HAPPY THANKSGIVING

ON SEPTEMBER 6, 1620 THE PILGRIMS SET SAIL FOR THE NEW WORLD ON A SHIP CALLED THE MAYFLOWER. THEY SAILED FROM PLYMOUTH, ENGLAND AND THERE WERE TWO GROUPS, ONE WAS THE SAINTS, AND THE OTHERS WERE CALLED THE STRANGERS. THEY DID NOT GET ALONG AT ALL. A MEETING WAS CALLED AND THEY SETTLED THEIR DISAGREEMENTS AND FORMED ONE GROUP WHICH THEY CALLED THEMSELVES THE PILGRIMS.

THE FIRST WINTER WAS DEVASTATING TO THE PILGRIMS. THE SNOW AND SLEET WAS EXCEPTIONALLY HEAVY, INTERFERING WITH THE WORKERS AS THEY TRIED TO CONSTRUCT THEIR SETTLEMENT. MARCH BROUGHT WARM WEATHER AND THE HEALTH OF THE PILGRIMS IMPROVED. THERE WERE 110 PILGRIMS WHEN THEY STARTED TO SAIL, 50 SURVIVED THE COLD WINTER.

MARCH 16, 1621 AN INDIAN ENTERED THE SETTLEMENT AND CALLED OUT "WELCOME." HIS NAME WAS SAMOSET HE WAS AN ABNAKI INDIAN. HE LEFT THE NEXT DAY, BUT CAME BACK WITH ANOTHER INDIAN, AND HIS NAME IS SQUANTO, HE TAUGHT THE PILGRIMS HOW TO TAP THE MAPLE TREES FOR SAP. HE TAUGHT THEM ALL ABOUT PLANTS, WHICH WERE POISONOUS, AND PLANTS THAT WERE MEDICINAL, AND EDIBLE. HE TAUGHT THEM TO PLANT CORN, AND OTHER CROPS.

THE HARVEST IN OCTOBER WAS PLENTIFUL AND THEY HAD PLENTY OF FOOD FOR THE WINTER.

THE THIRD YEAR WAS HOT, AND VERY DRY. THEY LOST A LOT OF THEIR CROPS, BUT THE INDIANS WERE THERE TO HELP THEM. THE GOVERNOR ORDERED A DAY OF THANKSGIVING AND THAT WAS CARRIED OUT EACH YEAR. IN 1863 IT WAS FINALLY PAST BY ABRAHAM LINCOLN, AND IN NOVEMBER OF EACH YEAR ON THE 4TH THURSDAY OF THE MONTH WE CELEBRATE THANKSGIVING.

THERE ARE 8 DAYS UNTIL THANKSGIVING. AS A CHILD THANKSGIVING WAS CELEBRATED WITH FAMILY, LOVE, AND TRADITION. MY DAUGHTER'S FOLLOW TRADITIONS AND YET THEY ADD THEIR OWN, WHICH IS GREAT, BECAUSE NOW THERE ARE GENERATION AFTER GENERATION OF TRADITIONS. WHEN I WAS IN MY TWENTIES (ABOUT 45 YEARS AGO) I REMEMBER PREPARING FOR THANKSGIVING. I HAD ABOUT 20 PEOPLE FOR DINNER, BOUGHT A 25 POUND TURKEY, AND BAKED 10 TO 12 PIES. (FROM SCRATCH). WELL, MY SISTER MARY ALSO FOLLOWED TRADITION LIKE ME. SHE ALSO HAD AROUND 20 PLUS PEOPLE FOR THANKSGIVING TOO.

THANKSGIVING DAY WE WOULD CALL EACH OTHER ON THE PHONE TO WISH EACH OTHER A HAPPY THANKSGIVING, AND SAY "HOW MANY PIES DID YOU BAKE THIS TIME." ONE YEAR SHE SAID 14 PIES, I SAID OH YOU BEAT ME I ONLY BAKED 13. THEY WERE THE DAYS, WE HAD A LOT OF FUN, A LOT OF WORK, BUT IT NEVER MATTERED, WE ENJOYED DOING IT. MARY, PROBABLY JUST GOT DONE WRITING HER GROCERY LIST, ORDERED HER TURKEY, AND IS WONDERING WHAT FAVORS SHOULD SHE BUY FOR THE TABLE.

MY SON-IN-LAW PAT, DECORATES THE OUTSIDE OF THE HOUSE FOR CHRISTMAS AND MUCH, MUCH MORE. HE'LL START STRINGING THE LIGHTS THIS WEEK, BUT WILL NOT LIGHT THEM UNTIL THANKSGIVING NIGHT. THE KIDS ARE SO EXCITED, THEIR LITTLE FACES JUST GLOW. WE NEVER MISS THE THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE, THAT'S ANOTHER TRADITION.