Happy Thanksgiving

To all who celebrate Thanksgiving Day, have a blessed and joyful day!
Yesterday I went out for a few items needed for our Thanksgiving menu.
The store where we usually shop for fruits and vegetables was very crowded. shoppers were stocking up for big dinners. Others were selecting wreaths already decorated for Christmas. People were rushing in and out--in a hurry to beat the traffic which was already getting congested. Yet folks were polite and patient, especially in the parking lot.
Today I baked two pumpkin pies "from scratch"--meaning that the pies came not from a can put from a "real" pumpkin, cut open, cleaned out, and steamed to soften it for cooking. I found a nice recipe for pumpkin cookies too, so I baked some of those too.
As I mixed, and stirred and baked today, I was grateful for the health to be able to do all this; I was also thankful that we have such an abundance of food to prepare; for the spices that come from distant lands and fill our house with pleasant aromas; for the grace to be in a country that allows freedom of speech and of religious practice; for my family, my friends and the Sisters of my religious community. I thank God for giving me a mother who made sure that all of us 13 children learned to cook (at least enough to survive.) More and more when I prepare something, I think "How would Mom have done this?" Then I recall what she used to do and find myself doing likewise. Tomorrow all of my little community here in Philadelphia will prepare something for our holiday dinner, and we are all looking forward to this pause to enjoy time together before our activities resume this weekend. To each and all of you all the best for a very blessed and joyous Thanksgiving!