Thanksgiving in England

As many of you prepare for your Thanksgiving feast, we are finishing up homework and getting ready for another regular day tomorrow.  School is open as usual, work calls, and it's just another Thursday here in England.

The funny thing is it doesn't seem like an ordinary day.  There's a feeling of excitement and anticipation, like before a snow storm when you can feel the moisture in the air.  You know it's coming.  I can almost see the turkey cooking and smell the pumpkin pie sitting on the counter - just waiting to be consumed.

But there's no such thing as Pumpkin Pie in England.  The kids really want me to make Pumpkin Chiffon Pie (a tradition in our family) but there is no cool whip in this country, no graham crackers to make a graham cracker crust, and pumpkin is hard to come by.

And guess what?  So are turkeys.  My friend bought one from a small speciality market; it cost her £103.  That's about $150.  She said she's hoping to find a bar of gold stuffed inside instead of the giblits!  Did I mention the turkey comes with the quills still attached?  At least here they tell you to cook the bird, quills and all.  I heard several families unknowingly added an extra step and spent hours plucking the quills. And you thought dressing the turkey was bad!

Tomorrow dinner will be at the local pub for a traditional Thanksgiving feast with other Americans from the American Women of Surrey (AWS). The president even passed along some of her favorite recipes so they get it right.  "Nothing fancy.  Just stick to the basics," she said.  It should be fun - not Thanksgivingy- but it's the best we can do.  Afterwards, we will go home, sit by the gas fireplace and reminisce about all the things for which we are thankful.  There are so many - family, friends, good health.

Here's to a wonderful Thanksgiving, home or abroad.  Have an extra helping, for us :)

Fall of 2011 ~ Where did the time go?

St. Andrews Golf Course, Scotland

Part I: school, work, life...

School started Aug. 22 and we have just come up for air.  It was a busy three months.  The kids started off the school year without a hitch (we are finally settled in over here).  R is in 7th grade and is only now beginning to adjust to the course load and higher expectations.  Plus, baseball was still going and then football (soccer) and basketball started so he was knee-deep balancing books and balls.  The good news is although his baseball team didn't win in Poland and make it to the Little League World Series in the US, they did sweep Britain and won the British Baseball Federation Championship.  That means they're the best baseball team in Great Britain!

B dove into 3rd grade and has settled in nicely.  He also struggled with the amount of homework (every grade seems to have stepped up a notch) but he is now mastering the routine.  B is singing and dancing, and doing all the creative stuff he loves.  He said he wants to sing for the Queen but settled for the 3rd and 4th grade choir at school; he still takes piano lessons and is trying out for another play - The Jungle Book. His main passion however, is playing goalie for the Oxshott Royals.  He lives, eats and breathes football.  He wears his bright yellow goalie uniform, plays 24/7, and is learning the game quickly.  We are also picking up the British lingo.  "Good boy, William, good boy."  And M's favorite phrase, "Unlucky" when the other team scores a goal.  Does that mean its just plain luck when our ball sails into the opponents net?

T was our only surprise.  He left the Early Childhood cottages and joined the Elementary wing which we thought would be a difficult transition.  He was happy last year but not thrilled about school so we didn't know what to expect.  Well, T could not be happier.  He started first grade and has not looked back.  He LOVES school and is thrilled to be the big man on campus.  He loves that he can buy lunch in the cafetorium.  He loves having computer class, and science class, social studies, and P.E.  He loves "Fun Friday" and is always watching Stanley, the Apple climb up or down the wall in his class, depending on the kids behavior.  He has a fabulous teacher, and he just loves being so grown up.  School coupled with soccer and boy scouts, he couldn't be happier.

M has taken on added responsibility at work on a key project.  He will still commute to London but will travel a bit more and will be pretty busy until the end of the school year when the job is to be completed.  We'll see how the year goes.  It's a good opportunity. He is putting in many long days but we know several people who are in the same boat.  In today's economy you really have to be thankful to be working.  Times are so uncertain you can't take anything for granted.  We are so fortunate, and to be over here and enjoying this experience is an added bonus.  For that we are grateful.

