A Widow's Cause: Bringing Thanksgiving to Victorian America by Jo-Ann Roberts

 

During most of the 19th century, Thanksgiving was not an official holiday. Admittedly, it had its roots in the New England states, and was widely celebrated there and into the mid-West. The actual date of the holiday was left to individual states and territories. It could vary widely from September through December, but mostly celebrated in November after the harvest.

While the idea of celebrating a good harvest was an old one, it took a Victorian lady to give it its voice. Specifically, the editor of a highly popular magazine of the times, Godey's Lady's Book, Sarah Josepha Hale. 

Suddenly finding herself a widow and single mother with children to support--including a brand-new baby--Sarah wrote a book, Northwood. Its success led to a job offer for the "editorship" of a new "ladies" magazine, turning Godey's into one of the most important periodicals in 19th century America. Though it is now remembered primarily for its fashion plates, crafts, and household tidbits, it covered social issues as well.

 

Year after year, Godey's Lady's Book published the same plea. Each year the campaign brought new success. By 1851, 29 out of 31 states celebrated a day of Thanksgiving. However, not on the same day so she continued to insist the holiday be celebrated on the exact same day. 

Having thoroughly thought it out, she suggested the last Thursday in November so that "the telegraph of human happiness would move every heart to gladness simultaneously." To further her cause for a unified day of giving thanks, she pointed out that farm labor was done for the season and the election cycle was over.

 

Below is the cover of Godey's Lady's Book and the original plea from 1847.

 

“OUR HOLIDAYS.—We have but two that we can call entirely national. The New Year is a holiday to all the world, and Christmas to all Christians—but the “Fourth of July” and “Thanksgiving Day” can only be enjoyed by Americans. The annual observance of Thanksgiving Day was, to be sure, mostly confined to the New England States, till within a few years. We are glad to see that this good old puritan custom is becoming popular through the Union…Would that the next Thanksgiving might be observed in all the states on the same day. Then, though the members of the same family might be too far separated to meet around one festival board, they would have the gratification of knowing that all were enjoying the blessing of the day…

Despite her claims, she had not achieved the ultimate endorsement; a proclamation from the President. In 1861, with civil war looming, she focused on national unity as her strongest selling point. 

Finally, under these conditions and the stress of considerable loss of life, a devastated Southern economy, and public support for the holiday, President Abraham Lincoln endorsed and proclaimed "a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelt in the heavens." Furthermore, he stated, Americans should "fervently implore" blessings from the Almighty to "heal the wounds of the nations, and to restore it...to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and union."

Thanksgiving in a Civil War camp

Successive presidents continued the tradition and proclaimed a yearly Thanksgiving at the end of every November.  Still not satisfied, Hale's magazine urged Congress to recognize the holiday. Unfortunately, she didn't live to see the Congressional proclamation of the Thanksgiving story (which finally took place in 1941), but by the 1870's Thanksgiving was already a part of America's culture.

The national holiday has become just what Sarah Josepha Hale envisioned: a celebration of home and hearth and the blessings for which we are grateful.

 Happy Thanksgiving!

Sources:

Read the Original Pitch for Thanksgiving, From the Editress Who Created the Holiday - Atlas Obscura

http://www.thisvictorianlife.com/blog/thanksgiving

When Thanksgiving was Political

 

According to historian Michael LaCombe, Chief Massasoit and his people contributed freshly killed deer for the first Thanksgiving. Much appreciated by the Pilgrims, I’m sure. However, LaCombe asserts that the Native Americans undermined Governor William Bradford’s authority by giving the meat to the colony’s leading members, rather than to Bradford himself, for redistribution. Thereby thumbing their nose at Bradford’s rule.

"The First Thanksgiving at Plymouth"
(1914) By Jennie A. Brownscombe; public domain {{PD-US}}

Decades later, in 1675, Massasoit’s son, Philip (alias Metacom or Metacomet), gathered together several tribes who had been enemies. Faced with spreading, permanent English colonization, they fought the colonists in “King Philip’s War” – called the deadliest war in American history, in proportion to population. Doubtless, the natives did not favorably recall the first Thanksgiving.

