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Thanksgiving Street I knew a man whose name was Horner Who used to live in grumble corner; Grumble corner in crosspatch town And he never was seen without a frown. He grumbled at this, and he grumbled at that, He growled at the dog. He growled at the cat. He grumbled at morning. He grumbled at night, And to grumble and growl was his chief delight. He grumbled so much at his wife that she Began to grumble as well as he. And all the children, wherever they went, Reflected their parents discontent. If the sky was dark and betokened...

With food and gasoline prices generally lower than 2008, are you planning a bigger Thanksgiving? Yes, more family members will be attending this year. Yes, We are traveling this year. No, our Thanksgiving will be the same as most years. No, we are still cutting back because of the economy. We are volunteering this year to help others. We don't really celebrate Thanksgiving. No Opinion

Once again, for about the 3rd or 4th year in a row, I'm posting instructions on how to properly deep fry a turkey. This year, however, although I will be deep frying one, I won't be eating it. The reason? Last week on Thursday I suffered a mild stroke and the doc says no more fried stuff (although I MAY sneak a bite or two). After a night in the emergency room and 4 days eating hospital food, I have no desire to go back. The good news is I've recovered almost 100% use of my left leg and my...

The Real Story Behind Thanksgiving Did you know that the first [Plymouth Colony Pilgrim's] Thanksgiving was a celebration of the triumph of private property and individual initiative?William Bradford was the governor of the original Pilgrim colony, founded at Plymouth in 1621. The colony was first organized on a communal basis, as their financiers required. Land was owned in common. The Pilgrims farmed communally, too, following the "from each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs" precept.The results were disastrous. Communism didn't work any better 400 years ago than it does today. By 1623, the colony had...

Our Catholic liturgical year follows a rhythmic cycle. It points us toward beginnings and ends and, in so doing, emphasizes an important truth that can only be grasped through faith. This is the Thirty Fourth or last Sunday in the Western Church year and we celebrate the Feast of the Solemnity of Jesus Christ the Sovereign King. Then, no sooner than we have celebrated the last Sunday of the Year, the feast of Christ the King, we will celebrate the First Sunday of Advent, and begin the time of preparation for the great Nativity of Our Savior. Our Catholic Christian...

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- Wide-eyed children around the world will be hearing from Santa's "elves" at the North Pole after all. During Christmas seasons for decades, these dedicated elves responded to thousands of letters addressed to "Santa Claus, North Pole." All that was ending with a U.S. Postal Service decision to discontinue the program based in the small Alaskan town amid privacy concerns. The elves from Santa's Mailbag vowed to fight the decision, while North Pole residents voiced outrage. A reversal of the Postal Service move was announced Friday. "We never wanted to spoil people's Christmas," said agency spokesman Ernie...

A Democratic lawmaker has a message for Americans voicing concerns over rising unemployment, record federal deficits, the health care debate and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq: Stop complaining so much. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri is seeking to pass a resolution that would officially make the day before Thanksgiving "Complaint Free Wednesday." "From time to time, we all experience anxiety, frustration, stress, and regret. And often, we respond to these feelings with a criticism or complaining," Cleaver wrote to his colleagues, seeking co-sponsors. "Regrettably, complaining keeps people stuck on current problems, inhibiting them from thinking constructively to find solutions....

The National Football League has become an arm of the Obama administration with its partnership with Obama's "United We Serve" program.A video posted by the Obama administration to YouTube this week that is planned to air during broadcasts of the NFL's Thanksgiving Day games shows Barack Obama playing football on the White House lawn.The one-minute-thirty-second propaganda video is entitled, President Obama, United We Serve, and the NFL Team Up for Fitness and Service and is described by the administration on the site:In support of his United We Serve initiative, President Obama and NFL stars Drew Brees, DeMarcus Ware, and Troy...

In a stunning announcement, the White House today announced the end of the Thanksgiving holiday; it is to be replaced by a new event some are calling “political correctness run amok.” The new event, to be called ”Baracksgiving”, is described by the President as “similar to Thanksgiving in many ways, but it’s now an event that re-energizes the meaningfulness of family while keeping proper perspective on who we are and our place in the world.”

