@indiana Scott Thanks for your great story of your Thanksgiving, Since I am a 13 generation descendant of the Pilgrims who landed in Massachusetts 348 years ago, I always feel rejected when all the stores and now even the town Christmas celebrations begin before Thanksgiving. It's like we have fortgotten the many contributions our Pilgrim fathers gave us through the Mayflower Compact from which contributed many of the ideas for the US Constitution, and our own government. I will not start my Christmas preparation until at least the day after Thanksgiving. The first Sunday in December was always the special day in my home as I was growing up. The Christmas tree was put up and decorated, a living one cut from a large hedge that grew across the front of our yard. Then my grandma and mother got busy with all kinds of cookies and candy to prepare boxes for the neighbors, the mail carrier, the milk man, church pastors. and friends. Even during WWII we had candy and cookies as my mother and grandmother were gifted in adapting recipes to use sorghum which was locally grown to sweeten almost anything. Our gifts were almost all hand made by someone in the family. My doll house was created by my father from a wooden apple crate, and I was overjoyed to find it under the Christmas tree. My grandmother always made fresh wreaths from clippings from the same hedge that provided our Christmas tree. All of our teachers received one every year at Christmas. Those were the days.

I hope all of you have a great Thanksgiving and count all your blessings even in the midst of your trials.

Ruth