Like this:

ok, not to set the mood for this post, but i wanted to show you the fog we had the other day: 

absolute pea soup!  normally i can see for a good distance, to the hills, but just the neighbors here.  just a product of the higher altitude and abnormally (so i’m told) consistent rain and cold we had for about three or four days straight.

our initial plans for the glorious american holiday of thanksgiving was to combine it with a glorious south african summer tradition of the braai (i.e. bigass cookout).  when we came home from dinner on a very violently rainy tuesday night, i ran into jacques who gave me a very uncertain and doubtful response concerning our thanksgiving braai due to crummy weather.

so, we decided on a more traditional route.  i figured on wednesday when only constance and carma volunteered to help cook, that i’d have to make some effort if we were going to have thanksgiving.  with an additional little volunteer (one of the staff’s son was home with a wee cough, but well enough to need occupation), we set out to make us some vitals.  first and foremost i did not want to make a turkey.  i’m sorry my fellow amuricans, but i could not bring myself to go through the whole defrost/ wait for the damn thing to roast all day bit being all away from home (they do have turkeys here–frozen and about R150-200, roughly $25-30?).  so, we settled on chickens.

a morning full of cooking later, we had 4 roast chickens, 1 bundt pan of stuffing, 4kg of mashed potatoes, green beans, broccoli salad, garden salad, and chocolate banana pudding.

ta da!  as far as thanksgivings go, it was far from out of the ordinary.  in fact, it was probably more true to the spirit than anything–thanksgiving is meant to be not just a holiday of thanks, but also a holiday of sharing and fellowship.  at our table, we had not only our group, but all the staff of a room with a view.

maybe not necessary?  but the consensus amongst the americans (and by that i mean the ladies.  and by that i mean, let’s be honest, the sticklers of tradition) was that all should feast at the table (we certainly had space, n’est pas?).

there’s a certain theory that thanksgiving is part of an american festival cycle that goes from halloween to easter, making up a female part of the year and a male part of the year.  thanksgiving is about hearth and home and family and a certain selflessness that comes with being motherly (hence the women caring about it, hence the turkey in an oven, hence all the indoorness).  i suppose my point would be we felt it only proper to invite everyone in our new family to our new house to break bread and share some time.  we knew they wouldn’t know the weight of it but i think a lot of the sentiment was there–the gift of a good meal and  eating together, the pinnacle of all universal social activities.  mmm, feels good to be human.

it’s late, but happy thanksgiving, everyone!

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