Dear fellow Hanoverians:
\nThanksgiving, our uniquely American holiday, is without a doubt my
\nfavorite holiday. My memories of Thanksgivings past include dinner
\nwith my Dad\u2019s mother and wondering how she could actually like
\ncreamed onions, a dish that now graces my table each year in her
\nmemory. I remember that there was always so much to be thankful for,
\nbut there was also something special about the way my father said the
\nblessing on Thanksgiving that transcended simple thanks. I recall that
\nthere were years that we traveled from my home state of New York to my
\naunt and uncle\u2019s house in Marshfield, Massachusetts for
\nThanksgiving, including the first year after my Dad passed when I was
\nbut 24. I\u2019ll never forget how Mom\u2019s mother used to \u201chold
\ncourt\u201d and challenge each of her grandkids to political and
\nreligious debates that would probably offend a casual visitor, but
\nthat would simply endear each of us to her more over a slice of her
\nlattice-crusted pecan pie. There were a couple of years where I gave
\nup time with my family to serve Thanksgiving dinner to the guests of
\nthe Pine Street Inn in Boston. For most of the past twenty-two years
\nthough, I have loved cooking Thanksgiving dinner for my family and
\nvarious guests right here in Hanover.
\nMy grandfather\u2019s family is descendant from John Alden and Priscilla
\nMullins, two Pilgrims who shared deer, corn and shellfish with Squanto
\nand Massasoit and other Wampanoags on the first Thanksgiving in 1621.
\nThose Pilgrims overcame considerable challenges, followed their
\nconvictions, and demonstrated considerable courage and strength just
\nto be there that day. Today here in Hanover we are mostly a fortunate
\nmix of descendants of those first celebrants and lucky immigrants.
\nMost of us have a lot to be thankful for as we share their and our
\ngood fortune just a few miles away from where it all started.
\nYesterday was the Hanover Visiting Nurse\u2019s distribution day for
\nthose in Hanover who are less privileged than most. My town hall
\noffice is just down the hall from the HVNA, and I watched as the
\ndonations piled onto the tables in the garage all week. Yesterday, a
\nsteady stream of grateful visitors took home fruit baskets from
\nCenter-Sylvester children and canned goods from Hanover Middle School
\nchildren, and stocked their shelves with dry goods from Hanover High
\nSchool students and numerous other generous souls. Right here in
\nHanover our neighbors are overcoming considerable challenges,
\nfollowing their convictions to feed their families, and demonstrating
\nconsiderable courage and strength just to be there yesterday. The
\nspirit of Thanksgiving lives on down my hallway and right next door to
\nyou. Enjoy your Thanksgiving Day tomorrow and please join me as I
\ncount my blessings to be among you in this special little town we call
\nhome.<\/p>\n
For “Around Town on the Web”,
\nCathy H-B<\/p>\n
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Dear fellow Hanoverians: Thanksgiving, our uniquely American holiday, is without a doubt my favorite holiday. My memories of Thanksgivings past include dinner with my Dad\u2019s mother and wondering how she could actually like creamed onions, a dish that now graces … Continue reading