Taking Care of Business and
Giving Thanks with a Grateful Heart
by Cate Murway
President Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a Federal holiday as a "prayerful day of Thanksgiving" on the last Thursday in November. Since then every U.S. President has always made an official Thanksgiving Proclamation on behalf of the nation. President Franklin D. Roosevelt set the date for Thanksgiving to the fourth Thursday of November in 1939 (approved by Congress in 1941).
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"For me - Thanksgiving is a time to stop, and reflect on the many things that
we take for granted ............
Our country .............. with all of it’s imperfections, is the
greatest country in the world -- by far.
Our freedoms, that we take for granted, have been earned by the
wisdom, blood, and determination of our fore bearers.
Our culture is a marvelous amalgam of the many cultures that we
have welcomed, combined with the unique ideals of our nation.
Our wealth................ enables us to dream of values that we want to
extend to all others around the world -- freedom from child labor, freedom
of thought, religion, speech, and press.
Even with the many economic challenges that we have as a nation,
and many of us have individually, we do not read about people swimming south
across the Rio Grande.
May this coming year continue to ennoble our dreams, and give us the
strength to work on turning our dreams into action."
Frederic H. [Fred] Baumgarten, President, The Grundy Commons www.grundycommons.org
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“I'm thankful to George Michael, for deciding not to build condos where Stock's is. Now the property--the most perfect piece of available riverfront land in the Borough--still has a chance to be developed for public use, in line with the future development of Mill Street.”
Bill Zukor, Finally
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“I am thankful I live in a small tight community that I can believe that my children will grow up in a similar environment that I grew up in, one that is basically safe and removed from the evil of the world. I am thankful I was born in the U.S.A., and that we have a strong leader and a capable military and leadership to keep us all safe from the tyranny and terrorism that is so rampant outside of this country.”
R.C. Strack, Jr., Dr Bob Computers www.drbobcomputers.com
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“I’m thankful for good health for my family and myself”.
Marlene Silverstein, Ballow's Shoes
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“I’m thankful for my dog and looking at the tops of the daisies, not the bottoms!”
Richard P. [Rich] Vallejo Another Time Antiques www.bristolantiques.com
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“We’re most thankful for our family and miracle baby, Rachel!”
Ann Mundy and Rosemarie Szczucki, Mignoni Jewelry and Gifts www.mignonijewelry.com
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“I’m most thankful for my grandchildren and the opportunity to start my business.”
Donna McVey, Mill Street Primitives
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“I’m very thankful for my daughter and that the customers always speak with her, for the local support of my business and for the improvements on the street, like moving the trees.”
Gigi Eapen , Café Bombay www.cafebombay.biz
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~”I’m "I'm "I'm thankful for family first. Everything else takes care of itself.”
Mark DeWitt Carter, Mark Carter Photography & Digital Design Group
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“I’m most thankful for family- my wife and 2 sons have made life fulfilling and for the town leaders and business leaders for keeping things moving ahead. The town is looking better! I’m most thankful for my relationship with God and my family.”
Horace P. Schmidt, Jr., Schmidt’s Flowers www.schmidtsflowers.com
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“I’m thankful; that I’m busy and that my 2 daughters that have cancer are doing well.
I’m thankful for my health.”
Mary Lou Field, JR Sport Center
"Today, give someone a piece of your time, wrapped with understanding and compassion. These are gifts that money can't buy." [poet Helen Steiner Rice (1900 - 1981)]
