Thanksgiving
Last Thursday was Thanksgiving, or ‘turkey day’ as it is commonly known in the States. Quick history lesson: it all began back in the 1600s when the founding Plymouth Fathers gave thanks for having survived their first bitter New England winter. They could not have done so without the help of local Indian tribes, and their friendliness was repaid by almost total annihalation.
These days, Thanksgiving is a sort of early ‘Christmas without presents’ and most people celebrate with a turkey dinner with friends or family. We were invited to dine with friends of friends, each person bringing part of the feast with them in the American manner (very sensible!). There were ten adults, six children and a huge turkey to match. I was in charge of potatoes and, as well as the traditional mash, I was inspired to make the exotic-sounding ‘marshmallow sweet potatoes’ (sweet potatoes mashed with brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg, then topped with marshmallows and grilled until just melted). It was tastier than expected!
The weather here is now getting seriously cold. We have had a few snowflakes but so far nothing that has lasted, but on some days bitter winds make the temperature almost unbearable outside. We have three electric heaters to keep us toasty inside the trawler but still hope to get the log fire roaring after Christmas (we need to extend the chimney through the shrink-wrap).
On Saturday night, we ventured out to watch a parade of vessels with their Christmas lights. It was quite a display, as much for the scantily-clad dancing Santa girls on one boat as for the lights, but they were also pretty impressive. There were Santas, stars, reindeer, even gingerbread-men made of lights. Sadly, it was one of the coldest nights so far and even with thermals on we nearly froze to death!
We are now preparing to fly back to the UK for a quick visit. We will be back in Devon from the 12th to 16th December and hope to catch up in the Globe on the Friday night. Katie has been mastering the art of waving – hers is a sort of royal wave – and she looks forward to trying it out for real!
These days, Thanksgiving is a sort of early ‘Christmas without presents’ and most people celebrate with a turkey dinner with friends or family. We were invited to dine with friends of friends, each person bringing part of the feast with them in the American manner (very sensible!). There were ten adults, six children and a huge turkey to match. I was in charge of potatoes and, as well as the traditional mash, I was inspired to make the exotic-sounding ‘marshmallow sweet potatoes’ (sweet potatoes mashed with brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg, then topped with marshmallows and grilled until just melted). It was tastier than expected!
The weather here is now getting seriously cold. We have had a few snowflakes but so far nothing that has lasted, but on some days bitter winds make the temperature almost unbearable outside. We have three electric heaters to keep us toasty inside the trawler but still hope to get the log fire roaring after Christmas (we need to extend the chimney through the shrink-wrap).
On Saturday night, we ventured out to watch a parade of vessels with their Christmas lights. It was quite a display, as much for the scantily-clad dancing Santa girls on one boat as for the lights, but they were also pretty impressive. There were Santas, stars, reindeer, even gingerbread-men made of lights. Sadly, it was one of the coldest nights so far and even with thermals on we nearly froze to death!
We are now preparing to fly back to the UK for a quick visit. We will be back in Devon from the 12th to 16th December and hope to catch up in the Globe on the Friday night. Katie has been mastering the art of waving – hers is a sort of royal wave – and she looks forward to trying it out for real!
posted by Katie at 3:40 AM
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