At the Robert Todd Lincoln estate in Manchester,VT.
Robert’s father was Abraham Lincoln, who issued the following proclamation on October 3, 1863:
“The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consiousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.
No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People.
I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.” Abraham Lincoln
ALSO: Please check out this link on Squanto and read through it….and tell your children. As I read through it, I was thinking ‘Man, this Indian was sent by God…why else would an Indian the Pilgrims happened to have run into speak ENGLISH? Been to ENGLAND? Back then?’ And, lo and behold, I ran across this “Squanto was sent to live with the English settlers. His guidance proved so indispensable to them that Plymouth Governor William Bradford was moved to declare him a “spetiall instrument sent of God for [their] good.”
We owe a lot to Squanto. We owe everything to God.
I wish you a very special, delicious, contemplative Thanksgiving.
Z
My standard Thanxgiving contribution . . . wrote it about 25 years ago:
The stuffing was spicy.
The turkey was plump.
In those instant potatoes
We found not one lump.
The creamed corn was delish.
The yams were so sweet.
The ham was quite tasty.
Cranberries, a treat.
The biscuits were perfect.
The gravy just so.
The meal was a triumph,
A feast, don’t you know.
Two pies topped it all off,
One lemon meringue.
A pumpkin with whipped cream
Was quite just the thing.
We all drank fresh coffee
And loosened our pants
Our stomachs the size of
A bull elephant’s.
We all swore to never
Eat that much again.
We’re all starting diets
To lose at least ten.
Tomorrow it’s oatmeal
For breakfast, we vow.
“And salads for lunch,”
We all say, at least now.
But I see that turkey
Sliced up so precise
Just waiting for mayo
On white bread, how nice!
The dark meat all stripped off
The carcass, now cold
To be baked in a pasta
And cheese casserole.
For days I’ll be eating
From leftover store
‘Til I can’t look a yam
In the face any more.
But four weeks from today
There will be a repeat
Of that exact same meal
And we’ll all overeat.
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A Happy Thanksgiving wish for Ms. Z and all you Geeez blog posters!
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wishing you a wonderful day. Happy Thanksgiving to you and all your readers… 🙂
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Happy Thanksgiving, Z! I think of you whenever I’m confronted with a glorious heap of mashed potatoes and gravy. That was supposed to be complimentary 🙂
Cheers to Squanto… and to bocopro for that hilarious poem!
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Bocopro…that’s cute…thanks! I hope you put more than turkey and mayo on that sandwich!
And I hope you enjoyed my post.
i’ll be making stuffing for 25 today….half for today, half for a ‘Friendsgiving” party tomorrow night!
Thanks for all your good wishes!
Jerry, I adore the Squanto story because it truly is a miracle!
And ya…mashed potatoes and gravy; that’s ALL I NEED 🙂 Enjoy
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Happiest of Thanksgivings (until next year) to all who frequent here, and our fabulous hostess!
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Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have nary a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!
From a friend via email……..But I say “forget your thighs today!”
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Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving. I love your poem, Bocopro.
We have been invited again to some friends home for our Thanksgiving repast, and as in years past, have sworn to not overeat…….again, because……………
“Those who indulge, bulge.”
(thats an old saying I just made up)
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I so sincerely hope some of you read the Lincoln quote in my post….it’s so important and would be so helpful TODAY.
If only Trump would say something like THAT today instead of arguing with basketball players’ fathers and bringing up Obama at the turkey pardon…
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“Those who indulge, bulge.”
I like it, Mal!! Happy Day!
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Forget the MEDIA , we have PLENTY to be THANKFUL FOR! Also, THANKS ALL for the THOUGHTFUL and POSITIVE comments.
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Like they say about beer..,
Squanto is proof that God loves us…
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Z, if Trump DID quote Lincoln, it’d be nice, but he’d be out of character.
I’m afraid Trump is gonna be Trump, lumps ‘n all.
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bocopro – There it is. Man I love the leftovers too.
To all – I hope today and everyday is good for you and yours.
(-burp-)
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I couldn’t open the Squanto link (think it’s my browser acting weird), but know his story well. What a picture of the hand of God at work. The fact that a group of monks bought him out of that horrible slave market in Spain saved his life — and ours.
You mentioned “friendsgiving.” I just heard that for the first time today. My brother said the local schools have dropped the “thanks” part and substituted “friends.” Gee … we might have to explain gratitude if we kept the thanks.
I love your Lincoln quote. I looked it up yesterday to read it again for myself. So happy to see it here today. Can you imagine if ANY president said anything close? I doubt neither the language nor the construct would be widely understood by the college degreed today.
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Hey Z! Wishing you a happy healthy Thanksgiving my friend! xoxoxo
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Baysider! No! the “Friendsgiving” Day celebration, as I’ve come to know it, is usually the day after family Thanksgiving and is given for FRIENDS, giving thanks for friends.
I have never heard it used instead of Thanksgiving….
Your bro is probably right…but the one I’m going to, and that many other people I know have, is about FRIENDS, not the lack of THANKS.
And no, can’t imagine today’s president saying that…’
SQUANTO ROCKS! The Spanish Fathers not only saved Squanto’s LIFE but his ETERNAL LIFE because he became a Christian through them……….
He was RIPE for the Pilgrims to meet…he spoke English, had their faith, and his community he’d finally returned to had all died from illness, so the Pilgrims moved right into their community and didn’t exactly proiser but definitely did MUCH better than they would have without this man God so obviously annointed to help with the founding of this great America!
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Yup, for sure. Had Squanto been home he would have died too. Everyone thought their village ground was cursed from the plague and left it vacant. What a ‘coincidence’!
Thanks for your explanation of friends giving. Apparently the schools do it to not have to go into t he history, just another time to eat together.
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