Thanksgiving Day Activities

Thanksgiving

Bucket List

for 2013 

Evelyn Smith

1.  Observe Comet ISON’s perihelion.

• Attend a Comet ISON watching party via Google Hangouts: http://www.google.com/hangouts/

• Computer users can also join this group of comet watchers on Space.com from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. EST (1800 to 2030 GMT) to steam live views of the comet as it comes closest to the sun: http://www.space.com

• Additionally, The Solar Dynamics Observatory) spacecraft will off-point at three different positions as Comet ISON moves through perihelion, displaying  near real time images beginning sometime between 12:45 pm and 1:00 p.m. EST http://cometison.gsfc.nasa.gov/

2.  Watch the earth spin and feel incredibly small.

• Go to http://www.urthecast.com/

Now widen your horizons:

3.  Read aloud a book you've always wanted to share.

• For example, start reading aloud a chapter a night of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol with the family.  It's available free Online or at the library:  http://books.google.com/books?id=ee3G-54QaCgC&printsec=frontcover&dq=christmas+carol+charles+dickens&hl=en&sa=X&ei=NpKTUqmEGtbnoASEmoHABA&ved=0CEMQuwUwADgU#v=onepage&q=christmas%20carol%20charles%20dickens&f=false

4.  Make the first night of Hanukkah part of Thanksgiving.

The two dates last converged in 1888 and won’t occur again for 77,798 years (Markoe, 2013, November 4, para. 1).  Moreover, both Hannukkah and the story of the Pilgrims' first Thanksgiving give thanks for deliverance and the freedom to worship freely.  Accordingly, Christians as well as Jews might want to observe Hanukkah.

The beliefnet guide to Hannukkah.  (n. d.).  Belief.net.  Retrieved from http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Judaism/Hanukkah/index.aspx

Markoe, Lauren.  (2013, November 4).  Thanksgiving, Hanukkah together make Thanksgivinukah on November 28, 2013. Religion. Huffington Post.  Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/04/thanksgiving-hanukkah-_n_4211643.html



5.  Discover  volunteer opportunities.

This Web site links the user to local volunteer activities: http://www.volunteermatch.org/search


6.  Visit a family member or a friend in a nursing home.

How to visit a nursing home.  (2013).  Health. eHow.  Demand Media. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/how_2054118_visit-nursing-home.html



7.  Pull out dominoes or cards for a game-playing marathon.

• Domino-Games.com. (2013).  Retrieved from http://www.domino-games.com/domino-rules/

• Reinstein, David A. (2009, November 9).  Six simple card games to play with kids.  Yahoo Voices.  Retrieved from http://voices.yahoo.com/six-simple-card-games-play-kids-4848058.html

8.  Take an exercise break.  

After all, the average American man age 20 and older weighs 195.5 pounds while the average American woman age 20 and over weighs 166.2 pounds (CDC, 2012, November 2).  Indoors, for example, this might include playing table tennis, darts, or try out some ballet, yoga, or Zumba.  Trying out new activities like these is always much more fun when it’s done in a group.

• Ballet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWByt5QjMaA

• Body Rock TV: http://www.youtube.com/user/BodyRockTv

• Yoga for complete beginners: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0o0kNeOyH98

• Zumba: http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=zumba+videos+for+beginners&qpvt=zumba+videos+for+beginners&FORM=VDRE

References:

Body measurements. (2012, November 2).  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/bodymeas.htm

Calories burned during exercise by Nutristrategy--alphabeticized list.  (2013). Nutristrategy.  Retrieved from http://www.nutristrategy.com/activitylist4.htm

9.  Watch a classic movie online for free.

• http://www.classiccinemaonline.com/

• http://www.watcholdmoviesonline.com/

• http://www.bnwmovies.com/

• http://oldmovietime.com/

10. Interview an older family member.

Preserve his or her memories on a smart phone or tablet and then download them on a computer.   Remember to back them up.Oral history & interviews (2013). 

Cyndi’s List. Retrieved from http://www.cyndislist.com/oral/

Powell, Kimberly.  (2013).  Fifty questions for family history interviews. Genealogy.  About.com  Retrieved from http://genealogy.about.com/cs/oralhistory/a/interview.htm


Have a happy, healthy, and safe Thanksgiving holiday!