Happy Thanksgiving from LynnRMitchell.com

By Lynn R. Mitchell

 

"Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some." -- Charles Dickens

The writers at LynnRMitchell.com -- Daniel Cortez, David Karaffa, Kurt Michael, and myself -- extend Thanksgiving greetings with gratitude to our readers for helping us become a successful statewide voice in the Virginia conservative blogosphere. We wish you a joyful day with family and friends as America pauses to give thanks for the blessings we all enjoy. Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

Augusta County Thanksgiving Eve snow

Photos by Kurt Michael


(See more photos here)

Thanksgiving 'Fun With Taters' from Hoops & Yoyo

Reprinted from 2008 ... for my brother-in-law Jon....

So it's Thanksgiving morning and we've got the turkey in the oven cooking, and my Mom, sister, and I have planned the side dishes, bread, dessert ... and then my brother-in-law asks, "Are we having mashed potatoes?"

Some years we have mashed potatoes but most years we have macaroni and cheese, which is what was planned this year. I laughed and asked him did he want mashed potatoes? He just laughed.

Then I slipped out of the kitchen to the office to check my email ... and there was an e-card sent by him, his wife (my sister), and their daughter (SWAC Niece). I opened it ... and laughed my head off. Mashed potatoes, indeed!

Check it out here if you want a good Turkey Day laugh. Be sure to click on the butter sticks for more funny commentary from Hoops and Yoyo.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

'Twas the day before Thanksgiving ... family traditions

'Twas the day before Thanksgiving and all through the house
Lots of goodies were cooking (but not the mouse). 
The pies were all set on the counter to cool
While Ma in her apron was a holiday-cooking fool.

My sad attempt at putting a poetic spin on the holiday as I swirl around the house on Thanksgiving Eve ... LOL. Like many, I'm in the kitchen today prepping for tomorrow's big meal with family. My sister and I traditionally take on the cooking and baking, something we both enjoy, as we incorporate old favorites along with the occasional new dish.

We broke tradition last year when we roasted a chicken, a tradition that will continue this year. She's cooking the bird and adding her dishes. As for me, I make passed-down family favorites from aunts who are no longer with us: macaroni and cheese and chocolate pies. I've added to that Virginia Bread Pudding with caramel sauce, Thalhimer's Richmond Room Spoonbread, very veggie garden salad and dressing, steamed broccoli crowns, and "skinny" mashed potatoes (made with fat free chicken broth instead of butter and milk -- they're yummy).

Can you tell I like staying in touch with family and Southern traditions? Thalhimer's Richmond Room was a popular gathering place in its day when Thalhimer's and Miller & Rhoads were destination department stores in downtown Richmond. Virginia Bread Pudding is a nod to my husband's childhood when his mother used old bread to make dessert for her small brood so it's one part emotional memories for him and one part delicious dessert.

My Aunt Ola on my mother's side made the best baked mac and cheese so I began to use her recipe after going out on my own. It's a lot of cheese and many memories, a reminder of fun family dinners at her house when there were so many of us that we barely fit, and we had a children's table in the kitchen and a grown-up table in the dining room. I think I was in my 30s before ever graduating from the children's table which, sadly, meant the grown-ups were growing older and leaving us. There's many happy memories of those years at the children's table especially once I had my own children so we were sitting in there together.

The chocolate pies were always anticipated at holidays from my Aunt Ruth on my mother's side. These aren't pudding-from-a-box pies. These are -- pardon my cursing -- "stir-your-damn-arm-off" (as it was deemed by my sisters and me because it took forever to thicken and you couldn't leave it unattended or it would stick to the bottom and burn) real chocolate filling that was poured into a homemade crust. I fudge on the crust -- I don't like making it and really don't want to spend the time after being at the stove so long stirring -- and this year I made phyllo pastry crust for something new and a little -- emphasis on "little" -- healthier. It is a meringue-topped decadent chocolate fantasy so after Aunt Ruth passed away 16 years ago, I carried on the chocolate pie tradition.

