History of Thanksgiving

The traditional Thanksgiving is a combination of religious and harvest celebrations. The Pilgrim Feast of 1621 is generally what we think of when we think of the very first Thanksgiving. The Pilgrims had just had a really good harvest after a very difficult winter. To celebrate, the Pilgrims called for a huge feast!

In addition to the Pilgrims, 91 Native Americans attended. They probably had to eat outside at a big table. The celebration lasted 3 days, and included games, races, and other activities. Plus, of course, lots of food!

Though nobody's sure if they actually ate turkey, they did have venison and some type of fowl. And even though they couldn't eat pumpkin pie (because of a flour shortage), they did have boiled pumpkin! They also had berries, seafood, and fruits.

But that feast wasn't repeated every year. And it wasn't until 1777 that all 13 colonies had a thanksgiving celebration together. Most people credit Sarah Josepha Hale with making Thanksgiving an annual, and national event. She was a magazine editor who wrote lots of letters and articles about why we should make it a regular, national holiday. In 1863, President Lincoln agreed and proclaimed the last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day. But it wasn't until 1941 that Congress made it a totally legal holiday.

Ranulph Fiennes

You have probably never heard of this man. He’s from England. According to the Guinness book of World Records he is the “world’s greatest living explorer.” He ran seven marathons on six continents in seven days. He is in his sixties! He was only five months removed from double bypass surgery when he completed the marathon challenge!

His occupation is “professional adventurer.” He has climbed Kilimanjaro and traversed the poles...his next adventure...Mt. Everest.

He met his future wife when they were 12 and 9 and married soon after he finished up serving in the army. She documented his adventures but has recently passed away. He writes books about each adventure and does the lecture circuit. Books and lectures make it possible for him to raise money for the next adventure and so on. By the way, he was almost James Bond and amputated his own fingers on one hand because of severe frostbite. What else can one say about the kind of life this man has led?

I saw and interview with him during HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel. He is so remarkable, but to him, there is nothing unusual about what he is doing. Like the amputation...he thinks anyone would have done the same thing in his situation..and he's not pretentious about it at all. Where does someone like him come from? How does someone like this exist? I got such a positive jolt from watching his story and listening to his matter of fact attitude regarding his life.

What a great feeling to know that there is at least one person with the zest for life, the courage, the stamina, and the fortitude for such amazing adventures.

The Past Month

It's been ages since I last entered anything on my blog. It's been a crazy month filled with illness and visits from relatives and a bit of traveling out of town, too.

We went to New Orleans and had a fantastic time. I saw an old friend from high school and she toured us all around. We rode the street car, visited the Zoo and the Aquarium, strolled through the French Quarter, and I dragged her to the Superdome to see a football game. She plays a mean game of Scrabble, too. Love that game!

My folks came in for a visit and I took them to the Jacksonville Agricultural Fair. My oldest daughter, who is two and a half, rode a camel and many of the kiddie rides. She really liked the roosters (cook-a-doodle-do) and the ferris wheel. I think being up high in the air and seeing Nana below was her favorite part. She always talks about going to the moon, flying, having wings, and "needing a tall ladder", so this was right up her ally.

Thanksgiving is coming up soon. I hope my next post will be what I am thankful for most this year. Every year I am thankful for my health. This year I am thankful for many other things, too, so I want to make it a seperate post.

The Plague

I'v been sick lately and my kids have been, too. But, I'm hoping to get back into writing soon. Don't forget to Vote.

Last Political Post

Bush isn't perfect. But would he take a poll before responding to the press regarding the latest Usama Bin Ladin tapes?