Friday, November 20, 2009

Now is the winter of our...

Parents arriving from the states is of course what Shakespeare was insinuating with that statement in Richard III. No, not really. Really it is lovely here. Great cocoa and hot tea weather and time to visit indoors. Mom and Dad are really looking forward to some great interaction time with Eileen. And she in turn is looking forward to even more people treating her as though she is the center of the universe. And smiling when she says 'cookie please.' We will probably explore Christmas markets in Germany and locally. Possibly see a couple of Castles decorated for the holidays.

So, there are some questions that you might have: 1) will you have Thanksgiving. The answer is yes! I bought our turkey a couple of weeks ago -- it is about 18 pounds and kosher -- and I bought it from the nearest US commissary*. 2) is it traditional here? No, neither Thanksgiving, nor enormous birds are traditional here -- even though many from the Mayflower started their journey from these shores. Final bonus question: yes, I am still sick, though my doctor claims that he no longer hears the seven dwarves hammering against my lungs with every ragged breath I try to draw. Eric and Eileen aren't much healthier. In fact, none of our friends are.

*Caveat: we are actually helping some of the single guys and new families with their Thanksgiving on Thanksgiving day, so ours will be on Friday night with a couple of Dutch friends and my parents.

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