Lending a hand

Thanksgiving Posting from the blog “Still Learning to See”

Still Learning To See

Yesterday Liz and I shared in a community lunch at the Unitarian Church of Montpelier. Five churches in our small town each provide such a meal one day a week so those in need can always have at least one meal every weekday. Well over a hundred come, most food-insecure, and many of those needing an even wider range of support services than just meal. I wish the President-elect could have joined us.

Today, Liz and others were working at the Montpelier Food Pantry, generously housed in Trinity Methodist Church and widely supported by the community. The effort to provide food to people who are in need is inspiring even thought, given the increasing need, it is also often overwhelming. As Liz said  “today all was crazy, people bringing in donations, handing us donation money & giant boxes of kale and 20 frozen turkeys and people in there needing food.  Then the…

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Thanksgiving Baskets

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For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me – Matthew 25:35

It’s been a tough week watching the coverage of the evil that humans can do, as fanatics murdered people in France. I was ready for something to lift my spirits. Thankfully I didn’t have to wait long. Every year the Sacred Heart Pantry in Greenville, NH distributes Thanksgiving dinner baskets to folks who need them. Here are a few photos.

NOTE: Click on any photo to view in full resolution

Thanksgiving Baskets

Baskets are packed and ready for distribution

Dessert is included

Fruit and Vegetables

 

Celia Koski (right) has been a long time volunteer at the Sacred Heart Food Bank as well as a good friend.

Ollie Niemi mugs for the camera as he unloads frozen turkeys.

The Pantry provides food throughout the year as well as cooking lessons.

It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without a turkey and these were distributed on this day.

What about home made pies? Courtesy of the New Ipswich Congregational Church.

She was shy about having her photo included but this young woman was an enthusiastic helper.

Karyn poses with a pumpkin and apple pie

I believe the final count was 140 homemade pies baked for the Sacred Heart annual Thanksgiving Food Baskets.

 

Before I go:

I had a hard drive failure this morning, however since I have configured this computer with a RAID 1 configuration I was able to step back from the brink. Hardware failures are part of the life of a blogger. However your purchases using my Amazon.com link help with the expenses. Thanks for your continued patronage.

 

Happy Black Friday- Be thankful if you have power

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Thank You

Did you survive Black Friday? Good, you’ll be in shape for Cyber Monday. Please consider using my convenient Amazon link for your purchases. The holiday was a little surreal this year. The storm knocked out power for much of the family (New Hampshire chapter) and they gathered at our house because for some strange reason we had power. It went out today for about 90 minutes but that was easy.

Reminded me of the delightful days in 2008 when we DIDN’T have a generator. This storm did pack a wallop to New Hampshire.Nashua and Manchester were hit hard. My Mom is staying with us until they restore power to New Boston.

The family gathered round and celebrated Thanksgiving We were one of the only two family members that had electicity Usually we lose power on a windy day This photo is not altered, this is how we eat

Remember December 2008? Back then we without power for 12 days Hope that never happens again. However this pre-Thanksgiving storm was considered the fourth worse in our history

Another flashback to December 2008

Power to the people, a beautiful thing

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I’m Thankful for many things (but not the 2014 Thanksgiving snowstorm)

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Thank You

There are just too many things to be thankful for to fit in one short blog posting. This is just a subset.

Besides the categories listed below, I’m thankful for folks that spend the time to read this blog. I’m especially thankful to those who use my Amazon Link for their Christmas Shopping (top of page).

Thankful for my cousins

Thankful for my family

In spite of some flaws, I’m thankful to live in a country like this We have it easy compared to many others

Thankful for technology that provided a career and the opportunity to work from home

Thankful for friends

Thankful for enough food to eat, so many don’t

Thankful for health and for medical technology if needed

Thankful for more friends than I can list in this posting

Thankful for the chance to live is a beautiful place like New Ipswich, NH Thankful for the wonders of Nature

Thankful for sunrises, Cape Cod, the ocean and beauty

Thankful for music and the chance to play it with other folks and much, much more…

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We Gather Together

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Thank You

I play music with a lot of local folks including the Monadnock Mountain Music Jaffrey (MMMJ). They were guest musicians at a Thanksgiving Service in Jaffrey.

They performed We Gather Together which is probably the best known of the Hymns for this Holiday.

Harvest Arrangement by Archie and Helen Coll

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Sacred Heart Food Pantry prepares Thanksgiving baskets (with NICC pies)

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The folks at the New Ipswich Congregational Church spent two evenings peeling apples, making pie crust and baking 100 pies to be distributed with food baskets for needy families in the local area.  The baskets are distribute by the St Vincent de Paul – Sacred Heart Food Pantry in Greenville, NH

Many hands make light work

 

Slicing and dicing

 

Ready to go

 

 

Pie crust prepared from scratch

 

 

Turkeys for distribution at Sacred Heart Church in Greenville

 

Food Guidelines

 

Fresh baked pies from NICC

 

Turkey Day

 

Baskets at Sacred Heart

 

 

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Sacred Heart Food Pantry Thanksgiving baskets

The society of Saint Vincent de Paul  offers assistance to those in need on a person-to-person basis. Sacred Heart Parish in Greenville NH operates a food pantry that distributes food to families in need.

If you or someone you know requires assistance please leave a message with the Maureen Stenuis, local president of the society  who can be reached at (603)878-0518.

Last weekend the local scout troops collected food as part of their “scouting for food” annual event. The food was collected and brought to the food pantry.

On November 17th, an army of volunteers brought their baked pies, helped unload a truck of frozen turkeys, packed laundry baskets full of everything needed for a Thanksgiving feast.

 An assembly line operation

 Including some gravy for that turkey

 A sea of blue bags of vegetables

 Load them up and get it line again

 Ready for distribution

 The Lion’s Club held a winter coat drive in the next building.