Thanksgiving in Berlin

Josie's class Thanksgiving Feast
She is on the right side of the
table looking toward the camera

Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays.  There are not gifts to buy and wrap and there is typically not the frenzy that surrounds so many other holidays.  It has always been about family and friends and food.  Three of my favorite "Fs" 
Growing up I always helped my mom with making the food.  The arrangement for more years than I can remember (when my parents lived in my childhood home in Vancouver) was that my mom and I would prep the food the night before, work out at the gym or go for a long walk the morning of Thanksgiving (after putting the turkey in the oven to start cooking) and then return home to finish up the feast.  My other two sisters and sometimes my brother would do all the clean up. 
Once my parents sold our childhood home Thanksgiving changed and sometimes we were all together and sometimes we weren't.  We celebrated Thanksgiving sometimes in Bend, Oregon where my parents moved to retire, sometimes in Bellingham at my older

Benjamin's feast.  He is at the head
of the table sitting next to his awesome
new teacher, Mr. Olson. There were two
tables and the kids naturally
divided based mostly on gender

sister's house but typically we were together.  Once Marty and I had kids things were shared with my family and his and more times than not his sister, Liz, did EVERYTHING!!  The food buying, food prep and all of the clean up.  We had young kids at the time and it was such a treat to just show up.  Same when my sister hosted.  They did everything.  So even though I'd always loved Thanksgiving, the feast my sister, Kim and Marty's sister, Liz would put together and invite us just to come and be a part of made the holiday even sweeter. 
Moving to Berlin I knew our

Benjamin's class did a "thankful tree"
Each student wrote what they were
thankful for on the back of a leave
and then taped it to the tree
while explaining it to the class. 

Thanksgiving traditions would change.  Not only is it not a German holiday but many of the traditional foods we eat at this time of year are unavailable here.  Namely, canned pumpkin.  YES, I know I can cook my own but man, there is something about canned pumpkin that now having lived here for over a year I really miss.  But thankfully, our German/American school celebrates this holiday better than any US school ever has.  Each class does a potluck.  Last year I had no idea about this and Benjamin told me a few days later that he walked to a classmates for their Thanksgiving feast.  Clearly, I must have missed the email stating each parent was supposed to bring in something to contribute to the meal.  Typically a parent volunteers their home and their oven to cook the turkey and then everyone else brings the side dishes.  Last year and this year Josie's

Benjamin signed me up to bring a pie.  I've never been
a good crust maker so I often buy pre-made crust.  I thought
I had done that here but then realized it was phyllo dough.
So I improvised and made it into an apple crisp with the
phyllo dough just on the bottom crust. It turned
out really tasty though!! 

class just had their feast in their classroom but with the full spread of Thanksgiving side dishes.  Marty and I helped last year and this year in Josie's classroom.  And I helped this year in Benjamin's.  He again walked some and took the bus some to a nearby house.  I met him there and helped out with serving and cleaning up.  At both kid's celebrations they had each student say what they were thankful for.  Both Josie and Benjamin clearly and

Since I had bought a top and bottom crust
I had leftovers enough to make
apple turnovers.  They were delicious too. 

happily stated that they were thankful for their family who was always there for them (yes, my heart exploded) and their friends.   SO SO much to be thankful this year.  Even if our traditions have changed and we are not able to be surrounded by our immediate families we sure have a lot to be thankful for.