“Marica?”

“Yes, Missy?”

“Are you busy?”

“Why, no. Not really. I’m just diddling around the World Wide Web. What’s up?”

“I’m sensing a bit of excitement in the air. It portends of the unusual. Pray, is something different about to happen here at the Farm.”

“Ruff?”

“How perceptive of you, Missy!”

“Ruff ruff! Ruff?”

“You, too, Rocky. And yes, Daughter C will be gone for a few days. She’s off to visit Mr. Bow Tie.”

“Ah. Mr. Bow Tie. Such a pleasant fellow.”

“RUFF!?“

“Because she’s flying on an aeroplane and it’s difficult for dogs to fly on aeroplanes.”

“ruff.”

“Pardon me, but we seem to be getting off topic. Is something about to happen?”

“Indeed it is! Thanksgiving is coming up.”

“Ruff?”

” ‘Thanks giving.’ Excuse my ignorance, but that is something less than satisfying as an answer. What, pray tell, is ‘thanks giving?’ “

“Thanksgiving is an American holiday. You remember that we’re Americans, right?”

“RUFF.”

“Of course! I’m proud to be an American dog. ‘All-American,’ I might add, given my Newfoundlandian and German heritage.”

“Ruff. Ruff.”

“Good for you, Rocky! Stafordshire Terriers do have British ancestry. Anyway– Thanksgiving is an American holiday on which we– as a country, as families, and as individuals– take time to reflect on what we are thankful for.”

“Hum. Don’t we do that everyday, Marica? I hear you tell Mr. Big Food you’re thankful we all live together here on the Farm at least two or three time a week.”

“Ruff? Ruff ruff ruff.”

“Yeah, I do. And Rocky, I know you give thanks every night before you lay your little head down on the pillow that Daughter C rescued you from being chained to a tree. But this is a day where everyone gives thanks.”

“Ah. An institutionalized holiday.”

“Riiight. We also remember those folks who first came to America from the Old World.”

“Ruff?”

“Excuse me! ‘Old World?‘ There was a world before this one?!? I recall no mention of this on The Big Bang Theory! Old World! Is a TARDIS involved? My head is spinning!!”

“Oh, Missy. Don’t take things so literally. The old world refers to Great Britain and the Continent, as opposed to America which, at the time of its discovery and colonization, was referred to as the New World.”

“Ruff.”

“Oh. Please. You did not know that. Stop acting so smug. Now, Marica. I have several more questions but I wonder if you might retrieve for me a map of these Old and New Worlds, as my questions are predicated on understanding this distinction.”

“Ruff ruff ruff!!”

“Stop laughing. I know I am the retriever. But it’s Marica’s library– she would know better than I where the appropriate map is located.”

“You have to admit, that was pretty funny! I’ll go retrieve you a map, Missy.”

“Ruff ruff ruff!!”

“Thank you ever so much, Marica.”

“Ruff!”

“Really? Ruff ruff!!”

“Most helpful. Thank you very much!”