Thanks, given gladly

Today, the day before Thanksgiving, I'm thankful that I live in My Minnesota with my family (now including the daughter person's fiancee), in our warm home with our circus of dogs and our wildlife neighbors. I'm grateful for all the Community Supported Agriculture programs and farmers' markets that provide wonderful food at reasonable prices. I'm grateful for the books I've accumulated over the years and the pleasure they've brought me. I'm thankful that I've had an opportunity to learn to take better pictures and that my fingers are still nimble enough to play at the guitar. When we take the dogs for early morning walks it's usually still really dark. If there's no cloud cover, the moon and the stars are stunning. (I'm grateful that living in the country means the light pollution is limited.) Looking up at all the space between the stars makes me feel really tiny as I realize just how big that part of the universe is that I can see. At that point I'm especially thankful for the love and companionship of the aforementioned family and dogs. It would be a tragically lonely universe without them. These things for which I'm thankful are but the tip of the iceberg of my blessings. I still have a modicum of physical, emotional and mental health. I have a life despite a very close call last summer. I still have opportunities to try to accomplish some good and express some love in and for this beautiful world of ours. Finally, but far from least, I'm thankful to each and every one of you who's taken some time out of your busy life this past year to stop by and visit. Please come again when you can. In the meantime, enjoy Thanksgiving and Hanukkah. Stay warm and loving and grateful for what you have and keep in mind, please, where it came from.

  Thanksgiving star lights          © harrington

The Thanksgivings

By Harriet Maxwell Converse 

We who are here present thank the Great Spirit that we are here

          to praise Him.

We thank Him that He has created men and women, and ordered

          that these beings shall always be living to multiply the earth.

We thank Him for making the earth and giving these beings its products

          to live on.

We thank Him for the water that comes out of the earth and runs

          for our lands.

We thank Him for all the animals on the earth.

We thank Him for certain timbers that grow and have fluids coming

          from them for us all.

We thank Him for the branches of the trees that grow shadows

          for our shelter.

We thank Him for the beings that come from the west, the thunder

          and lightning that water the earth.

We thank Him for the light which we call our oldest brother, the sun

          that works for our good.

We thank Him for all the fruits that grow on the trees and vines.

We thank Him for his goodness in making the forests, and thank

          all its trees.

We thank Him for the darkness that gives us rest, and for the kind Being

          of the darkness that gives us light, the moon.

We thank Him for the bright spots in the skies that give us signs,

          the stars.

We give Him thanks for our supporters, who had charge of our harvests.

We give thanks that the voice of the Great Spirit can still be heard

          through the words of Ga-ne-o-di-o.

We thank the Great Spirit that we have the privilege of this pleasant

          occasion.

We give thanks for the persons who can sing the Great Spirit's music,

          and hope they will be privileged to continue in his faith.

We thank the Great Spirit for all the persons who perform the ceremonies

          on this occasion.