In 1776 colonists accused King George III of allowing “the merciless Indian Savages” . . . to attack “the inhabitants of our frontiers”. In truth, these early Americans had spent more than a century taking native territory that did not belong to them. When the Revolutionary War ended with the defeat of Great Britain and her native allies, more indigenous territory was seized. How to divide so much land between southern slave interests and northerner anti-slavery forces ultimately sparked the American Civil War.

Which brings us back to Thanksgiving.

Sarah Josepha Hale, ca. 1831; public domain

In 1863, novelist and magazine editor Sarah Josepha Hale convinced Abraham Lincoln to make Thanksgiving a national holiday on the last Thursday in November. She had started campaigning for the holiday in the 1840s, hoping a national day of celebration would help prevent the quarrel over slavery from erupting into Civil War. Her idea met with resistance from the southern states, as well as inconsistencies in how to celebrate the holiday.

Since colonial times, the meaning of thanksgiving days has varied greatly. Prior to 1863, thanksgiving events occurred throughout the year and could involve religious fasting and feasts to mark important events. In 1777, the Continental Congress proclaimed a day of thanksgiving for all 13 states to celebrate winning a battle against the British at Saratoga.

Professor Matthew Dennis observes that by 1850 every northern state, and several southern, Midwestern and far western states (including Arkansas, California, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin) celebrated Thanksgiving, at least occasionally.

Sarah Josepha Hale believed an official thanksgiving date would give the states more in common than they had differences. In 1854, as editor of Godey’s Lady’s Book, she wrote: “The last Thursday in November has been selected as the day best suited to the general convenience, when the people from Maine to Mexico, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, might sit down together, as it were, and enjoy in national union their feast of gladness.”

In the south, however, slaveholders viewed the holiday as an opportunity for Yankee preachers to sermonize against slavery, and in their eyes to push the country closer to war. In 1853, Governor Joseph Johnson of Virginia refused to declare Thanksgiving a holiday, and in 1859, Governor Stewart of Missouri proclaimed December 8^th instead of November 24^th a day of Thanksgiving, a deliberate act of defiance.

Despite Hale’s efforts, war broke out, and Lincoln’s decision to make the holiday a national one was intended to support the north’s cause as much as to commemorate an event in the nation’s history. Thanksgiving did not prevent the Civil War, but it was used to help bolster the Union’s cause – partially through food. Mentions of turkey, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie and cranberry sauce appear in association with Thanksgiving in 1860s editions of Godey’s Lady’s Book.

In this year of the terrible Covid pandemic, Thanksgiving may not be a subject for political debate, but it does present a challenge for all of us. Common sense calls for us to avoid large family gatherings, to stay home in our personal bubbles and, I pray, live to see next year's national day of thanks. Amen.

Lyn Horner is a multi-published, award-winning author of western historical romance and paranormal romantic suspense novels, all spiced with sensual romance. She is a former fashion illustrator and art instructor who resides in Fort Worth, Texas – “Where the West Begins” - with her husband and two very spoiled cats. As well as crafting passionate love stories, Lyn enjoys reading, gardening, genealogy, visiting with family and friends, and cuddling her furry, four-legged babies.

 

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Thanksgiving in the West

Post by Doris McCraw
writing as Angela Raines

As an author and historian, I spend a lot of time in the research section of libraries, museums and of course old newspapers. As I was preparing this post I came across some great articles about Thanksgiving I simply have to share. Perhaps you may find your next story spark, or just enjoy Thanksgiving from back in the day.

This first piece was found in the Pueblo Daily Chieftain, from November 29, 1888.

 

From that same issue a bit of humor.



From the Colorado Miner (Weekly) in Georgetown, CO. of  November 24, 1877, we find a big sporting event.



I will end with a joyous piece from the Rocky Mountain Sun in Aspen, CO. of November 27, 1885

I confess I love reading old newspapers. Their language, the sense of humor and stories of what they thought were important for their readers to know. As I write my stories I know I will use pieces of the past to add elements of reality to the fiction I am creating. The authenticity of place, even if fictional, is important to me. The stories from the newspapers in that area are priceless to me for that reason.

I hope you all enjoyed these tidbits from the early days of Colorado and our country. Wishing everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Doris Gardner-McCraw -

Author, Speaker, Historian-specializing in
Colorado and Women's History

Writing fiction as Angela Rains

Angela Raines - author: Where Love & History Meet

Books: Angela Raines Books

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A TIME OF THANKS

This post will go live on November 22, 2018 which is when the United States celebrates Thanksgiving. There have been a number of posts about the beginning of this holiday. That is not what those of you who read this will see. Instead, I want to take the time to honor those who give me reason to be thankful.

