eat right/healthy to get down to a healthy weight?
NAH! The lobbying groups for Big Pharma, Big Fast Food, Big Ultra-processed Food, would squash that idea in a NY second!
Did not see Vermont on your list (unless I missed it!). I have family there and not only are they being told they cannot gather, residents are being encouraged to call the police and rat out any neighbors not adhering to the restrictions. Seriously?! I did not realize I stepped back in time and am living in either Nazi Germany or Stalin’s Russia.
If anyone wants to be extra cautious, that is totally their right BUT to be told by the government of the supposed “Land of the Free” that you cannot is not the definition of “free”. Wake the heck up people!
God help us all!
This is in reply to a few comments. I also thought that I’ll park my car in empty house next door at my daughters. Baloney! I’ve had it! I don’t wear a mask while shopping unless I need something where I won’t get served, ex: deli, then take off immediately. Argue w/anybody who tells me to put it on. If I must, in order to shop, I must. Not many stores where I live. If somebody wants to report me, go ahead & report me. You can’t squeeze juice out of a rock. Such a hoax!, Stand up people!
To all you governors and those who believe in you: fear does not help anything. We need each other much more than we need your pitiful advice. Go cower and hunker down because “They” say you need to do so to stay safe- if you believe in that sort of thing. Otherwise, be strong, be joyful and be confident in your own health. Love each other, get some sun and let the fearful go in peace.