A Memorable Thanksgiving Weekend

Canada celebrated Thanksgiving this weekend and Phil and I, were invited to my brothers who lives on the outskirts of Calgary in Copperfield .

I am very thankful for having a car because I don't have to rely on anyone and I feel more independent.

I was thankful Phil and I could go since we had a fight the previous night and I was left wondering if we would even see each other.

It was a beautiful and sunny day. I had planned on bringing a side dish of spicy roasted broccoli with almonds but with all the running around , I barely had time to get ready and make it back to pick phil up from work.

We got to my brothers place and his girlfriend had prepared everything! She made a thanksgiving feast fit for a king . The smell of turkey and stuffing filled the house and the table was beautifully decorated. The turkey was bought at the local farmers market from a Hutterite vendor-  it was organic . What I had not known before was that normal turkeys' feed is made with formaldehyde and that is usually why we feel tired after eating turkey.

In keeping with the tradition of her family , Debra explained what the candles were for . Holding the lit candle you are supposed to say something about which you were thankful. My brother started first and lit Phil's candle . Phil said he was thankful for me and for celebrating thanksgiving with my family. Phil lit my candle and I was thankful for my brothers generosity . I lit my sisters candle etc...

The laughter came when my dad was lighting his girlfriends candle . She ended up snuffing out dads candle, then she said she was thankful she got her candle lit ~:)

Debra is a modest cook and she didn't know if everything was going to be that good so she jokingly offered us to drink more wine.

It was my brother who burnt the gravy but the rest of it was pretty good . We had homemade cranberry sauce, mashed potato, sweet yams, a very tasty salad together with turkey and stuffing made with wild rice , it was fabulous. After the table was cleared and put away we had a choice of peach pie , blueberry pie or pumpkin pie for dessert ...I had a sliver of each.

I always get out of doing the dishes and this occasion was no different only better because I got to put the whipped cream on the pie :p

My brothers girlfriend is such a sweet person .

After a few drinks my dad said he had to leave before it got dark . We played a game of Skip-Bo. I won the first game . Debra won the second game . All in all we had fun and it was a memorable thanksgiving .

My Middle Name

I quite like my middle name ; it's "awesome". I was named after St. Thérèse of Lisieux also known as 'the little flower' therefore my middle name is Thérèse with the accents and all except I'm not religious but it makes me feel that I am loved just the same. For those who don't know her she became a nun at 15 in 1888 , and was only 24 when she died of tuberculosis . The Church honors her by declaring her to be a doctor of the Church in 1997 by Pope John Paul II. You can read her autobiographical 'Story of a Soul ' here and all I know is she loved Our Lord a whole lot , which is inspiring but I am not as obedient or even "good" for that matter, although I did get pleurisy not tuberculosis but she died and I am still alive . Obviously, she had a very close and personal (intimate) relationship with Jesus , and I don't, so ya I consider her as one who was married to Christ even at a young age .
Her mother died when she was a child and I was abandoned by my mother at age 15 . Other than that I don't think I have much in common with the saint *shrugs

Oh and FYI :p her feast was just yesterday October 1st . The church commemorates their death not their birth.

St. Thérèse Quote taken from The Story of A Soul:

“I assure you that the good Lord is much kinder than you can imagine. He is satisfied with a glance, with a sigh of love… In regard to myself, I find it easy to practice perfection, because I have learned that the way to Jesus is through His Heart. Consider a small child who has vexed his mother by a display of bad temper or disobedience. If the child hides in a corner through fear of punishment, he feels that his mother will not forgive him. But if instead, he extends his little arms towards her and with a smile cries out: ‘Love, kiss me, mamma, I will not do it again,’ will not his mother press the little one to her heart with tenderness, and forget what the child has done? And yet, though she knows very well that her dear little one will misbehave again at the first opportunity, that means nothing if the child appeals to her heart. He will never be punished…”

Quote of the day

Graces from the Holy Mother is dew that is shed upon the heart to bring forth Heavenly Fruit a good harvest for God. source

A Marian Feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple

And a Sword will Pierce Your Own Heart Also

Ok I like the picture but it's a good read also ; I couldn't have said it better .