Keeping Thanksgiving!

I don’t rush right to Christmas because Thanksgiving deserves to have its month.

November is a restful month for me. Halloween excitement is past and autumn colors are fading. I don’t like the early darkness, but it does add to the quiet time. I always host Thanksgiving dinner and love it! This November I’m directing a fun holiday show that I wrote for my church. It’s called Joyous Fall. The title is fitting because that’s how I feel about fall.

There are skits about scarecrows, turkeys and women who love to decorate. The decorating women represent me except I don’t go crazy like they do. I admit I have a schedule for decorating. The first of October the Halloween decorations go up and come down on November 1. Pumpkins stay, but scarecrows and turkeys go up. I then relax until Thanksgiving is over. I enjoy the cool weather and blue skies as I clean the garden and protect my roses for the winter. I am still picking roses which is very unusual, so that task awaits. Being outside always brings me closer to God. The beauty surrounds me and I quietly sing his praises. (I don’t have the gift of singing)

I think it’s important to remember the first Thanksgiving and how the Indians and Pilgrims feasted together for days. The Pilgrims would not have survived without the help they received from the Indians. They are a good example of two diverse groups working together. That is definitely something to remember and strive to accomplish today.

Christmas awaits and our show ends with the nativity because fall lasts until December 21. Today I am giving thanks for the people who have worked hard to memorize lines and become the characters I pictured as I wrote the script. To see what I imagined come to life is a wonderful gift. I hope you can relax and enjoy this quiet month and think about your blessings instead of your to do list. That’s my plan!

It’s Turkey Time!

It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving dinner if we didn’t have turkey!

Thanksgiving has been an American holiday since Abraham Lincoln signed the proclamation in 1863. Much has been written about the first Thanksgiving and what was eaten. For sure they ate venison and turkeys were likely on the menu because they were in abundance during that time period. My brother has many wild turkeys on his farm and none of us would eat one. They look scrawny to me, but historically they were beautiful, magnificent birds.

Ben Franklin was so impressed by them he wanted to make the turkey America’s national bird. I read they had bright colors and some thought they were related to the peacock. Wild turkeys not only fly; they fly fast! They can fly up to 55 mph. I would have been impressed too, Ben!

I love reading picture books at every holiday and most of the Thanksgiving books involve Tom escaping the farmer’s ax. Our domesticated turkeys are so fat they can’t run and certainly can’t fly. They also have lost their previous thinking ability. Unfortunately, they don’t have a lot of brain cells working for them any more. However, in children’s books they always outwit the farmer. I wouldn’t want it any other way!

My turkey is quite cute and no one would want to eat a turkey that looked that cute. To be honest, I like chicken better than turkey, but it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without turkey!