Thanksgiving

Happy Holidays! I have just completed what I hope is the busiest week of the year, and now have a few moments to catch up on recent events. Thanksgiving is the Passey family's favorite holiday. There are several key ingredients to a successful turkey day: No school, lots of food, and lots of people. Traditionally, the no school is a no brainer, but since Belgium is a special case, no school has become an issue. Only Americans and Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving--Belgians celebrate Beer. Consequently, school is in session on Thanksgiving day. Last year I made the kids go half day. What a colossal mistake. I ended up spending an hour of prime cooking time running all over Brussels collecting children. Lest you think I exaggerate here, Sarah had a special off campus service project at the Salvation Army home for "stinky, creepy old men" (her words, not mine) in downtown Brussels and I went around the same statue several times and the wrong way on at least two one-way streets trying to find her. This year I learned my lesson and we all slept in--Heaven. Part One--check.

Part Two--lots of food. That is not a problem. But I must discuss part three so you can truly appreciate part two.

Part Three--lots of people. At home in Texas, family fills this requirement. We haven't had any luck so far in importing relations for our Belgian Thanksgiving, so we have to resort to begging friends to eat with us. This year the begging paid off so here are the details of Part Three--lots of people combined with Part Two--lots of food. Robin and John Keesling with their two boys, Dallin and Pierce, brought three pies, sweet potatoes, and drinks. Alicia and Jean Paul Chausee with their two girls, Giselle and Valarie, brought a turkey, rolls, and three pies. Karen and Tim Forsyth and their son, David, brought green beans, flowers, and two pies. Ilene O'Dwyer and her daughter, Monica, brought brownies. And Reece and his girlfriend Magoscha who is Polish and had never experienced Thanksgiving, brought flowers and a very open mind. I made Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potato pie, Grandma Passey's Red Cabbage, Traditional Penrod Cranberry Jello, rolls, and three pies. For those of you math wizzes out there, that equals alot of dessert. Parts Two and Three--check.

The kids worked off their desserts watching movies (surprise, surprise) and we adults had great fun talking traditions, politics, and telling stories on our kids. After everyone left and the dishes were done, the kids declared the day a success. "Not quite the same as family, but pretty fun." High praise from a teenager.