Thanksgiving Greetings From Senator Rockefeller

U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller issued the following Thanksgiving message on Wednesday:

There are so many reasons I am proud to be a West Virginian, and why I am thankful every day to represent our state in the United States Senate.  During this Thanksgiving week, I give special thanks for our sense of community and commitment to one another – for West Virginia’s hard workers, giving neighbors, and honest, good-hearted people.

West Virginians are some of the strongest, most resourceful individuals in the nation, and our greatest work is done when we come together to help each other in times of trouble or share in times of joy.

West Virginians work long hours – in the small businesses and mom-and-pop stores serving our communities, in the Veterans clinics and medical centers caring for our vets, in our mines – keeping the lights on in America, and in our classrooms training our state’s next generation.  I am so thankful for every one of our workers and all that they do – as social workers and caregivers, first responders, engineers and community leaders. Their spirit, optimism, and unending hard work keep our state strong.

We know that it is especially hard to celebrate holidays in a tough economy. We must keep working to get the economy moving in a way that creates jobs, restores home values, and protects retirement.  For those out of work or underpaid this holiday season – it is frustrating and hard – but we also know that West Virginians help each other through tough times.  I am thankful for everyone who has contributed time or other resources toward making sure that each of our neighbors has a meal on the table.  Holidays – in good times and bad – renew our spirits and remind us of the importance of family and community and faith.

As we join hands in prayer with friends and family and sit at the dinner table during this special time of thanks, it is my wish that not just during this holiday, but every day, we can work together to reach the greater good. I know that our resilience and constant efforts will help to create a brighter future for West Virginia and our nation.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.  May God bless you and your loved ones, our great state and the United States of America.

READ MORE - Thanksgiving Greetings From Senator Rockefeller

Holiday crowd Googling 'thanksgiving quotes' to use at family dinners

Coming up with things to say during a toast at a family dinner is a perenially difficult chore -- especially if you want to avoid the well-worn cliches.  So if in doubt about what you're going to say, why not go to the world's greatest suggestion generator? It seems many Americans are doing just that. Google's Hot Trends, the feature of the search engine that tracks the searches people are performing with unusual intensity, is showing widespread searching for phrases like "thanksgiving quotes," "thanksgiving wishes," "thankful quotes," "thanksgiving message" and "thanksgiving sayings."
It's not cheating, it's just ... research.
But does the mighty Internet yield much in the way of quality fodder for turkey day speeches?  Well, it seems that Web denizens out there picked up on the demand for grateful quotations a while ago, because there is no shortage of Web pages laden with suggestions  -- some silly, some apt, and some simply inappropriate.
For those looking to sprinkle in some historical-sounding information, one popular page lists the following on top:
"The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts.  No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving.  -- H.U. Westermayer."
Or for a more standup-comedy type approach:
"What we're really talking about is a wonderful day set aside on the fourth Thursday of November when no one diets.  I mean, why else would they call it Thanksgiving?  -- Erma Bombeck."
Quote quality runs the gamut, so be careful:  On a site for news on the island of Mauritius that comes up among the top searches for "thanksgiving wishes," some of the suggestions might not fly at the dinner table:
“The gratitude of most men is but a secret desire of receiving greater benefits.” –Francois Duc de la Rochefoucauld
“What soon grows old? Gratitude.” – Aristotle
Then there are some, like the following, that sum it up quite nicely -- and could be adapted for use in your local dining room...
"To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven. -- Johannes A. Gaertner

READ MORE - Holiday crowd Googling 'thanksgiving quotes' to use at family dinners