Nov 24, 2024 Pilgrim House Thanksgiving Celebration Join us as we come together to celebrate Thanksgiving in advance of Thanksgiving Day this coming week! With special focus on our younger members, music, a performance by the Pilgrim House Chorale, seasonal readings, poetry, and more, you won’t want to miss this very special program. And for those participating live at Pilgrim House, don’t forget to bring a dish to pass to accompany the provided ham, scalloped potatoes and pecan pie for our traditional pot luck feast immediately after the program. Pilgrim House Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Arden Hills, Minnesota pilgrimhouseuua.org pilgrimhouse@pilgrimhouseuua.org TRANSCRIPT ***** NOTE: This is the transcript from Zoom and there are likely errors contained below. No effort has been made to proof read this transcript other than to remove certain sections of the program. ***** [Pilgrim House] 10:16:56 Welcome to Pilgrim House. We are Ley Lead Fellowship, welcoming all, regardless of race, gender, sexual, or spiritual orientation. [Pilgrim House] 10:17:04 We have no creed. Rather, we encourage the openness to ideas. [Pilgrim House] 10:17:08 Here we explore, develop, and apply our own individual beliefs with the acceptance and the encouragement [Pilgrim House] 10:17:14 of our fellow pilgrims. [Pilgrim House] 10:17:19 will help us light the cellos this morning. [Pilgrim House] 10:17:43 We're celebrating our own special wedding. [Pilgrim House] 10:17:49 But we all have [Pilgrim House] 10:17:52 The dream we [Pilgrim House] 10:17:54 A dream for peace everywhere. [Pilgrim House] 10:18:18 One moment. [Pilgrim House] 10:18:36 Amazing. [Pilgrim House] 10:19:13 The Lamb of God. [Pilgrim House] 10:20:23 Is the… [Pilgrim House] 10:20:26 As the corral leaves. [Pilgrim House] 10:20:28 We're going to have a film about [Pilgrim House] 10:20:33 about what Thanksgiving is all about. [Pilgrim House] 10:20:36 It says that it's a… [Pilgrim House] 10:20:37 Thanksgiving for Kids film, but they explain very quickly that [Pilgrim House] 10:20:42 It's good for anybody. [Pilgrim House] 10:21:01 Build the ultimate marble run with Gecko Run. [Pilgrim House] 10:21:16 Welcome to this Thanksgiving video for kids, but to be honest, anyone could enjoy this. You know, I see you watching. All right, this is going to be a great video. I'm going to share some really cool things with you, all right? [Pilgrim House] 10:21:30 You are going to learn things you'll want to share with others and they'll be like, wow, how do you know so much about Thanksgiving? [Pilgrim House] 10:21:40 So if you're ready, let's take a serious look at this awesome holiday. [Pilgrim House] 10:21:47 It's a fun turkey. [Pilgrim House] 10:21:50 Okay, so what is Thanksgiving? That's a great place to start. [Pilgrim House] 10:21:55 What is Thanksgiving? [Pilgrim House] 10:21:59 Well, Thanksgiving is a special holiday that is celebrated in the United States, Canada, Liberia, and in some of the Caribbean islands. [Pilgrim House] 10:22:12 Let's look at these places on the world map. Canada is right here and south of Canada, the United States of America. Then over here, the Caribbean islands, and then in West Africa, the country of Liberia. [Pilgrim House] 10:22:29 All of these places celebrate Thanksgiving. [Pilgrim House] 10:22:35 What's interesting is these places don't celebrate Thanksgiving on the same day. [Pilgrim House] 10:22:43 For example, Thanksgiving is celebrated in Canada on the second Monday in October. It's true. In Liberia, Thanksgiving is celebrated the first Thursday in November. [Pilgrim House] 10:22:55 And in the United States, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. [Pilgrim House] 10:23:06 Here's the thing. While traditions can vary, all Thanksgiving celebrations have certain things in common regardless of where they happen in the world. There are certain things that make a Thanksgiving celebration, a Thanksgiving celebration. [Pilgrim House] 10:23:26 For example, Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for all of the blessings from the past year. Without that, it's not a Thanksgiving celebration. No matter where it's celebrated in the world, Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful and we have so much to be thankful for. [Pilgrim House] 10:23:47 Regardless of where it's celebrated, Thanksgiving is also a time for family and loved ones and friends and those that we care about, which makes sense because Thanksgiving is all about being thankful for the blessings of the past year and you want to celebrate and be thankful with those who mean the most to you. [Pilgrim House] 10:24:08 And of course, food. You know, you can't celebrate Thanksgiving without a wonderful feast and you don't eat this, okay? What do you eat on Thanksgiving? [Pilgrim House] 10:24:20 Yeah, in Canada and in the United States, you typically have a turkey for Thanksgiving. A turkey dinner is the tradition for most people who celebrate Thanksgiving [Pilgrim House] 10:24:31 In the United States and Canada. That isn't the case everywhere, though. In Liberia, for example, instead of eating turkey for Thanksgiving, chicken is the center of their Thanksgiving feast. [Pilgrim House] 10:24:48 This adds up to a lot of food. Take the United States, for example. [Pilgrim House] 10:24:54 Believe it or not, 46 million turkeys are eaten on Thanksgiving every year in the United States. Wow, 46 million turkeys. [Pilgrim House] 10:25:09 And check this out, about 50 million pumpkin pies are eaten every year for Thanksgiving in the United States. [Pilgrim House] 10:25:18 About 50 million [Pilgrim House] 10:25:20 Pumpkin pies. Wow. [Pilgrim House] 10:25:24 Of