When I got into bed last night, perched my glasses on my nose and opened my book I exclaimed, “I forgot to blog today!” This has never happened to me before, forgetting to blog. It has always been a conscious decision when I don’t. But between being distracted by the arrival of the thing I had to pre-order and it feeling like a Friday because today is Thanksgiving, well, my brain just got all confused.
Bookman and I will be celebrating Thanksgiving today with phone calls to family who are all far away and with our own “traditional” feast. Ever since Bookman and I went vegan back in 1993 we’ve had enchiladas with a side of brown rice and refried beans. It wasn’t even until a few years ago that I had tasted Tofurkey, and yuck, was it terrible, too salty and bland for my taste.
While we don’t have a traditional American Thanksgiving dinner, we do have pumpkin pie. I love pumpkin pie. That humble orange squash baked into a graham cracker crust, sweetened with agave, and spiced with cloves, nutmeg, allspice and cinnamon, definitely something to be thankful for. Even better is the pumpkin was grown in my own garden.
That I have a house with a garden where I can grow my own pumpkin is a blessing for which I am grateful. The older I get the more I realize that it is the small and simple things in life for which I am most thankful. It’s a roof over my head, food on the table, a garden, a husband who loves me, family, friends, a good book, a cat on my lap. This is what happiness is made of and it is right and good to dedicate a day to being thankful and celebrating these things.
My thanks and best wishes to all of you, whether you are celebrating Thanksgiving today or not.
“If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, ‘thank you,’ that would suffice.” ~Meister Eckhart
I just finally tried pumpkin pie this last year and discovered that I really liked it! Yum!!!
Sounds like you will be having a wonderful Thanksgiving day! I hope you and yours enjoy the long weekend and I wish you all the best.
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Carl, you’ve never had pumpkin pie until just last year? I’m glad you liked it. You can also do neat brain tricks and convince yourself it isn’t really dessert at all since it is made from a vegetable. It must be good for you! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
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I’ve never really been a big cake/pie/muffin person and I always wrongly assumed I wouldn’t like the flavor. Then I had homemade pumpkin ice cream and realized I might like a lot of stuff with pumpkin flavor. 🙂
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Welcome to the delicious world of pumpkin 🙂 You might want to give pumpkin butter a go sometime. It’s pretty much just pumpkin cooked down to a creamy spread with some spices added. It’s delicious on toast or even mixed into oatmeal.
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We don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in France neither here in England, where I live now but I certainly have things to be thankful for and I did a pumkin pie the other day. I love it!
Nevermind for your tofu, as long as you enjoy a nice dinner! Happy Thanksgiving to you!
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mesetageresenfranglais, I suspect pumpkin pie is a very American thing but I am glad it has made it to you and you loved it. Thanks for the kind holiday wishes!
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A Happy Thanksgiving to you, Stefanie! You’re so right, it’s the small and simple things in life that we ought to be thankful for. Have a wonderful thanksgiving dinner! 😉
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Thanks Arti!
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Happy Thanksgiving to you and Bookman! Its funny how telepathy works…I was just about the write a blog on some of the simple joys of my life….hope you have a wonderful holiday!
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cirtnecce, thank you! I hope your celebrations were wonderful too! Simple joys add up don’t they?
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A very Happy Thanksgiving to you guys! I love pumpkin pie too. We are heading over to friends and I think I’m most looking forward to the pie 🙂
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Iliana, another pumpkin pie lover! I hope your holiday celebrations were wonderful!
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Happy Thanksgiving from Me and The Bears. I think it is a really wonderful holiday and I only wish you had imported that instead of Hallowe’en.
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Alex, thank you and the Bears. Sorry about the Halloween thing, but that’s a fun holiday too 🙂
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Happy Thanksgiving
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Thanks Diane!
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Happy Thanksgiving to you too! Sounds like a delicious meal, and it’s nice to know that one turkey is going to be spared 🙂 I don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in any particular way, but having lived in the US for six years, I am aware of the date and always stop for a while at some point and think about the things I’m thankful for. It’s a good tradition. Your list sounds pretty good, Stefanie.
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Andrew, LOL, been saving Thanksgiving turkeys since 1992 😉 Thanks for the good wishes.
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Happy Thanksgiving, Stefanie! When you’re done celebrating, maybe you could share your vegan pumpkin pie recipe – we’re not strictly vegan but my daughter’s allergic to eggs so I’ve never made traditional pumpkin pie. Yours sounds delicious! Though I would not be able to use home-grown pumpkins: you are way ahead of me in the self-sufficiency area. 🙂 Enjoy!
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Rohan, oh indeed, I will get you the pumpkin pie recipe. It is delicious and is so easy to make. I hope your own celebrations were wonderful!
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It is indeed the small and simple things which account for happiness. I loved reading of your vegan traditions and the pumpkin you grew yourself. Hooray!
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Bellezza, thanks! I hope your own Thanksgiving celebrations were wonderful!
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Very envious about having your own homemade pumpkins! Happy Thanksgiving!!!
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rhapsody, pumpkins are so easy to grow, I am grateful I have the garden to do it in. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving too!
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Happy Thanksgiving too you both! It is nice to stop and feel grateful for the good things in life.
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Thanks Helen! It is indeed good to stop and be grateful now and then. I hope you had a wonderful celebration too!
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Happy Thanksgiving, Stef! (although a bit late) We do the traditional T-Day feast, only this year I had two (one I made on Wednesday and one where I was a guest on the actual day. It always tastes better, somehow, when someone else does all the work!) You nailed the important things in life that bring the best and most lasting happiness.
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Grad, never too late! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving yourself!
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Happy belated thanksgiving to you … I think you have an excuse for forgetting to blog. You clearly had a lovely relaxing time which is the most important thing. As you know we don’t do thanksgiving here, but I think it is a pretty special celebration. Glad you had a nice one.
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whisperinggums, thanks for the good wishes! The whole holiday weekend turned out to be lovely and relaxing.
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Great to hear …
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Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you two enjoyed the holiday tremendously!
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Rebecca, thanks! I hope you had a wonderful holiday celebration too!
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I am very late to this particular party but Happy Thanksgiving anyway! I’m very thankful for you and your blog. 🙂
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Litlove, never too late! Thanks dear friend 🙂
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Another late arriver…I too am thankful for your blog Stefanie. You’ve helped to teach me gratitude via gardening and reconnecting with nature and inspire me to be a better reader.
Happy belated Thanksgiving to you and Bookman.
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Vanessa, it’s never to late for thanksgiving! You are so kind, thank you. And thank you for always making such lovely comments 🙂
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