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November 23, 2006
Thankful
To preface this story, you need to know that
1) We are Americans and we live in England at the moment.
2) I am not known for my eagerness to plan and cook dinner.
This morning before we left the house to take David to the train and the kids to school, I cheerfully and with a smile said to my husband, "For dinner tonight, how about chicken korma, rice, salad, and blackcurrant jello for dessert?" I thought I was doing well to have thought of something to eat that I could envisage being responsible for conjuring up.
He looked at me quizzically for a few moments. I couldn't figure out why he wasn't excited about my delicious menu proposal. He should have been happy there was meat in the main course (it's important to him but I could take it or leave it and don't like handling raw meat) and the dessert had no chocolate on the ingredient list (I am a cocoa maniac and he isn't).
He finally jokingly replied, "Sure, sounds like a great Thanksgiving dinner."
Oops. It's Thanksgiving?
It's not a holiday here in the UK, understandably. It's a normal school and work day. That means David won't get home until maybe 7:30pm, and an hour later the kids have to be in bed with their teeth brushed and pyjamas on, with backpacks prepared for the next school day tomorrow. Not much time for a feast.
How about rescheduling for Saturday when the guy who actually enjoys gourmet cooking is home for a few hours before showtime?
I did make pumpkin pie last week, and mashed potatoes and mashed sweet potatoes with our dinner on Tuesday night. Last night David and I were out late at a show in London with work colleagues, so we're also a little short on sleep.
But even if we don't have a traditional holiday meal, we can still give thanks to God for other things, right? In that sense it will still be a Thanksgiving Day.
Thank you, God, for:
our health
our family unity
our marriage
our kids who try hard
our home
our school
our car
heat & electricity & indoor plumbing
food (of any kind)
clothes
a sunny day today (for the moment)
my computer, washing machine, dryer, dishwasher, garbage disposal and automated garage doors
Your unfailing love
second chances that keep renewing themselves
November 23, 2006 | Permalink
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Comments
Thanks to you for posting. Glad you can still drive legally, by the way.
Posted by: Martin LaBar | Nov 23, 2006 12:17:47 PM
Happy Thanksgiving! Here in Japan, it is a rare year where the Japanese "Thanksgiving for Labor" day (more like Labor Day in the U.S.) actually falls on the same day as the U.S. Thanksgiving. (The Japanese holiday is always on the 23rd of Nov.) So we had one other mixed (Japanese husband/American wife) family and a Japanese family from our church, and I baked a teeny tiny turkey in our small oven (didn't have any leftovers - shoot!) Everything went well, and we got all the major fixin's from import stores, and the Denver Broncos game from last Sunday was even on the TV afterwards! Just perfect! I am thankful to have friends here from home and from here, and thankful that we can get those American foods once in awhile! Mostly, I am thankful that Kaz helped, and the kitchen is all cleaned up!
Andrea
Posted by: Andrea | Nov 23, 2006 2:08:37 PM
Thanks, Martin. Me, too.
* * *
Hi Andrea,
thanks for your message! Happy Thanksgiving to you, too. That's awesome you got to have Thanksgiving as a day off! Cool. Looks like your next one is in 2017!!! Wow! That is a while to wait. But then, it never happens in England ;-)
Glad to hear about your great day. Funny it's over already in Japan, and here where I am it's only 1:15pm, and in California, it's only 5:15am. A neat thing, this world the Lord made.
Posted by: Katherine | Nov 23, 2006 2:18:51 PM
Happy Thanksgiving! This year we're kinda skipping Thanksgiving. Working on The Move, etc. (que music to Jaws duh-duh. duh-duh. duh-DUH) It seems reasonable to me, but friends and family seem to think we've lost our minds. (People! Its a turkey. Not the Holy Grail)
I'm just especially thankful that the house is very almost done!
Posted by: Lucy | Nov 23, 2006 7:56:25 PM
And I am thankful for my family! William and I are at the River and we went to the Tides Inn with Melanie and Roger for Thanksgiving! I picked up some sweet potato pie from the dessert table first! Just wanted to make sure I got some before the crowds moved in...I did not eat it until later, however!
Your menu did sound delicious, Katherine, and knowing how much (little!) you enjoy the process, three cheers for you!
Mom
Posted by: Patricia Taylor | Nov 24, 2006 11:15:08 PM
How wonderful you had chicken for Thanksgiving...and that the sun (for the moment) was shining. We had 6 family members (Celina, Tim, Caitlyn 8 and Adam, 5 plus Alan and me) and four friends (Kate, Thom, Kate's Mom Lady Bet and her friend Bunchie in from St. Maartens). Fourteen pound organic turkey fed all of us twice (I made plates for them to take home) plus four more meals and the turkey is simmering in a pot making soup as I write. It is the only meal I prepare over three days, and enjoy for three more! Thanks for your wondeful blog that keeps us up to date with all your family activities. I feel as if I am there. Love, Aunt Willow
Posted by: Willow | Nov 25, 2006 8:17:41 PM