course, there is cranberry sauce and stuffing and sweet potatoes and the casseroles. There are so many delicious foods we eat on Thanksgiving. [Pilgrim House] 10:25:35 But where did this all begin? [Pilgrim House] 10:25:41 Well, interestingly enough, in England during the days of King Henry the eighth, it was common for the people to have days of giving thanks. In fact, they would call them days of Thanksgiving. [Pilgrim House] 10:25:57 Then there was this guy named Martin Frobisher. He was an English explorer who explored Canada. [Pilgrim House] 10:26:07 Just 31 years after King Henry VII's reign in 1578, Martin Frobisher held a day of Thanksgiving in Canada. [Pilgrim House] 10:26:19 They were celebrating their arrival in Newfoundland. [Pilgrim House] 10:26:22 You can see him pictured here. Martin Frobisher was from Britain and would have been familiar with the days of giving thanks that happened during King Henry the eighth's reign. [Pilgrim House] 10:26:33 They were grateful that they arrived in Newfoundland safely and enjoyed a beef dinner with a side of peas. [Pilgrim House] 10:26:42 Tasty. [Pilgrim House] 10:26:46 Another group familiar with these days of Thanksgiving were the Pilgrims, a group of English settlers that came to America for religious freedom. [Pilgrim House] 10:26:55 They had different religious beliefs than many people in England and didn't want to be a part of the state church of England. [Pilgrim House] 10:27:07 In a ship called the Mayflower, the pilgrims made their way across the Atlantic Ocean [Pilgrim House] 10:27:12 and arrived in present-day Massachusetts in a place called Plymouth. This colony became known as the Plymouth Colony. [Pilgrim House] 10:27:25 Here's the thing. Life was difficult at Plymouth, and it wasn't until a Native American named Squanto helped them [Pilgrim House] 10:27:32 that they finally had their first successful harvest, their first successful harvest. [Pilgrim House] 10:27:41 So, in celebration of this first successful harvest in 1621, [Pilgrim House] 10:27:47 The pilgrims invited the Wampanoag people, including Squanto and their leader, named Massasoit. [Pilgrim House] 10:27:55 to celebrate a day of Thanksgiving. The celebration lasted three days. We know they did a lot of eating, but what did they eat? Well, the governor of the Plymouth colony named William Bradford wrote that they ate [Pilgrim House] 10:28:10 birds and deer during the feast. And we know from his writings that they hunted for turkey. Could turkey have been one of those birds they ate during the Thanksgiving feast? There's a big chance [Pilgrim House] 10:28:22 But to be honest, we don't know for sure. [Pilgrim House] 10:28:28 What is interesting about the Thanksgiving celebration in 1621 is that it brought together the traditions of the days of giving thanks during the years of King Henry VII [Pilgrim House] 10:28:40 and harvest festivals, which were festivals celebrating a successful harvest. The two traditions were combined that day. [Pilgrim House] 10:28:51 You see, long before the pilgrims or Martin Frobisher or King Henry the eighth. [Pilgrim House] 10:28:56 Native Americans celebrated harvests. They would come together with loved ones, enjoy good food, in gratitude and thankfulness for all of the wonderful things that were going on. Thanksgiving is special because we all need to be thankful. [Pilgrim House] 10:29:16 Celebrating with family and friends with good food and thankful hearts is an incredible tradition. [Pilgrim House] 10:29:29 We're going to have Lonnie. [Pilgrim House] 10:29:36 Well, we have a book to read for you. [Pilgrim House] 10:29:40 It's called How to Catch a Turkey. [Pilgrim House] 10:29:44 You know how to catch a turkey? [Pilgrim House] 10:29:48 Well, you're going to learn how. [Pilgrim House] 10:29:58 All right, we have to wait for the… [Pilgrim House] 10:30:00 Oh, it's up already. Okay. [Pilgrim House] 10:30:03 Well done. My technician is excellent. [Pilgrim House] 10:30:11 All right. How would you catch a turkey if you had to catch a turkey? [Pilgrim House] 10:30:19 I think you're going to, yeah. What do you think? [Pilgrim House] 10:30:21 I can't see it. [Pilgrim House] 10:30:24 by its long neck, that's how you catch a chicken. All right, so how to catch a turkey. [Pilgrim House] 10:30:32 from the New York Times best-selling team of Adam Wallace and Andy Elkerton. [Pilgrim House] 10:30:42 Here we are on Thanksgiving Day. [Pilgrim House] 10:30:45 It's that special time of year. Yes, I know. I am a turkey. [Pilgrim House] 10:30:50 That much should be clear. [Pilgrim House] 10:30:52 So gather round. I have a tail. [Pilgrim House] 10:30:55 And it's really quite a story. [Pilgrim House] 10:30:59 What I tell you now is not a joke. [Pilgrim House] 10:31:02 It is my crowning glory. [Pilgrim House] 10:31:06 Or you guys can all see it. I gotta have a book, though. [Pilgrim House] 10:31:11 It all began one year ago. [Pilgrim House] 10:31:14 I was at school, you see. [Pilgrim House] 10:31:17 Play preparations were underway, but that didn't bother to me. Some kids walked by in silly clothes talking about the play [Pilgrim House] 10:31:27 We'll even have a turkey on the stage. It's perfect for Thanksgiving Day. [Pilgrim House] 10:31:34 What do you think the turkey's thinking? [Pilgrim House] 10:31:38 Yeah, thank you, Mikey. Turkey, stage, no way, no how. [Pilgrim House] 10:31:45 Had I really heard that right? [Pilgrim House] 10:31:47 I broke out of my pen and ran away with a bad case of stage fright. [Pilgrim House] 10:31:53 Do you guys know what stage fright is? [Pilgrim House] 10:31:55 It's when you get nervous in front of people. [Pilgrim House] 10:32:00 I burst into the science