thanksgiving thoughts

 [NYC 2009]

I woke this morning to the sound of pouring rain, and Husband pulling me close to tell me Happy Thanksgiving... I'm thankful for you. not a terrible way to start our first Thanksgiving on foreign soil.

Husband goes to work and the typical morning routine commences: make coffee, check email, facebook, twitter, instagram, etc to see what the rest of the world was doing while I was asleep. a tweet from my best friend, reminding me that she's my best friend. a wall post wishing me happy thanksgiving from someone thoughtful enough to remember the time difference. an email from my mother-in-law with a picture of one of my kittens napping, unaware that 2 small boys and 2 loud dogs are about to invade "her space".

also, this tweet from one of my favorite bloggers: Don't forget: most people's Thanksgiving tables don't look the way they do in magazines. And imperfect Thanksgivings are the most memorable. 

and I sat down with my coffee to start writing this post, because it's true. Thanksgiving has always been kindof a big deal in my family. my Dad's side, the Austins, all get together for a giant feast, board games, lots of drinking, and an early Christmas celebration all rolled in one. I have a lot of Thanksgiving memories, but the imperfect ones seems to stand out most.

trying to arrange the antennas just so on the tiny, fuzzy tv at the cabin [usually involving someone having to stand next to the tv and hold one of the antennas] so we could watch the Macy's parade. the year someone brought the karaoke machine up north. being banned from coming back to the Crowne Plaza. I don't remember the exact circumstances [maybe during a game of gestures?] but I distinctly remember the tree being knocked over one year at the cabin. my first Thanksgiving in NJ, when I played a board game with my family via text message and Husband went all out cooking a feast and taking me black friday shopping to cheer me up. hotel security kicking us out of the pool/lounge area of just about every place we've stayed at. the year my Mom wanted to drunk dial Husband [who was then Fiancee.] delays at Newark airport leading to making new friends. and then the year before last year, when a huge ice storm knocked out the power in our hotel... I think it's safe to say that nothing can keep the Austins from having a good time.

one more thing I found this morning: a comment on my last post saying cannot wait to see how you celebrate thanksgiving over there. [thanks, India] and it got me thinking.

it's easy to think of ways I wish this holiday was different. that we were with our family. that my fiestaware and kitchaid mixer weren't boxed up in a basement 7,500 miles away. that Husband didn't have to work today [or tomorrow.] that we had an oven. that it wasn't pouring rain. that our apartment had the light from my parent's deck. that I could make a cheese board and bacon-wrapped figs and buffalo chicken dip.

but I can't change any of that. so here's how I'm going to celebrate Thanksgiving: by being where I am, and by doing what I can. I don't know exactly what that looks like just yet. but I'll be back tomorrow to show + tell you.

Happy Thanksgiving. xo