A Very Happy Thanksgiving

I kept up my tradition of creating my own holiday in Stockholm by taking Thursday off and spending the day focused on Thanksgiving. This is the one day of the year when being in sync with what's happening in the US means a lot to me. So while it's a normal work day and we can't eat until evening, it's well worth the effort to have Thanksgiving dinner on the actual Thanksgiving day! That this will be our last celebrated in Stockholm perhaps made the whole occasion that much special. While I will miss the memorable gatherings we have shared around our dining room table, I won't miss worrying about finding all of the ingredients to make the meal in the way I like it! Fortunately a friend went to the US in October so brought back a cache of goodies including corn bread mix from Trader Joe's, canned cranberry sauce, stuffing mix, and pumpkin pie filling. I farmed out the pies but supplied the pumpkin! I also won't miss paying a staggering $4.00 a pound for my turkey! I did dig through the very small freezer compartment at my local grocery store to find the biggest one...4.6 kilos or just tipping in at 10 pounds! Small as it was, it was tasty in the end!
I had a blast decorating the table this year. A friend and one of the guests invited for dinner had receive the center cloth from her mom and it provided the base inspiration for all that followed. I was very happy how it all turned out and it proved to be a beautiful setting for a memorable meal.
Around our table this year we had a family from India (joke was that we had real Indians at our Thanksgiving!) who had never experienced the American Thanksgiving tradition or food before, a woman from Ghana, a Swiss/American couple and one of their kids, and one other American along with me and Doug. The gathered group are all quite close to one another having shared in each other's lives in significant and heartfelt ways through the years.
The food was delicious, if I say so myself! My roasted sweet potatoes in a maple/cayenne glaze were a big hit. In the end, we had plenty of food and even a lot of leftovers!

In keeping with the Thankfulness theme, as people came in, each drew a name. Later in the evening, we had the Thanksgiving round where we each shared one thing that we were thankful for about the person whose name we had drawn. It was a special time, filled with laughter and tears. There was an abiding sense of family around our table that night. We finished off the evening while watching an incredible video of Ed Dobson, a pastor in the US whose journey is now laced with his struggle with ALS. See his story here.  At last, over pies, we enjoyed our annual Thanksgiving day quiz.
I was tired when my Thanksgiving day ended but full, content and overflowing with joy. I missed my folks throughout the day. I missed talking to my mom about the food and showing her the table. The gravy always gave me angst and I must say, my mom would be proud of how I've now mastered it! I I missed talking to my dad about the food and football. But there was certain comfort in knowing that my dad wasn't having to struggle through another holiday season without my mom.
Our church family has been just that...family. The heartfelt sentiment expressed around that table that night was one of deep connection and appreciation for all who shared in our tradition together.
I will miss my family at Immanuel International as we transition back to the US in January. But the depth of thanks I feel for having shared these years with them will never fade. I guess that makes me the most thankful of all. 

A Happy Thanksgiving

I have learned over the years of living abroad to just take Thanksgiving Day off and turn it into my own little holiday.  I hate working on Thanksgiving.  It is the one day in the entire year when I yearn to be in step with my home culture.  Maybe it's because it's the only holiday where most of the nation celebrates in very similar ways.  We eat the same food, we share in similar traditions like football and table games, and perhaps most of all, it's a holiday dedicated to being together and giving thanks.  So I enjoy taking the day, making the meal and sharing it with a unique group of people each year.  We often try to have at least one person around our table who has never celebrated the American Thanksgiving tradition.  It is a wonderful experience to introduce this custom to our global friends!  This year, in addition to 2 other Americans, we shared our table with folks from Malawi, Ghana and Canada.  Our friend from Ghana was experiencing her first Thanksgiving ever!
The Thanksgiving adventure always begins with finding all the right foods.  Since I had been in the US in October I stocked up on some essentials so that made it pretty easy.  Still, I had to go to three different stores to find my turkey and was lucky to find a 12 pounder.  My oven is so small however, that one any bigger would not fit!  I cook it breast side down and find that the meat stays nice and moist that way.
The food turned out great and we feasted and feasted until we could eat no more.  That is, until we brought out the pumpkin and apple pies!  Then we found a little more room for a few more bites!

Doug prepared a Thanksgiving Day quiz and because Thursday was a normal work day in Sweden, we didn't eat until 7.00 p.m. so we didn't have to worry about taking a Thanksgiving Day nap...we just went to bed when it was all over!
I enjoyed making the food, setting the table, and sharing in the meal with great friends.  We thought of our families across the pond, gathering to celebrate in different ways and of course, wished they were with us.  But we were happy to know that everyone was eating well on this special Thanksgiving Day.  We have an abundant life and it is good to give thanks for all the riches we enjoy.
Note to self: Do not give an already prone to flatulence dog turkey scraps before you go to bed.  Let's just say the delicious aromas from the day quickly disappeared as Tanner recycled them!