room, knocked over flasks and beakers and the cry of. [Pilgrim House] 10:32:06 turkey boomed over the loudspeakers. [Pilgrim House] 10:32:13 So now… We've lost your pictures. Whoops. [Pilgrim House] 10:32:17 I'm sorry. Well, then I'll show you. Did you see this? [Pilgrim House] 10:32:22 Cool. We are in the science room doing a little stem, I hear. [Pilgrim House] 10:32:31 There we go. [Pilgrim House] 10:32:33 Do you see this one where he's running away? Yes, maybe. [Pilgrim House] 10:32:36 I don't know. [Pilgrim House] 10:32:38 Got to watch myself over there. There we go. [Pilgrim House] 10:32:43 So now, more children join the chase. [Pilgrim House] 10:32:49 with catapults. [Pilgrim House] 10:32:52 And food. [Pilgrim House] 10:32:54 But the goopy mashed potatoes weren't enough to keep me glued. [Pilgrim House] 10:33:02 Up next, there was a maze of books. [Pilgrim House] 10:33:10 But with a big, that stretched from wall to wall. [Pilgrim House] 10:33:14 But with a big hop and a mighty flap. [Pilgrim House] 10:33:17 I managed to escape it all. [Pilgrim House] 10:33:20 Anybody been to a library in your school? Do they still have them? They're disappear, yeah. [Pilgrim House] 10:33:26 You think they might? [Pilgrim House] 10:33:28 I ducked past chairs. [Pilgrim House] 10:33:32 And bags and desks. [Pilgrim House] 10:33:34 Now that was quite a trick. [Pilgrim House] 10:33:36 The kids thought they could stop me here, but I was much too quick. [Pilgrim House] 10:33:45 I ran outside to the jungle gym. [Pilgrim House] 10:33:48 Thinking I could hide. [Pilgrim House] 10:33:52 But the recess yard was all tricked out. [Pilgrim House] 10:33:56 I'd have better luck inside. [Pilgrim House] 10:33:59 How are they trying to catch the chicken or the turkey? What do you see? [Pilgrim House] 10:34:08 They've got this jump ropes all set up as a trap. They're trying to… [Pilgrim House] 10:34:13 Land on him. [Pilgrim House] 10:34:16 They've got a football, throwing the frisbee at him, yeah. [Pilgrim House] 10:34:20 All exciting stuff. [Pilgrim House] 10:34:22 Finally, the kids gave up. [Pilgrim House] 10:34:24 But the principal gave chase. [Pilgrim House] 10:34:28 My only hope of escaping was keeping up my pace. [Pilgrim House] 10:34:33 Do you think your principal would chase the turkey? [Pilgrim House] 10:34:37 I don't know if mine would, maybe. [Pilgrim House] 10:34:39 I slid into the coach's room and [Pilgrim House] 10:34:42 crashed into a chair. I got tangled up in the jerseys. [Pilgrim House] 10:34:46 But I wouldn't get stuck there. [Pilgrim House] 10:34:51 It's putting on the t-shirt and stuff. [Pilgrim House] 10:34:54 I ran into a curtain. Uh-oh. [Pilgrim House] 10:34:58 There is nowhere else to go. [Pilgrim House] 10:35:00 I couldn't get past the principle. [Pilgrim House] 10:35:04 But the curtain led to the… [Pilgrim House] 10:35:08 Show. [Pilgrim House] 10:35:12 My heart was racing. [Pilgrim House] 10:35:15 I started to sweat. [Pilgrim House] 10:35:17 I couldn't squawk or run. [Pilgrim House] 10:35:23 I don't know if you're seeing out there or not. [Pilgrim House] 10:35:25 I took a deep breath. [Pilgrim House] 10:35:28 I can do this. [Pilgrim House] 10:35:31 Who knows? It might be fun. [Pilgrim House] 10:35:34 A kid stood up and pointed, oh my gosh, he's so cute. [Pilgrim House] 10:35:40 You really, he really is a parent agreed. [Pilgrim House] 10:35:44 In his little mascot suit. [Pilgrim House] 10:35:49 I started to smile. [Pilgrim House] 10:35:51 and even dance. [Pilgrim House] 10:35:54 While the crowd continued to cheer. [Pilgrim House] 10:35:57 I was filled with joy that I took the chance. [Pilgrim House] 10:36:02 And that's what started my mascot. [Pilgrim House] 10:36:06 Career. Go turkeys. Maybe not. [Pilgrim House] 10:36:11 Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. [Pilgrim House] 10:36:15 The end. [Pilgrim House] 10:36:21 Did they catch him? Not really. You were right. [Pilgrim House] 10:36:24 He just decided he'd participate. [Pilgrim House] 10:36:26 Is Tyree ready? [Pilgrim House] 10:36:29 Okay. [Pilgrim House] 10:36:32 There is a… [Pilgrim House] 10:36:34 I've never seen a kid take on a project [Pilgrim House] 10:36:38 Three years now he's tried to flip the bottle. [Erin Raymond] 10:36:41 It's important and a half. [Pilgrim House] 10:36:42 So this time he's going to do it. [Pilgrim House] 10:36:44 First time. Go ahead. [Erin Raymond] 10:36:48 Okay. [Pilgrim House] 10:36:58 We're ready. Ready. [Erin Raymond] 10:37:01 So I'm just going to do some stuff, try like some ESP. [Pilgrim House] 10:37:13 Oh, my. [Pilgrim House] 10:37:16 Quit talking, though. [Pilgrim House] 10:37:19 Say something again, Kari. [Erin Raymond] 10:37:22 What? [Pilgrim House] 10:37:23 You got to talk. Okay, there you go. [Pilgrim House] 10:37:47 Tell us what you're doing because we can't see you on the big screen. [Erin Raymond] 10:37:51 Oh, I'm trying like a six tower or something. [Erin Raymond] 10:37:58 Yeah, yeah. [Erin Raymond] 10:38:04 So I'm just going to like try some easy bottle. [Pilgrim House] 10:38:15 How's another one, Kyrie? [Erin Raymond] 10:38:17 All right, I just made a fourth tower. [Erin Raymond] 10:38:23 Yes, five towers, five towers. [Erin Raymond] 10:38:27 four to six hours. [Erin Raymond] 10:38:39 All right. [Erin Raymond] 10:38:40 I'm just going to try this. [Erin Raymond] 10:38:46 Oh. [Pilgrim House] 10:38:55 I'm for a song. [Pilgrim House] 10:39:20 Hitting the song, Brent. [Pilgrim House] 10:39:23 You can watch Pirate's YouTube channel on Netflix. [Pilgrim House] 10:39:26 Excellent. [Pilgrim House] 10:39:51 Okay, this is a traditional Thanksgiving song that we often sing. [Pilgrim House] 10:39:57 And I'll just do