George Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation

Since today is thanksgiving, I thought it appropriate to post Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation. Enjoy!

By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation.

Whereas 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 to implore his protection and favor-- and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be-- That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks--for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation--for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war--for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed--for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted--for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions-- to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually--to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed--to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord--To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us--and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

Go: Washington

Happy Thanksgiving!

What a glorious day that the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it! What a wonderful Thanksgiving morning! I pray that this day is a blessing and joy to you all. Happy Thanksgiving folks and may God bless you today with good food, good friends and good family!

Harvest 2009

I have elected to remove the 2009 harvest list from the side bar. I apologize for feeling the need for doing this. As the economy worsens there are now new things to be cautious about and one of those is having your home broken into and all your food stolen. I have observed several reports coming in from around the country from homesteaders that have experienced this very thing. Nothing else stolen, just the food (all of it). I think that it is no longer prudent or wise to publish what my food stores might possibly look like on the internet. I simply cannot abide thievery! It makes me so angry. Should someone knock on my door or stop in my driveway and tell me that they are hungry, I would gladly share what I have. I cannot stand for someone to think that they are entitled to it simply because it is there, though. So understand that this is happening across the country. It may not be happening often in the grand scheme of things, but as the dollar continues its downward spiral and increasing numbers of people become hungry for whatever reason this will become more common. May God bless you all!

God's Order and the Seasons

God has placed an order and timing into everything. That order can be seen in the seasons as well. God commanded that we rest on the 7th day and the 7th year. But what about all those days, weeks, months and years in between? Don't we get a break sometime? Why yes, Virginia, we most certainly do. Let's take a look at nature and God's seasons to find that break from our toiling and our labor. Now remember I also look at everything from an agricultural standpoint because well....that is our life. In the Spring it is time to plant and reawaken the earth from it's winter slumber. Spring is full of planting and cleaning up from the winter winds. Spring is also a time of birth on the farm seeing the birth of calves, lambs, kids and what have you. So spring is a busy season in the expectation of the fall harvest. It is a time for cleaning up and making new again what once looked so desolate and dead. Then we move into summer which is a time of maintenance on our farm at least. Maintain the garden, repair buildings, maintain fences and pastures. It is also a time to begin to think about winter once again as we cut trees to be used for firewood. So with spring and summer time is busy and we bustle about as the harvest begins to roll in with late summer and we begin to think of winter coming once again. Like the ant our days are not spent lazing about, but in hard labor and preparation for the season that is to come. As we move into fall our labor picks up pace with the cooler weather, the harvest full on, and the threat of a bitter winter wind looming in our minds. There is usually much to be done on a farm in the fall. Projects to be finished and put away, feed and bedding for the animals to be put away and things to be done to make sure that they survive the coming winter cold in some comfort. Our livestock is the backbone of their lives and their needs are met before ours. It is a vast responsibility that a stockman carries on his shoulders. The animals give their lives into our hands completely much in the same way that we give our lives to God's hands completely. Their needs come before ours and we must see to their needs, their care, and their well being in much the same way that God Almighty sees to ours. Notice, I said "needs", for there is a vast difference between needs and wants. I am sure that my goats would love me forever if I gave them unlimited access to their grain barrel, however their needs are truly much smaller and healthier for them. So in fall we are busy seeing that our animals needs will be met when nature closes her buffet line and old man winter is whistling across the fields and into the barn. The animals have food to last the winter and warm bedding to snuggle down into. Then winter rolls in with a cold biting wind and guess what, it is our season of rest. It is a time to hunker down and wait for the first signs of spring. Winter is our 7th day and 7th year rolled into each full year so that we can rest our weary bodies and our minds from the labors of the year. There is a song that we sing with our children and the first line of the song is "Be still and know that I am God". Well, winter is our time to be still and know that He is God and He is Glorious. There is nothing that we can accomplish without His hand being on it, in it and around it. As I reach into the cupboard to get that can of apples that I so lovingly put up, it has His hand stamped all over it for without God's grace that apple tree would not have grown. We can do nothing without Him. it is by His grace that He has given us creatures to provide our needs for nutrition, clothing, transportation and companionship. So this winter, I plan to "Be still" for a bit and get to know my Lord and Saviour a bit more. It will be a time to wonder at the Glory of it all and a time for thanksgiving that He has given us all that He has given so freely. The time is coming for a break from our labors (a much needed one I must say), a time for quiet activities and time to be still and know our God. God bless!

Taking Care of Your Tools

Well, it is that time of year. The last of the harvest has been picked and the big garden is done for the year. Now, is the fun time...putting away all those tools until next season. So let's talk about those gardening tools. I use a lot of hand tools for several reasons, 1) they don't cost anything to run, 2) they can in places that other tools would be awkward, and 3)I get lots of great exercise using them. I buy good quality tools from places that sell good quality tools. I used to buy those cheap 10.00 hoes and shovels at the big box stores, only to have them break, bend and generally fall apart before the garden season was over. Now, I come off some money and buy tools that will last. For this very reason I find it just as important in caring for your tools before you put them away for the season. So, gather up all your gardening stuff and get out there and let's get it clean. First you need to take a good stiff brush and some water. Scrub, scrub, scrub away all dirt and junk that has accumulated over the gardening season. Then dry your tool making sure that there is no water in all the little nooks and crannies which would cause rust to build up over the winter. I usually take an old towel, dry the tool as best I can and then set it upside down against the garden fence to make sure there is no water stuck right around the handle connection. After I make sure the tool is well dried, then I oil the tool. This is about the only thing that I use vegetable oil for and I have found that it works well. I take a rag and simply rub the oil all over the metal part of the tool. If the tool has a wooden handle then I make sure and oil that also because it will keep the wood from becoming too dry and brittle and make wooden handles last longer. Then I hang my pretty, shiney, and clean tools up in the tool shed until next spring. So, the moral of the story is to buy good quality tools to start with and then take care of them each season. Happy Cleaning!

A Rare Treat

Aaaahhhh! What a glorious treat I am enjoying and just thought I would share. What is that treat you say? Why it is the treat of silence. A quiet house with nothing but the crackle of the fire to break the stillness of this evening. A cup of hot chocolate perfectly rounds off this rare treat. My oldest daughter had ice skating lessons tonight and so my husband took both of the children with him. I am left home alone.....Even though we mothers love our children and spouses dearly, we need some time every now and then to simply be still. In fact our dear Lord and Father teaches us that we need to be still. It is in the stillness that we can feel his peace completely. So ladies, take a little bit of time to be still and just be. Have a blessed evening.

A Fireplace Story

Since one of my readers mentioned how much she loved fireplaces, I have a humorous story to tell that involves a fireplace and Christmas. One year when I was much younger than I am now we were going to have Christmas dinner at my aunt and uncle's house. It was an unseasonably warm year with the outside temps in the mid 70s. Those of you who live in snowland would have thought summer had arrived. As for us we were wondering when winter would ever come. My aunt was extremely frustrated because of the warm weather because it would mean the first Christmas that she would not have a fire in the fireplace. Well, it simply couldn't be Christmas without a fire in the fireplace. So she decided to fix it....She turned her air condition on as low as she could possibly get it to go. You could have hung a side of beef in her house. Then she proceeded to direct my uncle in building the fire in the fireplace. Well, outside it was warm and sunshiney, but inside cold as Maine in February complete with a roaring fire in the fireplace. I don't remember my presents that year, but I sure do remember turning on the air condition for the fireplace. My aunt was happy, but to be honest it was cold in that house!