giving thanks, story of an old goat ...

[Guest guest]

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving - I will be

having my friends over for Thanksgiving Dinner, and also out to dinner

so there is cooking and not cooking going on... Its a

new tradition with us to do both...!

I'll be here posting over the long weekend. I will be working also I

have 3 massages to do today in fact...

I am so thankful for you and for our time on the net.. Thanks ...I

Remember to take time to focus on what we all are grateful for and

thankful

for ..... I like to take time to write down what I'm grateful for.

Love to you all...

again Thanks

Jim

 

now about this story.. I have kept pets and pets that produce also..

right now I have 8 chickens for example... this story is an old one it

has been told before...many times over... today in our world we are

faced with real threats to our lives, our food, and our pets and produce

friends.... so now.. from my friends on the foot and mouth disease list

and from

from GoatsUK:

 

GIFT OF THE OLD ONE

By Eunice Day, Washington ME

 

The young couple had made their usual hurried, pre-Christmas visit to

the little farm where dwelt their

elderly parents with their small herd of goats. The farm had been named

Lone Pine Farm because of

the huge pine which topped the hill behind the farm, and through the

years had become a talisman to

the old man and his wife, and a landmark in the countryside.

 

The old folks no longer showed their goats, for the years had taken

their toll, but they sold a little

milk, and a few kids each year, and the goats were their reason for joy

in the morning and

contentment at day's end.

Crossly, as they prepared to leave, the young couple confronted the old

folks. " Why do you not at

least dispose of " The Old One " . She is no longer of use to you. It's

been years since you've had either

kids or milk from her. You should cut corners and save where you can.

Why do you keep her

anyway? " The old man looked down as his worn boot scuffed at the barn

floor and his arm stole

defensively about the Old One's neck as he drew her to him and rubbed

her gently behind the ears.

He replied softly, " We keep her because of love. Only because of love. "

Baffled and irritated, the young folks wished the old man and his wife

a Merry Christmas and headed

back toward the city as darkness stole through the valley.

So it was, that because of the leave-taking, no one noticed the

insulation smouldering on the frayed

wires in the old barn. None saw the first spark fall. None but the " Old

One " .

In a matter of minutes, the whole barn was ablaze and the hungry flames

were licking at the loft full of

hay. With a cry of horror and despair, the old man shouted to his wife

to call for help as he raced to

the barn to save their beloved goats. But the flames were roaring now,

and the blazing heat drove him

back. He sank sobbing to the ground, helpless before the fire's fury.

By the time the fire department arrived, only smoking, glowing ruins

were left, and the old man and

his wife. They thanked those who had come to their aid, and the old man

turned to his wife, resting

her white head upon his shoulders as he clumsily dried her tears with a

frayed red bandana.

Brokenly he whispered, " We have lost much, but God has spared our home

on this eve of Christmas.

Let us, therefore, climb the hill to the old pine where we have sought

comfort in times of despair. We

will look down upon our home and give thanks to God that it has been

spared. "

And so, he took her by the hand and helped her up the snowy hill as he

brushed aside his own tears

with the back of his hand. As they stepped over the little knoll at the

crest of the hill, they looked up

and gasped in amazement at the incredible beauty before them. Seemingly,

every glorious, brilliant star

in the heavens was caught up in the glittering, snow-frosted branches of

their beloved pine, and it was

aglow with heavenly candles. And poised on its top most bough, a crystal

crescent moon glistened

like spun glass. Never had a mere mortal created a Christmas tree such

as this.

Suddenly, the old man gave a cry of wonder and incredible joy as he

pulled his wife forward. There,

beneath the tree, was their Christmas gift.

Bedded down about the " Old One " close to the trunk of the tree, was the

entire herd, safe. At the

first hint of smoke, she had pushed the door ajar with her muzzle and

had led the goats through it.

