(Sorry, no pics of the greeting committee; the photographers were busy in the kitchen!)
Although some Americans find other expats to share the day, we chose to invite two couples that we relate to like family to share our meal. It gave the gathering the intergenerational feel of the extended family coming together. Marg and Wes, who live next door to us, really have become a third set of grandparents to the kids, and Wes’ sister Dorothy and her husband John have helped to look after us since we first came here in 2004. We truly feel blessed to be able to welcome them into our home.
The weather in the Southern Hemisphere at this time of year does not lend one to desire a hot roast meal. However, in this case, tradition must prevail, so we are fortunate that the turkeys show up in the grocery stores about mid-November in preparation for Christmas meals (many Australians still insist on a roast dinner for Christmas, despite usually sweltering temperatures). Sadly, the poor bird that made its way to our table was overcooked by about two hours-- for the first time ever, I did not have a mother or mother-in-law to consult in the kitchen. However, the rest of the meal turned out well, so I was able to redeem myself.
Unfortunately, no matter how hard we try, there is just no substitute for the company of family at times like this, and that grief always hangs heavy for me. It is disconcerting to call home when we are in the midst of our Thanksgiving Day celebration to find our families heading off to bed on the night before Thanksgiving. And then, once we are ready to head off into a new day on Friday morning, we call to find them just stumbling away from the excesses of their Thursday afternoon meal. However, we did have great fun reconnecting with my family via Skype, trying to get my one-year old nephew to wave to his cousins and viewing 4D sonograms of my newest nephew who is due in March! This is the Kinney’s 2008 Thanksgiving family photo:
Although some Americans find other expats to share the day, we chose to invite two couples that we relate to like family to share our meal. It gave the gathering the intergenerational feel of the extended family coming together. Marg and Wes, who live next door to us, really have become a third set of grandparents to the kids, and Wes’ sister Dorothy and her husband John have helped to look after us since we first came here in 2004. We truly feel blessed to be able to welcome them into our home.
The weather in the Southern Hemisphere at this time of year does not lend one to desire a hot roast meal. However, in this case, tradition must prevail, so we are fortunate that the turkeys show up in the grocery stores about mid-November in preparation for Christmas meals (many Australians still insist on a roast dinner for Christmas, despite usually sweltering temperatures). Sadly, the poor bird that made its way to our table was overcooked by about two hours-- for the first time ever, I did not have a mother or mother-in-law to consult in the kitchen. However, the rest of the meal turned out well, so I was able to redeem myself.
Unfortunately, no matter how hard we try, there is just no substitute for the company of family at times like this, and that grief always hangs heavy for me. It is disconcerting to call home when we are in the midst of our Thanksgiving Day celebration to find our families heading off to bed on the night before Thanksgiving. And then, once we are ready to head off into a new day on Friday morning, we call to find them just stumbling away from the excesses of their Thursday afternoon meal. However, we did have great fun reconnecting with my family via Skype, trying to get my one-year old nephew to wave to his cousins and viewing 4D sonograms of my newest nephew who is due in March! This is the Kinney’s 2008 Thanksgiving family photo:
Given that it is not a 4-day holiday weekend here, the Friday after Thanksgiving was full-on, with school, work and Claire’s first dance recital. On Saturday, we attended the first wedding that Rick has formally officiated at here- a ceremony which includes a formal signing of the register, as I’ve seen done in British weddings. On Saturday evening, Rick and I had a lovely time at the wedding reception in the city.
By Sunday, we were quite ready for some low-key downtime. Fortunately, Rick had scheduled one of the four family Sundays he is entitled to each year, so we packed a picnic lunch (I had a lovely dry turkey sandwich, thank you) and took the whole family biking in Sydney Olympic Park along the Parramatta River. It was a glorious sunny day in the mid-70’s (I still cannot think in Celsius), and we explored the Newington Amory, where the Royal Australian Navy used to store explosives. I am sure that the men who used to work there never envisioned young families touring their facilities on weekend bike excursions! Along the way, we found wildflowers and wildlife, and just enjoyed being together. A great way to end our “holiday” weekend.
Love, Anne
