Thanksgiving

Today is Thanksgiving Day in Canada. Many people do the dinner thing on Sunday though, so people have time to travel back home on Monday (Canadians are flexible like that). We, going nowhere, celebrated yesterday because today is not a holiday in Colorado. I'm not actually sure why we're still celebrating two Thanksgivings at all, actually, except I guess that you can't have too much of giving thanks in your life.

Or turkey. And when I say turkey, I mean gravy.

Yesterday was also the Race for the Cure here in Denver and my friend Lisa and I walked together. We had lofty goals of rising before the sun and doing the all-woman walk at seven AM, but cold temperatures and the threat of rain changed our minds at the last minute. Turns out we would have had to have gotten up very early indeed to buy light-rail tickets ahead of all the technology-challenged people who couldn't figure out which three buttons to push to get downtown. Ahem. But instead we went to Starbucks, spent an hour on/about the train, and started whenever. Right in the middle of approximately 62,000 other people.

I didn't actually raise any money for the race. Bad, I know, but I did pay to register, of course. I felt like I had already pumped friends and family for a walk this year and didn't want to ask again (which is not saying I won't next year). Lisa raised a lot though. But I just walked. And strangely, it wasn't until the very end that I linked this experience in any way to my parents. A woman about my age was walking with a laminated paper pinned to her back that explained that she was walking in honor of her mother, who died of breast cancer this year. Her mother was born in 1950, which, of course, is too young. And on that paper was a picture of a happy, mom-aged, beautiful woman. So I cried a little bit. After all, cancer is cancer, right?

But mostly the race was amazing. Honestly, I could have fun with Lisa during a root canal, but it's also awesome (in the true sense of the word) to be a part of something so huge, so uniting, and so....pink.

We also got a hell of a lot of SWAG.

By the way, this is where most of the fun fur of the world has gone. Next year I vow to have a hand-knit scarf for everyone I walk with (but not a fur one).

Then, at dinner time, a little turkey breast (ha!), stuffing, gravy, pie, and those unimportant vegetables. Mmmmm.

We went around and around the table saying what we were thankful for. Here's the list:

• Our family (of course)
• Our friends
• Fuzz
• Swimmy
• Our health
• Our cozy home
• Mark's job
• School
• Baby dolls (this is where it fell apart)
• The trampoline next door (which we have never ever jumped on)
• Yarn
• Forks (okay, we're done).

So be a little thankful today, huh? And try to think of something better than forks.

Comments

[sue]

Happy Thanksgiving
I agree; let's take every opportunity to be thankful! We had 24 at the cottage- 4 of the Hendriks' were there along with the Deathe's and we had a fine time! I endevoured (almost successfully)to prepare the largest, free range, organic turkey known to human-kind and there were more interesting vegie combos than you could imagine. Ashley made squash and quinoa and Linden provided a green bean salad with bright coloured peppers- fabulous. Nothing makes sweet potatoes more appealing than marshmallos and the little ones voted that dish their favourite! Lucky you to have another Thanksgiving to look forward to.
And I think forks are great to be thankful for especially when hunting for enough flatware for a crowd.
Love you
Sue

[Sherri]

Happy Thanksgiving from another Canadian in Colorado!

[Holly Jo]

62,000? Wow, that is a lot of people. Glad you had a good time.

Yes, let's hear it for gravy. Did you see Yarn Harlot's cranberry sauce? Sounded good.

Love what the kids are thankful for. :) Especially the trampoline.

[Nadine]

This is a great idea to sneak in another turkey dinner. I must remember to note the American Thanksgiving in my Canadian day planner. We have so much to be thankful for. I also like forks, but we always seem to run out of spoons - so I will be thankful for the clean spoons coming out of the dishwasher in a timely manner.

[Kari]

Can you please go to paradise and have a turkey cranberry sandwich for me?

K

[jen]

I think two thanksgivings is a great idea! Next year I'm celebrating both and I'm not even Canadian!

[mary maddox]

We had 2 thanksgivings for years after moving to Canada but eventually the USA's fell by the wayside as we assimilated more & more into Canada. Now we're back to celebrating both again. Canadian in Canada and the American in either AZ, CO, or FL. This year we had 2 turkey dinners. One on Sunday with family & Jonathan at our home and another on Monday with Mindy & Chelsea at the Unitarian church with a very eclectic mix of about 45 people! Mindy was in charge of the dinner and all went well. Next year I'll have to remind the kids to be thankful for Bobby & Poppa also! Especially since Olivia loves to say, "Hi Bobby" so distinctly over & over again on the telephone!
Love to all, Bobby