However, Bryn (a fellow American, also the HS college councilor) and I still wanted to celebrate on the day. So I volunteered my apartment and she and I put together a menu and invited 6 others to share with us - her boy Dima, their friend Kran, my friend Nat, Tyler, and a Russian/American couple, Dan and Arina. So all together 4 American's and 4 Russians. It was so wonderful to be able to share this holiday. I made 4.5 kilograms of Roast Pork Loin with Apple Cider Gravy (this was delicious and super easy! Well, super easy once I was able to convey to the lady behind the meat counter that I didn't want the pork sliced into pork chops and once Kran was able to find hard apple cider for me, much more difficult that I imagined). I also made corn muffins and mashed potatoes the night before and reheated (the potatoes) in the crock pot. What a time saver! Bryn went way beyond the call of duty making green beans with pine nuts, roasted sweet potatoes, an amazing pumpkin burbon cheesecake as well as an apple pie.
During dinner we all went around the table discussing what we were thankful for. And since I'm still feeling thankful I'll repeat mine here:
This year last time I was in Ohio with my family and grandparents for Thanksgiving. I'm so thankful that I had 28 years with them. I'm also thankful to myself for finally having the courage to go off and live abroad. That I'm came to a country where I knew no one and didn't speak the language. And now I'm meeting these wonderful people, making new friends and learning a new language.
Here I am with the table in the awesome apron that Sharon sent me:
And a close up of the table:
I love my napkin rings!
I'll have more photos in a while, but I let Bryn have my camera battery as hers was dead and she seemed more gungho to take the photos. So once I get her memory card, I'll add more photos :)
3 comments:
Weird but good Thanksgiving here. No travel, no cooking -- got invited over to a colleague's house. Played cards and goofy games. Had much toddler action.
BTW we just made this huge milestone at work. Chances of making a few bucks just went way up, which means chances of visiting (eventually) just went way up. :)
Yay! I'd love to have visitors, but um, who are you?
Beautiful! We're visiting too!!!!!!!!
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