people in the US celebrates Thanksgiving. what is celebrated on this day? people of the United States of America make big preparations for this day. read on and let's see why this day is a big one for the americans.

The story of Thanksgiving is basically the story of the Pilgrims and their thankful community feast at Plymouth, Massachusetts.

The Pilgrims, who set sail from Plymouth, England on a ship called the Mayflower on September 6, 1620, were fortune hunters, bound for the resourceful 'New World'. The Mayflower was a small ship crowded with men, women and children, besides the sailors on board. Aboard were passengers comprising the 'separatists', who called themselves the "Saints", and others, whom the separatists called the "Strangers".

After land was sighted in November following 66 days of a lethal voyage, a meeting was held and an agreement of truce was worked out. It was called the Mayflower Compact. The agreement guaranteed equality among the members of the two groups. They merged together to be recognized as the "Pilgrims." They elected John Carver as their first governor.
Although Pilgrims had first sighted the land off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, they did not settle until they arrived at a place called Plymouth. It was Captain John Smith who named the place after the English port-city in 1614 and had already settled there for over five years. And it was there that the Pilgrims finally decided to settle. Plymouth offered an excellent harbor and plenty of resources. The local Indians were also non-hostile.

But their happiness was short-lived. Ill-equipped to face the winter on this estranged place they were ravaged thoroughly.

Somehow they were saved by a group of local Native Americans who befriended them and helped them with food. Soon the natives taught the settlers the technique to cultivate corns and grow native vegetables, and store them for hard days. By the next winter they had raised enough crops to keep them alive. The winter came and passed by without much harm. The settlers knew they had beaten the odds and it was time to celebrate.

They celebrated it with a grand community feast wherein the friendly native Americans were also invited. It was kind of a harvest feast, the Pilgrims used to have in England. The recipes entail "corn" (wheat, by the Pilgrims usage of the word), Indian corn, barley, pumpkins and peas, "fowl" (specially "waterfowl"), deer, fish. And yes, of course the yummy wild turkey.

However, the third year was real bad when the corns got damaged. Pilgrim Governor William Bradford ordered a day of fasting and prayer, and rain happened to follow soon. To celebrate - November 29th of that year was proclaimed a day of thanksgiving. This date is believed to be the real beginning of the present Thanksgiving Day.

Though the Thanksgiving Day is presently celebrated on the fourth Thursday of every November. This date was set by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939 (approved by Congress in 1941). Earlier it was the last Thursday in November as was designated by the former President Abraham Lincoln. But sometimes the last Thursday would turn out to be the fifth Thursday of the month. This falls too close to the Christmas, leaving the businesses even less than a month's time to cope up with the two big festivals. Hence the change.

there...so, that's why americans celebrate thanksgiving. my husband's family get together on thanksgiving day with lots of food and "chismis." pinoy christmas is similar to american thanksgiving where they celebrate to the max with relatives and friends. there's nothing like family get togethers but, i would just have to do with occasions with my husband's relatives and away from my family. after thanksgiving, it's christmas time...that's another story...

i am so tired...this computer is a demon in disguise. patience...patience...especially for someone like me who is a certified dummy in the bill gates world... do i surrender or keep on fighting?

WHITE FLAG by Dido

I know you think that I shouldn't still love you
I'll tell you that
But if I didn't say it
Well, I'd still have felt it
Where's the sense in that?

I promise I'm not trying to make your life harder
Or return to where we were

Well I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be

I know I left too much mess
And destruction to come back again
And I caused but nothing but trouble
I understand if you can't talk to me again
And if you live by the rules of "It's over"
Then I'm sure that that makes sense

Well I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be

And when we meet
As I'm sure we will
All that was then
Will be there still
I'll let it pass
And hold my tongue
And you will think
That I've moved on

Well I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be

Well I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be

I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be

today is JOM's 8th birthday! happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear darling, happy birthday to you! JEROME RAFAEL was born this day in the year 1995. he was a small baby but, he gave big smiles to everyone who saw him. he's a precious little darling to everybody. i hope to be with him soon and my life will be complete if i can only spend the coming days of my life with him and his brothers, tyrone and luis. i love you so much, JOM!