I am over committed at school.  I am the 7th Grade Liaison, the 3rd Grade Home Room Coordinator, the Boy Scout Uniform Coordinator, and the Tiger Den Leader - all of which I know very little about.  September was a blur with back to school coffees and lots of meetings.  October was busy with organizing my jobs and trying to put into action all of my roles. November, I am hoping, will be a time of reprieve.  Sometimes I forget which hat I am wearing, but I do try to contribute something worthwhile. Funny, I am considered "experienced" since I have a whopping two years under my belt.  The newbies are still walking around in a fog, trying to take it all in.

Falkland Palace ~ summer home of Mary Queen of Scots

Part II: All the rest...

Beyond all the school stuff are the perks that keep us going.  I went away on a girls weekend to Nice, which was nice!  Actually, it was lovely.  I've always wanted to see the south of France ~ see what all the buzz was about.  Well, it is pretty nice.  It was sunny and beautiful.  We swam in the Mediterranean and explored nearby towns: Eze; Monaco; Monte Carlo, and Cannes (home of the film festival, and most recently the G20 summit).  Plus, I got to spend a weekend with my friend which was a treat!

Monte Carlo (in Oct.)

We also went to Scotland on our half term break from school. It was a great trip - one that deserves its own blog entry.  We flew to Edinburgh and spent the weekend exploring the city by foot, hiking Arthur's Seat, and learning about Scottish history and Mary Queen of Scots.  By the way, Mary had a tough life.  She was crowned Queen at 9 months, was sent away to France, married three times, witnessed her best friend's execution, was imprisoned and then executed. It's a great story and like the rest of British history, it reads like a soap opera.  Unbelievable.

Edinburgh, Scotland

18th hole ~ St. Andrews Golf Course

We ventured outside of Edinburgh and visited St. Andrews, home of the famous golf course, and Falkland Palace where the oldest indoor tennis court is housed (minus the roof). Earlier we spent the morning at Rosslyn Chapel where the Da Vinci Code was filmed. Another footnote - business is booming at the chapel ever since the movie came out years ago. We didn't make it up to the Highlands but hope to go back and see it as it is one of the highlights of Scotland. There is so much to see in that tiny little country.  I don't think we would have gone; it wasn't on our "must-see" list. However, we had to renew our visas the previous week, and they took our passports so we were forced to stay within the UK.  That was mishap #12 for those who are counting. However, Scotland turned out to be quite a gem!

So here we are in the beginning of November and Christmas has already hit England.  There is no stop-gap holiday like Thanksgiving to hold back the forces.  The stores start to fill up with Christmas goodies at the beginning of October.  They lit the Christmas tree on Regents Street in London this week, and we just finished celebrating Halloween!  Although there wasn't much celebrating over here.  We went trick or treating and we were back in 30 mins. Nobody had their pumpkins out - a sure sign they are celebrating.  No worries though.  The kids say British candy is rubbish.  Thanksgiving is next, but again another American holiday. So what are we doing?  We are going to the only pub that celebrates Thanksgiving to enjoy a traditional meal.  It's all booked; the kids will go to school like any other day and then we'll go out for "tea".  When in Rome do like the Romans, uh, Americans do.  Make the most of  your holiday :)

Life is good but we are walking around with very heavy hearts.  We lost two special people just within a few days of one another.  We flew home for my cousins funeral only to find out a good friend was killed in a car accident. They were both very special and touched many people in the short time they were on this earth.  One lead by example.  He was strong, resilient, and so rooted in his faith - nothing swayed his mission to serve and be true to others.  He taught us life lessons that we will carry with us forever.  The other was a true ambassador and a dear friend to all.  She reached out to so many people and dedicated her time to church, school, and the community.  Nothing stopped her, not even her handicap.  She was known by everyone in our beloved town.

St. Andrews Cathedral 

I am not sure when the tears will dry up.  I do know so many people miss them dearly and it will be a long time before life returns to normal. However, there is a silver lining in the cloud.  Several years ago a friend of ours lost his wife and was utterly torn apart.  We just learned he has come through the dark side and is beginning to get his life back again - a new life.  There is light at the end of the tunnel.  You just have to be patient and believe.  And so I will.

On top of Arthur's Seat