Sunday, November 25, 2012

Thanksgiving Weekend Hodgepodge



I hope all my American blog readers had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!

We celebrated the holiday with my nephew and his family on Long Island, so we were able to make a visit to the National Cemetery, where my father is buried, to pay our respects. My Mom is with him now, and we reflected on how we brought her here last Thanksgiving Day, never thinking it would be the last visit we'd make with her.



I had to smile when my brother was carving the turkey. My nephew's dog sat next to him the entire time. It was such an amusing sight!


The dog was definitely hoping some turkey would be tossed his way!



How could we resist those big brown pleading eyes?  Of course, I gave him a little piece of meat.



We enjoyed some delicious appetizers, and my nephew prepared a fabulous French Onion soup for dinner, as well as turkey and all the trimmings!  He is a wonderful cook and we enjoyed the company of his family as well as his brothers and their families and my brother and sister-in-law.  It was a full and happy house!



If you are a long time reader of my blog you might remember when I blogged about the wild turkey named Zelda that lives in Battery Park in Manhattan.  You can read that post on this link.



I was cheered this weekend to hear on the news that Zelda survived both Hurricane Sandy and Thanksgiving! She obviously rode out the storm in her nest on a tree in the park, as that area was flooded for a time, along with a large amount of Lower Manhattan.  

I'm sure Thanksgiving was very different for many of those affected by the hurricane. There was a great effort by many volunteers and organizations to make sure anyone who was without power, a working kitchen or home, would be served dinner at many different locations in the city. In fact, the Red Cross served 35,000 meals across New York and New Jersey on Thanksgiving Day.  

The magnitude of the hurricane was so extensive, and it will take a long time for many before their lives return to normal. As of last Wednesday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reported that 453,000 disaster survivors had applied for assistance in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, with $844.4 million in relief aid approved.

As my family gathered this holiday we all shared stories of those we knew who lost homes and businesses.  It made us even more grateful for what we have, and this experience made us realize how quickly all could be lost.


This weekend my daughter celebrated her birthday!  We were sad we could not be together, but our son-in-law made sure to buy her all-time favorite Carvel ice cream cake!  They also had a nice time visiting the "Day in Pompeii" exhibit at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. On display were hundreds of exceptional artifacts from the Italian city of Pompeii that was destroyed by a volcanic eruption in 79 AD.


This is also how we spent part of our weekend.  We packed many, many, boxes in preparation for our move. We still have many, many more to pack!  One does not know how much stuff they have until they have to pack it in a box! No, we haven't sold our house as yet, but we are still trying.  We hope that *one person,* that everyone tells us that is all it takes to sell, comes along very soon!


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38 comments:

Sarah said...

Pat, I had to smile at the images of the dog waiting patiently for a piece of the turkey. Our sweet Sadie does the same whenever either of us in in the kitchen or has a plate of food. She often gets a treat, so guess we aren't discouraging the behavior. LOL
Glad you had a good Thanksgiving with family.

Barbara F. said...

Looks like a wonderful day, Pat. The first holidays are always so hard when we lose a loved one. Next year you will be in Coloroado. I wonder, would it be possible to rent your house, especially since so many lost their homes in Gerritsen Beach? xo

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Hi Pat, Sounds like you all had a great Thanksgiving with family. I know it must have been hard this year without your Mom. Holidays can be hard....

BUT--next year you will be in a new home in Colorado--with your kids/grands.... How 'bout that????

Have a good week.
Hugs,
Betsy

Claudia said...

My first pic of our Sadie was Sades waiting for turkey on New Year's Eve- 3 days after we rescued her. I hope and pray people give to relief for Sandy - whose scope has been very scary. This is bittersweet - a lot of love, a lot of hope and a lot of work. There are Xmas charity lists for Sandy that are just starting to appear. I am in the midst of the "firsts" so this is poignant. I didn't expect this to my first without my mother. So fast. But we are forging on and honoring her. I am with you - you are doing the same thing. Love and hugs.