a little bit of an intro and [Pilgrim House] 10:40:00 We can jump into it. [Pilgrim House] 10:40:06 Okay. [Pilgrim House] 10:40:20 We sing now together our song of thanksgiving. Rejoice. [Pilgrim House] 10:40:28 and heels and hold us and leads beyond the goals which are [Pilgrim House] 10:40:48 We sing all the prophets no teachers, the dreamers. [Pilgrim House] 10:41:06 Their deeds of meaning. [Pilgrim House] 10:41:11 Four days and their years. [Pilgrim House] 10:41:15 In every corner. [Pilgrim House] 10:41:28 We plant ourselves in God. [Pilgrim House] 10:41:37 We firmly, love. [Pilgrim House] 10:47:23 Ken? [Pilgrim House] 10:47:24 You got meditation music for us? [Pilgrim House] 10:47:29 Everyone has to be ready. It's your turn. You've got to get up here. [Pilgrim House] 10:47:46 Among the many things I'm thankful for, music's kind of top of the list. [Pilgrim House] 10:47:51 My friend Dick Sheldon. [Pilgrim House] 10:47:53 has said he's sure it was our first art. [Pilgrim House] 10:47:59 So last August I was sitting on a [Pilgrim House] 10:48:02 wraparound porch of a farmhouse in North Dakota. [Pilgrim House] 10:48:07 Where I go. [Pilgrim House] 10:48:08 to my brother-in-law's farm. [Pilgrim House] 10:48:10 for a family retreat with my banjo. [Pilgrim House] 10:48:14 in this tune. [Pilgrim House] 10:48:17 just came out of the… [Pilgrim House] 10:48:19 I'm going to play it for you now, and I'm going to close my eyes and imagine I am sitting [Pilgrim House] 10:48:25 on a porch, looking at a [Pilgrim House] 10:48:27 picturesque farm with a [Pilgrim House] 10:48:29 red barn and an old greenery that's fallen down and [Pilgrim House] 10:48:33 Lots of space around. Invite you to close your eyes and imagine that you're [Pilgrim House] 10:48:38 someplace special to you where you feel… [Pilgrim House] 10:48:41 close to your source, close to your land, and close to your family, wherever that might be. [Pilgrim House] 10:48:53 Thank you. [Pilgrim House] 10:49:00 Thank you. [Pilgrim House] 10:49:08 Okay. [Pilgrim House] 10:49:10 Okay. [Pilgrim House] 10:49:16 Okay. [Pilgrim House] 10:49:20 Thank you. [Pilgrim House] 10:49:25 Okay. [Pilgrim House] 10:49:35 Thank you. [Pilgrim House] 10:49:53 Okay. [Pilgrim House] 10:49:59 Thank you. [Pilgrim House] 10:50:11 Thank you. [Pilgrim House] 10:50:16 Okay. [Pilgrim House] 10:51:03 Well, those children that really want to go somewhere else now. [Pilgrim House] 10:51:07 Feel free to, you're not going to stay up front if you don't want to. [Pilgrim House] 10:51:11 I had a full-length article ready to… [Pilgrim House] 10:51:14 to talk about how thankful I was based upon the election results. [Pilgrim House] 10:51:21 And I was going to add some concerns that we have to do a better job of considering the points of view of the other side. [Pilgrim House] 10:51:30 And then the other side. [Pilgrim House] 10:51:33 One. The one thing, however, that we've proven [Pilgrim House] 10:51:37 is that Democrats do not know how to steal elections. [Pilgrim House] 10:51:44 Rose, you're up. Yes, I heard it. And you're beautiful. I snuck up here. You're beautiful. [Pilgrim House] 10:51:55 Okay. [Pilgrim House] 10:51:57 And I've got a seat. [Pilgrim House] 10:52:01 I'm glad we had a lot of joy before I come here. [Pilgrim House] 10:52:05 My little writing is somewhat on the pensive side but [Pilgrim House] 10:52:10 I think we need to think about it. So here I go. [Pilgrim House] 10:52:15 In spite of divisiveness, consternation, and fear. [Pilgrim House] 10:52:20 The day of bowing our heads in gratitude is here. [Pilgrim House] 10:52:25 We have food, shelter, clothing and more. [Pilgrim House] 10:52:29 Far away are we from the suffering of painful war. [Pilgrim House] 10:52:34 I am grateful for my comforts in the USA [Pilgrim House] 10:52:38 Not always has my life been saved this way. [Pilgrim House] 10:52:43 We tend to fall prey to the day's challenges and stress [Pilgrim House] 10:52:48 When in reality, they are minor and easy to address. [Pilgrim House] 10:52:53 I am thankful for the peace lasting almost 80 years. [Pilgrim House] 10:52:59 I try to stifle inner thoughts of rising fears. [Pilgrim House] 10:53:03 about the warring in Ukraine and the Middle East. [Pilgrim House] 10:53:07 The threat of a looming, encroaching evil beast. [Pilgrim House] 10:53:12 Fortunately, few know the brutality and agony of war as it has mainly been far away from our shore. [Pilgrim House] 10:53:21 I am grateful for the men and women protecting our land. [Pilgrim House] 10:53:26 I hope the government will lead with a steadfast hand. [Pilgrim House] 10:53:31 As we meet with family and friends this special day. [Pilgrim House] 10:53:35 Let's reflect upon our blessings in each and every way. [Pilgrim House] 10:53:41 Everyone's road as paved with boulders, big and small. [Pilgrim House] 10:53:46 Let's be thankful when we're able to conquer them all. [Pilgrim House] 10:53:53 We are blessed, even pampered by modern day's ease. [Pilgrim House] 10:53:58 Accomplishing challenging tasks in just a breeze. [Pilgrim House] 10:54:03 We thanked scientists who worked their brilliant minds to make life easier. [Pilgrim House] 10:54:09 for manual tasks of various kinds. [Pilgrim House] 10:54:13 I am thankful for the automobile and train connecting people in a most efficient pane. [Pilgrim House] 10:54:20 Let's not forget flying from here to there. [Pilgrim House] 10:54:24 affords additional chats and time to spare. [Pilgrim House] 10:54:28 Do you remember the days before computer or phone? [Pilgrim House] 10:54:33 We are always connected now, seldom alone. [Pilgrim House] 10:54:38 We don't often stop to ponder in gratitude. We're so involved