Place you Favorite Recipes here.

FORT HUACHUCA — With the handout of turkeys and food vouchers Wednesday, a major holiday problem for some military families has been answered. But with Thanksgiving needs met, still ahead for the fort’s outreach ministries program is Christmas. Before noon, employees of Sundt Construction purchased and delivered 300 turkeys to the main post chapel administrative offices. The turkeys — with a total weight of more than 2 tons — will be handed out with $50 in food coupons for the post commissary. Josephine Moore, who heads the outreach ministries, said the needs of 300 military families, ranging in size from...

Bringing Home the Turkey On many American tables the focal point of the Thanksgiving dinner is a roast turkey. In recent years, turkey — which stores often promote as a sale item for Thanksgiving and the holiday season — has usually been less expensive during November and December than in other months. However, with the exception of September, the average price of whole, frozen turkey was higher during November and December than in most other months in 2008.

Thanksgiving Dinner * 14.5 million turkeys were produced in Indiana in 2008. The Hoosier state accounted for 5.3 percent of national turkey production. This output was less than one-third of Minnesota's leading production of 48 million turkeys. * The value of Indiana's 2008 turkey production totaled $306.3 million. Indiana ranked fifth in value of turkeys raised, following Minnesota, North Carolina, Missouri and Arkansas. * The total weight of all Hoosier turkeys was 519.1 million pounds, compared to 1.3 billion pounjds in Minnesota and 1.2 billion pounds in North Carolina. * The typical whole turkey purchased at a store is a...

Today's America is in need of a spiritual reawakening. It may come upon just that as the righteous remnant remains faithful in prayer and thanksgiving.

Anita Mellott's column, Homeschool Encouragment looks at "Blessings" as we approach Thanksgiving.

All-American Michael Oher went from the streets as a 15-year-old son of a crack addict to potential NFL Rookie of the Year on the love and dedication of an adoptive family that wouldn’t let him fail. The movie that tells their story hits theaters in time for National Adoption Day—and recognition that about 130,000 Michael Ohers are waiting for a family to adopt them Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy adopted as a family motto, "To whom much is given, much is required," they had no idea just how much would be required, nor that they were adopting far more than...

I did this last year and a lot of good recipes were posted so I thought I'd try it again. Take one and/or leave one!

More than 36.2 million Americans – 11 percent of U.S. households – suffer from food insecurity. That is, their access to enough food is limited by a lack of money and other resources. -- More than 35 million Americans – one out of nine – are receiving food stamps, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. -- 17.5 percent of rural households with children are food insecure.

My ancestor Daniel Conklin moved from New York to New Jersey in 1850. Today on the drive home from NYC I was lamenting that if Corzine wins, I was going to have to leave my ancestral home. Tonights results give me hope that I can stay. Time will tell.

Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Psalm 103:1 This is the season when we in the United States tend to turn our thoughts to thankfulness for the blessings of prosperity and peacefulness. And well we should. Our country, with all of its struggles, is still the most emulated and sought after civilization of the modern world. And, in spite of the efforts on the part of some, it is still a nation of moral laws and religious stability. We have much to be thankful for...

Tired of the same ole green bean casserole? This will be a welcome change to add to your upcoming Thanksgiving feast!

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1, 2009 – Sometime around Thanksgiving some troops in Iraq and Afghanistan will receive boxes filled with gifts from a women’s group in Alexandria, Va. A child’s card stands among donated items at an Alexandria, Va., service project to fill boxes for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, Sept. 26, 2009. Courtesy photo by Wendi Maney   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. For the first time in 15 years of doing fall service projects, the Mount Vernon Relief Society of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints donated granola and energy bars, mints, toothbrushes, toothpaste and other...

These are the one's that everyone in the family says are a must have for all Holiday meals, from Easter to Christmas and everything in between, we think of any reason possible to serve "Gaga's Sweet Potatoes". Gaga is what my son calls my mother, his grandmother, and her sweet potatoes are the big crowd pleaser. We'd be better off forgetting the turkey on Thanksgiving than to show up without these sweet delights.

