Thursday, November 20, 2008

Links 2 Love

A first date for a couple can be nerve-wrecking, especially if this is the first ever date for either one of you. Here are some tips to prepare for that first date.

Be creative.
Take a little time to think it through.
A three-hour date with a movie that lasts two and half-hours is not a good way to get acquainted.
Then again, you don't want to be stuck staring at each other without a topic of conversation.
A daytime meeting takes the heat off.
Lunch or coffee is a good start. Even better - a trip to the zoo.

Clothing
Clothing is not optional. Wear clothes that make you feel good. New clothes always help - but if not new, be sure they're clean, pressed, and fit well - or if that's not your style - be sure they fit whatever way makes you feel the most comfortable and still look presentable.

Help the Other Person Feel Comfortable
Find something nice about your date and compliment her or him. But mean it. Don't just say, "Nice shoes, Honey." "Swell belt, Sweety."

Let's review.

Find something nice. If it's painfully difficult to come up with something that you sincerely like about the person, you shouldn't be out with them in the first place.

Manners and/or Kindness

Thank the other person for the date - always, without exception. Good manners are still in style. Well, not necessarily good manners - but common sense. Human kindness. That sort of thing is always in style.
Focus on the Other Person - pay attention to your date. No wandering eyes. No preoccupation with old relationships, work, bank robberies.
Be there.
Listen actively to what your date says. Don't interrupt. While your date is talking, don't spend time thinking about what you're going to say when it's your turn.
Attitudes and Habits - stay positive. Don't complain on a first date.Be cautious about alcohol - if you drink heavily, you're not going to be at your best. If your date gets swacked on your first date, it's not necessarily due to nervousness.

Monday, November 17, 2008

The First Thanksgiving

In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast which is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. This harvest meal has become a symbol of cooperation and interaction between English colonists and Native Americans. Although this feast is considered by many to the very first Thanksgiving celebration, it was actually in keeping with a long tradition of celebrating the harvest and giving thanks for a successful bounty of crops. Native American groups throughout the Americas, including the Pueblo, Cherokee, Creek and many others organized harvest festivals, ceremonial dances, and other celebrations of thanks for centuries before the arrival of Europeans in North America.

Historians have also recorded other ceremonies of thanks among European settlers in North America, including British colonists in Berkeley Plantation, Virginia. At this site near the Charles River in December of 1619, a group of British settlers led by Captain John Woodlief knelt in prayer and pledged "Thanksgiving" to God for their healthy arrival after a long voyage across the Atlantic. This event has been acknowledged by some scholars and writers as the official first Thanksgiving among European settlers on record. Whether at Plymouth, Berkeley Plantation, or throughout the Americas, celebrations of thanks have held great meaning and importance over time. The legacy of thanks, and particularly of the feast, have survived the centuries as people throughout the United States gather family, friends, and enormous amounts of food for their yearly Thanksgiving meal.