Thanksgiving

The streets in downtown Norfolk are quiet and clear.

It is Thanksgiving day, and all our neighbors have either traveled to be with family out of town, or are in their homes busy cooking up their Thanksgiving feast.

Growing up in the Philippines, of course we never celebrated Thanksgiving in our home, though we were plenty aware of it, Baguio City being originally designed as a colonial hill station for the American government in the islands at the turn of the last century. The city bears many vestiges of that historical turn of events even until the present time.

In my childhood, the biggest holidays were New Year's Eve and Christmas Eve, and Todos los Santos or All Saint's Day.

I come from a family that loves to cook and enjoys eating, and so today the daughters who live with or near us, are here to help in the kitchen.

We won't be having turkey (see youngest daughter Gabriela's handiwork on yesterday's Blip), but we will have cornish hens rubbed with fennel, sage, salt, and pepper, finished with an orange-ginger glaze; we will have ham (and I am overjoyed because I get to make my favorite ham, cheese, and chive scones, this time using brie and goat cheese instead of the usual cheddar); and we will have baked kabocha squash halves filled with a stuffing of red rice, red quinoa, celery, onion, and roasted sunflower seeds.

Daughter Ina is baking two yummy kinds of pie: chocolate pecan, and apple cheddar.

Before we sit down to dinner, we shall put aside a little plate of food and a little copita of wine for those in our families who have gone ahead. We Ilocanos call this ritual atang ti kararua, a spirit-offering.

Hubby and I walked to the corner marketplace an hour ago to pick out some wine, and I found my Blip photo for today.

To all our family and friends near and far, to all whose presences have touched us at one time or another -- we are so grateful to have you in our lives.

XO