Merry Christmas!Greetings Singles! A few months ago, we decided to try to run a monthly thread, but as you can see, we haven't had much luck. Life has been busy for me and I know for at least one other host. We've had the misfortune of seeing the least qualified candidate ever nominated by either party elected to our nation's highest office, and that event has certainly hurt the morale of many of us. By this time next year, Pelosi, Reid, and SOBama may have shut down Free Republic by application of the so-called "fairness doctrine." They're doing their best...

No holiday in the world compares to Thanksgiving. Material traditions aside, this important day gives us cause to unite not just as families but as a nation, bowed humbly in gratitude to God for His abundant mercy and bounteous grace to our people. President Abraham Lincoln, on October 3, 1863, formalized this blessed holiday in the midst of Civil War, "as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens." The great purpose of this day was, Lincoln intended, a call for "humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience." We were then a...

We celebrate Thanksgiving Day 2008 at a time when America's financial fortunes have seldom been worse -- yet our political fortunes are brightening as we approach the end of one presidency and the beginning of a hope-filled new administration. More than 10 million of us are out of work, and hundreds of thousands can't afford our mortgages, face foreclosure or are in bankruptcy. Banks and credit markets are failing, and even Detroit's Big Three automakers are fighting desperately for survival. Resilient nation While this may truly feel like the worst of times, it also is a perfect time to remember...

For Immediate ReleaseOffice of the Press SecretaryNovember 26, 2008 President's Radio Address   President's Radio Address  Audio  En Español THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. This week, Americans gather with loved ones to celebrate Thanksgiving. This holiday season is a time of fellowship and peace. And it is a time to give thanks for our many blessings. During this holiday season, we give thanks for generations of Americans who overcame hardships to create and sustain a free Nation. When the Pilgrims celebrated their first Thanksgiving nearly four centuries ago, they had already suffered through a harsh and bitter winter. But they were willing to...

As you begin to come out of your tryptophan-induced coma, here’s an easy bit of Thanksgiving trivia. Thanksgiving is: A) A day to celebrate the coming together of Puritans and Indians to give thanks to God for a successful harvest. B) A time of mourning and cultural self-flagellation. The answer may seem straightforward. But it’s not, according to the activist Left. Having done all it can to turn Christmas into merely a winter retail festival and to scrub Easter of all its religious meaning (that is, all its meaning), the Left has opened up another front in the culture war...

Revelers pack city as Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade delights young and old   Dr. Seuss' Horton from 'Horton Hears a Who' made his parade debut Thursday. Related News - Photo Gallery Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade balloons Welcome to the biggest turkey bash on the planet. Clowns tossed confetti. Children marveled at the bobbing balloons. And throngs of revelers packed the streets Thursday for the 82nd annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  "It brings out the kid in all of us," said Greg Packer, 44, of Huntington, L.I. "It's that sense of togetherness that keeps me coming back."  It was a day...

This is my traditional Thanksgiving essay from WarOnGuns. Attacks by roving flocks of wild turkeys are on the increase around suburban Boston--AP Time was, the turkey was considered a game bird. The Pilgrims at Plymouth feasted on them. Generations later, Ben Franklin considered it such a useful fowl that he nominated it for the national bird. Of course, this was in the days when the right to bear arms was taken for granted, when free people hunted turkeys for sustenance, all the while honing marksmanship that would serve them well in time of need. Flash forward to present-day Boston, a...

For the first time, federal legislation has set aside the day after Thanksgiving — for this year only — to honor the contributions American Indians have made to the United States. Frank Suniga, a descendent of Mescalero Apache Indians who lives in Oregon, said he and others began pushing in 2001 for a national day that recognizes tribal heritage... After the Thanksgiving weekend, Suniga said, he and other advocates plan to lobby to place the Native American Heritage Day on the nation's calendar annually...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 28, 2008 – U.S. soldiers detained four suspected criminals yesterday during Thanksgiving Day operations in southern Baghdad’s Rashid district, military officials said. Some of the detainees allegedly conducted attacks on Iraqi and coalition forces while others are suspected of weapons-trafficking activities. "Our soldiers continue to support our Iraqi security forces partners as we assist them in providing a safe and secure environment for the Iraqi people,” said Army Maj. Dave Olson, spokesman for the 4th Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team. In Nov. 26 operations: Eighteen women in northern Iraq who were associated with al-Qaida in Iraq suicide...

