Happy Thanksgiving

Hi Everyone!!

We can't be there to celebrate this Thanksgiving with all of you. I hope you know how grateful we are to have such loving supportive family and friends in our lives. You give us the strength to go on fabulous adventures because we know that you'll love us know matter where we go. That is a blessing.

The kids have school on Thanksgiving this year. They have a half day on Friday but Nick and I are letting them stay home. We're not sure if we'll be celebrating with dinner on Thursday evening or another day on the weekend. I'm going to record the parade on our Slingbox so we can be authentic. There are no turkeys here so we're substituting for chicken which, the Sopers know, is not a huge stretch for me. Mom always made a Capon for Thanksgiving never a turkey. But, I'm going to have to make gravy from scratch. There are no canned sweet potatoes here. They have something that is in the sweet potato family. Everyone assures me it's close enough. I've got a recipe. I'm not too worried. There is no canned pumpkin here, and unless you were smart enough to find one and buy one around Halloween no fresh ones either. We're having apple pie. I've got the mashed potatoes covered, no problem there. And I was able to hunt down a can of cranberry sauce...the jelly, not our favorite but every little bit of home helps.

Of all the years of crazy Thankgsiving mishaps this year it seems we face the most challenges...unknown produce, unfamiliar cooking utensils...and an oven that is in celcius. Despite the daunting task of creating the feast in foreign lands I am confident that we'll be successful. We have each other...and that is blessing enough.

Many of you have seen the following in email form. I send out this little essay every year because it reminds me of the Thanksgivings we have at our house. I have no idea who wrote it but I suspect they may know me...or at least have heard about some of our misadventures in cooking. Maureen can share all the drama with you. Most importantly, it reminds me that even though it may not be picture perfect presentation it's your attitude that makes the memory. So, without further ado, I give you, Martha Stewart will not be joining us this Thanksgiving.
Martha Stewart will not be dining with us this Thanksgiving. I'm telling you in advance, so don't act surprised. Since Ms. Stewart won't be coming, I've made a few small changes: Our sidewalk will not be lined with homemade, paper bag luminaries. After a trial run, it was decided that no matter how cleverly done, rows of flaming lunch sacks do not have the desired welcoming effect.

Once inside, our guests will note that the entry hall is not decorated with the swags of Indian corn and fall foliage I had planned to make. Instead, I've gotten the kids involved in the decorating by having them track in colorful autumn leaves from the front yard. The mud was their idea.

The dining table will not be covered with expensive linens, fancy china, or crystal goblets. If possible, we will use dishes that match and everyone will get a fork. Since this IS Thanksgiving, we will refrain from using the plastic Peter Rabbit plate and the Santa napkins from last Christmas.

Our centerpiece will not be the tower of fresh fruit and flowers that I promised. Instead we will be displaying a hedgehog-like decoration hand-crafted from the finest construction paper. The artist assures me it is a turkey.

We will be dining fashionably late. The children will entertain you while you wait. I'm sure they will be happy to share every choice comment I have made regarding Thanksgiving, pilgrims and the turkey hotline. Please remember that most of these comments were made at 5:00 a.m. upon discovering that the turkey was still hard enough to cut diamonds. As accompaniment to the children's recital, I will play a recording of tribal drumming. If the children should mention that I don't own a recording of tribal drumming, or that tribal drumming sounds suspiciously like a frozen turkey in a clothes dryer, ignore them, They are lying.

We toyed with the idea of ringing a dainty silver bell to announce the start of our feast. In the end, we chose to keep our traditional method. We've also decided against a formal seating arrangement. When the smoke alarm sounds, please gather around the table and sit where you like.

In the spirit of harmony, we will ask the children to sit at a separate table. In a separate room next door.

Now, I know you have all seen pictures of one persons carving a turkey in front of a crowd of appreciative onlookers. This will not be happening at our dinner. For safety reasons, the turkey will be carved in a private ceremony. I stress private meaning: Do not, under any circumstances, enter the kitchen to laugh at me. Do not send small, unsuspecting children to check on my progress. I have an electric knife. The turkey is unarmed. It stands to reason that I will eventually win. When I do, we will eat.

I would like to take this opportunity to remind my young diners that passing the rolls is not a football play. Nor is it a request to bean your sister in the head with warm tasty bread.

Oh, and one reminder for the adults: For the duration of the meal, and especially while in the presence of young diners, we will refer to the giblet gravy by its lesser-known name: Cheese Sauce. If a young diner questions you regarding the origins or type of Cheese Sauce, plead ignorance.

Before I forget, there is one last change. Instead of offering a choice between 12 different scrumptious desserts, we will be serving the traditional pumpkin pie, garnished with whipped cream and small fingerprints. You will still have a choice; Take It or Leave It. Martha Stewart will not be dining with us this Thanksgiving. She probably won't come next year either. I am thankful.

There are so many things we are thankful for that it's impossible to list them. But, I think on days like Thanksgiving, it's important to say, I'm thankful for you. Each one of you, whether you've known us forever or just a few months. You are a precious gift to us and we love you all.
Have a happy Thanksgiving. And remember we're thinking of you all with love today!