That's what holidays are -- traditions carried on by families from generation to generation. My aunts were fantastic cooks from a large family and my sisters and I learned their tricks of the trade. One slice of pie or a serving of macaroni and cheese unlocks special memories, and tomorrow that will be going on all over America.

The food is delicious, the baking is fun, but the best part of Thanksgiving is being with family. Though my father passed away years ago leaving daughters who were 13, 20, and 22 at the time, another dad came into our lives when he married our mother, and so we are grateful to celebrate with the two of them who are now at the youthful ages of 86 and 87.

And to the military members who are stationed around the world and away from their families, a special thanks and prayers for them and their loved ones. We can never repay their dedication and service to our country which allows us the freedom to celebrate Thanksgiving in a peaceful land.

As I head back to the kitchen to finish food prep, here's wishing a Happy Thanksgiving with gratitude for our friends ... and to those who are traveling for the holiday, be safe out there.

Foggy, rainy Shenandoah Valley

Foggy conditions invaded the Shenandoah Valley Tuesday as icy conditions gave way to heavy rain and rising temperatures.

From this spot on the road, the Appalachians are layered against the western sky with higher West Virginia mountains in the background. Not today. As I drove home shortly before dark, the fog had settled over my corner of Augusta County, kind of like a hidden village under the clouds ... our own Brigadoon, if you may.

After dark, the rains increased as temperatures rose. The forecast says the temperature could rise a couple more degrees overnight before a second blast of cold air in the morning moves in to complicate matters even more. We're keeping an eye on NBC-29 for weather updates. Safe travels to all who are headed to Thanksgiving destinations.

Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell
November 26, 2013

Thanksgiving 2013 proclamation from Governor Bob McDonnell

Thanksgiving 2013 official holiday proclamation from Governor Bob McDonnell recognizing November 28 as Thanksgiving Day in Virginia.

 

THANKSGIVING DAY

WHEREAS, the first permanent English speaking settlement in the New World was established in Virginia at Jamestown in 1607, as Captain John Smith led a group of settlers across the Atlantic on a voyage that would entail much hardship over the coming years, including disease and starvation; and

WHEREAS, to show their appreciation for the colony's success and to take stock and give thanks for their own gifts and blessings, and in spite of tremendous adversity, the settlers in Virginia found time to celebrate the first Thanksgiving in America at Berkeley Plantation on December 4, 1619; and

WHEREAS, a state historical marker commemorating “The first English Thanksgiving in Virginia” was dedicated on November 1, 2013 and was placed along Route 5 just west of the entrance to Berkeley Plantation in Charles City County; the marker states that on December 4, 1619, the ship Margaret arrived in Virginia carrying “Capt. John Woodlief, a member of the Virginia Company, with 35 men to take charge of Berkeley Hundred,” and Capt. John Woodlief “bore instructions that the day of his ship's arrival ‘be yearly and perpetually kept holy as a day of thanksgiving to almighty God’”; and

WHEREAS, while reflecting upon the actions taken by the colonists at the first Thanksgiving, we also honor the Indian peoples, for without their presence, the survival of the colonists would have been ever more difficult; and

WHEREAS, American leaders and citizens have recognized a day of Thanksgiving since our first president, George Washington issued the first Thanksgiving proclamation in 1789, stating “it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly implore His protection and favor”; and

WHEREAS, it is a Virginia tradition for our citizens to come together in unity on Thanksgiving Day and give thanks for the great level of serenity, harmony and abundance with which we, as citizens of a free nation, have been blessed; the rule of law by which we peaceably govern ourselves and by which our civil and religious liberties are guaranteed; and the brave servicemen and women of our armed forces who risk their lives to defend the freedoms and blessings we cherish;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Robert F. McDonnell, do hereby recognize November 28, 2013 as A DAY OF THANKSGIVING in our COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens; and

FURTHERMORE, I encourage all Virginians to give thanks to our Creator for our plentiful blessings, including the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness as well as the unwavering strength of our families and communities.