Pondside said...

The look on the dog's face is priceless!
I don't envy you the packing, but you are wise to whittle away at it. That 'one' person will come along and then all will be a rush.

The Gathering Place said...

Your family gathering for Thanksgiving sounded like a great way to celebrate the holiday. I'm glad someone looked out for the dog. What a patient pet he must be. Good luck with your packing. It is a lot of work, but a little here and a little there will help with the process.

Ocean Breezes and Country Sneezes said...

What a great hodgepodge! Looks like you had a lovely Thanksgiving!

Willow said...

Lovely weekend :) I know you had mixed memories but am glad you were able to get out to the cemetery over the weekend.
Happy Thanksgiving!

dianasfaria.com said...

happy belated thanksgiving Pat!
yours sounded like one filled with gratitude, thanks for sharing your story.
& I do hope you find your buyer soon too!

Fashion Momma said...

Looks like you had a wonderful weekend. Happy Blue Monday. I played too. Mine are here and here.

Ola said...

you have a lovely cute dog!
Blog about life and travelling
Blog about cooking

eileeninmd said...

Love the cute doggie! That is right where my dog would be too. I am glad you had a happy Thanksgiving, we do have much to be grateful for. I hope a buyer comes along soon for your house. Lovely post, have a great week ahead!

diane b said...

It sounds like you had a happy Thanksgiving Day with your family, The dog is so sweet. It is awful to hear how many people are still without power or homes. Once the disaster has left the headlines, one tends to forget that people are still suffering. We still have displaced families from Cyclone Yasi from a year ago. It is mainly due to insurance hassles. Hope you get a buyer soon so that you can be with your daughter.

Ivy, Phyllis and Me! said...

Good Morning Pat, Your nephew's dog is adorable. The photo made me smile as we used to have a King Charle's Spaniel called Chloe and whenever George carved chicken or turkey, she would sit, just like your nephew's dog, and concentrate, not moving until the chicken or turkey was carved...just waiting for that scrap of meat to fall onto the floor so she could eat it up!
What a lovely way for your daughter to enjoy her birthday. I visited Pompeii a couple of years ago and it was the most fascinating place, so I know your daughter will have enjoyed the exhibition.
Your house will sell soon, I am sure, as you say it is just waiting for the right person to come along. Have a lovely day and Best Wishes, Daphne

Old Kitty said...

Awwww love your nephew's beautiful dog - what a clever doggie!! Yay!

And happy to read amazing Zelda survived the storms.

Belated Happy Thanksgiving, Pat!!!It's heartwarming to read that you and yours had a peaceful and loving and reflective day of it.

Take care
x

Dianne said...

the dog's face is adorable
it's amazing how long they can and will wait

Happy Birthday to your daughter :)

impressive wall of boxes ya got there

Vee said...

We have a dog who behaves similarly, though we had no heart to put her out into the garage as we usually do.

Your brother has a beautiful home. I enjoyed seeing the kitchen cabinetry and backsplash.

Glad that Zelda weathered the storms! She's an icon now.

Wow, when you put the facts and figures together, it really puts everything into perspective. Absolutely incredible losses and financial needs. One day at a time...

SmilingSally said...

I'd give in to that sweet dog too.

Oh Pat, if I could only reach through the screen, I'd grab that French onion soup and enjoy it.

Sandy will forever be a bad word.

Those boxes look just like mine. Remember when I moved in June, 2009.

Happy Blue Monday.

podso said...

Those dogs never give up, do they? That's why they are such faithful friends. I enjoyed your post and reading all the bits and thanks for keeping those that endured the storm in the forefront. Happy packing!

Pat said...

Thank you for your posts about the storms there. We are all hoping for the return of normalcy to the East Coast and surrounding storm affected areas. Hopefully everyone found some peace during this Thanksgiving holiday. My biggest dog's nose reaches the kitchen counter! He isn't as subtle as the well-behaved beagle.

Cathy said...

