***THANKSGIVING DAY THREAD*** Check in with what you are thankful for and/or favorite traditions.

[RBInMaine]

I'm thankful for a great family, great bunch of friends, and life in the wonderful state of Maine.

I'm very thankful that so many Americans fought back against TeaPublican radicalism and voter suppression efforts to give our good President a resounding victory and also a good victory for Democrats in general. Here in Maine, we sent the TeaPublicans PACKING in a BIG WAY as we re-took control of the legislature BIGTIME.

I'm thankful for the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA !!

I miss the Thanksgivings as a kid at my Grandparents' on the rural rockbound coast of Maine where we had such wonderful times with so many relatives.

My favorite Thanksgiving traditions are fruit bowls, eating whole mixed nuts for which you need a nutcracker, black olives, jellied cranberry sauce, mashed butternut squash with butter, and apple, squash, and chocolate cream pies. YUM !! Also watching the Macy's parade, just hanging out and shooting the bull with family, and sometimes taking a nice afternoon walk after the big dinner.

[peacebird]

1. Thankful for my family and friends, very grateful that we have President Obama for the next 4 years

We'll gather at my mothers house and then spend the weekend getting her Christmas trimmings up!

[Sherman A1]

2. I am Thankful for....

Good Health, A wonderful spouse, good family, a very close friend, an acceptable job, the things I have in life. It has not been a straight line, but overall it's not bad.

And before I forget... I am thankful for a good cup of coffee as well!

[Scuba]

3. I'm thankful for Barack Obama, and that I've enjoyed good enough health to provide for my family.

And I'm thankful for all the progressive activists in America, especially those who visit DU!!!!!!

[Siwsan]

4. I am thankful that I still have my sister to celebrate with, today. And.....

I am thankful for still having President Obama in the White House.

I am thankful I am employed at a company that gives me a good job with great union benefits, that pays a good enough wage for me to live comfortably within my needs so that I can put some money away for the future.

I am thankful for my successful garden, this summer, some of the bounty being served, today.

And I WILL be thankful if I can pull off the timing of this whole turkey roasting and other food prep, so that I can get the meal to my sister's house, with NO disasters, and that I don't forget anything! The first think I'll do, upon arriving, is open the wine!!

Funniest Thanksgiving memory was the year my grandmother made home made pumpkin pies but somehow got the sugar and salt mixed up. We kids were very young and, fortunately the adults tasted the pie before we could. We still laugh about that.

[sigmasix]

5. family science and medicare

I'm thankful for my wife and children, without whom the daily fight to keep living would not be worth it. I have been fighting a rare form of Intestinal cancer for 10 years. The only thing that has stopped the cancer is a series of new oral chemotherapies that were developed with the help of evolutionary science. The next time someone says evolution leads to immorality, you might want to ask them what they find immoral about fighting cancer and indescribable suffering.
These advancements did not come cheap, or without many srious medical set-backs for me- fortunately I had a young social worker when I was diagnosed- she took time from her personal schedule to drive 300 miles to may disabilty request hearing and was able to get the request approved on the 1st try. I now recieve the disability insurance and medicare insurance that I paid into. I am disabled because of the many attendent medical problems associated with my illness, treatment and prognoses. I have had 4 major, very expensive surgeries- surgeries that I was not expected to survive. Medicare made all of my medical care possible- never one death panel decision to withhold expensive care. My chemotherapy alone costs $14,000.00 a month- this along with my other medications needs comes to nearly $17,000 a month. Because of Fred Upton's (congress, all-around duochebag, R-MI) donut-hole medicare legislation it has been difficult to get medicare to pay for the chemo without them being forced to expect several thousand in co-pay from my family. My wife has insurance that has given me RX coverage and they have been paying 100% of my chemothrapy costs. I'm told the reason they just begun this RX coverage for pre-existing conditions has to do with the need to comply with future ACA regulations.
I'm thankful that I live in a country that values it's commitments to the disabled population and does not devalue me as a human being, just because I've lost the ability to work.
God bless science, social security, medicare, FDR and America, in no particular order.

[Freddie]

6. I hear you with the medical concerns

My brother is a cancer survivor (non-Hodgkins lymphoma) and his wife has a heart condition. Both in their 50s. He is self employed and she works part time and gets great medical benefits as an RN. But there will come a time, soon I fear, that she will not be able to work even part time anymore. Then what?? They could not possibly buy private insurance with their pre-existing conditions and even if she got SSDI the Medicare does not kick in for 2 years, and he would have nothing after COBRA ran out. One serious illness and they would lose everything.
We all worked and prayed for the President's reelection because the ACA offers real solutions for people like them and yourself. How can the Republican Party call themselves "pro-life" yet have no problem with non-fetuses dying for lack of care??