Thanksgiving Island Style

this is what our "fall colors" look like!!

I have always loved Thanksgiving. I love to savor the smells of turkey, sweet potato and spicy pumpkin pie cooking in the afternoon. I love the crispness in the air and the beauty of the many changing colored leaves. I would often go out for an afternoon walk and gather leaves and use them to decorate the house. I love to gather family and friends around the table and be grateful for the things we have gone through and to share what we are thankful for around the table. I love to pray to the One from whom all such blessings flow.

This year was a different Thanksgiving. It is hard to explain but I will try my best. Every day is the same here: sunny, humid and hot. The skies are blue. We don't have the same seasons as back home. No spring, no fall (well sort of a type of fall but not what I am used to) Lately the weather has changed a little.



It is starting to get a little cooler (but not much), we have had a little rain (but not much) so it doesn't 'feel' like Thanksgiving. In fact, each day often just blends into the next and I wouldn't have known it was Thanksgiving except friends and family were talking about it on facebook. But who am I kidding often I am caught off guard by holidays... "what? it's thanksgiving this weekend?" I rarely look at a calendar even back home! :-) But I never miss birthdays and of course, Christmas!

I had contemplated making a turkey dinner for some of our island friends. They don't eat typical turkey dinners here so I thought it would be a real treat for them. But a few days ago I came down with a terrible sinus infection and I wasn't up to doing anything at all.

I was thrilled yesterday when I heard that the Blue Bahai restaurant was hosting a Canadian Thanksgiving Dinner!! MMMMM! I was also thankful I was feeling good enough to go out!! So Bob and I went and had a great time. It was delicious: turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes slathered in gravy (good gravy too), green beans, sweet potato, and cranberry sauce. Yum! It was fun night because they handed out canadian ties for the guys, canadian scarves for the ladies (we didn't get any because we were 'late'.. ha.. what about island time.. oh yeah these were all north american.. shucks) They had a quiz about canadian trivia which was great. Thanks to Jaqueline for helping to organize this and for Kent for cooking and for wearing that Canadian toque all evening!!! :-)



Later we went to Paradise Beach to help celebrate our friend Marco's birthday. His mother and her friend were visiting from Holland and it was wonderful to get to know them. We really had a great night.

marco is at the back to the right of bob

Here are a few things I am thankful for: His unfailing love, Bob's commitment to me, for our 3 wonderful kids, for beauty that takes my breath away, for dear friends that stay in touch over the years, for fresh water to drink, for a renewed heart, for good health over the years, and for this opportunity to experience what living in paradise is really like.


these are winter birds.. they arrived a few days ago in the yard. they migrate here. what a treat. hey.. just thought of something.. YOU should migrate here! We'd love to have you in the yard too!!