My parents, both of whom have passed on. To them I want to let the world know how supportive they were in anything I attempted. They always told me, there will always be someone who does something better than you, but you will do things better than others. It all balances out. Follow your dream and you will achieve it. You know what? They have been right. They also read to me. Of course I kept demanding it and they gave me the love of language my honoring my need for stories.

My first grade teacher, Mrs. Williams. I spent most of my early life in and out of the hospital. I missed most of my first year of school. Since I attended a small school with multiple grades in one room, she passed me with my classmates and I did first and second grade together, with her as my teacher. She also read to us every day, a gift I still treasure.

To all those delinquents whose life intersected with mine. While they did not always come out of the system alive, they offered me a look at how others lived and what it took to survive in a world they were ill equipped to live in. Some grew and succeeded in life, others chose to spend their lives incarcerated or made a choice that led to their demise. From them I learned patience and compassion.

To all the co-workers and fellow students throughout my life, a huge thank you for being a part of this world and offering lessons I needed to learn.

To Chris Nichol from PPLDs Special Collections who encouraged me to share my love of research and history with the world. As a result I've written four papers for their History Symposium, which is streamed world wide. Those papers were: ' Karol Smith; from Real Life to Reel Life', ' The Cripple Creek Volcano; a thirty-five million year disaster', 'Doc Susie and Hollywood; Myths of 19th Century Women Doctors in Colorado' and 'Joe Ward; the Man at the Center of Colorado Springs first Sensational Murder Trial'

To Cheryl Pierson and Livia Washburn Reasoner of Prairie Rose Publications for believing in a novice fiction writer and giving her a chance to follow a dream. Because of these women my first story "Home for His Heart" was followed by "Never Had a Chance", "Lost Knight" and so many others.

This is not a complete list, but I would be remiss if I didn't have great gratitude for my fellow authors and the wonderful stories they share with the world. And last but definitely not least, to all the wonderful readers who read the stories I and my fellow authors write. Thank you!

May you all enjoy your lives and loved ones this coming holiday season and throughout the upcoming years.

From "A Gift of Forgiveness"

     Laughter shook the room, as the silly story ended. Nettie was sure that John had made it up for Ila and Albert to enjoy, and it seemed they weren't fooled. Both asked whether it was true. John turned to Nettie and, with a twinkle in his eye, then looked straight at both of the children. "I swear on a Bible, it's a true story."
     Ila looked very serious. "John, don't swear on a Bible and tell a fib. You could get into a lot of trouble. I know."
     John looked at Nettie, a questioning look on his face. He didn't seem to understand what Ila was talking about. To forestall any further questions, Nettie ventured, "Ila, if John says the story is true, I'm sure it is. Now, I'd better get started on that dinner. Why don't you help set the table?"
     As Ila moved ahead, John leaned in and whispered, "What was that all about?"
     "It was just her way of making sure you were not telling a fib," Nettie whispered back. She didn't feel she could tell him how Ila felt about testifying and what the whole incident in her past had done to her. Still, from the look in his eyes, she could tell he knew there was more to it than that. Feeling trapped, Albert saved her the explanation as he took John's hand. "Come see what I found."
     John gave Nettie a look indicating he would let it go for now, and followed Albert.
     "That's one lie I don't want to tell again," Nettie said as she headed into the kitchen.

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The Many Thanksgivings of Texas

Did you know El Paso, Texas now lays claim to the first Thanksgiving in North America? Yup, it’s true according to the Texas State Historical Association’s TEXAS ALMANAC. First observed in April 1989, the day honors Spanish explorer Juan de Oñate who, with his expedition members, held a day of thanksgiving on April 30, 1598.

One of Oñate’s followers wrote of the celebration, “We built a great bonfire and roasted the meat and fish, and then all sat down to a repast the like of which we had never enjoyed before . . .”

Hmm, sounds like they stuffed themselves, a lot like we do on Thanksgiving Day. Of course they were also grateful for a short break in their difficult journey which continued up the Rio Grande, eventually reaching the Santa Fe area.