Slowly and with great dignity, never looking back, she had led them up

the hill, stepping daintily

through the snow. The kids were frightened and dashed about. The

skittish yearlings looked back at

the crackling, hungry flames, and tucked their tails under them as they

licked their lips and hopped like

rabbits. The milkers pressed uneasily against the " Old One " as she moved

calmly up the hill and to

safety beneath the pine. And now, she lay among them and gazed at the

faces of those she loved. Her

body was brittle with years, but the golden eyes were filled with

devotion as she offered her

gift-Because of love.

 

Only Because of love.

 

i always have kept the oldones to teach the new ones and to rule the

roost or lead the way...it is the old dog that teaches the new pup its

tricks and cat its wisdom and even the old birds their ways and sheep

and goats and cattle their paths ..... and it is love that keeps us

going on...it is love that tends us as though we were sheep as well....

 

A Thankfull Thanksgiving to you and my Thanks. jf

[Guest guest]

Thanks for that Jim, it's just how I feel about my fourlegged friends too

Now, I could look this up on the web, but by now feel safe enough on the group to ask!

I've always know that American's celebrate 'Thanksgiving' but never really know what it was for, how it originated.

Does anyone, amidst their celebrating - or afterwards of course - have time to give me the history on it please?

Thanks - and please, do enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday

Regards

Ann- Scotland

 

-

 

James W. French

21 November 2001 17:12

giving thanks, story of an old goat ...

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving - I will behaving my friends over for Thanksgiving Dinner, and also out to dinnerso there is cooking and not cooking going on... Its anew tradition with us to do both...!I'll be here posting over the long weekend. I will be working also Ihave 3 massages to do today in fact...I am so thankful for you and for our time on the net.. Thanks ...IRemember to take time to focus on what we all are grateful for andthankfulfor ..... I like to take time to write down what I'm grateful for.Love to you all...again ThanksJimnow about this story.. I have kept pets and pets that produce also..right now I have 8 chickens for example... this story is an old one ithas been told before...many times over... today in our world we arefaced with real threats to our lives, our food, and our pets and producefriends.... so now.. from my friends on the foot and mouth disease listand fromfrom GoatsUK:GIFT OF THE OLD ONEBy Eunice Day, Washington METhe young couple had made their usual hurried, pre-Christmas visit tothe little farm where dwelt theirelderly parents with their small herd of goats. The farm had been namedLone Pine Farm because ofthe huge pine which topped the hill behind the farm, and through theyears had become a talisman tothe old man and his wife, and a landmark in the countryside.The old folks no longer showed their goats, for the years had takentheir toll, but they sold a littlemilk, and a few kids each year, and the goats were their reason for joyin the morning andcontentment at day's end.Crossly, as they prepared to leave, the young couple confronted the oldfolks. "Why do you not atleast dispose of "The Old One". She is no longer of use to you. It'sbeen years since you've had eitherkids or milk from her. You should cut corners and save where you can.Why do you keep heranyway?" The old man looked down as his worn boot scuffed at the barnfloor and his arm stoledefensively about the Old One's neck as he drew her to him and rubbedher gently behind the ears.He replied softly, "We keep her because of love. Only because of love."Baffled and irritated, the young folks wished the old man and his wifea Merry Christmas and headedback toward the city as darkness stole through the valley.So it was, that because of the leave-taking, no one noticed theinsulation smouldering on the frayedwires in the old barn. None saw the first spark fall. None but the "OldOne".In a matter of minutes, the whole barn was ablaze and the hungry flameswere licking at the loft full ofhay. With a cry of horror and despair, the old man shouted to his wifeto call for help as he raced tothe barn to save their beloved goats. But the flames were roaring now,and the blazing heat drove himback. He sank sobbing to the ground, helpless before the fire's fury.By the time the fire department arrived, only smoking, glowing ruinswere left, and the old man andhis wife. They thanked those who had come to their aid, and the old manturned to his wife, restingher white head upon his shoulders as he clumsily dried her tears with afrayed red bandana.Brokenly he whispered, "We have lost much, but God has spared our homeon this eve of Christmas.Let us, therefore, climb the hill to the old pine where we have soughtcomfort in times of despair. Wewill look down upon our home and give thanks to God that it has beenspared."And so, he took her by the hand and helped her up the snowy hill as hebrushed aside his own tearswith the back of his hand. As they stepped over the little knoll at thecrest of the hill, they looked upand gasped in amazement at the incredible beauty before them. Seemingly,every glorious, brilliant starin the heavens was caught up in the glittering, snow-frosted branches oftheir beloved pine, and it wasaglow with heavenly candles. And poised on its top most bough, a crystalcrescent moon glistenedlike spun glass. Never had a mere mortal created a Christmas tree suchas this.Suddenly, the old man gave a cry of wonder and incredible joy as hepulled his wife forward. There,beneath the tree, was their Christmas gift.Bedded down about the "Old One" close to the trunk of the tree, was theentire herd, safe. At thefirst hint of smoke, she had pushed the door ajar with her muzzle andhad led the goats through it.Slowly and with great dignity, never looking back, she had led them upthe hill, stepping daintilythrough the snow. The kids were frightened and dashed about. Theskittish yearlings looked back atthe crackling, hungry flames, and tucked their tails under them as theylicked their lips and hopped likerabbits. The milkers pressed uneasily against the "Old One" as she movedcalmly up the hill and tosafety beneath the pine. And now, she lay among them and gazed at thefaces of those she loved. Herbody was brittle with years, but the golden eyes were filled withdevotion as she offered hergift-Because of love. Only Because of love.i always have kept the oldones to teach the new ones and to rule theroost or lead the way...it is the old dog that teaches the new pup itstricks and cat its wisdom and even the old birds their ways and sheepand goats and cattle their paths ..... and it is love that keeps usgoing on...it is love that tends us as though we were sheep as well.... A Thankfull Thanksgiving to you and my Thanks. jfMy Pictures of Aromatic Plants and Exotic Places In Turkeyhttp://members.home.net/chrisziggy1/triptoturkey.html

