We got together for dinner tonight to celebrate Thanksgiving. I cooked a vegetable dish -- turnip and carrot puff. Other dishes included candied sweet potatoes, vegetable rice salad (with red and wild rice), green beans with onions and pine nuts, vegetable fried rice, roasted tomatoes, and chicken. Needless to say the plate was covered in veggies and whole grains with some meat as an accompaniment. <smile> Dessert was a pumpkin roll (like jelly roll) with raisin cinnamon filling. All was yummy. A meeting of several of us who were by ourselves for Thanksgiving this year made the evening fun. Conversations had many perspectives represented and topics were truly varied. Again, a wonderful evening together with colleagues and friends.
Commensality -- the act of sharing a meal with others -- that seems to be the centre of many Thanksgiving dinners. A friend had a small group of international students join her family for dinner and a Canadian tradition. Our table included people from across the country and two continents. Students who don't live close to 'home' stayed in town for the weekend, with several getting together to cook a traditional feast together. Each of these dinners demonstrates caring for others and working together to produce a lovely meal. While cooking for one does not mean meals are dull, a large meal means more when shared with others.
So -- what am I thankful for today? Warm fall weather -- even with the rain involved. Good friends to share a meal. Changing leaves --even if they are later than usual this year <smile> they are still stunning as reds, pinks, yellows and oranges in many shades. Having a full season -- 3 months -- that is autumn. Music and electronic media that connect me with so many wonderful people -- phone conversations and snail mail would not help us keep updated as well as the laptop/phone/tablet does.
The song shared here was meant for a day such as today. The lyrics speak to a meal together in a subdued and calming melody. the visuals for this one were the least offensive of those I found -- only one photo early on of indigenous people that bothers me. My apologies. Enjoy!
Thanksgiving Song -- Mary Chapin Carpenter
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