with little time to brood. [Pilgrim House] 10:54:45 Looking in other countries far and nearer, there's turmoil. [Pilgrim House] 10:54:51 In constant fear. [Pilgrim House] 10:54:52 We are thankful for our freedom and opportunity [Pilgrim House] 10:54:56 Joining family and friends in thanksgiving unity. [Pilgrim House] 10:55:01 Let us enjoy this peaceful Thanksgiving day, each of us giving thanks in our unique [Pilgrim House] 10:55:09 and special way. And then I had an afterthought and I said… [Pilgrim House] 10:55:15 And I want to thank you. [Pilgrim House] 10:55:17 Everyone at Pilgrim House. [Pilgrim House] 10:55:20 for making this a special place [Pilgrim House] 10:55:22 to share and care. You've all welcomed Dre and me, and we just love being here and look forward to every Sunday. Thank you. [Pilgrim House] 10:55:39 You know, I'm sure… [Pilgrim House] 10:55:42 I'm sure some of the children didn't understand some of that. [Pilgrim House] 10:55:45 You know, some people are old enough to not remember automobiles. [Pilgrim House] 10:55:52 And telephones and… [Pilgrim House] 10:55:54 All those things that you take for granted. [Pilgrim House] 10:55:58 It wasn't that long ago. [Pilgrim House] 10:56:04 Give me a hand. I'm going to bang this guitar against the mics. [Pilgrim House] 10:56:06 Can someone help me, a mic person? All right. [Pilgrim House] 10:56:13 I want it up, but I'm banging my guitar against it when I try to do anything. [Pilgrim House] 10:56:26 Kind of hard to get everything in line here. The song that I'm going to do is called Circles, and I first… [Pilgrim House] 10:56:36 Heard it on a audio tape that I had purchased from a group that I have followed for a long time. I met the group and [Pilgrim House] 10:56:45 The early 90s is called Willow Green and one of the [Pilgrim House] 10:56:50 members of the group. [Pilgrim House] 10:56:53 wrote a number of songs and this one [Pilgrim House] 10:56:56 I had to go back through a lot of technology to be able to play it so I could figure out how it went. [Pilgrim House] 10:57:02 I think I've sung it here before, but… [Pilgrim House] 10:57:06 Not for many years. But the person who wrote the song is Mary Lou Williams and she [Pilgrim House] 10:57:12 It's copyrighted 1989. [Pilgrim House] 10:57:15 And I think I met her first around 1991 or two at a [Pilgrim House] 10:57:20 festival we were performing at. [Pilgrim House] 10:57:22 And then I saw her again last year. She was performing at Irish Fair. [Pilgrim House] 10:57:28 I had… [Pilgrim House] 10:57:28 I thought I'd resurrect her song here. And she dedicated it to the circles of [Pilgrim House] 10:57:36 friends and family that intertwine through our lives. [Pilgrim House] 10:57:54 Circles of people revolve through our lives, each bearing treasures hidden inside. Don't hold back. Release your soul. Give wings to your [Pilgrim House] 10:58:17 Let them go for you know somewhere that when we share, someone will care. [Pilgrim House] 10:58:34 And they may shame. [Pilgrim House] 10:58:41 Circles of music evolve through our lives. [Pilgrim House] 10:58:48 Each landing beauty bringing delight. We won't hold back [Pilgrim House] 10:58:57 We won't delay. So our music and we will play. [Pilgrim House] 10:59:36 Circles of visions unfold before our eyes, opening windows, revealing the light. Please don't hide your beautiful eyes. Believe in your dreams. [Pilgrim House] 11:00:02 For you know somewhere that when we share some [Pilgrim House] 11:00:15 And amen. [Pilgrim House] 11:00:23 Circles of people revolve through our lives, each bearing treasures hidden inside. [Pilgrim House] 11:00:36 Release your soul. Give wings to your gifts. Let [Pilgrim House] 11:00:52 Give wings to your dreams. Let them grow. [Pilgrim House] 11:01:12 Can we get Ellen's son? [Pilgrim House] 11:01:15 So… [Pilgrim House] 11:01:17 This needs a slide. Slide up? [Pilgrim House] 11:01:20 Thank you. Tough word. [Pilgrim House] 11:01:27 So one of the things I'm particularly grateful for [Pilgrim House] 11:01:30 besides the people that make the life supportable. [Pilgrim House] 11:01:35 is the changing of the seasons. [Pilgrim House] 11:01:37 It gives rise to so much in the way of science. [Pilgrim House] 11:01:41 philosophy and the arts. [Pilgrim House] 11:01:45 Including this. [Pilgrim House] 11:01:47 less than eternal poem. [Pilgrim House] 11:01:49 But it requires a visual in order to make sense. [Pilgrim House] 11:01:52 So it's called the problem of writing poems in the shape of deciduous trees. [Pilgrim House] 11:01:59 By Brian Bilston. [Pilgrim House] 11:02:03 A common problem when writing poems in the shape of deciduous trees [Pilgrim House] 11:02:09 is that once there arrives, the first stirrings of the new autumn breeze [Pilgrim House] 11:02:14 The poems will begin to shake themselves gently [Pilgrim House] 11:02:19 Letters loosen like leaves. [Pilgrim House] 11:02:23 And they start to float down and turn to mush upon the ground. [Pilgrim House] 11:02:38 Ken Steffenson, I do turkey in a straw for us? [Pilgrim House] 11:02:44 I was trying to filter this in. Are you ready? Are you ready? For the turkey and the straw challenge. [Pilgrim House] 11:02:50 I do this once a year. [Pilgrim House] 11:02:54 Do this once a year and I haven't done it for a few years, so I hope I remember it. But the challenge is [Pilgrim House] 11:02:59 When I sing the refrain, whatever word I put on the end of the line. [Pilgrim House] 11:03:04 you have to put an H sound on it and sing it back to me three times. So if I sing turkey in the straw, you take off the STA, you put an H on it [Pilgrim House] 11:03:13 Ha, ha, ha. [Pilgrim House] 11:03:15 Now, if I sang turkey in the hay, it's