Cathleen Allison/Nevada Appeal Abraham, a 7-year-old Royal Bourbon turkey, is safe for another Thanksgiving as owners Steve and Johnye Saylor of Dayton will keep the sassy 25-pounder around as a pet.
The young and the old came together in perfect harmony as 79 students from Carson Montessori School visited the Carson Senior Citizen Center Wednesday to supplement Thanksgiving lunch with song.
"They're very good, excellent," said Abe Nasr, 78, who eats at the senior center five days a week. "And I'm surprised so many of them came."
The students sang for a half-hour and included hits from an earlier era, like "How Much is the Doggie in the Window?"
The "Singing for Seniors" event was part of the school's focus to expose children to older generations.
"Part of Montessori's teaching is that you teach respect of elders and what others in the community do," said Joan LePas, principal. "And this is all about respect and appreciation. Thanksgiving is about thanks and giving. We're giving right now."
Children at the school celebrated their own festivities Tuesday with a feast that required they personally make their favorite foods - a practice of the Montessori concept of practical living.
But Kaydance Rogers, 9, will do little of the cooking for today's family feast, which will include six of her siblings -she is the youngest - and family friends. Often, food runs short as do chairs, she said.
"What I like about Thanksgiving is that you get a day off and you get to be with your family," she said.
Mary Davis' Thanksgiving celebration will also be large. The grandmother will join with about 50 relatives today in a rented cabin in the Markleeville, Calif., area to celebrate.
"Everyone brings something," said the senior, who enjoyed Wednesday's Thanksgiving lunch. "The young people are cooking the turkey."
Davis, who is a center volunteer, says her favorite Thanksgiving activity is eating, turkey being her favorite food. She was thrilled to have Montessori students sing during lunch.
"I think they're magnificent," she said.
But Nasr's Thanksgiving plans do not include lots of family. Instead, he plans to gamble at the Carson Nugget and have his meal there.
Nasr, who was born in Jerusalem in 1927, last visited there in 2000. What he is looking forward to today is not so much the gambling, but the turkey.
"I'm going to be eating a lot of turkey," he said. "Nice slices of white turkey."
He's not alone. Reilly Daugherty, 7, likes the meat portion of Thanksgiving, too.
"My favorite thing is the turkey," the Montessori student said. "I'm a carnivore, mostly."
n Contact reporter Maggie O'Neill at moneill@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1219.
Carson City
WHAT: Free Thanksgiving meal
WHEN: 1 p.m. today
WHERE: Stewart Community Baptist Church, 5340 Snyder Ave.
CALL: 721-5126
WHERE: Carson Nugget, 507 N. Carson St.
WHEN: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. today
WHAT: Hand the check to the cashier and say, "I'm a guest of the Nugget today."
WHERE: Bully's Sports Bar and Grill, 3530 N. Carson St.
WHEN: noon-5 p.m. today
CALL: 825-4333
Virginia City
WHERE: Storey County Senior Center, corner of E and Mill streets
WHEN: 2 p.m. today
CALL: 847-0957
WHERE: Mark Twain Saloon/Casino, 62 South C St.
WHEN: 2-6 p.m. today
CALL: 847-0599, preregistration requested
WHERE: Millionaires Club of the Washoe, 121 South C St.
WHEN: 3 p.m. today
CALL: 847-7210
WHERE: Union Brewery, 63 North C St.
WHEN: 1 p.m. today
CALL: 847-9016
