Guest Author - Marilyn Crain

As people in the United States begin to think about the coming holidays, travel budgets are tight. Most folks are feeling like they shouldn’t spend the money to travel. Does that mean giving up on Thanksgiving with family and friends who live hundreds of miles away? I don’t think so. When things are tough, we need family and friends even more. We long to be loved, nurtured and encouraged. How can we get together for that much needed warmth and comfort of loved ones?

For those not celebrating Thanksgiving, please think about how you can use a blog to bring your circle of loved ones together for other occasions or for no occasion at all. Maybe it’s time to simply celebrate life and living.

We all have an excellent resource literally at our finger tips—the computer. How about using the Internet as part of your holiday? You’re already connected and it won’t cost you or your family one penny. How about creating a Thanksgiving blog? It’s so easy to set up a blog with Google and it’s free. Of course if you’re already familiar with one of the other blog providers, by all means use it. I just mention Google because it is almost foolproof to set up and use. It also accommodates multiple writers with no extra effort. All you need is an Internet connection and a digital camera. If you don’t have a digital camera you might consider asking a neighbor who has one to share in the celebration or take pictures in exchange for a home baked dessert.

Your virtual Thanksgiving can be a true collaborative effort. Think of the possibilities! Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing:

--Start early so you can stretch out the fun.
--Decide who will start the blog, set up all the log-ins and invite the participants.
--Add music to the blog.
--Share decorations, starting with fall and evolving into Thanksgiving, by taking pictures and uploading to the blog.
--Reminisce by writing about memories of Thanksgivings past.
--Scan old photos from past gatherings and add to the blog. Since not every one has a scanner, one person who does might be asked to take on that opportunity.
--Plan your menus and add to the blog. Each household or group can add their menu to the blog. The beauty of this is seeing the variety of dishes that will be on the table.
--Take pictures of the table as you set it and upload to the blog.
--Share recipes by posting them. As the number of recipes grows, you can be sure that the number of dishes being planned for each location will also grow.
--Take pictures of each dish as you start to cook. If you upload them to the blog as you go, a few at a time, you can add to the anticipation of what’s to come when cooking is complete.
--Share the celebration by taking pictures of dinner and everyone at the table. If you have a video camera that has the capability to connect to your computer, you can upload video to your blog.
--Each group can add posts throughout the day so everyone feels a part of each of the individual celebrations that combine to make one big virtual celebration.

Even those who can’t actively participate and add content of their own, can have fun watching Thanksgiving come together on the blog and feel the warmth and happiness of the celebration. For these folks, you could also add to their enjoyment by sending a care package just for Thanksgiving and calling them at just the right moment.

Sounds like fun, doesn’t it? This seems like one good way to “make lemonade out of lemons.” Even in tough times, this could be one of the best Thanksgivings yet. I can just hear the gears turning. I know that you already have so many different takes on this opportunity to use your creativity to bring family and friends together.

I’ll start a forum thread so you can share your ideas and ask questions about starting a Thanksgiving blog. Have fun!