I hope that one right person comes along very soon, Pat. Selling a home is a very stressful project, one that I dread. I missed my mom this Thanksgiving too. I couldn't resist those beautiful brown eyes either.

ellen b. said...

Your Thanksgiving get together sounded wonderful, Pat. Those shots of the dog sitting at attention made me smile. Yikes look at all those boxes. It's so true that we don't realize all we've accumulated over the years. Blessings...

Chatty Crone said...

I was in Ohio. Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving also. Your pooch is a cutie and I do hope he got some turkey. sandie

Jenny said...

Zelda! Boxes! A turkey guarding dog!

Gosh.

This was quite a perfect post.

Loved that blacksplash, too!

Kris said...

The first photo gave me chills. I LOVE your brothers kitchen cupboards!!! And how cute was that dog, sitting there waiting for him to drop a piece! Sounded like a lovely celebration. Happy Birthday to your girl! And good luck on all of that packing. What a chore. Praying that right family comes along to purchase your home and make new memories there for another family!
Hugs,
kris

Anonymous said...

Looks like you had a great and busy Thanksgiving. I do hope your house sells soon.

Judy said...

Oh, I love those pictures of the dog looking up at your brother! It sounds like you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with those who were there. So glad to hear that the wild turkey is still running wild!

All the best as you pack...and prepare to move...and wait for that one special person to buy your home.

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

Thanks for your comments, everyone!

The beautful kitchen in these photos belongs to my nephew and niece-in-law, not my brother, but he also has a beautiful new kitchen in his house. :) My brother is the official turkey carver in the family -- it's a tradition!

My name is Riet said...

That dog is so cute with his beautiful eyes. It looks like you had a wonderful thanksgiving with a lot of family. Glad to hear that Zelda survived. So sad to hear that still many people needed help and food still several weeks after hurricane Sandy.
OH my all those boxes , we moved here two years ago and I still have more and more to throw out. LOL.
Have a nice week.

Flavia Galasso said...

Oh..lucky Zelda!!! I'm glad tou had a nice Thanksgiving... even if I'm in Italy I had a wonderful one too, we were invited by some American friends.
Have you ever been in Pompei?? We were there three times and it's always incredible...time stopped there at 79 A.C. .
Next Spring we are going to move to the new house ..and watching your boxes made me "scare" about what is expecting me in the next months :D. Hugs, Flavia

Paula's Postings said...

How could anyone resist those eyes,sounds like you had a good thanksgiving.Well done to the red cross for serving all those meals I'm surethey were really appreciated.

Ann said...

Glad you had a "happy house" at Thanksgiving. We had 17 inlcuding toddlers. It was rambunctious but so fun--ages ran from 86 to 9 months. All the family favorites were served and lots of yummy pie.
Ann

Lynn said...

Glad you had a nice Thanksgiving Pat! Wishing you luck with the house sale and no dog begs better than a beagle:@)

From Beyond My Kitchen Window said...

Dogs are relentless in their quest for meat. I'm so glad that that sweet little guy got a piece of the turkey. You sure have pack a lot of boxes so far.

Lorrie said...

Your Thanksgiving sounded delightful - good food, good company, good memories. The dog waiting for a tidbit is so cute. I'm glad you rewarded her just a little.
Sandy has faded from the news here, which is really too bad because the effects will be felt for a very long time. The figures you've quoted are staggering.
Hoping and praying that one person will come along sooner rather than later!

Roz | La Bella Vita Cucina said...

You sure were busy over the Thanksgiving weekend! I love your little beagle! We rescued a little beagle 6 years ago and he has been such a joy . . . looking for hand-outs too! Hope your moving efforts will be smooth, Pat!

Chubskulit Rose said...

Your dog is very patient!

My BLUE
As always, your comment makes me giddy!

Ciao Chow Linda said...

Loved seeing the dog looking up longingly for a bite. Of course, you gave him some. Glad you had such a nice Thanksgiving Pat.