Thanksgiving Day itself is over. Now that we are back from early morning Black Friday bargain shopping, and are settling into the Friday leftovers of turkey soup and cranberry dressing sandwiches, it behooves us all to reflect on the true meaning of Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a true American celebration with Biblical roots. One of our female MFP correspondents offers the following thoughts from her home in California.

Army Gen. Ray Odierno, Multi-National Force - Iraq commanding general, visits with troops on Thanksgiving Day at Camp Ramadi, Nov. 27, 2008. Photo by Lance Cpl. Jerry Murphy, Regimental Combat Team 1. CAMP RAMADI — Army Gen. Ray Odierno, the commanding general of Multi-National Force – Iraq, spent his Thanksgiving visiting troops at Camp Ramadi and other locations throughout Iraq, Nov. 27. During his visit to Camp Ramadi, Odierno greeted Marines of 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, and later ate Thanksgiving lunch with Marines from the regiment and Soldiers with Task Force Ramadi.Odierno thanked the Marines...

It's a good thing Barack Obama was elected. Otherwise, the nation's glum Thanksgiving mood might have been downright funereal. At least, that's the impression the New York Times gives in its decidedly downbeat article about the holiday. "In Lean Times, Comfort in a Bountiful Meal" tells the story of people from coast to coast virtually weeping into their turkey and cranberry sauce. Whether it's a Los Angeles illustrator whose work has fallen 50%, a youngish Ohio husband and wife who've both lost their jobs, or even an equities trader on the Upper West Side who can't bear to open his...

SAINT-JEAN-ROHRBACH, France - When the orders came to take the town of Hilsprich, a tiny burg halfway between Metz and Strasbourg in the disputed Alsace-Lorraine region between Germany and France, Bill Diestel thought he was in for an easy Thanksgiving Day. "We were supposed to rest, and then an order came through that we had to take the next town," Diestel said, recalling the day now 64 years ago. "We knew we wouldn't be getting any artillery support, so we thought it would be a snap to take." But he and the other soldiers in the Army's 35th Infantry Division...

Better to be the main attraction than the main dish. "Pumpkin" the turkey was honored as the grand marshal of Disneyland's Thanksgiving Day parade Thursday, a day after being pardoned by President George Bush at the White House. The 45-pound tom and National Turkey Federation Chairman Paul Hill then flew first-class from Washington to Los Angeles. After the parade, Pumpkin and his backup bird, "Pecan," moved into their winter residence next to the theme park's seasonal display of live reindeer. The two retired turkeys will live out their days at a coop for celebrity turkeys at Disneyland's Big Thunder Ranch.

In remembrance of the first Thanksgiving, I thought that it would be appropriate to take a look back at what the Pilgrims were thankful for and what they had learned in their first few years in “The New World”. The story often told throughout the liberal academia is that the inept Pilgrims celebrated Thanksgiving by holding a feast in honor of the Native Americans for their help in surviving their new surroundings. A look at the actual writings of Governor William Bradford sheds a slightly different light on the real story of Thanksgiving.

Just as Christmas should center on Christ, so Thanksgiving should emphasize the recipient of thanks. God gives us amber waves of not only grain but grace, as He continues to transform the lives of those who formerly scorned His teaching. Joe Eszterhas, born in Hungary, grew up too fast in 1940s refugee camps. He became a police reporter, Rolling Stone editor, and then Hollywood's highest-paid screenwriter. He wrote scripts filled with sex, violence, and hatred, and those scripts turned into films with evocative titles such as Basic Instinct, Jagged Edge, Betrayed, Sliver, and Showgirls. Eszterhas in Hollywood saw and heard...