November ... bare trees and firewood piles

 November landscape ... bare trees, leaves on the ground, cold wind blowing. It's almost Thanksgiving.

Bill's wood lot. The latest pile waiting to be split and added to the big stack. There is nothing like a wood stove to keep the house warm during wintry weather.

Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell
November 25, 2013

Thanksgiving greetings from Congressman and Mrs. Eric Cantor

We received a Thanksgiving card in the mail today from Congressman Eric Cantor and his wife Diana. In these tough political times, we are thankful for the leadership from the U.S. House's majority leader who happens to be from Virginia.

Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Hanukkah to Congressman Cantor and his family from the Shenandoah Valley!

Spend Thanksgiving weekend 2013 in historic Staunton, Virginia

There are few places as quaint and picturesque as the city of Staunton in the central Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Surrounded by the Blue Ridge and Appalachian mountains, this community-oriented small town celebrates holidays in style, and Thanksgiving is no exception. For a fun and exciting adventure, spend the long weekend enjoying all the area has to offer. The calendar of events is packed with activities to celebrate Thanksgiving and welcome the holiday season.

Wednesday, November 27:
- Playhouse Tour, 2:00 pm, Blackfriars Playhouse
- Trivia, 7:00 pm, Zabbs Beach Day Cafe
- "She Stoops to Conquer," 7:30 pm, Blackfriars Playhouse
- Live jazz, 7:30 pm, Mill Street Grill
- The Level, 8:00 pm, Clocktower Restaurant
- Brent Hull & Joe Tyree, 9:00 pm, Byers Street Bistro

Thanksgiving - Thursday, November 28:
Enjoy your Thanksgiving meal at one of the local restaurants that will be open:
- Kathy's Restaurant, 11:00 am - 3:30 pm, reservations available
- Stonewall Jackson Hotel & Conference Center, 11:00 am - 2:30 pm
- Rowe's Restaurant
- Cracker Barrel, 6:00 am - 10:00 pm

Friday, November 29:
Black Friday" offers the opportunity to check out the local stores and shops of downtown Staunton and the surrounding vicinity. From unique gift items, jewelry, clothing, handmade chocolates, and domestic goods in Staunton to the shopping availabilities of Waynesboro's Target, Books-a-Million, and Kohl's, there's plenty to keep everyone happy. Check out local restaurants for breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well as unique coffee shops throughout town.

Green Valley Book Fair will open Friday, November 29, for its last two-week run of 2013. Open daily, this Mt. Crawford book retailer is known far and wide for its deeply discounted deals on books, audio tapes, and more. It's a great spot to pick up gifts for everyone from children to grandparents.

The Frontier Culture Museum's gift shop offers imported items from Ireland, Scotland, and Great Britain as well as America -- nutcrackers, Christmas ornaments, glassware, historical and cook books, and other just-right gift items for that special person. Don't forget the Museum's famous fudge that comes in a variety of flavors and is always a favorite with visitors.

Staunton's world-known American Shakespeare Theater kicks off the holiday season on  Friday, November 29, with a variety of offerings in the authentically recreated Blackfriars Playhouse as well as tours of the theater. The playhouse can be found on Market Street beside the Stonewall Jackson Hotel.

Ox-Eye Vineyard's tasting room is located in a renovated 1910 building in the historic Wharf District of downtown Staunton which offers an inviting location to taste this local wines crafted by Susan and John Kiers.

The Staunton Christmas Parade will add a magical touch on Monday, December 2 (always the first Monday after Thanksgiving). The route will begin at Frederick and Augusta Streets, turn down Market Street, and then turn right onto Beverley Street. Thousands of tiny white twinkly lights, Christmas decorations, and inviting window displays will entice visitors to step into shops and dine in restaurants before and after the parade. Bundle up for a fun evening in the brisk December air, followed up with a steaming cup of hot chocolate. Meeting friends downtown is a must for this annual tradition.

