The Slice: Company’s coming

Back in 1985, just a couple of years before moving to Spokane, I accompanied my wife-to-be to her aunt’s Tennessee farm for Thanksgiving.

Our visit from the big city down the road was noted in a little community newspaper.

That seemed amusing at the time. But the more I think about it, the more I find there’s a certain charm to that homespun brand of journalism.

So I want The Slice to get in on some of that action. And you can help.

If you have company coming for Thanksgiving, let me know before the holiday.

And please provide a few details. You know. How is your sister’s arthritis? Has your mother-in-law been feeling poorly? Has your son’s significant other been accepted at a medical school? Is your niece expecting a baby? Is the family dog excited about the prospect of having company? Will your sister-in-law be bringing her famous green bean casserole?

It’s already November. Thanksgiving will be here before we know it. So don’t dawdle.

When the skies of November turn gloomy: Back in the first week of November in 2007, Slice readers were invited to call the Sliceline and leave a phone message in which they sang a bit of Gordon Lightfoot’s “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.”

As I recall, that went well. So let’s do it again.

Call (509) 459-5470 and record your song stylings.

When I first introduced this opportunity for reader participation eight years ago, I wrote “Please do not perform the entire song.”

Same goes this time. But leave your name and daytime phone number.

And if you don’t like that song, you can try your luck with one of The Slice’s other archival song contests. Let’s see, there was the theme from TV’s “Branded,” the old Hamm’s beer jingle, the 1967 Top 40 hit “Ode to Billie Joe” and, well, that should get you started.

Warm-up question: In your experience, which of these most reliably predicts an Inland Northwest resident’s political persuasion? A) Is a farmer. B) Active duty military. C) Church member. D) Listens to National Public Radio. E) Watches Fox News. F) Drives compact car. G) Consumes craft beer. H) Eats kale. I) Other.

Today’s Slice question: Monday is the statehood anniversary (1889) for North Dakota and South Dakota. If there was a big state called West Dakota, would Spokane be its capital?

Write The Slice at P. O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210; call (509) 459-5470; email pault@spokesman.com. Washington’s statehood day and Veterans Day are both Nov. 11.