already got an H sound. [Pilgrim House] 11:03:19 So you're saying, hey, I think you've got it, but I'm going to try to trick you. I'm trying to get you to hoot and holler. So I… [Pilgrim House] 11:03:29 For instance, if I said turkey in the snow, you'd say. [Pilgrim House] 11:03:32 Okay. [Pilgrim House] 11:04:17 When we had a little chicken, it wouldn't lay an egg. We poured hot water up and down its leg. Little chicken moaned. [Pilgrim House] 11:04:23 Little chicken begged. Little chicken laid a hard-boiled egg. That's turkey in the straw. [Pilgrim House] 11:04:29 Turkey in the hay. Bullfrog danced with his mother-in-law. He whistled up a tune called Turkey in the straw. That's turkey in the straw. [Pilgrim House] 11:04:39 Turkey in the snow. Stand up, turn around, do anything at all. Just whistle up a tune called Turkey and the Straw. Well, we came to the river. Couldn't get across. Paid $5 for an old lying horse. Well, it wouldn't go ahead. Wouldn't stand still, just went up and down like an old sawmill. That's turkey in the snow. [Pilgrim House] 11:04:59 Turkey in the straw. Bullfrog danced with his mother-in-law. He whistled up tune called Turkey in the Straw. That's Turkey in the snow. [Pilgrim House] 11:05:08 Turkey in the tree. Bullfrog danced with his mother-in-law. He whistled up a tune called Turkey in the Straw. [Pilgrim House] 11:05:35 You might know this verse. Do your ears hang low? Do they wobble to and fro? Can you time in and out? Can you time in a bow? Can you flip them over your shoulder like a continental soldier? Do your ears hang low? That's turkey in the straw. [Pilgrim House] 11:05:49 Turkey in the tree? Bullfrog danced with his mother-in-law. He whistled up a tune called Turkey in the Straw. That's Turkey in the snow. [Pilgrim House] 11:05:58 Turkey in the jar? [Pilgrim House] 11:06:01 The old frog danced with his mother-in-law. Oh, he whistled up a tune called Turkey in the Straw. Do your ears hang high? Do they reach to the sky? Do they wilt when they're wet? Do they stiffen when they dry? Can you signal to your neighbor with a minimum of labor to your ears hang like that's turkey and the straw. [Pilgrim House] 11:06:17 Jerky in the hay. Bullfrog danced with his mother-in-law. He whistled up a tomb called Turkey in the Straw. That's turkey on your boot. Turkey on your collar? I told you I'd get you to hoot and holler. [Pilgrim House] 11:06:43 Bruce, you got yourself ready? [Pilgrim House] 11:06:46 I'm not doing anything. I mean, Ken, you know. [Pilgrim House] 11:06:57 You brought in all these papers. Where'd they go? What papers? [Pilgrim House] 11:07:01 Didn't you bring in papers? No. Oh, okay. I just brought whatever's… [Pilgrim House] 11:07:07 And I am… [Pilgrim House] 11:07:10 really unhappy with Mel and all of you and you [Pilgrim House] 11:07:14 Pilgrim House for… [Pilgrim House] 11:07:17 For me, volunteering to do things in front of all of you people. And so for the last two weeks. [Pilgrim House] 11:07:24 I've been miserable because I can't put things together and organize it on paper. [Pilgrim House] 11:07:30 And it all just ends up here. [Pilgrim House] 11:07:35 So… [Pilgrim House] 11:07:37 I'm so thankful for all of you. And I know I didn't realize that Thanksgiving you're supposed to be thankful for whatever happened in the last year. I figured it was just general thankfulness. And I, like Ruth did so eloquently. [Pilgrim House] 11:07:49 I want to thank all of you for the last two and a half years of [Pilgrim House] 11:07:54 being such a wonderful community for me and [Pilgrim House] 11:07:58 also giving me a mic if I want it, and silly enough to use it. And I don't need a soapbox. I don't need to go to Hyde Park. [Pilgrim House] 11:08:07 I just come up here and try not to. [Pilgrim House] 11:08:09 screw up too badly. [Pilgrim House] 11:08:11 And I think Ruth brought up a really good point. The reason I struggled more than any other [Pilgrim House] 11:08:18 time is being thankful. [Pilgrim House] 11:08:21 For all we have is so easy. And I needed a title for Mel, so I said Finding Thankful, because I just had to come up with something. [Pilgrim House] 11:08:30 finding things to be grateful and thankful for is so easy for just about all of us, but then we're [Pilgrim House] 11:08:35 are bombarded by doom and gloom and doom scrolling and just all the horrors all around the world. [Pilgrim House] 11:08:44 around many, many years, not that many years ago. [Pilgrim House] 11:08:48 when communication wasn't like it is now. [Pilgrim House] 11:08:50 If we are in a good place, then we are in a good place. There might be suffering within our community, but [Pilgrim House] 11:08:57 Now we see the suffering all around the world but then [Pilgrim House] 11:09:00 I realize that that's… [Pilgrim House] 11:09:03 That's the prescription for unhappiness and it's not productive because [Pilgrim House] 11:09:08 One of the things I thought about was we've all heard of survivor guilt. [Pilgrim House] 11:09:15 And I have good life guilt sometimes. And then I realize that that's not productive and so [Pilgrim House] 11:09:23 I am most thankful today, today. [Pilgrim House] 11:09:28 25,500… [Pilgrim House] 11:09:31 Days ago, sunrises ago. [Pilgrim House] 11:09:33 Something miraculous happened. [Pilgrim House] 11:09:36 And that was, it was a double miracle. [Pilgrim House] 11:09:39 I was born March 9th, 1953, [Pilgrim House] 11:09:43 Five minutes later, my brother, Stephen Henry France, I'm Bruce Renault France. [Pilgrim House] 11:09:49 came out. [Pilgrim House] 11:09:51 And the love of my parents. My parents were tremendously nurturing, loving people, and they [Pilgrim House] 11:09:58 poured so much love