No Thanksgiving But Still Thankful

It's been a while since I last posted since I've been busy running in the park every day, but it looks like I may have to take a break since it's supposed to sleet today. Apparently, we're supposed to have the worst November freeze in seventeen years. Great.

I'm actually excited at the prospect of seeing snow again. It's been a while since I've had to endure the freezing winters in Michigan, and I think I may have forgotten exactly how cold it can get. I'm sure I'll get a very firm reminder this weekend since snow is predicted for Saturday. But at the same time, it feels so right to have it cold and snowy and sleety for the holidays. A sunny and warm Thanksgiving and Christmas just doesn't cut it. I'm sure I'll be singing a different tune come February, but I'm going to enjoy the cold until then.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, there is no thanksgiving here in the UK. The Brits do make some concessions to the Americans in their midst: my grocery store has been taking orders for Thanksgiving turkeys and Food Network is showing Thanksgiving cooking shows all day long. If you hunt around, you can also find some restaurants, including the huge Whole Foods in Kensington, offer Thanksgiving meals to eat in or takeaway. On the other hand, J is going to work and life goes on as normal. It's a far cry from last year's Thanksgiving, when I spent all day making a Thanksgiving feast for the first time, including a turkey and a glazed ham, and invited my family over to our new condo.

Another Thanksgiving related phenomenon that they're trying to import here is Black Friday. I'm not sure it that's something that should be imported - the crowds, the pushiness, the anxiousness of it all. In any case, it's shaping up to be an epic fail with customers getting riled up at Amazon UK since I don't think the Brits exactly grasp the concept of how quick and fleeting deals are on Black Fridays. It's all about the rush to get the advertised product and then finding out that the deal ended or sold out. But the Brits are not amused.

Even though there is no Thanksgiving here, I'm still thankful for everyone and everything that's happened in my life. J and I always tease each other about how amazing we think the other one's life is, but it's true. We both have wonderful lives, and we're living it in a wonderful and unexpected place.