Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Thanksgiving

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving, everyone!
Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, nad among the rest their greatest king, Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed upon our governor, and upon the captain and others. And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers of our plenty.
~Edward Winslow, Mourt's Relation: D.B. Heath, ed. Applewood Books. Cambridge, 1986.
This year for Thanksgiving we didn't celebrate - give thanks - on the actual date "set" for Thanksgiving because of where we live and school and things. We didn't get the day off of school, so all we had to do was Literature and History. I did Chemistry and French as well, but took Geometry, Logic, and Arabic off. So on Thursday we did some school and had dance, sewing, and Oasis, the usual Thursday stuff.
Dance went pretty well, we finished the first step of the primary reel. It's fun.
Oasis... was pretty good. Things with Submerge went wacko... Mitch broke 2 guitar strings, we were having trouble getting my guitar into the sound system (to the point in which I was getting really annoyed and even a bit scared, Mitch, Donny, and Mr. Glen were all trying to figure it out... eventually Mr. Glen pushed a few buttons and it worked. Playing was okay, everyone had their messups, and probably more than usual... I'll get my notes up some time soon.
They began now to gather in the small harvest they had, and to fit up their houses and dwelling against winter, being all well recovered in health and strength and had all things in good plenty. For as some were thus employed in affairs, abroad, others were exercised in fishing, about cod and bass and other fish, of which they took good store, of which every family had their portion. All the summer there was no want; and now began to come in store of fowl as winter approached, of which this place did abound when they came first (bud afterward decreased by degrees). And besides waterfowl there was great store of wild turkeys, of which they took many, besides venison, etc. Besides, they had about a peck a meal a week to a person, or now since harvest, Indian corn to that proportion. Which made many afterwards write so largely of their plenty here to their friends in England, which were not feigned but true reports.
~William Bradford, Of Plimoth Plantation; S.E. Morison, ed. Knopf. N.Y., 1952.
Friday after Church we came home and after lunch we watched Legally Blonde 2 with Caylen... (it was edited, not that I'd recommend it anyway, it's rather pointless, I only watched it becasue I didn't have anything else to do and she's so blonde it's a good comedy.) Volleyball was alright, nothing amazing to report or anything. Afterwards we played Sardines and talked. In the evening, I made pie crust (what I'd made last week was all used already, one for a pie from International Night, the other for a deep-dish apple pie that we're eating tomorrow).

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God... ...No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.
- Abraham Lincoln's Thanksgiving Speech


Saturday we spent the morning baking and cutting and peeling and getting ready... I peeled 11 pounds of potatoes, cut up tons of vegetables, made more pies, helped set the table, made name cards, helped start the mashed potatoes and the yams (which are nasty, they're not the normal sweet potatoes I love)... soon everyone came, and we talked for a while and read about Thanksgiving before we ate... yummy food... we had turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, bread, rolls, corn, and a lot of food I can't remember. I was stuffed after eating just a little over one plate, even though I'd barely eaten anything all day. :P After dinner Sarah H. and I went upstairs and were talking for a while. After dessert (2 pumpkin pies, a deep dish apple pie - yummy -, cookies, and whipped cream), we went upstairs and I was playing around on Flight Simulator while Philip and Sarah were watching. I said something like, "I'm not too bad at it, 'cept for take off and landings..." Philip said, "Better not tell your passengers that..." Then I managed to crash. Twice. Really three times, only because Philip dared me to fly the helicopter.
Sarah and I were about to play ping-pong when they had to leave.

My I'm Thankfuls for this year:
- I am thankful for life.
- I am thankful for Jesus' amazing love and sacrifice.
- I am thankful for freedom.
- I am thankful for the ability to think - and to think and speak freely.
- I am thankful for a wonderful family who loves me.
- I am thankful for caring friends and aquaintances all over the world.
- I am thankful for my dad's job that provides for our family.
- I am thankful for electricity and electronics.
- I am thankful for the talents I have and am developing... even though they can be frustrating at times.
- I am thankful for smiles, laughter, and joy.
- I am thankful for rain, sand, fog, water, air, stone, wood...
- I am thankful for my parent's choice to homeschool me and my siblings.
- I am thankful for love.



Now we have a right to cut out paper snowflakes and listen to Christmas music. Hurrah!
And... I think we get to go paintballing on Saturday, the youth group is going and I think we get to go... double yay!
I read the Hunchback of Notre Dame this week. Not recommended. I hated it. It could have had a good ending, but no (possible spoiler), Hugo had to kill everyone off. Again. Talk about depressing. This week I'm reading Till We Have Faces.
I'm ready to hit the sack, I've been running around the house all day, my thumbs are sore from cutting and peeling, and eating a lot made me tired. *yawn*

'Night, all!
Kyleigh
Showt to Jehovah, al the earth.
Serv ye Jehovah with gladness;
before him come with singing-merth.
Know, that Jehovah he God is.
Its he that made us, not wee;
his folk, and sheep of his feeding,
O with confession enter yee
his gates, his courtyards with praising:
confess to him, bless ye his name.
Because Jehovah he good is:
his mercy ever is the same;
and his faith. unto al ages
- Psalm 100 - Puritan Style

4 comments:

Autumn said...

Happy belated Thanksgiving! It must be weird living over there because of our holidays and such.

Kyleian said...

It is strange... at least in our youth group, there are a lot of Americans, though, and the majority of my friends are American (2 are Indian and 1 is a Kiwi). But it's a lot of fun.
I love living over here, although there are MANY things I miss, especially the whole wintery-cozy-warm feeling that was my favorite part of the year in the States.

Lostariel said...

haha we had snow

Kyleian said...

No fair...