Texas has another claim to the first Thanksgiving. In 1959 a marker was placed outside the town of Canyon declaring the expedition of Francisco Vazquez de Coronado celebrated the first feast of Thanksgiving in nearby Palo Duro Canyon in May 1541. However, research indicates grapes and pecans were gathered for the feast, and neither grow in the canyon. The feast might actually have been held farther south, probably Blanco Canyon on a fork of the Brazos River. It’s also possible the day was not a special thanksgiving, but rather to celebrate the Feast of the ascension.

While Texas is hardly the only claimant to the First Thanksgiving title – several other states insist their ancestors celebrated the first one – the Lone Star State is one of a few states that celebrated two thanksgivings in the same year, one week apart. You see, the first national Thanksgiving was set in 1863, during the American Civil War. President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of “Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens,” to be celebrated on the last Thursday in November.

All well and good until 1939 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving. The country was still in the grip of the Great Depression, and Roosevelt thought an earlier Thanksgiving would provide a longer shopping period before Christmas. He hoped increased sales and profits for merchants would help spur recovery from the Depression. Within two years, Congress passed his decree into law.

However, Republicans decried the change as an affront to Lincoln’s memory. People started calling the fourth Thursday holiday “Franksgiving”. Many football teams traditionally played their final games on the last Thursday in November, and their schedules could not instantly be changed. Since a presidential declaration was not legally binding, Roosevelt’s change was disregarded by 22 states. Some, including Texas, decided to make both dates government holidays.

In 1940 and 1941, November had four Thursdays, and Roosevelt declared the third one to be Thanksgiving. As in 1939, some states went along with the change while others stuck with the traditional last-Thursday date.

"Until 1956, Texas’ official state Thanksgiving holiday was the last Thursday in November. In some years, that was a week after the national holiday, which was cussed in Texas as a federal abomination."  Mark Hoffer mhoffer@star-telegram.com

Lyn Horner is a multi-published, award-winning author of western historical romance and romantic suspense novels, all spiced with paranormal elements. She is a former fashion illustrator and art instructor who resides in Fort Worth, Texas – “Where the West Begins” - with her husband and a gaggle of very spoiled cats. As well as crafting passionate love stories, Lyn enjoys reading, gardening, visiting with family and friends, and cuddling her furry, four-legged children.

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Thanksgiving Wasn't Very Nice by E. AYERS

Thanksgiving in America like many holidays has its roots in the East. Although Plymouth, MA tends to be thought of as the birthplace of Thanksgiving, I'm going to talk about another Thanksgiving, the first continuous settlement in the New World, Jamestown, VA. We think of the wonderful Powhatan Indians bringing gifts of food to the new settlers in a gesture of friendship. Exactly how much is fable and how much is truth seems to be muddied. One thing we do know was it wasn't very pretty.

What do we know? Not much. We think that the Indians who lived in these parts greeted us as intruders. They were skeptical and it didn't take them long to decide that we were not their friends. We put a settlement on their hunting lands. We brought infectious diseases from Europe and the we also succumbed to all sorts of illness from the Virginia environment and blamed it on the Indians. It's a bad case of finger pointing.

Knowing this area as I do, I can't imagine the settlers drinking water directly from the James River. For starters, it's brackish water. The salt content is almost as high as the Atlantic Ocean as the tides push ocean water into the Chesapeake Bay and into the rivers and inlets. It didn't take the settlers long to run out of food. And a bad growing season left them starving. They ate shoe leather and turned to cannibalism of their fellow dead. They wanted land to expand and hunt. The Indians didn't want them encroaching on their lands. Major fighting broke out.

We were better armed with guns and cannons! Can you imagine the surprise the Indians faced with these loud weapons when they only had spears and other primitive methods to protect themselves? It wasn't just the Englishmen's guns. The thing that sent the Indians to their knees was the simple act of burning their canoes. The settlers were ordered to burn any and all canoes as a way to overpower and control the Indians. Don't think of today's modern canoes or even those birch bark canoes, instead think of taking a tree trunk and hallowing it out. The canoes were massive often as much as 40-60 feet long and were virtually chipped out. It wasn't unusual for one to take maybe as much as two years to build.

The tribal leaders decided they had enough. If they continued to loose canoes, they would end up starving because it was their way to get around. They went hunting and after they had killed several deer, they took them to the English settlers of Jamestown. Please take the deer and stop burning our canoes. And we all lived happily ever after. (Not even close!)

