Give Thanks

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

One more day of work and then rest. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I will be pulling our collection of Thanksgiving stories off the book case tonight. We have quite a few books, a few of our favorites are A Turkey for Thanksgiving by Eve Bunting, The Thanksgiving Story by Alice Dalgliesh, Twas the Night before Thanksgiving by Dave Pilkey and one of our favorites, which we don't have a copy of is Cranberry Thanksgiving by Wende and Harry Devlin. This is a marvelous family story, with a bit of mystery. At the end of the book you will find the recipe for Grandmother's Famous Cranberry Bread . Now I always make this delicious bread on Thanksgiving Day.

I would love to have a copy of the book, but it is difficult to find and quite expensive when one is found.

Tomorrow we give thanks for what we have, as the Pilgrims did so long ago. Which brings me to the real point of this story, decorations! My favorite thanksgiving decorations are the pilgrims that J made some years ago. Her creative use of toilet paper rolls and felt are shown in the photo above. They are treasures. Next week I will be bringing out Dasher Dancer Prancer Vixen Comet Cupid Donder and Blitzen, with Santa in his sleigh(all made with the same technique as the pilgrims).

Happy Thanksgiving and safe journey for all travelers on this holdiay weekend.

We Gather Together

We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing;
He chastens and hastens His will to make known;
The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing,
Sing praises to His name: He forgets not his own.

Over the River and
Through the Woods

Over the river and thru the wood,
To grandfather's house we go;
The horse knows the way
To carry the sleigh,
Thru the white and drifted snow, oh!
Over the river and thru the wood,
Oh, how the wind does blow!
It stings the toes,
And bites the nose,
As over the ground we go.

Over the river and thru the wood,
To have a first-rate play;
Oh, hear the bell ring,
"Ting-a-ling-ling!"
Hurrah for Thanksgiving Day-ay!
Over the river and thru the wood,
Trot fast my dapple gray!
Spring over the ground,
Like a hunting hound!
For this is Thanksgiving Day.

Thinking a lot about music for Thanksgiving. I have already hit the playlist for The Night Heron Consort A Celtic Celebbration (Christmas Favorites) Vol. 2, while I work on databases at work, and jumped into the season with both feet. I have numerous playlists for Christmas, but I only have one playlist for Thanksgiving. Which includes the song We Gather Together, but sadly not Over the River and Through the Woods.

I love Thanksgiving. I really love the day. I love waking up with the anticipation of the smell of Turkey roasting in the oven. I love the smell of home made bread as it bakes. I love the smell of cinnamon and cloves in the pumpkin pie.

Now I am not traveling over the river and through the woods, while I will miss all my family, I love being at home, with my girls, cooking and watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Now the parade has changed somewhat since I was a little girl, but I still love it. I love handing over the loaves of stale bread to the girls and having them begin the process of fixing my mom's famous dressing, by pinching the bread as they watch the parade.

We are having a guest from across the Atlantic, a friend of Janet's from England. We plan on giving her a taste of a traditional American Thankksgiving Day.

The best thing about Thanksgiving traditions is that all families have their own traditions, and I think no one family has the exact same traditions. I believe the unifying factor is the Turkey (or in our case the Turkey and the Vegetarian meatless roll that tastes like turkey). Most families include this delicious fowl in their Thanksgiving tradition.

So what are you traditions?

What ever they are I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. I will be giving thanks for all the blessings in my life.