Thoughts For a Huntsville AL Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on the changes, to remember that we, too, grow and change from one season of life to another. - Author unknown

Sarah Joespha Hale, author Mary Had a Little Lamb, campaigned vigorously for 20 years to have Thanksgiving made a national holiday. Five presidents turned a deaf ear to her pleas, but Abraham Lincoln listened, and on October 3, 1863, he declared that the last Thursday in November would be a national holiday. Sarah was also the one who urged that the Thanksgiving feast include such foods as turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce, and mashed potatoes of two kinds. Sound familiar?

And speaking of food, are you thankful for the abundance of our planet? Show your gratitude by implementing these "green" suggestions for your holiday meal:

• Use organic cranberries, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin


• Shop at a famers' market


• Start a compost pile with all your leftovers

Click here for other earth-friendly holiday ideas.

Interested in giving traditional foods a modern twist? Try baby greens with fennel, wheatberry stuffing, and wild mushroom gravy. What about shredded Brussels sprouts or cranberry spinach salad? For recipes for these dishes and other updated foods, visit the web sites of Good Housekeeping and Allrecipes.

What do you get when you divide the circumference of a pumpkin by its diameter? Pumpkin Pi!

"Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action."
William Jennings Bryan

Giving back Thanksgiving is a perfect time to share our blessings with those less fortunate than we are and to spread the spirit of friendship and community. Opportunities for helping others during the holiday season are many and can involve one individual or the entire family. Some ways to foster goodwill and embrace the idea of sharing include:

• Collecting and contributing non-perishable foodstuffs for a local food bank.


• Giving money to local agencies who feed the hungry.


• Volunteering your time to sort supplies, set up and/or clean up, or serve meals on Thanksgiving Day.


• Inviting a neighbor who lives alone to join you for dinner.


• Taking a warm plate of Thanksgiving food--and a big smile--to a shut-in.


• Contributing to holiday food collection bins in grocery stores.


• Purchasing pre-packaged boxes of food (generally under $10.00) to be distributed by local grocers.


• Checking with your local place of worship to see where you help is most needed.

And remember our military personnel by contacting A Million Thanks, a year-round campaign to show our appreciation for our U.S. military men and women, past and present, for their sacrifices, dedication, and service to our country through our letters, emails, cards, and prayers. Over 5 million pieces of mail have been sent to date. Zazzle will send free holiday cards to military folks, and Coupons to Troops has a great program in which you donate unwanted or expired coupons to military families living overseas.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL! Remember to be grateful for what you have and to "give thanks for unknown blessings already on the way." (Native American saying)

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