Be sure to check the Visit Staunton website for more activities as well as lodging and dining opportunities. Come to the Shenandoah Valley for Thanksgiving and stick around to kick off your holiday season.

Sweet Potato Bread Pudding with Whiskey Hard Sauce

Part of the fun of being in the blogosphere is the people we meet and the information we share. Case in point is this cold weather recipe a blogging friend sent over that is something my husband will absolutely adore. He's the big sweet potato lover in our family, and bread pudding is one of his favorite desserts. The recipe is posted at her blog, The Little Black Dress and A String of Pearls, where she declares:

It has been said that a Southern woman only needs three things to survive any social situation: a little black dress, a string of pearls, and a Smithfield ham. If you ever find yourself facing that “social situation”, this little blog is my contribution to weathering the storm, making a splash, or merely creating some 'comfort on a plate'. So .... find a recipe, grab a glass of wine, maybe a mint julep, or perhaps a cold sweet tea and head for the kitchen .... time's a wasting!

Amen, Sister!

Hop on over and check out Merlot's recipe for Sweet Potato Bread Pudding with Whiskey Hard Sauce, just in time for Thanksgiving menu planning. Eat, drink, and be merry!

Photo by Lynn R. Mitchell
Thanksgiving 2012

Thanksgiving memories 2011

Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell
Thanksgiving 2011

The road to Mom's house in the fall

 As I drove the street to my mom's house in Midlothian, I couldn't help but notice the still-changing leaf color in the Richmond area. On a cold, rainy autumn day, leaves were showering down and covering the roadways ...

 ... and covering the ground at my parents' home. I stopped to enjoy the autumn view before pulling in the driveway. It looks like Thankgiving but perhaps that's because that is what Thanksgiving looks like to this Virginia native who was born and raised in Chesterfield.

 What is it about cousins that makes them one step removed from being a sibling ... our partners in crime when we were young? Over the river and through the woods we went to nearby Powhatan for a casual lunch at our cousin's house ...

 ... as we looked out over the Powhatan countryside and woods ...

 ... and snuggled by the fire to ward off the cool, damp day. Everyone had festive autumn decorations that brightened the day ...

... including SWAC Niece's cut-out autumn leaves on the front door of my sister's house in Midlothian. It's autumn in Virginia....

Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell
17 November 2011

A look back at a Virginia family Thanksgiving 2009

My sisters and I were together for Thanksgiving 2009 with our families and our parents. We all pitched in on Thanksgiving dinner ... homemade cranberry sauce, homemade baked macaroni and cheese, homemade stuffing, homemade gravy, homemade mashed potatoes ... we all enjoy cooking.

The youngest cousins were there ...

... as well as the teenage ones including Texas Niece.

The driveway filled as family arrived.

We played games ...

... and more games ...

... and even more games.

A Wednesday morning run to Ukrop's for last-minute items led to a relaxed stop for coffee and bagels at Cafe Caturra.

While we cleaned up in the kitchen ...

... we enticed brother-in-law Bill Aspinwall to join us with his guitar as we sang along to his Houston-style music. The Free Range Trout was in the house.

Bill and SWAC Son had dueling guitars in the family room ... Christmas carols, Coldplay, James Taylor....

The guys had a beer tasting after dinner, trying a variety of locally-brewed beers as they sat around the dining room table.

SWAC Niece opened birthday gifts and we celebrated her special day with the traditional Ukrop's chocolate-covered turkey cake.

There was a Christmas carol sing-along at the piano ...

... and then we helped decorate Mom's Christmas tree and set out this adorable snowman to greet visitors.

My grandmother's candle-lit wreath hangs on the mirror with the poinsettia welcoming visitors to the front hallway.

All too soon the week was over and the Aspinwall family's luggage including Bill's guitar was packed into the car to head to the airport. It was a wonderful Thanksgiving and, though we packed as much as we could into the week, there was still more we wanted to do. It will have to wait until next time. Family ... it was a special time.