into me that I'm fortunate enough that I have a lot of love I want to give back. [Pilgrim House] 11:10:03 And so I'm thankful for all of you and I am thankful for me. [Pilgrim House] 11:10:08 I don't know. This is the time of year where everyone watches It's a Wonderful Life. [Pilgrim House] 11:10:13 And I think that pretty much everyone here, if you had not been born, the world would be a lesser place. [Pilgrim House] 11:10:21 And that's it. That's all I got. [Pilgrim House] 11:10:24 Thank you. [Pilgrim House] 11:10:33 Just like Ruth running up right away. That's great. [Pilgrim House] 11:10:37 Hello, Mary. Hello. [Pilgrim House] 11:10:40 Am I on? Can you hear me? Well… [Pilgrim House] 11:10:43 Today was kind of one of those days where things didn't go right, so I'm going to be reading this poem. [Pilgrim House] 11:10:48 from my phone. So I invite you to close your eyes so you don't watch me reading a poem off my phone. And visualize things that might [Pilgrim House] 11:10:57 go with the poem for you. [Pilgrim House] 11:11:00 The poem is called You. [Pilgrim House] 11:11:02 by Donna Ashworth, and it's from her book of poems [Pilgrim House] 11:11:06 wild hope. [Pilgrim House] 11:11:09 If every single person [Pilgrim House] 11:11:12 who has liked you in your lifetime were to light up on a map. [Pilgrim House] 11:11:16 it would create the most glitteringly beautiful network you could imagine. [Pilgrim House] 11:11:22 Throw in the strangers you've been kind to. [Pilgrim House] 11:11:26 the people you have you've made laugh. [Pilgrim House] 11:11:28 or inspired along the way. [Pilgrim House] 11:11:31 And that star bright web of you would be an impressive sight to behold. [Pilgrim House] 11:11:38 You're so much more than you think you are. [Pilgrim House] 11:11:41 You have done much more than you realize. [Pilgrim House] 11:11:45 You're trailing a bright pathway that you don't even know about. [Pilgrim House] 11:11:50 What a thing, what a thing indeed. [Pilgrim House] 11:11:53 Thank you. [Pilgrim House] 11:12:10 You won't believe how efficient everyone was today. [Pilgrim House] 11:12:13 Thank you, Ruth, for getting them started. [Pilgrim House] 11:12:26 Thanksgiving is a very special time of celebration in America. [Pilgrim House] 11:12:30 As its name implies, it is first and foremost a time of giving thanks. [Pilgrim House] 11:12:35 for our many blessings. Plus, it also marks the beginning of a month of joint celebration by citizens of all nationalities. [Pilgrim House] 11:12:43 All religions, all races, and all ethnicities and recognitions [Pilgrim House] 11:12:47 both religious and secular, marking the passing of one year [Pilgrim House] 11:12:52 and the beginning of the next. [Pilgrim House] 11:12:54 And of course, it marks the beginning of a month of shopping frenzy as we search for that perfect gift for each person on our list. [Pilgrim House] 11:13:03 But above that shopping frenzy, let's all focus on the thanks underscoring the holiday as we celebrate [Pilgrim House] 11:13:10 this day together. [Pilgrim House] 11:13:13 We give you Pat Lee Bergen's Celebrate This Day Together as set to the 16th century music of Pierre Clerot. [Pilgrim House] 11:13:32 celebrate this day together with our music ringing kins. [Pilgrim House] 11:13:53 Lord all to hear. [Pilgrim House] 11:14:07 Let me be in glory. [Pilgrim House] 11:14:14 Come away with us forever. Slee with joy for all to hear. [Pilgrim House] 11:14:31 Sleep with joyful to you. [Pilgrim House] 11:14:51 Earlier in our opening segment, we sang of the candle in the window, a single light that's [Pilgrim House] 11:14:58 Burning bright with a hope that we can share each week as we come together. [Pilgrim House] 11:15:03 Unfortunately, the outlook today is not as clear and bright as we might like. [Pilgrim House] 11:15:08 Too many people are struggling here as well as abroad, and particularly in today's multiple war-torn regions. [Pilgrim House] 11:15:15 But let us ever keep that flame alive. Let us never let that flame of hope die. [Pilgrim House] 11:15:22 Let's let it light the way for all to follow so there will always be hope for all. Dreams to dream and memories to make. [Pilgrim House] 11:15:29 We must keep that flame alive. [Pilgrim House] 11:15:32 Carl Stroman reinforces those thoughts with his powerful composition, Keep the Flame Alive. [Pilgrim House] 11:15:38 Listen, as he urges each of us to truly keep those flames of hope alive and glowing. [Pilgrim House] 11:15:55 With every season. [Pilgrim House] 11:16:00 There are the dreamers. [Pilgrim House] 11:16:07 Voices soaring like the eagles. And in this is all. [Pilgrim House] 11:16:24 We sing the good song. [Pilgrim House] 11:16:29 Forwards are yours now. Just to cover, yours to treasure. [Pilgrim House] 11:17:14 O God. [Pilgrim House] 11:17:20 to hold the Lord. [Pilgrim House] 11:17:56 Praise all day. [Pilgrim House] 11:17:59 Let me go today. [Pilgrim House] 11:18:04 glory. [Pilgrim House] 11:18:21 you, O God. [Pilgrim House] 11:18:44 Russell Robinson composed May the Season Last Throughout the Year as a generic call to continue the holiday spirit all year long. [Pilgrim House] 11:18:52 We've adapted his lyrics to focus on Thanksgiving this morning. [Pilgrim House] 11:18:56 Suggesting we might all benefit by keeping the spirit of Thanksgiving alive all year long. [Pilgrim House] 11:19:02 Every day and in every way. [Pilgrim House] 11:19:05 Because Thanksgiving is the reason we're all gathered here this morning. [Pilgrim House] 11:19:08 And the reason we'll be gathered with loved ones this coming Thursday. [Pilgrim House] 11:19:13 As such, we leave you this morning with one question. [Pilgrim House] 11:19:16 Can we