# Time again for the infamous Thanksgiving Letter by Marnie **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 23, 2013, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-again-for-the-infamous-thanksgiving-letter-by-marnie/674597 "2013-11-23T04:42:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-again-for-the-infamous-thanksgiving-letter-by-marnie/674597/1 "2013-11-23T04:42:38Z")
This control-freak letter, names changed to protect the guilty and innocent, first appeared a few years ago on Awkward Family Photos and has been making the rounds ever since. Just wanted to make sure you get a chance to read it. And please “Do not forget anything.” > **[Marney's Thanksgiving Letter](https://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/2009/11/26/awkward-family-story-the-thanksgiving-letter/)** > >  (submitted by Kara) ---
**Author:** ![Sarabellum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarabellum/32/3492_2.png) [@Sarabellum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarabellum)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-again-for-the-infamous-thanksgiving-letter-by-marnie/674597/2 "2013-11-23T15:24:44Z")
Awww… That Marnie! What a sweetheart she is to do all the work behind putting together the family Thanksgiving dinner! Gives me the warm fuzzies every time I read it. Wish we had a Marnie in OUR family! :lol: ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-again-for-the-infamous-thanksgiving-letter-by-marnie/674597/3 "2013-11-23T16:19:27Z")
The embroidered cornucopia looks nice, though. You know what would have been fun? If she’d assigned someone to bring an actual cornucopia, with really specific directions. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-again-for-the-infamous-thanksgiving-letter-by-marnie/674597/4 "2013-11-23T16:27:18Z")
I wonder about Marnie’s family - not necessarily Marnie, who we laugh at, but the quantities of food involved. FIFTEEN pounds of potatoes. Five pounds of asparagus, 3 qts of squash. Some unidentified quantity of stuffing. But apparently only two pies that probably won’t show (really, I always assign pies to the person I’m sure will bring them, the person who won’t show with anything gets the cheese tray or the green beans), and two half gallons of ice cream? And no whipped cream? I’m assuming Marnie makes the turkey and has the cranberries (god, I hope they have cranberries). ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-again-for-the-infamous-thanksgiving-letter-by-marnie/674597/5 "2013-11-23T17:44:45Z")
> [@Sarabellum1976](#): > > Wish we had a Marnie in OUR family! We have two. I’d offer you one of them, but these days they focus all their controlling attempts on each other and the rest of us manage to muddle through without their supervision and direction. Somehow, we all survive. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-again-for-the-infamous-thanksgiving-letter-by-marnie/674597/6 "2013-11-23T18:00:46Z")
If I got a note like that I would politely refuse the invitation. Or maybe not so politely. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-again-for-the-infamous-thanksgiving-letter-by-marnie/674597/7 "2013-11-23T19:13:54Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > If I got a note like that I would politely refuse the invitation. I’d bring a pizza.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-again-for-the-infamous-thanksgiving-letter-by-marnie/674597/8 "2013-11-23T19:20:05Z")
I’d send my regrets. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-again-for-the-infamous-thanksgiving-letter-by-marnie/674597/9 "2013-11-23T19:26:55Z")
What exactly is a “regulation size” casserole dish? Who is writing these regulations and by what authority, and where may I obtain a copy so I am not in violation should the casserole inspector stop by? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-again-for-the-infamous-thanksgiving-letter-by-marnie/674597/10 "2013-11-23T19:45:23Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > What exactly is a “regulation size” casserole dish? Who is writing these regulations and by what authority, and where may I obtain a copy so I am not in violation should the casserole inspector stop by? Most recipes I’ve seen specify either a 9 X 13 or 8 X 8 dish. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-again-for-the-infamous-thanksgiving-letter-by-marnie/674597/11 "2013-11-23T20:38:01Z")
If someone in my family tried this, in future years they’d find that there’s an alternate family dinner that they were not invited to. And oh hell no, I wouldn’t go. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-again-for-the-infamous-thanksgiving-letter-by-marnie/674597/12 "2013-11-23T21:58:49Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > What exactly is a “regulation size” casserole dish? Who is writing these regulations and by what authority, and where may I obtain a copy so I am not in violation should the casserole inspector stop by? Wouldn’t that depend on whether you’re Lutheran or Baptist? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-again-for-the-infamous-thanksgiving-letter-by-marnie/674597/13 "2013-11-23T22:42:16Z")
Casserole dishes, according to Marney, appear to be the deep round ones with lids. Because she has strong feelings about lids NOT ALUMINUM FOIL. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-again-for-the-infamous-thanksgiving-letter-by-marnie/674597/14 "2013-11-24T00:37:18Z")
This is the kind of thing that led to my not being home for Thanksgiving for the last 30 years. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-again-for-the-infamous-thanksgiving-letter-by-marnie/674597/15 "2013-11-24T00:52:21Z")
Do we know if this is really real? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-again-for-the-infamous-thanksgiving-letter-by-marnie/674597/16 "2013-11-24T00:55:22Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > Do we know if this is really real? Rule 34. ---
**Author:** ![Zago](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecccb3/32.png) [@Zago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zago)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-again-for-the-infamous-thanksgiving-letter-by-marnie/674597/17 "2013-11-24T04:42:52Z")
I don’t believe this, it’s a gag. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-again-for-the-infamous-thanksgiving-letter-by-marnie/674597/18 "2013-11-24T04:59:55Z")
I’ve read it before, and I suspect it’s not real. Because if it were, I would run. Across oceans and deserts, over mountains and through forests, to get away from someone that controlling. In other news, the Prime Minister of Canada made [Page 2](http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/2013/11/20/canada/)! ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-again-for-the-infamous-thanksgiving-letter-by-marnie/674597/19 "2013-11-24T06:07:46Z")
Try Thanksgiving letter #2, submitted by the writer’s very elderly father: > **[Thanksgiving Letter 2: Heat Loss](https://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/2013/11/05/heat-loss/)** > > My family has so many crazy holiday stories that viewing AFP's Thanksgiving Letter has become an annual tradition. We can certainly relate, as we have our “Sprite or nothing.” ---
**Author:** ![Encinitas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Encinitas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Encinitas)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-again-for-the-infamous-thanksgiving-letter-by-marnie/674597/20 "2013-11-24T06:29:20Z")
If i got this letter I think I would devise ways of sabotaging Marnie’s plans in an attempt to blow her mind. Perhaps bring **two** bottles of Clos du Bois or a casserole with both green beans and asparagus. Hilarity ensues! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-again-for-the-infamous-thanksgiving-letter-by-marnie/674597.md?page=2)