Photos by SWAC Girl
Lynn Mitchell
Thanksgiving 2009

Happy Thanksgiving from Wallbuilders' David Barton

The tradition of Thanksgiving as a time to focus on God and thank Him for His blessings dates back almost four centuries in America. Colonists held Thanksgiving services in Texas in 1541, in Florida in 1565, and in Virginia in 1607 and 1619, but it is from the Pilgrims that we derive the current tradition of a Thanksgiving that includes prayers to God, a meal with friends, and a time of athletic competition.

The Pilgrims arrived in America in December 1620 and experienced a harsh winter of extreme hunger and starvation in which half of them died. The following summer, the Pilgrims reaped a bountiful harvest. As Pilgrim Edward Winslow (who later became their governor) affirmed, "God be praised, we had a good increase of corn. . . . [and] by the goodness of God, we are far from want."

The grateful Pilgrims therefore declared a three-day feast in December 1621 to thank God and to celebrate with their friends. Ninety Wampanoag Indians joined the fifty Pilgrims for three days of food (which included shellfish, lobsters, turkey, corn bread, berries, deer, and other foods), of athletic games (the young Pilgrim and Wampanoag men engaged in races, wrestling matches, and other athletic events), and of prayer. This celebration – America's first Thanksgiving Festival – was the origin of the holiday that Americans now celebrate each November.

The first national Thanksgiving was proclaimed in 1789 by President George Washington, but after Washington, national Thanksgiving proclamations were sporadic; most official Thanksgiving observances occurred at the state level. In fact, by 1815, state governments had issued no less than 1,400 official prayer proclamations, almost half of which were for days of thanksgiving and prayer.

In the first half of the nineteenth century, Mrs. Sarah Josepha Hale, the editor of Godey's Lady's Book (a popular lady's books containing poetry, art work, and articles by America's leading authors) began to lobby for a national Day of Thanksgiving. For nearly three decades, she contacted president after president until Abraham Lincoln responded in 1863 by setting aside the last Thursday of that November. Over the next seventy-five years, presidents faithfully followed Lincoln's precedent, annually declaring a national Thanksgiving Day, but the date of the celebrations varied widely from proclamation to proclamation.

In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt celebrated Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November and maintained that date year by year throughout his presidency. In 1941, Congress permanently established the fourth Thursday in November as the national Thanksgiving holiday.

As you celebrate Thanksgiving this year, there are several ways in which you can enhance the celebration of America's oldest holiday:

Review the full HISTORY OF THANKSGIVING and share that history with others. View ORIGINAL THANKSGIVING PROCLAMATIONS.

We have posted a number of famous Thanksgiving Proclamations, including the first national Thanksgiving Proclamation by President George Washington in 1789, the 1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation of President Abraham Lincoln that started the modern Thanksgiving tradition, the 1933 Thanksgiving Proclamation of President Roosevelt that established the tradition, and a number of Thanksgiving Proclamations by Founding Fathers who signed the Declaration or Constitution.

Read a famous THANKSGIVING SERMON – the notable sermon preached by the Rev. Thomas Baldwin of Boston in response to President George Washington's 1795 Thanksgiving Proclamation. Have a blessed and God-filled Thanksgiving!

David Barton
Wallbuilders.com

We gather together....

Thanksgiving is a week away ... hard to believe it's almost here already ... and we're preparing for my Texas sister and her family to join us. The Middle Sister is coming home to Virginia and we'll all gather as we do each year, cooking and playing board games and being thankful that we could all be together for another year. My parents, sisters, brothers-in-law, nieces, and my husband and children ... savoring our time as a family.

Meanwhile, Christmas is coming as noted by Mike, and I've seen decorations beginning to appear in the area. Many Valley residents hang outdoor lights while it's still warm enough to feel your fingers, and the SWAC house is no exception. It will be very cold in these parts before long and snow could be right around the corner ... lights and outdoor decorations are hard to handle when it's so cold you have to wear gloves.

