We all crammed into out (minuscule) apartment for Thanksgiving dinner. With a borrowed card table from the neighbors, we laid out a feast fit for a King. Nearly all of which was purchased finished from Whole Foods, including the turkey. That is the way to go!
We topped of the feast with a bike ride to the beach & watched the sunset.
Good times were had by all!
For all of you who attended our festive pre-Thankgiving feast on Sunday, I wanted to share the email Kate got from Eman, one of the daughters in the Hassan family. The Hassans are from Iraq, and came to our home Sunday night for a Thanksgiving dinner (yes, we are celebrating twice this year - we leave for sunny southern Califonia today!)
They are a very sweet family, and this was their first Thanksgiving dinner - they just came to the U.S. this spring as refugees. They also spent the Fourth of July with us - such a treat!
hi kate and neil
we went to your home in Nov/23/08 your family celebrate thanks giving it was really fun we have a lot of fun it was our first thanks giving it's really good and your mam she made delicious food we really like it and we met your young brother and your cousing but we really miss youo and neil we can't wait to see you soon LOVE YOU eman
A lawyer friend of mine just emailed me a story from a civil case in Florida. He swears that this is for real. After reading insane opinions written by judges, especially some from the South, I think it is possible. You be the judge!
An atheist sued the govenment for a Sec. 1983 violation of the civil rights act. His complaint was that Christians and Jews have recognized holidays, but that atheists have none. A violation of his civil rights as an alien, he claimed, since atheists have no recognized holy days.
The court, in ruling on a Motion to Dismiss for Failure to State a Claim, dismissed the case.
The lawyer for the atheist objected to the dismissal, asserting that Christians and Jews have recognized legal holidays but atheists have none.
"Your client is woefully ignorant," the judge responded. "The calendar says April 1st is April Fool's Day. Psalm 14:1 states "The fool in his heart says "there is no God." Therefore, it is the opinion of this court that if your client says there is no God, April 1st is his holiday. Court is adjourned."
I talked to Carol today and she told me all the Morgan kiddos are doing well, and talked of all the child star notariety that Archer has been getting.
He even gets called and asked to audition for things now. ARCHER - YOU ROCK!
His upcoming appearances include singing a solo with the Portland Boys Choir and is Anna's son in The King and I during the next few months.
See www.theaterinthegrove.com
I wanted to post some of my new fav gratitude quotes -
Please enter the Happy Valley Kellys' Gratitude quote contest - post your fav quote as a comment here and you will win a prize: Donna's upcoming cookbook - '101 Things to do with a Turkey Carcass."
:)
"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace to today and creates a vision for tomorrow. " -- Melody Beattie
"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." -- John Fitzgerald Kennedy
"Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he has been robbed. The fact is that most putts do not drop, most beef is tough, most children grow up to be just people, most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration, most jobs are more often dull than otherwise.
Life is like an old time rail journey - delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders and jolts, intersperced only occasionally with beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed.
The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the journey." -- Gordon Bittner Hinckley
Hey all!
For a great version of Grandma Hicks' holiday rolls, check out the November-December issue of Utah Valley Magazine - Sweet Potato Crescent Rolls with Lemon Herb Compound Butter. The "Meet the Chef" blurb and photo are fun, too!!!
www.uvmag.com/novdec08/36_37.htm
