It’s Thanksgiving Weekend here in the states, which is the only four-day weekend this work-obsessed nation permits itself annually. Not much is going on, which is a perfect time for my pooch to step in with a couple of festive messages…

Back in 2021, a lovely company here in town crafted a special tea linked to my wife’s book, We Gather Together. The tea is back as a limited edition this fall. If you never got a chance to try it, you ought to jump on the opportunity now. I have no idea how much tea is available, or how long this short run will last.

On the surface, the book is the surprising story of Sarah Josepha Hale, a woman magazine editor who lobbied several presidents before Lincoln finally acceded to her request to make Turkey Day a national holiday. But the deeper story is one of gratitude, and gives Americans a blueprint for a more inclusive Thanksgiving, sans the mythical, problematic Pilgrim-Wampanoag encounter of 1621.

The earliest celebrations of Thanksgiving in New England were distinctly regional affairs. This tea has a South Appalachian ingredient, yaupon, that has a fascinating history in its own right…

My wife, Denise Kiernan, did a somewhat last-minute interview this AM with Eastern Panhandle Talk, the morning talk radio and TV show for WRNR in Martinsburg, WV. It was a full 30-minute chat, mostly on the topic of We Gather Together, her 2020 book about the creation of the Thanksgiving holiday through the efforts of a crusading magazine editor named Sarah Josepha Hale.

This is the second time she’s appeared on this program. The last time was back in…

Three books events in the bag, more to go! My wife, Denise Kiernan, hits the road this week for another book event to promote her trio of titles about the creation of the Thanksgiving holiday. This time, her conversation partner in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, tomorrow, will be none other than yours truly. Yes, I know you’re excited. But do try to keep your cool. The interview portion will be brief. It’s billed as a family event, which means that after we talk, she’ll be showing some folks and their kids how to construct a gratitude wreath. Should be a fun event. The dates and times are all listed below…

My wife, Denise Kiernan, hits the road tomorrow for what will be the first of a couple of trips to promote her trio of books about the creation of the Thanksgiving holiday. As I’ve said before, these three books—one read for three different ages, kids, little kids, and adults—are NOT the story of Pilgrims and Native Americans. It’s a way better story than that. It touches on the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln, and the crusading woman editor who lobbied for a national day of gratitude…