Happy Thanksgiving!

(Posting from Heidelberg, Germany, where I am the School Library Media Specialist at Heidelberg International School.)

Those of you who know me well know that Thanksgiving is my FAVORITE holiday.  Our typical celebration involves lots and lots of friends and family, beginning at 9:00 in the morning with the traditional Turkey Bowl family football game, and continuing with appetizers at noon and THE FEAST around 3 p.m.

Typical Thanksgiving Feast; photo credit Tory

It's a labor I love and it's very, very strange this morning to be getting ready to go to work instead of browning the spicy Italian sausage, celery, and onion for the stuffing.

It looked for a while like we might (gasp!) SKIP Thanksgiving altogether this year.  Instead, we've ended up creating TWO Thanksgivings here in Germany.

Today, my non-cooking husband is dutifully following the directions I've left him, and two other new American teachers are coming home on the train with me after school.  They are bringing part of the feast and Andy will work today to create the mashed potatoes, roast the turkey, and whip up a colorful fruit salad.

Our teeny-tiny kitchen in Gaiberg, Germany

It's a teeny-tiny turkey cooked in a teeny-tiny pan in a teeny-tiny oven, but we're making the effort!  And doing it again on Saturday, hosting new friends from Germany, Australia, and Canada who have helped us get settled in this adventure.

The dining room - such as it is - with our Sperrmüll table and
NO Thanksgiving decorations!

Of course, we'll pause to give thanks - for our many, many friends around the globe - those who are with us today (and Saturday) and those with whom we've celebrated in the past (Wolff family, I'm looking at you!)  I am missing my kids enormously this morning - good thing I get to go hang out with 200 others!

May your Thanksgiving (be it today or Saturday or some other day) be full of friends, food, fellowship, and gratitude.

Pam