Happy Thanksgiving

A Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving, it has been an icon of Americana since it was installed on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post back in 1943, this was one of a four series paintings done for FDR's "Four Freedoms" that were spoken during President Roosevelt's January 1941 State of the Union Address. In his speech the President spoke of the Four Freedoms, (Freedom From Fear, Freedom of Worship, Freedom of Speech, and Freedom From Want).

 

Norman Rockwell two years later created four paintings depicting each of the Four Freedoms the President spoke of, and the last freedom was Freedom From Want. The painting above, is the "Freedom From Want" painting, depicting an American family with an abundance of food, and obviously free from want.
 

Our Message to You

Let us thank GOD for the blessing HE has bestowed upon us as Americans, for most of us we are free from want, but for many in our country, and the world over, it is only a concept many can only dream of.
This Thanksgiving we pray for our family, we pray for our loved ones and friends, we pray and we are thankful for our blessings, and we may even ask a favor or two in our prayer, but lets not forget the homeless and less fortunate in our prayers. They need our prayer, and they need our compassion.
And remember, the man or woman who is pushing a cart down the street, the man or woman who is passed out in a dark building corner from too much self-abuse, please remember there is a possibility they may have worn the uniform of our nations military at one time and they very well could have served heroically, yet they are having a hard time dealing with the demons that have followed them home from the wars past and present where they served us well, and fought for us. Please include them in your prayers this Thanksgiving Holiday. They need our prayer.

 

John Morris

Founder and Creator of The Patriot Woodworker

 

Links of Interest

• Thanksgiving facts and origins (History.com)
• What was on the menu for the first Thanksgiving? (Smithsonian.com)
• Thanksgiving in art (Smithsonian.com)
• The Four Freedoms painting history (The Saturday Evening Post)

 

A lighter note

So Patriot Woodworkers! What's on your Thanksgiving agenda? What plans do you have today, and what's on the menu?

 

My family is going to spend some of our day at the care facility where we have a family member recovering from a massive stroke a few weeks ago. She is able to eat solids now, and we are going to take her some food and sit with her, and the wife and kids came up with a small Christmas tree we are going to install on her dresser nearby her bed. Since our day will be kind of short for home activities, we won't really have time to cook, so we pre-ordered a Thanksgiving Meal from our local chain grocer who has an excellent deli counter and they make pre made holiday meals. This is the first time we have broke tradition in doing this, so we'll let ya'll know how the boxed Thanksgiving meal is.

I also will be decorating our exterior home with Christmas lights tomorrow as tradition dictates. My son and I will handle this task, while the ladies will decorate the interior of the home.

 

From my heart to yours Patriot Woodworkers, be safe, be well, love, cherish, honor, and get along with those family members who you don't agree with, or just don't invite them over!

Cheers my friends and:

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

Happy Turkey Day To All!!!

 

Thanks John.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of my favorite Thanksgiving graphics.

 

Thanks John for the reminder of what it is about.

 

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

 

Larry

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!

 

For the first time in a long time, we are not cooking. It's road tripping for us, although it may be a short road trip.

First stop - 20 miles at mom's house. Gotta git me some of that chocolate pie she used to make. Now my sister makes it.

Next stop - step daughters house in nearby Clear Lake area

Last stop - Step daughters house in nearby Deer Park. Fried turkey on the menu. Dang those things are good.

 

Then back to the house where our kids from Oklahoma will be pulling in late this evening/night.

 

Gotta pace myself today!!!

Mike

Turkey and all the trimmings. Full house. Happy Thanksgiving

4 hours ago, HandyDan said:

Thanks John for the reminders. I understand where you're at today; prayers to you all.

 

A year ago, our Thanksgiving Dinner was the meal prepared by the hospital cafeteria but was actually quite good. I'm sure the hospital lost money on each meal to make it affordable for anyone there.   It since turned out to be the last Thanksgiving with Mom.

 

A lot of other life events have occurred since then too. Some good...some not so much...Our family dinner will actually be tomorrow; today it's just my wife, daughter & I at home (oh and the two cats, and one dog) ...the kids are with their dad at his parents...the kids will be back later this evening.

 

Blessings to all for a Happy Thanksgiving!

thanks John...

and right back at'gha..

7 hours ago, John Morris said:

And remember, the man or woman who is pushing a cart down the street, the man or woman who is passed out in a dark building corner from too much self-abuse, please remember there is a possibility they may have worn the uniform of our nations military at one time and they very well could have served heroically, yet they are having a hard time dealing with the demons that have followed them home from the wars past and present where they served us well, and fought for us.

A few years ago, my son was working at a pizza place.  There was a homeless veteran that would camp out in the alley behind the place.  Occasionally, the boss would "screw up" a pizza and tell my son to take it out back and get rid of it.  Of course, it would go to the veteran.  One night, the man was having a PTSD flashback.  My son sat down with him, held him for awhile, and told him it was OK, he was home now.  When my son related the story to me, I told him he was wrong, the man never came home.  He was still over there.  Sometimes, when I get to feeling sorry for myself, I think of stories like this and tell myself to quit whining, I actually have it pretty good.  Puts me right again.  I have wanted to tell this story for some time, but never had the right trigger.  Thanks @John Morris.

This Thanksgiving is the first time in our 33 years of marriage that we will celebrate Thanksgiving without my wife Tami's parents. Her Dad passed 2 years ago and her Mom passed the end of July this year. We will have Tami's brother and his family over in a few minutes so it will be tough. But we are all healthy and have food on our table and have our family together though we will have an empty seat this year. This coming New Year will be a time to turn the page into our new "Normal" as we move forward. God has greatly blessed us and our family and we are truly thankful.

UGH! Well, as usual, pacing myself didn't work out like I had planned.