Thanksgiving Legend of Five Kernels of Corn!

(Kind of “Corny” but – Use it if you care to!  I got from 
an unknowing “volunteer” – so you’re entitled.

Happy Thanksgiving + God’s blessings to us and ours!)

Being happy, and thankful, to have you in my life., I as most of the people in The United States will soon celebrate Thanksgiving.  Generally, we celebrate it by eating a huge meal, which almost always includes turkey and gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, rolls, cranberry sauce, veggies and dessert—maybe pumpkin pie.  Those who prepare the meal for us often spend days thinking, shopping and in the kitchen cooking up special foods, and if you are like me, everyone is as stuffed as the turkey when the meal is done.

But before digging into the feast, most people give thanks for their many blessings that God has given them and us this past year, just like the Pilgrims did. I’ll bet that someone at your table knows the story of the first Thanksgiving in their new home of Jamestown Virginia. It was very difficult for the Pilgrims.  They were not prepared for the harsh weather and their supplies did not last to long or through the cold winter.  Some people in their little group starved to death in that first year.  If it weren't for the help they received from others, the Native Americans, they might have all died.  So in thanks to God for their first harvest, and the help from their new friends, the Pilgrims invited those Native Americans to dinner, and together they shared a wonderful feast, like we will. 

The second winter was also very difficult.  Again, the Pilgrims did not have enough food. There is a story or maybe history, that there were times when each member of the colony were only allowed 5 kernels of corn to eat for a whole day.  Not as much as they wanted but only 5 kernels of corn! Yet the people had faith that God would take care of them, no matter what, and they pulled through.  Nobody died that second winter.  And the following harvest was huge!  There was so much corn that the Pilgrims were able to help the Native Americans.

So they held a second Thanksgiving feast, again inviting their new neighbors to come.  Massasoit, the Indian chief, came with his wife, several other chiefs, 120 braves and brought meat they had hunted.  All sat down to a feast of 12 venison, 6 goats, 50 hogs and pigs, many turkeys, vegetables, grapes, nuts, plums, puddings and pies.  WOW!

But, to remind everyone of the hard times they had had earlier and that all were thankful, the Pilgrims and their guests sat down to “Empty Plates”!  Each person’s was given only 5 kernels of corn.  A reminder to all that they and others had suffered so much that previous winter, and of how much they had to be thankful for that particular Thanksgiving day. 

Try it! Give each dinner guest and family member a little bag with 5 kernels of corn in it.   And then before your Thanksgiving meal, ask everyone to tell or think silently of 5 things for which they are thankful.  Maybe you could go around the table and put 5 kernels of corn on each person's plate before the meal, and have them share their 5 things for which they are thankful.

Whatever you decide, I and mine wish you and yours a blessing filled and Happy Thanksgiving!  And I/we want you to know that one thing for which we are thankful is you and your friendship and kindness and frankly I personally need a lot more pieces of corn since I have a lot of wonderful things and people, like you, for which I can say “Thanks God”!  Tom/Lynn.

I have bumped into someone unknow to most of you or they have bumped into me on the highway of differing ideas - and I confess that I may be of the same argumentative ilk as are they but from a different direction or view. So I wrote:"
  Finding a comment which we like and find tasty or agreeable,    shouldn't be a criteria for any intellectual or honest person. We all have favorites - people, foods, books and thoughts - but being our favorites isn't the criteria of truth. We almost have to disagree with our own views to test them, theirs substance, their long range effect and finally our own honesty. So many have joined one side or another and totally sold or traded in our willingness to think,research or possibly change. Obama, any of his predecessors or successors aren't saints or always able to pick the right open tick tack toe space or policy! Instead of yelling something that agrees with our "selfish - Self supporting" unstudied or researched opinion. Please, tell me where you found or/and from which you took your latest volley? Did you try to learn the quality of that information, the source or is it merely an opinion with which you agree on a topic you suspect you know a lot about? I am really interested how people chose their ideas and their lack of or appreciate of the supporting materials- How do you do it? Thanks and have a good holiday-dedicate to an open armed historical experience between newbies and old time possessors of America, God bless and have a good day and holiday meal, Tom V.

HAPPY TURKEY DAY! Enjoy this coming National Holiday - Thanksgiving, while being and sharing with your families and folks who may not be family. To the many with whom I or we agree or disagree or vary in views of certain realities, depending the issue, the politics or the day - I ask each of us to consider realistically that we are all newbies to this country (a few generations doesn't qualify any of us to use the rejecting or dening 'black ball" of immigrants out of fear) Many of us came as a result of harsh or cruel occurance in our lives or mother land - I suspect that we all love this country and it's cultural and political qualities and strengths - but we are "WE", not just ME or YOU or OURS. All that can be sadly identified as "THEM" must be considered with more than a nasty, unthoughtful, cold hearted, quick rejection based on our unstudied reasons or worries or unresearched fears. As we get ready to share a meal in celebration of our national holiday based on cultural sharing - think of the real istoric reason that this holiday exists? Why it's such a great holiday? Those who had been here for unmeasurable years, were worried and did questioned the goodness of those who had reasently come and although they too had questions and some doubts - they still assumed the BEST and offered help and a chance and additionally shared what they had. My American shouldn't do less - Can Yours? God bless you and yours and may He give us a chance to be better and caring citizens of this Great and Wonderful country! God bless the USA!

