Thanksgiving

I know yesterday was actually Thanksgiving day, but if it's alright with you
I would like to share tonight what I'm thankful for. 

I am thankful for:
Family

Friends

Books

Laughter

Food

Work

Church

Dreams 

Music 

Health

I hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving~

Did You Know (I did not)?

The cranberry is a symbol and a modern diet staple of thanksgiving. Originally called crane berry, it derived its name from its pink blossoms and drooping head, which reminded the Pilgrims of a crane. 

Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird of the United States. But it was Thomas Jefferson who opposed him. It is believed that Franklin then named the male turkey as 'tom' to spite Jefferson.

Lobster, seal and swans were on the Pilgrims' menu.

Giving Thanks

Gratitude goes beyond the 'mine' and 'thine' and claims the truth that all of life is a pure gift.

Henri J. M. Nouwen: 

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.  ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

For flowers that bloom about our feet;
For tender grass, so fresh, so sweet;

For song of bird, and hum of bee;

For all things fair we hear or see,

Father in heaven, we thank Thee!

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

O Lord that lends me life, Lend me a heart replete with thankfulness.

~William Shakespeare

None is more impoverished than the one who has no gratitude.  Gratitude is a currency that we can mint for ourselves, and spend without fear of bankruptcy.  ~Fred De Witt Van Amburgh

Cooking with Dad

One of my favorite memories of Thanksgiving was when I would make

 the stuffing with my Dad. He had a special meat stuffing that he liked to 

make. He would pull out this huge, black, cooking pot, set it on a chair so I 

could actually reach into it (this might have been due to my limited stature:). 

Sausage, celery, onions, bread, eggs, pepper, salt, sage (and ingredients that I am 

forgetting).  Dad and I would put each ingredient into this pot and then would 

start mixing it all together with our hands. I loved that time spent with my Dad; 

it was as if the stuffing tasted better because we had done it together.

(Photos courtesy of: google image)

The Origins of America's Thanksgiving

In September 1620, a small ship called the Mayflower left Plymouth, England, carrying 102 passengers  seeking a new home  in the New World. After a treacherous crossing that lasted 66 days, they dropped anchor near the tip of Cape Cod, far north of their intended destination at the mouth of the Hudson River. 

Throughout that first brutal winter, most of the colonists remained on board the ship, where they suffered from exposure, scurvy and outbreaks of contagious disease. Only half of the Mayflower’s original passengers and crew lived to see their first New England spring.

In November 1621, after the Pilgrims’ first corn harvest proved successful, Governor William Bradford organized a celebratory feast . The Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies.

(Article courtesy of: history.com)

May the Giving of Thanks Begin

One week from today will be Thanksgiving. 

I love Thanksgiving, so for the week leading up to Thanksgiving 

I will be sharing stories, recipes, and memories. 

I hope this year that you, and I will be able to celebrate 

what we are thankful for with the ones we love.

(Photos courtesy of: google image)