Dreams and Facts

1676 Thanksgiving Proclamation

“The Holy God having by a long and Continual Series of his Afflictive dispensations in and by the present Warr with the Heathen Natives of this land, written and brought to pass bitter things against his own Covenant people in this wilderness, yet so that we evidently discern that in the midst of his judgements he hath remembered mercy, having remembered his Footstool in the day of his sore displeasure against us for our sins, with many singular Intimations of his Fatherly Compassion, and regard; reserving many of our Towns from Desolation Threatened, and attempted by the Enemy, and giving us especially of late with many of our Confederates many signal Advantages against them, without such Disadvantage to ourselves as formerly we have been sensible of, if it be the Lord’s mercy that we are not consumed, It certainly bespeaks our positive Thankfulness, when our Enemies are in any measure disappointed or destroyed; and fearing the Lord should take notice under so many Intimations of his returning mercy, we should be found an Insensible people, as not standing before Him with Thanksgiving, as well as lading him with our Complaints in the time of pressing Afflictions:

The Council has thought meet to appoint and set apart the 29th day of this instant June, as a day of Solemn Thanksgiving and praise to God for such his Goodness and Favour, many Particulars of which mercy might be Instanced, but we doubt not those who are sensible of God’s Afflictions, have been as diligent to espy him returning to us; and that the Lord may behold us as a People offering Praise and thereby glorifying Him; the Council doth commend it to the Respective Ministers, Elders and people of this Jurisdiction; Solemnly and seriously to keep the same Beseeching that being persuaded by the mercies of God we may all, even this whole people offer up our bodies and souls as a living and acceptable Service unto God.”

Happy Thanksgiving

There is another modern staple at almost every Thanksgiving table is pumpkin pie. This year I ate some with crumb cake topping, very yummyBut it is unlikely that the first feast included that treat. The supply of flour had been long diminished, so there was no bread or pastries of any kind. However, they did eat boiled pumpkin, and they produced a type of fried bread from their corn crop. There was also no milk, cider, potatoes, or butter. There was no domestic cattle for dairy products, and the newly-discovered potato was still considered by many Europeans to be poisonous. But the feast did include fish, berries, watercress, lobster, dried fruit, clams, venison, and plums.

This “thanksgiving” feast was not repeated the following year. Many years passed before the event was repeated. It wasn’t until June of 1676 that another Day of thanksgiving was proclaimed. On June 20 of that year the governing council of Charlestown, Massachusetts, held a meeting to determine how best to express thanks for the good fortune that had seen their community securely established. By unanimous vote they instructed Edward Rawson, the clerk, to proclaim June 29 as a day of thanksgiving. It is notable that this thanksgiving celebration probably did not include the Indians, as the celebration was meant partly to be in recognition of the colonists’ recent victory over the “heathen natives”.

A hundred years later, in October of 1777 all 13 colonies joined in a thanksgiving celebration. It also commemorated the patriotic victory over the British at Saratoga. But it was a one-time affair.

George Washington proclaimed a National Day of Thanksgiving in 1789, although some were opposed to it. There was discord among the colonies, many feeling the hardships of a few pilgrims did not warrant a national holiday. And later, President Thomas Jefferson opposed the idea of having a day of thanksgiving.

It was Sarah Josepha Hale, a magazine editor, whose efforts eventually led to what we recognize as Thanksgiving. Hale wrote many editorials championing her cause in her Boston Ladies’ Magazine, and later, in Godey’s Lady’s Book. Finally, after a 40-year campaign of writing editorials and letters to governors and presidents, Hale’s obsession became a reality when, in 1863, President Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November as a national day of Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving was proclaimed by every president after Lincoln. The date was changed a couple of times, most recently by Franklin Roosevelt, who set it up one week to the next-to-last Thursday in order to create a longer Christmas shopping season. Public uproar against this decision caused the president to move Thanksgiving back to its original date two years later. And in 1941, Thanksgiving was finally sanctioned by Congress as a legal holiday, as the fourth Thursday in November.

Thanksgiving Memories Part 1

Thanksgiving is a holiday that both women and men enjoy. What more is there to like cooking and eating and watching football. The watching football more a male thing.

Here is some History of Thanksgiving.

The Pilgrims who sailed to this country aboard the Mayflower were originally members of the English Separatist Church (a Puritan sect). They had earlier fled their home in England and sailed to Holland (The Netherlands) to escape religious persecution. There, they enjoyed more religious tolerance, but they eventually became disenchanted with the Dutch way of life, thinking it ungodly. Seeking a better life, the Separatists negotiated with a London stock company to finance a pilgrimage to America. Most of those making the trip aboard the Mayflower were non-Separatists, but were hired to protect the company’s interests. Only about one-third of the original colonists were Separatists.

