Thanksgiving: Parisian style
15 people were in attendance: 4 Americans, 5 French, 1 Australian, and 3 Brits and 2 Brazilian. It took quite a bit of organizing, planning, rearranging and managing to get 15 people to fit around a table and I felt a bit magical trying to make 15 chairs appear from 4. Bernie and Ernie (our two turkeys) made our attendance up to 17 but they soon disappeared as they were the main event. (Ernie was the smaller turkey and Bernie was the larger) It was a spendid time where the Americans shared our favorite traditions and tried to incorporate as much of our Thanksgiving as we could in a land of little to work with. There were 2 turkeys, 4 pies, sweet potato casserole, stuffing, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, corn bread, cranberry sauce, gravy, hot apple cider and a fruit salad. It rates high in my category of favorite memories in Paris as everyone worked so hard to make it special and it truly was. There were a few mishaps when a British flag appeared but that soon became yesterdays news and the focus was back on America. We shared our favorite American traditions, taught everyone the meaning of Thanksgiving and then required that everyone share in the American tradition of eating seconds or thirds. Yes, this was a favorite! Everyone shared what they were thankful for and it was a blessed time, no doubt. After all was eaten and tummies had expanded, everyone moved to the living room where American football was watched, the icing on the cake for me, for sure! All in all, this was a perfect day with the perfect people and if I couldn't be in Texas with my family, there was no other place with no different people I would've rather been with. Thanks to all who made it what it was! YOU are who I am thankful for this year.
