***********************************************************
Greetings and Salutations to All my Kith and Kin and All the Ships in Outer Space:
Here is how we're observing THANKSGIVING DAY at the ARMED FORCES RETIREMENT HOME in Gulfport, Mississippi on Thursday 28 November 2013.
 |
| ARMED FORCES RETIREMENT HOME
__________________________________
THANKSGIVING DAY
ACTIVITY SCHEDULE
0900 Hours:
0915 Hours:
1130-1300 Hours:
1400 Hours:
1830 Hours:
Movie, "MUD", (2013), Drama, Rated PG-13,
2 Hours and 10 Minutes long, Closed Captions __________________________________
TRADITIONAL THANKSGIVING DAY DINNER Kansas City Steak Soup
Butternut Squash Soup
Shrimp Cocktail
Cranberry Sauce
Roasted Tom Turkey
Dressing
Gravy
Potatoes
Ham with Rum Sauce
Praline Yams
Squash Casserole
Turnip Greens
Country Corn
Rolls and Cornbread
Assorted Traditional Holiday Desserts
with Sugar and/or without Sugar
__________________________________
Guests and/or visitors desiring to chow down in our mess hall must purchase meal tickets, costing seven dollars ($7.00) each, at the Security desk in the main lobby, and may not enter the mess hall until 1200 Hours plus 15 Minutes.
I've even got my 2004 Ford F-150 XLT four wheel drive pickup truck decorated!  please click on the photograph. Also, although it's not listed on the schedule, some local farmer is bringing his dog here for a visit. How do I know? Because there's a sign outside of our mess hall that says, "BINGO Tonight at 1900". "There was a farmer
Had a dog,
And Bingo was his name, Oh!
B-I-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-O,
B-I-N-G-O,
And Bingo was his name, Oh!"
Also, if the Armed Forces Retirement Home's saloon, "FIDDLER'S GREEN", is open on Thanksgiving Day, it's quite possible that there'll be a bunch of guys relaxing as they enjoy watching scheduled football bowl games on the saloon's wall mounted, large screen television sets, while imbibing their favorite brews to slake their after dinner thirst. It's sort of a typical "guy" thing. My own most precious memory of Thanksgiving Day occurred in 1971, when I was a soldier in my beloved United States Army serving with the 501st Signal Battalion of the renowned 101st Airborne Division "Screaming Eagles" in the old Republic of Viet Nam. Aboard a Pan American jet airliner enroute to my Rest and Recuperation leave in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, I commented on my anticipation of Thanksgiving Day dinner. Another soldier pointed out that Thanksgiving Day was only an AMERICAN holiday, not observed in Australia. But, the Latter-day Saint couple, whose home I stayed in, arranged for me to enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving Day dinner at the home of an American family living in Australia, along with two American full-time missionaries of The Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-day Saints. 
The Browns, My Australian Latter-day Saint Hosts
My Thanksgiving Day Dinner
Because of that, I now solemnly regard our Thanksgiving Day as both a patriotic and religious observance, and it is an appropriate occasion for military veterans to wear their decorations. May we all continue to be ever grateful for everything we have, including all those little unmentioned things we generally take for granted, and may we strive diligently to be more deserving of the manifest blessings so graciously bestowed upon all of us by our Heavenly Father. And now, as a token of gratitude for all of our innumerable blessings on this very special Thanksgiving Day, I offer up this famous hymn. For the best effect, please be sure and watch, in "FULL SCREEN" mode, my homemade amateur video recording of ME (!), performing "FINLANDIA", as I accompany myself by strumming simple chords on my Yamaha G-130A classical guitar, which I created and posted in my room at the Ol' Soldiers' Home in Washington, D.C. on Friday 08 January 2010.
May God in His tender mercy continue to bless these United States of America, and may we, the people, ever humbly do all within our power to deserve those bounteous blessings bestowed upon us from Heaven above.
Thank you.
1800 Beach Drive,
Unit 311
 *********************************************************** *********************************************************** |
No comments:
Post a Comment