@realjohnboy,
My mother was a great cook. I am a lousy cook, because I have never tried to cook much of anything. I can make popcorn, jello, and sometimes pancakes or eggs and bacon for breakfast.
I have been known to make a banana cream pie or something like that. My wife is a great cook, and she inherited that tradition from her mother as well. We had a great dinner with a handful of friends and family today, although fewer than usual. We had turkey, dressing, potatoes including sweet potatoes, gravy, salads, cranberries, etc. and pies, including pecan, pumpkin, etc. No complaints at all. Our family is a little spread out now, as many are, so there were fewer this year than sometimes and we didn't take that long to do it all, but we talked to most of them, and all had a good day.
I think I finally found the proclamation by George Washington in 1789, to establish this holiday. A bit long, but certainly worth reading again.
http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/publications/id.8004/pub_detail.asp
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 favour: And whereof both Houses 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 favours 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 TWENTY-SIXTH 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 favourable 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 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 favours 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 show 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 third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty nine."
