Thanksgiving in Perth 2008

Everyone wants to know, "Where do you get turkeys here?" It's natural to wonder because, back at home, turkeys are plentiful in November and you find the size you want in the freezer and place it in your cart (trolley) and take it home and thaw it out and roast it. But here, since Thanksgiving is not an Australian holiday, you go to the butcher and special order. They ask what size, I say "How big do they get here?" He tells me 11-12 kilos, and I say, "Get me one of those." He raises his eyebrows, makes a note on a piece of paper, and on the day before Thanksgiving I go get it, causing quite a scene at the butcher shop. I guess it is rare that a bird of that size is seen in our part of the world. Other than emus.

We had a great time hosting for our 2nd year. The food was delicious and we had gorgeous weather. Each guest brought a dish to share and everything was really nice. We don't have a ton of space but by rearranging the furniture, we were able to make room for our 6-seater dining set, 8 more indoors and then use the table outside to seat 8 more. So we sat 22 adults and put kids on a table cloth in the yard (where they are happiest anyway!). It was fun to introduce people to a few of our traditional family dishes that they hadn't tried before, like pumpkin pie, green bean casserole, and guy salad!

It was also a joy to have several of the American guys who are working here in Perth while their families are back in the US. No doubt they still missed their own group, but I hope we were a nice, temporary substitute.

This was a first Thanksgiving for many of our UK friends. We'll see how many are repeat customers there are next year! Ya'll come back now!

This was C's first Thanksgiving on solids and he's a Thanksgiving boy! I was thrilled that he loved the dinner. He and I enjoyed turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce for days after the celebration.