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NOVEMBER BASSFLASH
THANKSGIVING
Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving
Day, celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November, at the end of the harvest season, is an annual American Federal holiday to express thanks for one's material and spiritual possessions. The period from Thanksgiving Day
to New Year's Day often is called the holiday season. Most people celebrate by gathering at home with family or friends for a holiday feast.
Thanksgiving generally is considered secular, or at least nonsectarian, and
is not based on any specific religious canon or dogma. Though the holiday's origins can be traced to harvest festivals that have been celebrated in many cultures since ancient times, the American holiday has religious undertones
related to the deliverance of the English settlers by Native Americans after the brutal winter at Plymouth, Massachusetts.
Foods of the season
U.S. tradition
compares the holiday with a meal held in 1621 by the Wampanoag and the Puritans who settled in Plymouth, Massachusetts. This element continues in modern times with the Thanksgiving dinner, often featuring turkey, playing a large role in the celebration of Thanksgiving. Some of the details of the
American Thanksgiving story are myths that developed in the 1890s and early 1900s as part of the effort to forge a common national identity in the
aftermath of the Civil War and in the melting pot of new immigrants.
Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner
In the United States, certain kinds
of food are traditionally served at Thanksgiving meals. First and foremost, baked or roasted turkey is usually the featured item on any Thanksgiving feast table (so much so that Thanksgiving is
sometimes referred to as "Turkey Day"). Stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, sweet corn, other fall vegetables, and pumpkin pie are commonly associated with Thanksgiving dinner. All of these primary dishes are actually
native to the Americas or were introduced
as a new food source to the Europeans when they arrived.
To
feed the needy at Thanksgiving time, most communities have annual food drives that collect non-perishable packaged and canned
foods, and corporations sponsor charitable distributions of staple foods and Thanksgiving dinners.
Giving Thanks
Thanksgiving was originally a religious observance for all the members of the community to give thanks
to God for a common purpose. Historic reasons for community thanksgivings include the 1541 thanksgiving mass after the expedition
of Coronado safely crossing part of Texas and finding game, and the 1777 thanksgiving after the victory in the revolutionary
battle of Saratoga. In his 1789 Proclamation, President Washington gave many noble reasons for a national Thanksgiving, including
“for the civil and religious liberty,” for “useful knowledge,” and for God’s “kind care”
and "his providence." The only presidents to inject a specifically Christian focus to their proclamation have been Grover Cleveland in 1896, and William McKinley in 1900. Several other presidents have cited the Judeo-Christian tradition. Gerald Ford's 1975 declaration made no clear reference to any divinity.
The tradition of giving thanks to God is continued today in various forms. Religious and spiritual
organizations offer services and events on Thanksgiving themes the week-end before, the day of, or the week-end after Thanksgiving.
Bishop Ryan observed about Thanksgiving Day, "It is the only day we have that consistently finds Catholics at Mass in extraordinary
numbers...even though it is not a holy day of obligation."
In celebrations at home, it is a holiday tradition in many families to begin the Thanksgiving dinner
by saying grace. Found in diverse religious traditions, grace is a prayer before or after a meal to express appreciation to
God, to ask for God’s blessing, or in some philosophies, to express an altruistic wish or dedication. The custom is
portrayed in the photograph “Family Holding Hands and Praying Before a Thanksgiving Meal.” The grace may be led
by the hostess or host, as has been traditional, or, in contemporary fashion, each person may contribute words of blessing
or thanks. According to a 1998 Gallup poll, an estimated 64 percent of Americans say grace.
Click here to see pictures for IEC
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Feeling SAD?
If you start feeling down in a fall and more energetic in
the spring, you’re not alone. Up to 20 percent of Americans suffer from
the “winter blues”— sadness and fatigue felt during seasons with less sunlight.
Symptoms of winter blues are usually mild but some people
experience a clinical form of depression, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which eases up in the springtime. SAD can impair everyday functioning at home and at work. Common
features include low energy, irritability, oversleeping, cravings for carbs and sweets, and weight gain.
The good news: Like other forms of depression, SAD is very
treatable. Light therapy (“phototherapy”) is an effective, rapid
treatment with minimal side effects. Daily exposure to a “light box,” which produces light of a special quality
and intensity, can help. Other promising approaches include counseling, medication,
and changes in diet and exercise. Note: If you have thoughts of suicide, seek
medical attention immediately. Simple steps: Try spending
more time outdoors, especially in the morning. Take up a winter sport or go for a walk in the daylight before work. Eating healthy, getting enough sleep and making time for fun can also help you get through the winter with
a smile on your face.
Employee of the Month
Construction: Justin Watson
Service/shop: Ilona Norman
MONTHLY SAFETY AWARD:
GME9
HK12
TTHA
GMAB
Make sure all safety reports are turned in with questions and answer sheet . Make sure a site safety is done once a month.
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ARE YOU GETTING UNWANTED CALLS???????
National DO-NOT-CALL list
All cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you could be
receiving sales calls. You can put an end to these phone calls.
To prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone: 888-382-1222. It is the National DO NOT CALL list. It
will only take a minute. You must call from your cell phone number you want to have blocked.
Or you can go to www.donotcall.gov and register online.
Your registration will not expire.
Telephone numbers placed on the National Do Not Call Registry will remain on it permanently due to the Do-Not-Call Improvement
Act of 2007, which became law in February 2008. Read more about it at http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/04/dncfyi.shtm.
Help
others by passing this on to all your friends and associates.
TO THE DULL MIND ALL OF NATURE IS LEADEN.
TO THE ILLUMINED MIND THE WHOLE WORLD SPARKLES WITH LIGHT
-RALPH WALDO EMERSON
MEMO:
*Effective January 1, 2009– The company will change
the contribution percentage for
Simple IRA from 2% to 3%- see Linda to sign up
In the next couple of month, we will be
implementing Direct Deposit. You will either have to have a bank account or you can use a pay card by VISA.
Mentoring Program-
Anyone interested in mentoring
an employee or being mentored.
Have questions???? See Linda
Annual Christmas Party
12-13-08 630pm
Bell County Expo
1950’s Theme
White Elephant Gift Exchange
Best Dress Contest
NOVEMBER BIRTHDAYS
Hector Rivera 11-01
Tovarious Wright 11-10
Miguel Sansom 11-12
Eli Hernandez 11-13
David Dillard 11-23
Dawn Luebbert 11-23
Lennie Strickland 11-23
Elisabeth Daniels 11-28
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The greatest grace of a gift, perhaps, is that it anticipates and admits of no
return
---Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
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