Joyeux Jour de Dinde!

If it were not for facebook, I would not have remembered that today is Thanksgiving Day.  So for all of you who posted pictures of the delicious pies and carb-laden side dishes that you've made for today's festivities, thank you for the reminder.  And the food porn.

Tonight, AH and I have made plans with two friends of ours to drink beer and eat sausages at the delightful Belgian Beer Academy.  Saturday we will have a "proper" thanksgiving meal with 150 of our closest friends at the American Church.  Believe it or not, this is exactly as it should be for me.  Before AH and I started courting (and thus making the rounds on holidays), I don't remember ever having a big-deal meal on Thanksgiving itself.  My mother and father always hosted the "hordes" (all five of my father's siblings, their spouses and children, and now grandchildren) on Saturday, so Thursday was usually purposefully low-key.  In fact, one of my favorite Thanksgiving meals was the year my mom, dad, and myself (my sister was off gallivanting around England, I believe) sat down to a meal of 3-ways (of the Skyline variety, you sicko) and Coronas.  Bliss.  

So what I'm saying is, it's comforting to know that some traditions transcend time and place: beer and carbs on Thursday, turkey and utter insanity on Saturday.  If only we could get a rousing game of "Oh Bitch" going on Saturday at church, and if they save me all of the crispy, delicious turkey skin, I will be one happy camper.

And now, to further procrastinate from writing a paper on the gospel of Luke, the requisite list of what I am thankful for:

1. The technology that allows me to keep in touch with people back home, and to go to a school in Oklahoma.

2. The Wills & Kate royal wedding mug, brought back from London by a friend of a friend, that, when filled up with Earl Grey tea, acts as a magical motivational talisman.

3.  Parks

4.  Boulangeries

5.  Friends over here

6.  Friends over there

7.  Free museums

8.  My tree

9. Crepes.

10.  Two fantastic kids to look after, and a boss that treats me like a human being.

11.  Beautiful churches

12.  Churches full of beauty

13.  A roof over my head, a place to sleep, and a stove top to boil pasta on.

And seriously.  I live here:

I may kvetch on occasion about snotty bureaucrats and tiny grocery store aisles, but please never believe for a second that I'm not thankful for this amazing opportunity.  Because I truly, truly am.

And you know what I'm else I'm thankful for?

Being on this incredible journey with my Adoring (and Adorable) Husband.  I couldn't have asked for a better partner in crime.  We'll have been married for three years next Tuesday, and I still thank God every day that I have him in my life.  

Now please, quit rolling your eyes, rinse the vomit out of your mouth, and go enjoy some cheap beer and greasy turkey skin.