Thanksgiving, Geneva Style

Thanksgiving is the only time I have ever felt deep-down painfully homesick, unless I can celebrate it here. For too many years it was just another work day. This year, unlike last when we filled the Corsier house with people, my housemate and I are not putting an extravaganza but keeping it more family oriented. And we will do it on Friday because of kids working on Thursday. It makes the homesickness disappear.

(I can still catch some of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on the Internet and later will find out the results of the Boston Latin/Boston English and the Reading/Stoneham football games).

Today the butcher called to make sure we didn’t want the turkey today. And today, I made my apple pie and my green bean dish for tomorrow as I listened to Garou and Il Divo (the rest of the cooking will be done tomorrow) and thought again of all the ways I have been blessed.

This has not been the best year: too many friends have lost parents, too many cancers and other illnesses, too many life-wrenching decisions to be made by those I care about. I was grateful I could listen and help and saddened by their pain.

Support was given back with my own family crisis. I can never thank my friends enough for all the phone calls when I was in Florida, probably the reason I was able to cope at all.

Despite all the rough spots, I am reminded again of how lucky I am with my support systems in Switzerland and France and the friends and family in the States.

I am thankful to have two books in production for publication next year, one almost ready to be submitted and one half written. It was a slow start to writing.

My client list has grown, as well as the warmth of the contacts, which reminds me again that meaningful work is one of the ingredients of happiness.

I am thankful for the fun of my travels, be it my sheep herding lessons in the UK, renewing friendships in Damascus, or getaway weekends with cousins or housemates to misc. European cities.

I am thankful for my daughter, our Skypes and especially her support on many levels with my Mom. I am thankful, that a side benefit of the problems with my Mom is becoming closer to my nephew.

I am thankful that I can live alone in my nest in Argelès and with my housemate et.al. in Corsier. Someone once called me a cake-eater (wanting to have it and eat it too). I think I succeeded with my two homes.

Every time I vote I am thankful for my Swiss nationality. I nver look at the lake, the mountains, the vineyards, without thinking with great joy, this is my country.

And as a gift here’s my green bean recipe. Quantities are proportional for the number of servings.

Fresh green beans
1 garlic clove per four servings
Mushrooms
Tomatoes (fresh if flavourful otherwise canned crushed) chopped finely
Olive oil

Boil the green beans al dente.
Saute the mushrooms in olive oil and when almost done add the garlic.
Add the tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes are soft
Mix with drained green beans.

Can be made a day in advance and nuked. Crumbled bacon can also be added.