Thanksgiving 2010

I know I’ve not been the best blogger lately, life has certainly been crazy. Now that the play and parent-teacher conferences are over, I can resume life as usual.

First order on the agenda, Giving Thanks.

Thanksgiving dinner was celebrated at my colleague’s house this year.

He’s a funny guy and an excellent cook.

He and his wife were able to recreate a traditional Thanksgiving feast in the land of sausages and sauerkraut.

When we walked into their home, it smelled like Thanksgiving.

The food was outstanding.

I contributed Vegan Mushroom and Walnut Pâté (post coming tomorrow), pumpkin and gnocchi casserole and Jenna’s Maple Pecan Squares.

We talked and laughed the night away.

I have so much to be thankful for.

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Early Advent

Sebastian has been in Berlin for the past week.

As we walked from the train station to a Thanksgiving dinner at my colleague’s house last night, he recounted a story that only gained hilarity as the night wore on….

The story started in a not-so-funny way. Sebastian lost his debit card. When asked to verify his ticket on the train ride back to Bonn, he opened his wallet only to discover that his debit card was not there.

With only 50 cents cash and no debit card, it was looking like a long and hungry 5 hour trip from Berlin to Bonn.

That is until he realized he had food after all.

He had his Advent calendar, 24 glorious little windows containing bite-sized chocolate salvation. His mother had given him the calendar to build up the excitement of the birth of our Savior one piece of chocolate at a time.

I asked him what the other people around him thought as he popped open the windows in the Advent calendar and ate the chocolate inside.

Being the smart boy that he is, he hid the calendar away from disapproving eyes in his laptop bag.

The advent calendar got him through.

He did not starve.

He did not famish.

He arrived hungry but able to walk.

Once at the Thanksgiving dinner, my colleague’s son caught sight of the calendar hiding inside Sebastian’s satchel. Without blinking, he asked to look at it.

Sebastian handed him the skeleton of advents past and proclaimed in a smug voice, “If you can find chocolate in there, it’s all yours.”

Sure enough, he peeled back window number 25 and revealed the biggest chocolate of all; the one and only piece Sebastian’s hungry hands missed.

Happy Advent everyone.

May your calendars be complete and your chocolate be dark.

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