A larger Thanksgiving spirit

Wonderful thing for Thursday through Saturday:  a new spirit of thanksgiving.  Thursday we had as American a Thanksgiving as possible:  roast bird (all right, two chickens), homemade bread stuffing (and what bread!), potatoes and yummy gravy (always glad when a gravy comes together), real green bean casserole, great tossed salad with homemade ranch or Dijon balsamic dressing, superb fruit salad (salads courtesy of Blaine).  For dessert pumpkin pie with either straight-from-cream whipped cream or custardy gelato, and a toasted nut pie (no pecans, but a combo of toasted walnuts. cashews and hazelnuts).  No sparkling grape juice, but some good fruit sodas - aranciata, "agrumi (citrus)" and grapefruit.  It was just we Americans speaking nothing but English.  We had lively conversations of stories from childhood, family and friends.  After dinner we spoke of things we're thankful for.  I am grateful we had this opportunity; we feel closer to God and closer to each other.

Then, today, we had another thanksgiving feast:  the same people, plus others who take an interest, for various reasons, in American holidays in general or in Thanksgiving particularly.  Another beautiful occasion.  This time I actually found whole turkey breast in the store, and cooked it in butter and herbs, with pancetta on top.  Made more stuffing.  Made mashed potatoes from little packets, and white gravy from canned beschamel.  More green salad.  More pumpkin pie.  Poached pears to die for.  Pineapple wedges, kiwi slices.  Whipped cream, gelato, panettone.  Others brought bread, pizza stuff that isn't actually pizza stuff (it's called generically "il salato"- pasta frolla with cheesy topping and broccoli; pasta frolla with a different cheesy topping and bell peppers - yum!), sodas.    We had with us the DeRobertis family, including their daughter and son-in-law from Switzerland (their other daughter lives with her husband in Utah or Arizona), and a less active sister and her two children - she has some American friends when she lived in Greece and enjoyed thanksgiving with them; the elders brought Matteo, our young friend whose parents are members, and who likes all things American; the sisters came with Ornela, our ex-neighbor and recently baptized member; and two others of our GANS, Ivan and Andrea (Andrea is from Peru, where they have thanksgiving closer to Easter).  There was a lively spirit of enjoyment there, for which I am filled with gratitude.  Again, after dinner we spoke of the things we are grateful for.  I was very gratified that many mentioned the wonderful spirit they felt.  Oh, I am so glad we did this!

Fun thing:  the two children there, Renato and Sofia, when asked what they were grateful for, both said, "cats."  Don't know what that's about but it was fun.  There were two other children there, too, the grands from Switzerland, but they're not much into talking yet.  We all surmised that if Miriam, the two year old, were to express her gratitude, it would be for gelato.  Gabriel, the two-month-old, might have said Mom.