well...things are so emotional today because this is the first time my family will visit my dad at the cemetery. for those who don't know, my dad passed away last july 17. i have an altar here in our house with a nice picture of my dad and beside him is JESUS on the cross. i offered candles and flowers to him. i have lit candles since yesterday. i'm still grieving and i still hate the fact that he's gone. but, things are to be dealt with one way or the other. i don't easily cry to"dance with my father" or butterfly kisses" or "sing me a song again, daddy" anymore but, one day won't pass without me thinking of one instance in my life shared with him. i love my daddy so much and i just feel so different now that we don't have him anymore...i know this grieving phase will pass but, i don't think the pain will go away or even lessen...

in loving memory of my daddy, COL. ELIAS CASIMIRO

My daddy, COL. ELIAS CASIMIRO, was born on July 4, 1944. He belonged to a poor family with 3 siblings. His family was so poor that he depended on his own ability to attend school. He worked his way to high school then, to college. He had an uncle whose family supported him in his ideals that he lived with them for a time. He worked as a clerk at the police headquarters of Valenzuela to be able to pay for his college education. He took up BS Commerce at the Far Eastern University in Manila. He finished this course on his own, without any help from anybody but his job.

He did not turn out to be an employee for some business company, instead, he trained to be a police officer. He started as traffic aid. During those times, a police traffic aid wore brown uniform with black belt, black sash, black wooden stick and black shoes which looked very neat and dignified. He became a neighborhood friend to businessmen, children, etc. According to his stories(supported by my mom), he met my mom when he was in his outpost at the heart of Marulas BBB in Valenzuela. Whenever he would see my mom approaching the stoplight to cross the street, he would stop all vehicles North South East West from his manual buttons at the outpost and let my mom cross the road. This love story began with my dad leaving his post and approaching my mom, who was at the jeepney stop waiting for a ride to school(University of the East Recto). He asked how my mom was doing and smiled after my mom responded. This went on for months, with my dad asking my mom one or two questions per day. Finally, they went on a date and another and another and another. They kept the relationship going despite my grandfather's objection. My dad did not budge and my mom did not get bothered. The love story went on for years before they decided to get married. And, they eloped! Of course, knowing how strict my grandpa was?!? Their civil wedding took place on January 18, 1974 and their church wedding on January 31, 1974. They were blessed with 4 children--me(Jan 1975), Kenneth(Dec 1978), Andre Gideon(Dec 1984) and Tressa Denise(Sep 1988).

As years went by, my dad earned a lot of promotions, medals, awards, recognitions and citations for being a good police officer. I know he started as a traffic aid then, to all those positions he earned from his good work in the force. In the 80's, he was the commander in chief of the Narcotics Department in Velenzuela. In 1993, he filed for his retirement, as Lt. Colonel. He concentrated on businesses after this. He had a security agency, an employment agnecy and joined his friends in other businesses.

My Dad was also well-traveled. He has gone to a lot of cities in the Philippines and several countries, as well. He has visited Davao, Bacolod, Cebu, etc. He has also visited the neighboring countries--Taiwan, HongKong, China, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and of course the land of milk and honey, the United States (Hawaii, Texas, California, Arizona, etc).
His view on traveling was reasonable--he wanted to enjoy life while he's still strong. He did.

In 2002, he was diagnosed with lymphoma. It was never clear to the family how he acquired it and what will it do to him. But, he was a very determined father who went through all those very painful chemotherapies just to survive. He had a year full of agony and pain before he joined the Lord on July 17, 2003.

He will surely be missed by the whole family. He is loved forever by my Mom, me, my 3 siblings, my 4 kids and my niece. I wish he was still here spending time with my kids, whispering "happy birthday" every morning of October 7th to my Mom, knocking hard on the doors when it's breakfast/lunch/dinner time, watering the plants every morning, asking the myna bird "kumain ka na"?...

Well, I guess, as the saying goes, "it was his time." I guess it was. I was just not prepared yet to lose him. I still have a lot of questions that only he could answer. I still have a lot of problems that only he could solve. I still have a lot of qualms that only he could clear. But, he's gone and now, I would just have to accept the fact that I am on my own. My 28 years with my Dad was a gift from God. I would have to let go and just cherish those precious memories I have of him.

He remains in my heart, and my husband's, and my kids', and my mom's, and my brothers', and my sister's and all of those people's hearts whom my Dad touched one way or the other.

WE LOVE YOU, DADDY!