November 22, 2012

• Thankful

  Today is America's Thanksgiving day. It is in my top three on my short list of favorite holidays. I enjoy spending time with family and friends, and I enjoy the food. Each year thanksgiving time grows more and more precious to me. I like to approach the year with a thankful heart. Really, I am so thankful and have so much to be thankful for. Every day is a precious gift. A chance to be a part of this world that God created. A chance to see be with my husband. A chance to see my children grow. A chance to see a life change to the glory of God the Father. Each day I put food on the table, I am thankful. Because that food was put on my table by the loving and generous donations of God's children. Sometimes when the account looks really skinny, I thank God for what I do have. Each time we put out a monthly accounting of our budget and news letter, I am thankful for our supporters. We couldn't do it without them. Seriously.

  Tonight we spent Thanksgiving quietly as a family of 5. It wasn't what I expected because a number of other people had been invited. Some couldn't come because of work. Some couldn't come because of the hospitalization of a family member, and some just didn't show up. It happens, but I try not to let that get me down. We had a nice time enjoying Thanksgiving with just our 5. I can't think that we have ever done that. Not even when we were just 4 or 3 or 2. Nope, never. It was different.

  Even though, no one came, I did take a couple of huge plates down to my friends who had a family member hospitalized. I wouldn't have taken out a few more plates, but those individuals lived a bit far just to walk the plates to them. I usually give food to my neighbor, but he has been gone a few days. He has a job that takes him away for days at a time. I wish he was home though because I would have loved to have him over for dinner. Tomorrow is a Japanese holiday. Perhaps he will be home tomorrow and I can take over some food to him then.

  Like I said, it wasn't what I expected, but it was still so nice to have a traditional meal with my family. And I DO really have so much to be thankful for!

  Here was our menu:
  Roasted turkey
  Mashed potatoes
  Stuffing
  Gravy
  Corey's "grandma's noodles"
  glazed carrots
  green peas
  steamed green beans
  cranberry sauce
  rolls
  cornbread
  pumpkin pie
  pumpkin bread
  persimmon pudding

  Save for the stuffing (which came from a box) and the cranberry sauce (which came from a can) everything else was made from scratch.
  If only the dishes would wash themselves....
  Time to jump in the ofuro and relax!
  Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends

  • 7:19 am
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