Thanksgiving

29 11, 2019

Grateful for YOU

By |2019-11-28T10:12:10-06:00November 29th, 2019|Thanksgiving, Writer's Life|0 Comments

Whether  you’re in a part of the world that celebrates Thanksgiving  or not, we want to say how  grateful we are for you, our View from the Front Porch readers. Chicken Wrangler and I truly appreciate the time you take to leave your comments.

Thank you for hanging out with us these many years.

We’re recovering from our own overeating yesterday and have taken today off.

We’ve decided to reduce our stress this year and, in December, we will begin a countdown to the number one viewed blogs from Miller Farm Friday and the Front Porch in 2019. I think you’ll find which blog posts drew the most views interesting. We did.

Hope you see one of your favorites.

18 11, 2019

Two Ways to Cultivate Gratitude

By |2019-11-05T16:36:49-06:00November 18th, 2019|Holidays, Make Me Think Monday, Thanksgiving|1 Comment

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said that in order to achieve contentment, we should “cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously.”

Blogging about thankfulness and gratitude in November is cliché. But this is the time of year when we pause to focus our thoughts on being thankful.

Most of us will have a thankful attitude on Thanksgiving Day. Too often, though, our thankful attitude wanes for the rest of the year.

I’d like to suggest two ways to focus an attitude of thankfulness beyond one Thursday in November.

Use social media

Create posts, pictures, videos, and tweets that  cultivate thankfulness on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Heaven knows we get enough of wars, earthquakes, floods, fires, sick children, murdered spouses and, lately, politics.

Research shows good news spreads faster and farther than disasters and sob stories. Why not counter the suffering and mayhem of mass media coverage and sharing positive, uplifting posts, memes, and videos to encourage attitudes of thankfulness in yourself and others?

Keep a gratitude list

Writing down what you’re thankful for everyday reinforces positive thoughts and grateful feelings.

Can you think of other ways to foster gratitude?

6 11, 2019

Thankfulness and Gratitude – Amiel

By |2019-11-05T17:07:55-06:00November 6th, 2019|Thanksgiving, Wednesday Quote|1 Comment

About the graphic

This photo was taken by Jenny Caywood and offered on Unsplash.

About the quote

Henri Frédéric Amiel was a Swiss philosopher, poet, and critic. I love this quote because it clearly differentials the difference between thankfulness and gratitude.

Being thankful is the first step to gratitude. Expressing thankfulness in words leads to gratitude.

Something to think about as Thanksgiving approaches.

 

 

 

 

 

25 11, 2016

Turkey Game

By |2016-11-21T07:45:23-06:00November 25th, 2016|Holidays, Miller Farm Friday, Thanksgiving|0 Comments

A blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

One of my greatest treasures is the collection of music books from my Aunt Keta. She was a music teacher and she worked for a music publishing company so she had many, many books. She actually gave a kindergarten music book to me on my first birthday.

turkey-runI use it regularly in my classroom. One of the songs is called The Turkeys Run Away.   We sing it every November and play the game.

This year when I explained how to play the game, I found myself saying “I will be the farmer and I will chase the turkeys.”

For a brief moment, I thought about the last time I chased a turkey. It had not ended so well – I fractured my ankle.  I pushed that thought to the back of my mind and began to sing.

I am happy to report no teachers were harmed in the playing of this game.

25 11, 2013

Counting Thanksgiving Treasures

By |2023-11-19T12:48:08-06:00November 25th, 2013|Make Me Think Monday, Thanksgiving|0 Comments

It’s three days until Turkey Day.O

Time for family reunions, food, fun,

travel, football games, Black Friday

and being thankful.

Not necessarily in that order.

Family reunions may be iffy this year with a major storm wreaking havoc over the entire U.S.

Off-topic here, but I found this interesting blog about a similar weather pattern fifty years ago. Read November 1963 vs November 2013. Is Weather History Repeating Itself? for the full comparison of weather history.

Even Black Friday shopping will be difficult. I do worry about all those people camped outside stores to be first in line for the extra savings items. It’s got to be cold and wet in their tents. Are the savings really worth all the effort and discomfort?

This year things are different than they were for that first Pilgrim Thanksgiving feast. What hasn’t changed is the basis for Thanksgiving.

The celebration became an annual tradition with Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 proclamation of a national day of “Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.”

As early as 1607, the inhabitants of the Commonwealth of Virginia held Thanksgiving services. Celebrations rooted in their religious beliefs and to show gratitude to their Heavenly Father.

Pilgrims were Puritan Separatists. Their journey to America began with a desire to escape religious persecution under Elizabeth I and the Church of England or Anglican Church.

pilgrims-facts

Personally, I believe being thankful shouldn’t be limited to one holiday. An attitude of gratitude should be an everyday occurrence. Check my blog.

Because it is the season, I want to acknowledge my Thanksgiving treasures today:

my loving husband (who’s the hero model for my novels)

my family and friends  (far and near)

my pets (who brighten every day)

my church (which is my anchor)

and

most especially you, my readers.

As you go about the preparations for your celebration, spend some time thinking about the origins of the holiday and say a special thank you for your Thanksgiving treasures.

And, if you are traveling, Godspeed.

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