Fortunately we are in a country that has at least "verbally" held on to the thought that cultural identity which are differences "should not seperate us" - but they do, huh? Dammit! Power hungry politicians realize how to tickle our "frantic Fascist like" fears and desires and/or needs for "absolute and constant comfort although wildly unreal, without substance and conforting only to the stupid - for a short while!" WE JUMP to be ANTI-Black if we are white, or Anti White if we are black, anti what ever we are not - and other are. Some people who may be Muslims are bad guys - ALL? To simple to believe!
Got an idea instead if thinking about and Thanking God for ours and us, how about those others who have less or nothing? No, your right, I could forget or get distracted while visiting our daughters and her family with whom I am overjoyed to be related and with on Thanksgiving day but I have to start some where - I don't have the right or the chance to only change you and other with my Big Mouth! Others ain't me but it might be better to know them, persoanlly and not like Post Office Criminal at Large Photos! If I don't get to you before you and yours sit and Turkey it - Enjoy Life, which is a four letter word but can we make it better for others especially some who are abused, belittled or hated by those of us who perfer hate, anger or are shallow, uneducated and afraid of the Real World in which there are Real People with Real Problems and or different thoughts ? God help me -I, for one, could use it! Maybe others too?

UNITED STATES HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM

(The organization recently made a statement, please read it!) 

From those who know, saw and learned from the past. Witnesses of the consequences when Jews were unwelcomed and unable to flee Nazism, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum expressed concern of the current refugee crisis. While recognizing that security concerns must be fully addressed, we should not turn our backs on the thousands of legitimate refugees. The Museum calls on public figures and citizens to avoid condemning today’s refugees as a group. It is important to remember that many are fleeing because they are targets of Assad and/or ISIS and are being persecuted and/or eliminated on the basis of their identity. The Museum, as should we, inspires citizens and leaders worldwide to confront hatred, prevent genocide, and promote human dignity if only because so many of us, have been them. (Please think, tfv.)

The AFRAID have gotten addicted to FEAR. The UNINIFORMED find no benefit in LEARNING or KNOWING THE FACTS. The HATERS have all the LOUD ANSWERS. The Un-INFORMED like themselves that way! To learn or think is to damned difficult. To collect information to gain an understanding is just to time consuming! Opinions are free - even if that's also their present cash/cultural value! Look out USA - The UN-Knowing, NON-Thinking, Sad but Lazy lummoxes are looking like our future! Following the call - "Lemming of the World Unite" - There has to be a cliff around here that we can run off following some clown who is encouraging us to jump into some shallow thought pool! God help us, America! God please help us....

“SPOTLIGHT” - Vatican Radio praises movie about Boston Globe coverage of clergy abuse – Thanks God!......Went to see "SPOTLIGHT", a new film which cause me some tension and discomfort as a life-long R. Catholic and a proud, 1/4 Irishman (thanks to my father’s mother). It not a secret that I do or seem to enjoy THROWING STONES at issues and/or people with whom I have differences. Well this movie – THREW BACK! It’s about The Boston Globe's investigatory efforts and publishing of the Catholic clergy sexual abuse which existed but was protected +/- camouflaged by the powerful Boston’s Catholic Church and it’s executive Cardinal. It gave me the feeling as if I was visiting a family member in a prison – not comfortable to believe the worst but forced to assume that it was true! Having been a Catholic all of my knowing life – and having been "somewhat" culturally aware, I was still uncomfortable. Sure there were a “FEW” – Sad but only a FEW! And the church always needs priest – so they should be cared for, corrected and re-employed! And although it’s easy for me to “throw Stones” as your “stuff” - this was “my stuff” – I was anxious and uncomfortable! Oh Hell, I knew about the “dirty Priests” but when my OX was being PUBLICALLY GORES – I didn't enjoy it! And couldn’t or wouldn’t and wasn’t able to grant the Boston Organization absolution! Fortunatly, I read this morning where the A Vatican Radio commentator also said the Boston Globe’s reporting, upon which the film is based, helped the Church in the United States “to accept fully the sin, to admit it publicly, and to pay all the consequences.” Maybe – Manybe NOT! But apparently, the Vatican Radio commentary says that the new film shows Globe journalists exercising “their most pure vocation” as journalists - Thanks God.