George Washington's 1789 Thanksgiving 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 and 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 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 enable 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 has 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 shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase 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 3d day of October, A.D. 1789.

God bless America!  I know I've been blessed and am very thankful!

It's a mild, overcast, November day in North Dakota.  Harvest is still ongoing (being late this year) and hunting season has started.  Plans for Thanksgiving and Christmas are being made, wish lists and goodie recipes are being passed around.  It's a thoughtful time of year, remembering our military, counting our blessings, looking forward to family gatherings.  This is especially true this year because I now have a son in the military, alive and well, but far from home.  (He's still in the States and will be home for Christmas, as will my sister and her military husband, for which I'm very thankful.)  Not everybody has the wonderful family I have in my husband, three children and one son-in-law---I feel especially blessed to be surrounded by a family that loves me.  Doesn't matter if they are here, the other end of the state, or all the way to the southern border of the US...they keep in touch and I love them beyond words.  As November turns to winter and the sun falls out of the sky and plunges us into darkness at 5pm, I begin the battle with seasonal affective disorder...each year a little more prepared and more determined not to let it get the best of me...not to let it turn me into a hibernating slug surrounded by fear monsters.  So I have some goals for this winter, a few things to keep me upbeat...I've decided to become a trophy wife (I'm 6 months younger than Rick and he makes enough money for both of us to live on - simply), mostly because I want hott shoes...I may have to lose a few pounds and dye my hair a lighter shade of blonde.  We've been married almost 25 years, only halfway to 50, so it's about time I lighten up.  I'm going to start redecorating the house---we did the outside this summer, top to bottom, so it's time to make some changes inside...nothing major, a little paint here and there, some new curtains, definitely rearranging the furniture (good exercise!).  I'm going to read a good book every week...I read a lot when I was a kid but had to give it up while I was raising my own children since I read by walking into the book and not coming out until "The End"---none of this 15 minutes here and there and a chapter before falling asleep...I have to set aside a day for each book.  My biggest project is going through boxes of photos---sorting and organizing.  It's much easier now when I can post photos on facebook for my family to see the same day I take them and they can download copies of the ones they want.  But I have years of fuzzy photos that I really don't need and a few of my adorable children that I need to dig up for pure entertainment purposes (they were so cute!) and put into albums for them.  There are other things to keep me busy...Bible Study and Church once a week, daily feeding of the animals and visiting the turkeys, answering my phone when the kids call, and cleaning up after two cats and a dog in the house.  I'm thankful to live in North Dakota where life is simple (but not easy) and winter builds character.  Have a great day!