SWAC Daughter caught the Christmas bug earlier this week so she pulled out the 33 RPM records of Dean Martin and Doris Day's Christmas music for the record player (yes, that old-timey thing where a round disc goes round and round). She was feeling nostalgic ... so we pulled out the tree (this is why we don't have a live tree) and stood it in the corner where it now waits for the lights and decorations to be added.

Then she put the "Charlie Brown Christmas" DVD in as we passed around the popcorn, and we had our first showing of that eternal holiday classic. Others we will be watching in the upcoming weeks will include "White Christmas," "It's a Wonderful Life," "Elf," a Muppets Christmas special featuring John Denver that was taped while the kids were young but still a favorite year in and year out, and others.

It truly is the most wonderful time of the year!

Give thanks ...

"From David learn to give thanks for everything. Every furrow in the Book of Psalms is sown with the seeds of thanksgiving."

- Jeremy Taylor (1613-1667), English bishop and theological and devotional writer. Taylor has been called the Shakespeare of the pulpit. A century after Taylor lived, Charles Wesley reported finding great spiritual benefit in his books.

[You can learn a lot by reading the Psalms.]

H/T to Home Educators Association of Virginia

Thanksgiving film shot in Staunton to be shown at Visualite

It's Thanksgiving as the movie "Familiar Strangers" by Cavalier Films out of Charlottesville opens at the Visualite Theater in Staunton this Friday.

Shot in Staunton, the movie is described by director Zachary Adler as "an off-beat family film about the Worthington family and their reunion over one Thanksgiving weekend in their rural hometown in southern Virginia. The story unfolds the joy and pain of coming home, the fear and agony of growing up and how frighteningly easy it is to become disconnected from the ones we love and cherish the most."

The Visualite Theater is located on North Augusta Street in historic downtown Staunton. Contact them for times and prices at (540) 885-9966.

President Reagan's thoughts on Thanksgiving....

Ronald Reagan knew, as families celebrate Thanksgiving, that the source of American prosperity comes from God, not bureaucrats and public officials in Washington.

"All great change in America begins at the dinner table.... When the liberals say 'family,' they mean, 'Big Brother in Washington.' When we say 'family,' we mean, 'honor thy father and mother.' " -- President Ronald Reagan

President Bush pardons turkey

President George W. Bush offers an official pardon to May, the 2007 Thanksgiving Turkey, during festivities Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2007, in the Rose Garden of the White House. In pardoning May, and the alternate, Flower, the President said, "May they live the rest of their lives in blissful gobbling. And may all Americans enjoy a holiday full of love and peace. God bless you all." (White House photo by Chris Greenberg)

Thanksgiving at the White House, 2007
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the National Thanksgiving Turkey presentation. Though live Thanksgiving turkeys have been presented intermittently to presidents since the Lincoln administration, the current ceremony dates to 1947, when the first National Thanksgiving Turkey was presented to President Harry Truman.

The presentation at times has brushed against broader history. For example, the November 1963 event was one of President Kennedy's last in the Rose Garden. The first President Bush conducted the 1990 ceremony just before leaving for Thanksgiving with the troops in the Persian Gulf region. President Clinton in 1996 returned from an Asian summit and literally went directly to the ceremony.

The 2007 National Thanksgiving Turkey and its alternate are from Dubois, Indiana and were raised under the direction of National Turkey Federation Chairman Ted Seger. The 21-week old turkey, will weigh about 45 pounds, when he is driven to Washington.

The National Thanksgiving Turkey was raised using normal feeding and other production techniques. The one exception is they were provided increased interaction with people so that they would be prepared for their role at the White House Ceremony.

Presidents traditionally have granted the National Thanksgiving Turkey a "pardon". After the presentation, the turkey will be flown first class to Disney World in Orlando, where he will be the grand marshal of “Disney’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.” After the parade, guests will be able to visit the bird in the backyard of Mickey’s Country House in Magic Kingdom Park.