It's a good thing Barack Obama was elected. Otherwise, the nation's glum Thanksgiving mood might have been downright funereal. At least, that's the impression the New York Times gives in its decidedly downbeat article about the holiday. "In Lean Times, Comfort in a Bountiful Meal" tells the story of people from coast to coast virtually weeping into their turkey and cranberry sauce. Whether it's a Los Angeles illustrator whose work has fallen 50%, a youngish Ohio husband and wife who've both lost their jobs, or even an equities trader on the Upper West Side who can't bear to open his...

The several dozen Pilgrims who celebrated the first Thanksgiving in Massachusetts in 1621 would later fold their Plymouth Colony of religious Separatists into the nearby Massachusetts Bay Colony of Puritans...

In September 1789, Congress asked President George Washington to “recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging, with grateful hearts, the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a Constitution of government for their safety and happiness.” Washington complied, and in early October sent a proclamation to the governors of the states. The proclamation asked the governors to make Thursday, November 26 a day of Thanksgiving, saying it “is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty...

PATRIOT PERSPECTIVE Pilgrims Regress By Mark Alexander In the aftermath of a momentous election, an election sure to change the course of our nation, it is tempting to despair. On this Thanksgiving, though, let us resist that powerful temptation and instead take stock of the blessings of liberty. President Ronald Reagan often cited the Pilgrims who celebrated the first Thanksgiving as our forebears who charted the path of American freedom. He made frequent reference to John Winthrop's "shining city upon a hill." As Reagan explained, "The phrase comes from John Winthrop, who wrote it to describe the America he imagined....

Just got back from the 'family feast'.

I love America.  Since my fourth-grade social studies class, when I first remember being exposed to the customs, mores and governments of other nations, I have never once wanted to have been born anywhere else, to have lived anywhere else or to have called anywhere else my homeland.  On the occasions I've traveled outside America, I've kissed her ground upon my return and sworn I would never leave again.  In my youth I loved America with a starry-eyed idealism that could see no fault in her.  In my teens I was sometimes more aware of America's faults and failings than...

In the autumn of 1621, the pilgrims of the nascent Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts, along with scores of Native Americans, gathered to celebrate a successful harvest with a feast that was to be considered this nation's first Thanksgiving. In the words of the governor of the colony, William Bradford: "They began now to gather in the small harvest they had, and to fit up their houses and dwellings against winter, being all well recovered in health and strength and had all things in good plenty. For as some were thus employed in affairs abroad, others were exercised in fishing, about...

The President and his family are at Camp David where they will celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. The President called members of the Armed Forces stationed in remote locations worldwide to wish them a happy Thanksgiving and thank them for their service to our nation President Bush on Thursday applauded Iraq's parliamentary vote approving an agreement allowing U.S. troops to remain for three more years, saying it "affirms the growth" of democracy there. LINK President George W. Bush called Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Thursday to convey his sympathy for the victims of the "despicable" attacks in Mumbai and offer...

Give Thanks to the Lord for He is Good Every Thanksgiving we are reminded to do for at least one day what should be a constant dimension of our spiritual life: Give Thanks. The prayer of thanksgiving is one of the major forms of prayer, along with adoration, reparation, intercession, and impetration (asking for what we need) to name some of the major categories of prayer. This year, as always, we should count our blessings whoever we are and wherever we are. In the United States of America we should carefully and clearly think of what makes this country great,...

1. Tempered not melted. The question is not whether America is in decline, but whether it is in decline at a more rapid pace than true of Europe, Russia, or Asia. And one bright spot in the otherwise dark economic news will be the resilience of the United States. Forget trillions of this, and billions of that, or our sinking GDP and GNP, or deflation and unemployment rates, or all the other data—at least for a moment. Instead consider the gargantuan mess that Europe is in with its even wilder real estate market, greater deficits, and far larger banking losses...

Perhaps no other custom reveals our nation's original character as clearly as the celebration of Thanksgiving Day. Other countries have adopted similar observances, but America was the first to nationally recognize its dependence on God with a special day set aside for thanksgiving for His wondrous provision and deliverance. Although the exact date of the first American Thanksgiving observance may be uncertain, there is no question that this treasured custom sprang from our deep Judeo-Christian heritage. From early Spanish expeditions in the late 1500s, to a small band of settlers in Maine in 1607, each group held services to give...