[Guest guest]

Ann,

to add a little .. we get several stories about Thanksgiving...

the basic is here already posted just add to it a few ideas.. I heard

this just yesterday.. that the first folks were Presbyterians...arrived

in November due to poor planning from England etc. and that the faire or

menu was meats there were no sweet potatoes.. and green beans...

and... one of the stories is that the Indians taught the planting of

corn with a fish, thus fertilizer.... and high productivity... a year

later.......in all this event was harmonious leading to a friendly

relationship with the indians.... we have a friendly relationship today

with our local indians.. of course they own the casino and much of the

commercial land

and are our true brothers, my family says we are a small part

blackfoot.??.. I don't know the whole story.. great great grandmother

and something about her stove... today after shopping Ramona says to me

Thanksgiving The Great American Grub Feast...

 

Timed to be at the end of Harvest the CAnadian Thanksgiving is in

October due to the season is over up north earlier than here.. last

Thursday in November.. SAid that the Church folks that started it would

be a gast if they knew how much we have and how we go shopping

immediately after for Christmas.. the Holy Thanks and the Holy Birth

were more subtle a celebration a quiet time.. WE are deep in SAnta and

gifts to each other. and the days of the Jewish Haunaka are in there

too.. my fully jewish friends are actually some of the best gift givers

for Christmas.. there are some many elements of common gospel... common

shared truths... in fact even the Buddhists have the same common truths

I can not or will not speak on the Islam folks but hay!! for the most

part the common truths are celebrated specially in Thanksgiving.. its

awfully hard to be hateful if you are filled with being thankful...

 

so some of these ideas may be a bit stylized by me in the telling ...

you get to this point in the year and in life and if you are at all

alive and have made it ... then you are thankful.. The other thing we do

is get out to the homeless shelters and to the streets and the poor are

fed.. and they make plans for the rest of winter... shelter and so on...

the harvest is big, even if it is not we are going to share, and we can

be generous to those less fortunate... other times of the year we might

not focus on this Thanksgiving we do ... thank god we have made it here

alive...lets be happy...as much a decision as a fact... I'm sure there

is more..

Thanks

for asking..

jim