The First Thanksgiving Day by Henry Beer | Poem

This is not the day that I think of as the first Thanksgiving. They did give thanks for a safe journey, though, so I guess it counts as the first Thanksgiving. This poem reminds me that everyday should be a Thanksgiving.

The First Thanksgiving Day

The Pilgrims left a foreign strand 

And sailed across the main,

And landed on New England's shore,

That faith they might retain.

Some say the first Thanksgiving Day

The Pilgrims did ordain

Was when they offered thanks and praise

For life and food and grain.

It was a day of gratitude

When stormy voyage was o'er,

When they had landed safely there

On child New England's shore.

The rolling sea behind them lay,

Before them, trees of pine.

With thankful hearts they knelt in prayer

And praised God's help divine.

The Pilgrims marked the Plymouth Rock

Where they had knelt to pray. 

And still it stands memorial of

That first Thanksgiving Day.

By Henry Beer

My Garden of Verse

Page 176-177

Thankful Tree 2023

 

I made a thankful tree craft this year for Thanksgiving.

These are not the colors that immediately come to mind when I think of autumn, but these are the colors that I had to work with. I think the colors turned nice in the end!

I chose to cut out different types of Oak leaf shapes.

Wouldn't it be funny if you found such a mixed up tree in reality? Part White Oak, part Pin Oak, part Chinquapin Oak. What an absurd tree!

I am going to fill in all the leaves with blessing for which I am giving thanks.

We have so much to be thankful for! 

I was speaking with a woman at a checkout counter a few days ago. I said, "I have so much to be thankful for." And she said, "Even to be thankful to be alive."

That's right, if nothing else, you can be thankful for each breath you draw.

Job 12:10

 In whose hand is the soul 

of every living thing, and the

 breath of all mankind.

I hope you all have a happy Thanksgiving!

The Wild Geese By Henry Beer | Poem

The Wild Geese

I saw a flock of wild geese fly
Across the somber autumn sky,
In orderly formation!

As to the South they took their flight,

From wing to wing in cloudy height

I gazed in admiration.

A destined course they seem to take,

Their nests and summer haunts forsake,

And fly to sunny regions.

In close formation you can see

Them make the sign of victory

By following their leader.

They take their course high in the air

And thus elude the hunter's snare;

They know the Fowler's tactics.

I thought how much akin to life,

For men, like them, in earthly strife

Must have a guide and leader.

Our God and Father did provide

For us a Captain, shield and guide,

In Christ, the Prince, Emanuel.

If, like these fowls, we ever stay

With Christ, our leader, on the way

We'll find out goal in safety.

Thanks! Thanks to you, my friends on high!

As from my wandering gaze you fly

You've taught a noble lesson.

I Finally Cleaned My Blinds

 

Cleaning blinds has never sifted it's way to the top of my list of priorities. I can probably think of a hundred things I'd rather do than clean blinds.

Let me try:

1. Wash dishes

2. Cook a meal

3. Sort laundry

4. Take a walk

5. Practice piano

6. Go to the library

7. Read a book

8. Go grocery shopping

9. Meal plan

10. Write a journal entry

11. Brush my teeth

12. Make my bed

13. Teach 1st grade 

14. Hang clothes

15. Go the park

16. Clip fingernails

17. Supervise bath time

18. Do hair cuts

19. Weed a garden

20. Cut flowers

21. Bake a pie

22. Write a blog post

23. Crack nuts

24. Climb a tree

25. Ride a bicycle

26. Vacuum the carpets

27. Water plants

28. Watch a movie

29. Sew a dress

30. Knit a wash rag

31. Change the sheets

32. Can tomatoes

33. De-bone chicken thighs

34. Call my Mom

35. Write a letter

36. Paint a picture

37. Make a card

38. Clean the bathroom

39. Rinse diapers

40. Fold towels

41. Weed wack

42. Edit photos

43. Bird watch

44. Sing a song

45. Play a card game

46. Go fishing 

Well, I am grasping at straws now. I made it to 46, not quite 100. You get the point, though. I have so many things that I'd rather do than clean mini blinds.

That is why my blinds look like this:

Yuck! The dust is so thick they look as if they have grown a fur coat! 

After I cleaned the blind on the left I was so impressed with difference in the amount of light that filtered though that I took this side by side comparison picture. The picture doesn't do the the visual justice. In person the difference was more drastic. It's a good thing, too, because it gave me the motivation to wash the rest of the blinds in the kitchen and living room.

I have been enjoying my clean windows and dust free blinds for the past few days, now that the job is done. It does feel nice to have clean window dressings!

Are there any jobs that you put off because you really don't like the work? Or, am I the only whiny, lazy housewife? Please share your stories in the comments!

November By Henry Beer | Poem

November

November days are dark and cold,
The saddest of the year;

The clouds do hill and vale enfold,

The days seem lonely and dreary.

The leaves have fallen to the earth,

The trees stand bare, alone.

Our feathered friends with songs of mirth

To sunny climes have gone.

And, when we wander through the woods,

A blanket made of leaves

Protects the springtime flowers that bloom

From winter's chilling breeze.

All snuggled 'neath this leafy robe

The flowers lie asleep,

This rustic blanket keeps them warm

When snow lies cold is gathered in,

The fodder stands in rows;

The grain is gathered in the bins,

No want the farmer knows.

Though dark November days may be,

There's beauty all around;

The bittersweet with berries bright

On fences old is found.

The cattails in the marshes deep,

The wild geese flying high;

We see them take their southern course

Across the cloudy sky.

The cellar is a festive place-

Attracts the heart and eye,

Where fruits and vegetables abound,

Which winter needs supply.

The walnuts lie in attic floor,

The pumpkins in a row.

Here peace, contentment, fill out hearts

As autumn winds do blow.

Though dark this month may be, and dreary,

Our hearts are filled with praise

To Him from whom all blessings come

On dreary November days.

By Henry Beer

My Garden of Verse

Pages174-175

Peanut Butter Treats

 

I love peanut butter! These treats are fast and easy to make and don't require an oven.

Peanut Butter Treats
1 cup corn syrup
1 cup sugar
2 cups peanut butter
10 oz. Corn Flake Cereal

In a pan over medium heat dissolve sugar in corn syrup.

Blend in the peanut butter until creamy. 

Turn off the heat and pour over corn flakes in a large bowl.

Mix thoroughly.

Spoon out scoops and press with hands to form balls.

Cool on a baking sheet lined with wax paper.

Enjoy!

Chrysanthemums By Henry Beer | Poem

Chrysanthemums

Whene'er I see Chrysanthemums,

Arrayed in colors bright,

I think of Autumn's pageantry,

Each cool and frosty night.

In yellow, bronze, and snowy white

These flowers are displayed 

As lovely as the autumn trees,

In colors bright arrayed.

Chrysanthemums of snow-white bloom

Remind us of the snow

Which soon will cover hill and vale

As wintry winds will blow.

Ye artists henceforth should portray

With Cornucopia's horn

These gorgeous flowers, bright and fair,

With fruit, and grain, and corn.

As flowers in a patient's room,

Chrysanthemums give cheer;

These lovely flowers of varied bloom

Console the dying year.

We praise Him for these lovely things,,

For all that He hath done.

To see His power in humble works,

It makes us truly one.

By Henry Beer 

My Garden of Verse

Page 171