The Pilgrims set ground at Plymouth Rock on December 11, 1620. Their first winter was devastating. At the beginning of the following fall, they had lost 46 of the original 102 who sailed on the Mayflower. But the harvest of 1621 was a bountiful one. And the remaining colonists decided to celebrate with a feast — including 91 Indians who had helped the Pilgrims survive their first year. It is believed that the Pilgrims would not have made it through the year without the help of the natives. The feast was more of a traditional English harvest festival than a true “thanksgiving” observance. It lasted three days.

Governor William Bradford sent “four men fowling” after wild ducks and geese. It is not certain that wild turkey was part of their feast. However, it is certain that they had venison. The term “turkey” was used by the Pilgrims to mean any sort of wild fowl.

Part 2 next

DreamsandFacts

Here it is the Christmas season and everyone is shopping for that perfect gift. I think that everyone has someone that is extra special on their holiday shopping list. That special someone that when you stop and think about it your life would not be the same without them. I did not have to think about it this year. My brother and I have always been close but this year has been a truly difficult one for him. I think receiving a casio pathfinder watch from my family this year will be just what he needs to make this Christmas a memorable one. I found a place you can order them online that offers big savings and a large variety of Casio watches. You can get men’s or women’s watches as well at good prices. I could not find the selection in my local stores so it works out good for me to order online and get the watch of my choice.Everyone knows the Casio brand and how durable and dependable it is. I personally like the classic styles but I am drawn to the look and lines that the Pathfinder features. A watch is a very important piece of jewelry to me and finding just the right one for each person can be fun. There are so many different styles there is literally a style to match everyone.

Every year my father gets a gift basket for Christmas from his family that is out of state. I have to say that this tradition is one of our favorite things about our family Christmas party. It brings everyone together from other states to our living room! We all gather around while he is opening his gift basket with the senders on the telephone listening in they hear him as he describes each thing in the basket. After we eat dinner and open the gifts we then get to enjoy his gift basket which is always full of cheese! It is delicious! This family tradition made me think that many of our friends and co-workers would also enjoy this tradition. For many of the people who seem to have everything or the ones that you will not be able to see for the holidays a gift baskets filled with cheeses from all over the world is the perfect gift. It is truly a gift that everyone will enjoy. I have found that it is fun to get a gift basket but it is also fun to send one. You can order it online and have it sent to their door which makes it fun and convenient.

Giddy up cowboy! It is hard to believe it but it is almost time for the biggest rodeo of the year. In March the Houston Rodeo features the top notch cowgirls and cowboys that the rodeo circuit has to offer. The air is electric as the cowboys get into the arena. If you sit in the action seats along the side you can have a full view of all of the goings on in the arena but there really are not any bad seats. The action seats also come with complimentary food and beverages which can make the event even more fun. After the rodeo is done get ready for some music. You get to have a concert performance by one of the well known stars in today”s music world. They have Latin, hip hop or country depending on the night you come to the rodeo. It is not a secret how good all of this entertainment is because over a million people come every year to enjoy the whole spectrum of entertainment. You can order your tickets to concerts at the Houston Rodeo so you know you have them on the day of the big event. People wait all year to go to this rodeo because it is the biggest and the best. The animals are amazing to watch. There is something really special about the livestock show where you get to see the animals and appreciate how beautiful they are. It is truly a fun event that lasts all day long with non stop action. There is always something going on at the Houston Rodeo.

This is a list of some facts about the men carbon based life forms that populate our planet earth. At the end what are some other facts that you have. Please do tell. Enjoy DreamsandFacts

1. Wrinkles-add character.
2. The garage is all yours.
3. Your last name stays put.
4. Car mechanics tell you the truth.
5. Wedding plans take care of themselves.
6. You don’t give a rats ass if someone else notices your new haircut.
7. Same work……..more pay.
8. Your rear is never a factor in a job interview.
9. You don’t have to leave the room to make emergency crotch adjustments.
10. If you retain water, it’s in a canteen.
11. People never glance at your chest when you’re talking to them.
12. Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds.

These were just 12 man facts. Anyone have any more Man Facts?

DreamsandFacts.com

A friend of mine has one of the guns that Indy Jones used in all his movies, an english 38 caliber gun with a front barrel break to load the bullets. Yes this gun is real and over 60 plus years old and has the original leather holster that has a cover with a snap button. I have been trying to get him to sell me the gun for years. The english 38 might be hard to find at a gun show but you can still get leather gun holder like one of the Galco Holsters that are hand-molded and can be made of premium saddle leather. First to find me a english 38 then to get a holster for it. What is your favorite hand gun and holster?