Thanksgiving in Ireland

Hi everyone,

Today is Thanksgiving and we have much to be Thankful for. It is also a hoot celebrating and American holiday in a foreign country. We invited a group of friends and neighbors over for dinner (7pm here) and are enjoying cooking the first turkey we have cooked since we sold the big house three years ago.

It is odd and yet personally confirming to celebrate a holiday when no one else knows it is going on. Not that most here haven’t heard of or know of folks who are celebrating Thanksgiving, but it makes it so much easier when the whole country isn’t competing for the turkey let along standing in long lines as they will at Christmas. We got a bird that was fresh (as in butchered yesterday with some feathers left half in). What we couldn’t get were pumpkin pie makings (I guess they don’t eat that here) or onion soup mix for the dip. We gave up on the pumpkin but were able to cobble together some facsimile of the soup mix and successfully made the dip. The Irish call dressing stuffing – not so odd - but what they sell for stuffing is not breadcrumbs but rather a hard wheat type pellet with great spices. Two packages of the mushroom herb + one of cinnamon apple made a great mixture and I look forward to comparing it once cooked.

In true Irish fashion, it turns out that we will have two potato dishes (smile).

I spent hours this afternoon sending Thanksgiving cards to family and friends, via email – very civilized to get them all off with little fuss. We also got the fountain that was stolen earlier this summer replaced, so our front garden is complete once again. The dogs (especially Shadow) think that they have died and gone to heaven – they think feasts should come everyday. They may not be so happy when they learn that they will be sequestered in the basement for the main event.

Wishing everyone in the world a fabulous day – full of gratitude for the blessings of love, life, health and happiness.