Things remained rocky. And it probably didn't hurt that Pocahontas married John Rolfe. But, it's presumed that Chief Powhatan had probably long since given up on the daughter who had been kidnapped by the English, taught Christianity, how to act like a proper Englishwoman, and dress like one.

There was a feast in Virginia, except we don't know exactly when it took place. Probably fall or early winter because that would be the prime time to hunt deer but the year.... Actually there were several feasts along the east coast. Plymouth got to claim it and that still might not be correct. The Spaniards probably have the right to claim the first Thanksgiving and that's still ignoring the fact that the Indians had been celebrating a bountiful harvest long before any Europeans stepped foot in the New World.

Yes, the English settlement of Jamestown was grateful for the deer. Much like a child who

receives a gift, they then expected it all the time. And their demands on the Indians only lead to more problems. The English were superior to the Indians, not in intelligence, but in weapons.

The lovely notion of everyone sitting around the fire and enjoying a meal together is more of a fantasy then an actual event. The old harvest festival was alive and well. Although it would be another 200 years before Thanksgiving became a holiday.

Our new president, George Washington, declared the last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving. But he only had one such celebration. It was meant as a celebration for our success in the Revolutionary War. Various states created their own Thanksgiving, mostly as a religious holiday. Lincoln declared the holiday for the last Thursday in November to honor the widows and orphans of the Civil War and as a day of prayer to heal the nation being torn apart. Then during the Great Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt moved the date back a week to help spur the economy's health.

The real person who helped to make Thanksgiving a holiday was Sarah Josepha Hale, author and magazine editor. She worked diligently for over 36 years to make it a recognized holiday, but with a religious bent. She wrote articles, editorials, and letters to senators, governors, presidents, and just about anyone who might listen. She even suggested the menu, complete with recipes, and that menu became today's normal table. She succeeded when she convinced Pres. Lincoln who declared it in the midst of the Civil War.

Those first Thanksgivings weren't the traditional meal of today, unless your table consists of venison, and maybe a goose or duck. New England had cranberries, but they weren't in a sauce, try a bowl full of berries. (Can we say tart? Just thinking about it makes my mouth pucker.) Of course there were beans, and there was plenty of popped corn. (What we call kettle corn today minus the sugar and all the salt.) No pumpkin pie or even pie shells - no wheat flour. No potatoes, they were a South American thing and hadn't made their way here. And sweet potatoes also hadn't made their way this far north. The fare was plain, but to the early settlers, it was a true feast, a celebration that lasted several days.

To many American Indians, the holiday marks a day of mourning. It was the beginning of the end of their rule over this great land. It's a day for them to honor their forefathers who ruled.

For the rest of us, it's a day to be with family, count our blessings, watch a football game with loved ones, and eat until we can't handle another bite while the kitchen explodes with dirty pots, pans, and dishes. Lately, it's also become the early shoppers start of the Black Friday sales.

For me, it's a day to spend with my girls. They take turns hosting such events. I get called upon to make the gravy or whatever last minute culinary need arises. We all chip in with the clean up and it's done in a flash. We laugh and joke, I play with the granddogs, and in general, it's a quiet family sort of a day, but at least we are all together. No one is burning any canoes...although there was that year I got the flat tire. It didn't take to two years to replace.

Turkey Trot Reprise

Friends, I hope you will forgive me for reprising my post from two years ago about the Cuero, Texas Turkey Trot. I’m dealing with an abscessed tooth, living on strong pain killers and feeling pretty loopy. Lacking energy and the ability to concentrate, I decided to repost this story of the famous turkey trot – with an update about the Dallas version.

When our kids were young, my husband and I once took them to a drive-thru wildlife preserve here in Texas. Among the animals we saw that day was a flock of wild turkeys. They were roaming free and showed no sign of fear as we stopped to snap pictures. Those birds were impressive, a lot bigger than I expected and a little bit scary. I mean I wouldn’t care to meet one on foot, especially a large male with his tail spread out like a huge fan.



Now imagine watching thousands of these birds trotting along the main street of a small town in Texas in the early 1900s. That’s exactly what happened in Cuero, TX, beginning around 1908, when a processing plant opened on the outskirts of the town. Turkey raising became a major industry in the area. Buyers bought flocks of birds from outlying farms and herded them through town to the plant.

