Happy Thanksgiving | Thanksgiving Blessings

It’s Thanksgiving time in America! What are you thankful for?

Thanksgiving in America is all about the 3 F’s… Family, Fun & Food! There was no shortage of that last night at our early holiday get-together.

We celebrated Thanksgiving a day early this year due to scheduling conflicts. In my eyes, it’s Thanksgiving any day that the whole family is together. My sister-in-law, Chantal, always sets the most beautiful table. We had plenty of food including ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes, creamed corn, cranberry sauce and much more. This year was extra special as the children joined us at the adult table.

Thanksgiving dinner with family (Photo- Backyard Birdlady/ Karen Hance)

With all this food and celebrating, we can’t forget about the desserts. We had an assortment of yummy desserts including pumpkin pie, pineapple cheesecake, chocolate pie and cookies. Usually, I make turkey-shaped decorated sugar cookies for Thanksgiving. However, this year, the traditional turkey dinner was changed to ham so I had to improvise on my cookies. What do you think? They were a huge hit as usual. You can see more of my creations on my Instagram page at  https://www.instagram.com/bigcookiecakesbakery/

Thanksgiving pig cookies by Big Cookie Cakes Bakery (Photo- Backyard Birdlady/ Karen Hance)

As I sit here in my warm home this morning watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, I reflect on my many blessings of the year. This is one of the coldest Thanksgivings on record for the parade. I can’t help but notice everyone bundled up, trying to stay warm, except for the female dancers. While their outfits were really cute, I can’t help but wonder why they couldn’t incorporate warmer outfits for these girls and women. I feel really bad for them with their bare legs exposed in 19-degree (-7 degrees Celcius) weather.

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (Photo- Backyard Birdlady/ Karen Hance)

Not everyone has something to be thankful for…

While you’re enjoying your Thanksgiving dinner this year, please take a moment to think about those less fortunate than yourself. There are so many people who will not get to spend Thanksgiving with their family or friends this year. Whether it be due to distance, being in the military, loss or finances, there is always someone worse off than ourselves. Let’s keep them in our hearts and prayers.

There are also many food pantries in need of help for the holidays. Won’t you consider donating to one? We have small pantries in my town where people can go any time of day or night to get what they need. These pantries are a great idea, however, they are empty as quickly as they are filled. We added some food just before Thanksgiving and it was gone by the next day. We don’t always realize just how tough some people have it.

North Tonawanda Free Pantry (Photo- Backyard Birdlady/ Karen Hance)

On this Thanksgiving Day, cherish the time with your family and friends. Count your blessings and be grateful for the small things in life. Don’t forget to put food out for the birds and other wild critters that may visit your yard. Happy Thanksgiving to all & Happy Birding ~ Karen