.. .......4~...n———-———--»——-- -— - —-~~ ---- -- Financial Planning is important for anyone. For gay and lesbian partners it can be crucial. For same sex_ partnerships, proper financial planning can help ensure that you and your loved ones are properly protected. As a Financial Consultant, my goal is to meet your needs in a relationship based on trust and professionalism, working closely with your attorney or CPA to develop a strategy based on your unique situation and objectives. Call me for a free consultation. Mitchell Rosengarten Financial Consultant (802) 775-4371 or (800) 628-2132 90 Merchants Row Rutland, VT 05701 THIS IS WHO WE ARE. THIS IS HOW WE EARN l'|'." Smith Barney does not offer tax or legal advice. Please consultyour taxllegal advisor for such guidance. ©2004 Citigroup Global Market: Inc Member SIPC. Srnim Barneyis a division and service mark of Citigroup Global Markets Inc and its affiliates and is used and registered throughout the world. Cl‘l1GROUP and the Umbrella Device are trademarks and service marks of Citicorp or its affiliates and are used and registered throughout the world. THIS IS WHO WE ARE. THIS IS HOW WE EARN IT is a service mark of Cltigroup Global Markets lnc. Hardwick Chiropractic Montpelier Chiropractic 54 School Circle 58 East State Street East Heidwick, VT 05836 Montpelier. Vi 05602 802-472-3033 802-223-2967 www.tgivermont.net www.l1givermanl.ne§ Gentle, Effective Health Care Dr. Grace Johnstone Dr. Rick Eschholz Psychoanalysis Pastoral Counseling Individuals & Couples Jungian orientation 9 Center Court River Road, Northampton MA Putney VT 413-584-2442 802-387-5547 Janet Langdon, Mdiv, NCPsyA jliesl@sover.net Thanksgiving Traditions BY KATIE DYER is summer I went to my first gay wedding, marking the progressive change occurring in the tradition of mar- riage. With Thanksgiving approaching I began thinking about ’ the traditions followed on this holi- day. How do people decide which traditions to continue, and which to let go of in order to make room for new ones? Who do people spend the holiday with, their family of origin, or their family of choice? _ Traditionally, I spend the holiday with my family of origin. Like clockwork my mom makes a I green bean casserole just like her mom used to make on Thanksgiving. We have squash with maple syrup, potatoes from the garden, turkey, and homemade stuffing with sausage (a dish I sore- ly missed during my vegetarian years). My brother makes the cran- berry sauce, sitting propped up on a stool in front of the stove stirring and stirring until the last berry pops and the sugar has thickened. We don’t usually eat breakfast, but we make appetizers of olives, pickles, deviled eggs, celery sticks filled with cream cheese, and Chex party mix. We get out my grandmother’s fancy punch bowl and the matching cups to go along with it. Our tradi- tions are based around the food we eat. About five years ago, my sister had her first baby, and she stopped coming over to our house for turkey dinner. She began spend- ing the holiday with her husband’s family. Initially this change was hard for me to take. I missed her presence and was not comfortable with this break in our tradition. I wanted her to be cooking, to fill her plate, and to lay down with us on the couch after dinner, over- stuffed from too much food. I also understood that she had another family to share her time with. Now five years and two kids later, their family comes over after dinner. We enjoy slices of pumpkin, chocolate cream, and apple pie. My sister is i there to laugh alongside me. when my brother gets out of control with the whipped cream and he piles a huge spiral on top of his plate. ‘ As I’m getting older, it has become increasingly important to me to acknowledge my family base within my community. For the first time, I am thinking about hav- ing a Thanksgiving with my friends in addition to my traditional Thanksgiving with my family of origin. My girlfriend goes down to New York City to spend the holi- day with her family, and at this point in our lives it feels odd to not celebrate the holiday together. I can they have Thanksgiving without her new boyfriend, but John is sup- portive of his mom’s new relation- ship, and as such, is open to the change in tradition. One thing remains the same as always: he is still looking forward to cooking cranberry chutney. This dish is more about the smell that fills the air than the actual product, which usually is too tart to eat. John will most certainly uphold his ten-year tradition of eating lasagna for his meat-free Thanksgiving. Jill Hoppenjans, 30 years old, currently spends the holiday with her partner’s parents, who keep a kosher Thanksgiving. Traditionally she makes her own butter for the occasion, but in a kosher meal you do not have dairy and meat in the same meal. As a result, she has let her butter-making tradition go. -A tradition she keeps intact, however, is a paper-plate turkey decoration that her little brother made in school many years How do people decide which traditions to continue, and which to let go of in order togmake room for new ones? Who do people spend the holiday with, their family of origin, or their family of, choice? feel my old traditions stretching to fit my current needs, and ultimately falling short. Perhaps it’s time for a change, and what that change will . look like, I still don’t know. I wanted to find out other follcs’ thoughts on this topic so I asked a few Burlingtonians about their Thanksgiving traditions. John Pilcher, a gay mid- twenty-year-old, will be having Thanksgiving with his family of origin. For him, one shift in tradi- tion occurs with his family compo- sition. His parents were recently divorced, so this year he will spend the day with his mom and her new boyfriend. John remarked that it’s important to him and his mother that they spend the holiday togeth- er. His mom even suggested that ago. On the plate is a poem that Jill knows by heart. She recited it for me on the phone: For biscuits high, for pumpkin pie, For turkey stufled with dressing, For corn and peas, for all of these, We ,ask dear God, your blessing. For whatever you end up doing this Thanksgiving Day, be it keeping old traditions, or creating new ones that better suit your cur- rent needs, I wish you a happy and healthy holiday. V Katie Dyer works is _a baker at Great Harvest Bakery, works for COTS, and writes from the Bur- lington apartment she shares with her partner.