Holidays

As I may have mentioned, it's disorienting for it to be in the 80s and feeling like July when it's November with all the major winter holidays fast approaching. I had to keep reminding myself that Thanskgiving was on its way.

There are a few "boards" (online communties) on the net for Va11arta that I go on and read, post, and occassionally argue with people. I've argued with R1k, one of the board moderators but recently met him and as I imagined, we got along fine in person. He put out a general invite for people to come to his (and his wife's) place for a potluck Thanksgiving. I read that some other acquaintances were planning to go so I thought I'd go too.

Last year I totally blew off Thanksgiving. But this year, since I'll be here for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, and my birthday, I've been feeling a little nostaglic/homesick and wanted to celebrate with people. I decided I'd make butternut squash soup and stuffing from scratch.

The stuffing was pretty easy. Finally a use for that Bimbo white bread! I had it drying out around my kitchen for 2 days. Luckily the humidity has cleared here and you can actually dry bread; if I had needed to do it even a week ago, it would have never happened. I sort of cobbled together a few recipes, making the vegetable stock from scratch because I couldn't find any in the stores. It's like most things here: sometimes they have it, many times they don't, and when you really want it, you'd best not hold your breath. But I did find dried sage which I was pleased about. And I was able to use my toaster oven to bake it; I dont' have an oven, just 4 burners.

The squash soup was another challenge. I had seen winter squash in one supermarket back in October which seems to be the only time they stock such things. When I went to see if they still had any, I only found what looked like a giant mutant cousin to a pumpkin. But it was my only option (something I'm starting to get used to), so I asked if I could buy half and a nice young guy cut it and wrapped it up for me.

So today I cranked my Ipod and cooked away. It was really fun because it's something I do so rarely. And my apartment smelled so wonderful -- just like I expect Thanksgiving to smell.

M. and her daughter C. picked me up in a taxi at the gas station and we went over to R1k's. It ended up being about 14 people. M. and her daughter (M's in her 50s and from St. Louis and will live here permanently once her house is sold; her daugher is 27 and lives with her), a 60-ish couple from British Columbia, my friend JR (he's about 65), my friend T. (who was my photo assistant on that jewelry convention job and who's developing a website for me; he's about 57), K. and her boyfriend (I know K through mutual friends and have had lunch with her at the cafe; I'd say they're in their late 40s), B. and her boyfriend C. (she runs a Crocs store here and moderates another "board"; she's about my age but looks like she's lived a tough life), R1k the host who's in his 60s, and 2 40-something gals from the board who live in LA.

I mention ages to illustrate that the expat community here is skewed toward the older side. M. often jokes about us being the young couple here. People are nice but I still am having a hard time finding people to truly connect with. But it was great today to have people to get together with and share a meal.

And yesterday as I walked into the supermarket in my sandals and sundress, happy to be in air-condioning and out of the heat, I got a huge whiff of CHRISTMAS TREE! Can't wait to buy mine. Wonder what that holiday's going to be like...