Thanksgiving Recap

There is nothing like being home for the holidays! Thanksgiving was not half as much fun this year! I couldn't go to Beth's for succulent quail or go to Mema's for sweet potato casserole! But! I did get to have two Thanksgiving meals! On Wednesday night, St. James held a Thanksgiving dinner complete with cranberry sauce! The dressing was nothing like we Southerners expected! It was Northern style - with croutons rather than cornbread! It was fun to explain Thanksgiving and our Southern American traditions to the Italians! One of my Italian dinner buddies creates crossword puzzles (as his profession!) and we came up with lots of words for his American Thanksgiving puzzle (hopefully pending!)

I crammed for midterms the entirety of Thanksgiving weekend, and enjoyed babysitting some in between times! Friday night, Sarah and I had a ball going to the production of Peter and the Wolf at St. James - the youngest child I babysit for was the bird! The children were adorable, and the play was very interesting in that it was performed half in Italian and half in English. I babysit for an Italian family made up of an American lady (who moved to Florence with her family during her middle school years), an Italian man, and two cute little girls (Emma Rose -7 and Lara -9). They invited me to their annual Thankgsiving dinner (held the weekend after Thanksgiving this year). It was great! I met Ricardo's mother, brother, and brother's wife (and their little girl Genevra), their friends from Lake Como (where George Clooney lives), and a genial family from Southern Italy (the husband is Italian and the wife from Peru!) They were all so friendly and fun! And Kristie's meal was delicious - a mix of Italian cuisine and American traditional Thanksgiving food!

Finals could not come fast enough! They are finally here! And I'm coming home for the holidays in 3 days. Sarah and I have enjoyed Christmas shopping and filling the house with Christmas music (in lieu of decorations). I can't wait to return home for an Alabama Christmas (and a Laura Nichols decorated home.....:-D!!!) Sarah and I have been listing all the things we can't wait to do when we get home -- eat Mexican (AND all those Christmas foods - like that sweet potato pie I missed...and TRIFLE CAKE!!!!), go Christmas shopping, see all of our friends, and go to the movies! Sarah doesn't think Christmas is Christmas without snow - but since I've never had it, I'm content with the Christmas tree at the Summit, driving to see the decorations in Meadow Brook, shopping at the Galleria with all the lovely lights, Asbury's Christmas music service, and all those other Alabama Christmas traditions!! WOo hooo! Saturday can't come soon enough for me! (I'm sure I would have such mixed feelings if I were leaving Florence for good like many of my classmates. But, since I'm returning so soon, I can be thrilled about both coming and going!) So! I can't wait to see all of you when I arrive Saturday!!!