 

J. C. Howerton, publisher of the Cuero Record, is credited with suggesting a Turkey Trot. The local chamber of commerce took up the idea in order to advertise South Texas turkeys and encourage turkey raising. The Cuero Fair and Turkey Trot Association was formed, and the first official Turkey Trot took place in 1912, at the opening of the fall marketing season.

Famous Cuero Turkey Trot, 1912; Public domain



Named for the popular "turkey trot" dance of the period, the event was a hit, attended even by Texas governor Oscar Colquitt and other dignitaries. They were entertained by a parade of “floats festooned with turkey feathers” as well as 18,000 or more turkeys strutting down Main Street. Cuero merchants reaped benefits by providing visitors with refreshments and lodging.

For a hilarious look at Cuero's 100th Anniversary Turkey Trot, take a gander at this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=us7p_QjwxK8

The following year, a Turkish theme was introduced for the Turkey Trot. Sultan Yekrut (turkey spelled backwards) and Sultana Oreuc (Cuero reversed) reigned over the festivities. Over time, the pageantry became more elaborate. The Sultan and Sultana acquired an entire royal court with attendants in Turkish costumes. Cuero became, for a short time each autumn, an exotic oasis amid the mesquite trees and sagebrush.

For historic photos of the Sultan’s court, visit: http://utsalibrariestopshelf.wordpress.com/2013/11/25/trotting-turkeys-put-cuero-texas-on-the-map/ 

Apparently, the event was not held every year. The thirteenth Turkey Trot took place in 1967, with some 3,000 turkeys parading through Cuero. Unfortunately, many of the broad-breasted feedlot turkeys collapsed, and thereafter the Trot was replaced by a seven-county South Texas Livestock Show. However, as part of Cuero's centennial in 1972, the Turkey Trot was revived, using hardy range-raised turkeys in the parade.
 

Check out this site for more details and a video about history of the Turkey Trot:

http://www.turkeyfest.org/p/about-us/147

Today, Cuero holds "Turkeyfest," featuring a parade, arts and crafts show, food booths, a Miss Turkeyfest beauty pageant, and the "Great Gobbler Gallop," an annual race between prize turkeys from Worthington, Minnesota, and Cuero, Texas. This competition began after a newspaper editor from Worthington claimed his town was the world's turkey capital, not Cuero. Contestants’ names are always Ruby Begonia for the Texas turkey and Paycheck for the Minnesota bird. They vie for the title of World's Fastest Turkey, racing in two heats, one in each city over a two-year period. Turkeyfest is held each October at Cuero.





The Great Gobbler Gallop
http://www.turkeyfest.org/events/2016/the-great-gobbler-gallop

"Will Ruby retain the Traveling Turkey Trophy of Tumultuous Triumph? Will Paycheck be pacified with the Circulating Consolation Cup of Consummate Commiseration? All bets are off when the birds hit the street, because in a turkey race, anything can happen!"

Cuero (pronounced Quair-oh) is located in DeWitt County, Texas. The population was 6,841 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of DeWitt County and is unofficially known as the "turkey capital of the world." Cuero High School teams are called the Gobblers. In 2010, Cuero was named one of the 'Coolest Small Towns in America,' by Budget Travel Magazine. ~ Wikipedia

Three Fast Turkey Facts from TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE

1. If Wild Turkeys could smell, they'd be nearly impossible to hunt. The eyes and ears of a turkey make it one of the toughest of all Texas game animals. Their vision is the keenest among all Texas game animals. They are especially astute at pinpointing movement and can hone in on noises from a mile away.
2. Wild Turkey Revival! A hundred years ago, turkeys almost disappeared from Texas due to unregulated hunting and loss of habitat. Now, thanks to hunter and landowner support, bag limits and a restocking program, they are making a steady comeback.
3. Where the Wild Turkeys are. Turkeys now inhabit 223 of the 254 counties in Texas. You can see them roam at many Texas State Parks. One of the most substantial and oldest winter turkey roosts is at South Llano River State Park near Junction.

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/game_management/turkey/



49th Annual Turkey Trot in Dallas

 

The Dallas YMCA Turkey Trot is an annual footrace over an 8-mile course through the city of Dallas, Texas. The race includes both runners and wheelchair racers.