make our thanksgiving [Pilgrim House] 11:19:19 Our thanks truly live within us and in our personal interactions throughout this year. [Pilgrim House] 11:19:24 Our hope is that the answer is an emphatic yes. [Pilgrim House] 11:19:27 May the season last throughout the Year by Russell Robinson. [Pilgrim House] 11:19:30 As adapted for Thanksgiving by the Pilgrim House Chorale. [Pilgrim House] 11:19:50 Thanksgiving is a charge of shred. [Pilgrim House] 11:19:55 Thanksgiving is a time to share. Thanksgiving is the reason [Pilgrim House] 11:20:06 thanksgiving us to love the year. [Pilgrim House] 11:20:12 I did renew. [Pilgrim House] 11:20:23 Thanksgiving is a time to share. Thanksgiving is the reason we are. [Pilgrim House] 11:20:58 share with daughters and with sons. [Pilgrim House] 11:21:01 How big is your family, is there room for everyone? [Pilgrim House] 11:21:08 to the heavenly fallen snow. [Pilgrim House] 11:21:40 of the year. [Pilgrim House] 11:21:45 It's a time together. [Pilgrim House] 11:21:56 Thanks, giving us to all that you. [Pilgrim House] 11:22:13 Let us pray again. [Pilgrim House] 11:22:16 Let's go. [Pilgrim House] 11:22:32 We've done enough Thanksgivings now that I can go back and see things we did a long time ago. [Pilgrim House] 11:22:38 And this one says, we will do this if time. [Pilgrim House] 11:22:43 And we got time. So what did they eat at that first Thanksgiving? [Pilgrim House] 11:22:48 There was a mention of bird, but it probably wasn't turkey. [Pilgrim House] 11:22:51 It probably was goose. [Pilgrim House] 11:22:53 The Indians brought five deer. [Pilgrim House] 11:22:56 And they roasted them and were eaten. [Pilgrim House] 11:22:58 There was a shortage of flour, however, so there was no pie. [Pilgrim House] 11:23:02 There was very little bread. [Pilgrim House] 11:23:04 But there was squash and pumpkins. [Pilgrim House] 11:23:06 There was local vegetables from the garden. [Pilgrim House] 11:23:09 The corn they removed from the cob and turned it into cornmeal. [Pilgrim House] 11:23:15 And then boiled it. [Pilgrim House] 11:23:17 and pounded it into a thick porridge. [Pilgrim House] 11:23:20 Which they sweetened with molasses. [Pilgrim House] 11:23:24 Okay. But there was no sweet potatoes, there was no stuffing. [Pilgrim House] 11:23:28 But there were lobsters. [Pilgrim House] 11:23:31 And a hatch and a hog… [Pilgrim House] 11:23:33 head of eel. [Pilgrim House] 11:23:37 And they had muscles. [Pilgrim House] 11:23:39 And the Indians brought oysters. [Pilgrim House] 11:23:43 This, of course, explains [Pilgrim House] 11:23:45 while you're here at Pilgrim House, we have ham. [Pilgrim House] 11:23:51 I want to thank our greeters, Kathy Honoroot and Mary Eskelson. [Pilgrim House] 11:23:55 clean up Deb Magnuson and Paul cursed. [Pilgrim House] 11:24:00 But however, many hands make less work. [Pilgrim House] 11:24:04 As many of you could help that they would be thankful. [Pilgrim House] 11:24:09 Thanks to Fred Green. [Pilgrim House] 11:24:10 Queen LeBlanc for our technical staff. [Pilgrim House] 11:24:13 And to our program today, Lolly Jensen, Tyree Raymond. [Pilgrim House] 11:24:17 Ruth Kreps, Carol Gross. [Pilgrim House] 11:24:20 Ellen Sheldon. [Pilgrim House] 11:24:22 Ken Steffenson, Bruce. [Pilgrim House] 11:24:24 France and Mary Eskelson and of course. [Pilgrim House] 11:24:27 Our Pilgrim House Chorale. [Pilgrim House] 11:24:29 And our music master, Bill Rohde. [Pilgrim House] 11:24:35 And special thanks, as Susan Setter and Karen McGill Corden. [Pilgrim House] 11:24:39 who is coordinating our Thanksgiving feast today. [Pilgrim House] 11:24:42 And to all of you who brought food. [Pilgrim House] 11:24:44 But remember, there's more food than we're all going to eat. [Pilgrim House] 11:24:48 So whether you brought anything or not. [Pilgrim House] 11:24:51 come in and join us in food. [Pilgrim House] 11:24:54 and fellowship in the other room. [Pilgrim House] 11:24:56 We're going to extinguish our chalice now as soon as the chalice gets… [Pilgrim House] 11:25:01 extinguishing gets up there. [Pilgrim House] 11:25:28 Well, yeah. [Pilgrim House] 11:25:30 There he goes. [Pilgrim House] 11:25:36 Zoom has a new interface. [Pilgrim House] 11:25:40 So… [Pilgrim House] 11:25:42 What's the next thing we should tell us with the words on the screen. We extinguish this flame. [Pilgrim House] 11:25:46 But not the light of truth. [Pilgrim House] 11:25:48 The warmth of community are where the fire of commitment. [Pilgrim House] 11:25:52 These we carry in our hearts until we are together again. [Pilgrim House] 11:25:58 And the corral will lead us. [Pilgrim House] 11:26:00 In our table blessing. [Pilgrim House] 11:26:04 But you will only need to sing. Back one. [Pilgrim House] 11:26:09 I need to go one more forward, Fred. Oh, okay. Well, wherever it is. [Pilgrim House] 11:26:23 There it is. [Pilgrim House] 11:26:38 All together, join in. [Pilgrim House] 11:26:57 Let's go. [Pilgrim House] 11:27:39 program is going to be. [Pilgrim House] 11:27:43 This was a request from, as a matter of fact, one of our [Pilgrim House] 11:27:50 Who suggested it, and she knows the speaker. [Pilgrim House] 11:27:54 She says he's so good. [Pilgrim House] 11:28:00 And I had my mic off again. [Pilgrim House] 11:28:03 Well, next week it's upstream Minnesota, and it was suggested by… [Pilgrim House] 11:28:09 are one of our members. [Pilgrim House] 11:28:11 She knows Andy Goldman, and she's great. She's heard him before. [Pilgrim House] 11:28:15 And she said, she's so good, you should all come and listen to him. [Pilgrim House] 11:28:19 Go eat. [Pilgrim House] 11:28:27 you all. [Pilgrim House] 11:28:41 Graceful. [Pilgrim House] 11:29:15 Thank you all.