thanksgiving

People have asked me recently - what did Thanksgiving look like at the Chos' in Xai Xai?

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, not only because it is centered heavily on good food, but also on community and fellowship.

Sadly, M&I did not have the traditional meal and fixings. Instead we settled for chicken with lemon and rosemary sauce, a recipe that M found in Essence magazine characterized as an easy 30 minute meal. (Does anyone else besides me think that is funny??) He also added some mango slices at the end, which carmelized and gave the dish a really great sweet flavor. Yes people, my husband is becoming a great cook. Sides included rice and corn on the cob, a bit boring but acceptable. Unfortunately, there was no dessert as I was too tired to make pumpkin pie as planned. Oh but don't worry, I did make pie the next day - two of them - with a homemade crust that didn't use any shortening. Not available in my little town. I now know that shortening is pretty darn important if you want a light flaky pie crust. As you might imagine, mine left much to be desired... I also threw together some pumpkin bread with walnuts using my leftover pie filling. The bread was a lovely, successful experiment - it actually came out okay!

All the eating and thinking about food that I do sometimes makes me feel ill. You know. I'm living in a place where so many people have only one meal a day, if even that. What is the best way for me to share the resources and wealth that I have? This will probably be a question that I pursue for the rest of my life.

As for fellowship, M&I spent the evening alone. Sounds lonely, but it was what we needed on that participular day. We've been getting to know each other beyond the idealized versions of ourselves, and it's been hard at times but really rewarding. Marriage is an interesting existence when you're out in the middle of nowhere, without your close family and friends around. Even though I miss my community at home, I'm thankful for this time. I realized over the weekend how lucky I am to be living here right now and that I am so happy. Don't you love those moments when you are struck by how blessed you are in life? And so, I give all my thanks to God, who I believe makes these blessings and moments possible.