The original Turkey Trot began in the 1940s and was run at the fair grounds in Dallas. The annual 8-mile (13 km) run began in 1968, with 107 runners instructed to run along the shore of White Rock Lake "to the big oak tree and back."

The race quickly grew popular. In 1979, The Trot was moved to downtown Dallas to accommodate more runners and to showcase "Big D". A 3-mile (4.8 km) Fun Run was added in 1984 to encourage the participation of children and families. The distance was changed to 5K in 2009 and the race was certified.

This year's Trot will take place on Thanksgiving Day, November 24, at 9:00am.

The YMCA Turkey Trot is a tradition that draws people from all over the country each year. Even if you're not a runner or walker, there are fun activities for the whole family to enjoy!
For complete details visit www.thetrot.org

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Cowboy Prayer of Thanks

by Lyn Horner

I found this cowboy prayer on the Pioneer Woman blog. Beautiful thoughts as appropriate now as in the "Old Days".



I’m not too good at prayin’, Lord
and You may not know me very well.
For I haven’t been inside a church,
in quite a long, long spell.
But You may still have seen me, Lord,
here on this dusty trail,
herdin’ after cattle
through the snow and rain and hail.
And as I ride I do give thanks
for the miracles I see ~
the clear blue sky, the buttercups,
the buzzing little bee.
I give thanks for the soft green grass
that feeds the cattle that we tend;
it also gives my bed some comfort
when the day is at an end.
With each hill and valley,
along each dusty mile,
I find some beauty You created
and I cannot help but smile.
I’m far from being a preacher, Lord,
but I’ll offer my humble prayer
that love and kindness will be my guide
as I’m roamin’ here and there.
I pray that I might live my life
in a way that brings You joy.
But if I slip every now and then,
take pity on this poor cowboy.
–Author Unknown

 

Ree Drummond, the famous owner of this blog offers some yummy Thanksgiving recipes, including for leftovers.

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Thanksgiving Thoughts from Sarah J. McNeal

Thanksgiving couldn’t come at a better time this year. So much sadness, oppression, violence, and deprivation seems to be going on in the world right now. We all worry about our planet and the effects global warming is going to have on all living things here on Earth. I am war weary. It seems there is no end to war and violence. People are trying to escape to someplace where they can find peace, safety, and freedom. Just this past week, terrorists took the lives of so many innocent people in Paris, and as terrorists like to do, they threaten more senseless violence around the world. I’m not even certain if they truly have a reason for all their hatred. Who do they hate? Everybody? Why do they hate so many? I just don’t know. I am heartsick thinking about all this.

But I have hope. Hope is a powerful thing. It can make us believe there’s a light out there even in the darkest of times. It can make us believe there is good in everyone, even if it’s so far down deep inside them we can’t see it right now. I can imagine those Pilgrims so long ago escaping an oppressive land to find freedom just as the Syrians are doing today. Having hope is like having faith. In troubling times, faith can lift us up and give us the strength to persevere no matter how awful or dark our circumstances.

I’m thankful I was born and raised during happier times. Those were the Norman Rockwell kind of days. Some kids today have known nothing but war so far in their young lives. My great niece has never known a time without war, global warming, and civil unrest and violence.

Next week when I’m surrounded by loved ones preparing to eat a feast in remembrance of those stalwart Pilgrims, I’m going to keep hope in my heart and gratitude for living in a country founded on freedom and where, in times of trouble, people come together and help one another. It never fails to inspire me that, when things are at their worst, human beings are at their best.

So, here’s a little Norman Rockwell for you and a prayer that things will get better soon. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. God bless you and keep you from harm.

 Sarah J. McNeal is a multi-published author of several genres including time travel, paranormal, western and historical fiction. She is a retired ER and Critical Care nurse who lives in North Carolina with her four-legged children, Lily, the Golden Retriever and Liberty, the cat. Besides her devotion to writing, she also has a great love of music and plays several instruments including violin, bagpipes, guitar and harmonica. Her books and short stories may be found at Prairie Rose Publications and its imprints Painted Pony Books, and Fire Star Press. Some of her fantasy and paranormal books may also be found at Publishing by Rebecca Vickery and Victory Tales Press. She welcomes you to her website and social media:

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The Wildings

Fantasy and Dreams Blog

Sweethearts of the West

Prairie Rose Publications Blog

Note: all pictures of Norman Rockwell art from Pinterest