Saturday 29 November 2008

Dia de Accion de Gracias



Clean up from a Thanksgiving extravaganza looks the same no matter where you. Or, so I learned.


I'm taking advantage of a quiet moment. All the boys (Jeff included) are taking naps, I've got a glass of water, some left over tuna/curry/corn appetizers (taste better than they sound), and the butane heater running.


Yesterday we had a few people over from our congregation to join us in celebrating Thanksgiving. I tried to explain to my husband that it's just not a Thanksgiving without a bunch of other people with you. SO we drove 45 minutes to find an English butcher with a turkey breast last minute (we paid 14 euros a kilo (about $9 or so a pound) but it was worth it to celebrate with real turkey). I made all the "fixin's"! It was the first time that I have made a Thanksgiving meal on my own, and beside the biscuit mishap, everything came out really well! I reminded my family that these "from scratch" Thanksgivings will all too soon disappear once we live in a country that has the essentials in a can...


It was really nice to get to celebrate. It is also my first major holiday away from any sort of traditional family. It was wonderful how we were able to create new "family members" and laugh and share stories....just as if we had been in the States. One doesn't realize how important these sorts of things are until they are no longer an option. It was important to me that we have some sort of celebration (I had been an emotional wreck about it all week). I don't want to lose those traditions that are a part of who we are, a part of our American culture. And I hope, in the same breath, that we can adopt new traditions (like Los Reyes Magos (3 Kings)) to bring into our family's culture.

This year I am most thankful for:
1. ...being able to see a Salvation Army church grow and flourish, just as God created it to do. (We love you, Waukegan)
2. ...new friends, extensions of our family.
3. ...good food.

4 comments:

Kelly said...

I'm so glad you had a great day! We had 26 at my house! But it went great and all was well.

I am so thankful!

Edie said...

I'm so glad you found a Turkey and got to celebrate with friends.

Sue J. said...

I'm really glad you found turkey, too, because I know how much that meant to you. And I'm hardly waiting to hear about the 3 Kings celebration....

This is so great to be able to exchange cultural ideas. The world doesn't have to be quite so big when we can find things to share.

Now....to solve your baking dilemmas....much tougher problem! It's definitely not you :-)

My ADHD Me said...

I'm so glad you got to celebrate Thanksgiving.

Did I ever mention that I think what you are doing is a wonderful thing.

Sad realization-My kitchen looks worse than the one in your picture and we ate at Chatty Kelly's house!!