Monday, October 11, 2010

Thanksgiving....a Time to Give Thanks....

Pumpkin's season.....

Thanksgiving is a time to express gratitude. Although is perhaps religious in origin, today it is a special time to celebrate harvest. 

In our first year here in Canada, it was very strange for us this celebration. To be honest, we do not understood the real meaning of Thanksgiving. I remembered that we thought to use the long weekend to prepare some exams for the University, but we were invited to many houses that we could not say no. In Thanksgiving, nobody is alone. Family, friends, and neighbours get together just to say "Thank You" for the health, the job, the family, the friends, the food...just for life!

Pumpkins from a Pumpkin Patch
(where you can go and pick up your own pumpkin....)

I would say that this is the most important holiday in NorthAmerica....it is a time where people from all religions, races and cultures celebrate the products of the harvest before the winter arrival. There is only one thing in common among us....just to say Thank You!

Although, at the beginning, it was a strange celebration for us, it has become one of the most important celebrations in our family. We have embraced this day not only for the celebration itself, but for the meaning that represents. There are so many things to Thank for......family here and abroad.... friends that are with us, far away, "virtual friends" like you, and others that have passed away.....health....food....job....just because we exist.....Thank you!

Traditionally, this is a "turkey day". For us that we neither grow with this traditon nor we are fans of roast turkey.....we celebrate as many new immigrants just with pumpkin and some products that resemble our origin. In this year, we have shared pumpkin treats and because of our Latin American roots we have prepared to share quinoa dishes. This year, all the pumpkin dishes comes from your kitchens......I wish I could have made more, but time is limited and we did what we could... I will make a special post to thanks each of this blogger friends for sharing this pumpkins dishes that we enjoyed, for now.....thanks to AnnieCarmenAlfons, and Luis for sharing your wonderful recipes and feed our spirit with your fantastic dishes!!

A Wonderful Pumpkin Bread from Annie

A Delicious Bocados de Calabaza from Carmen

A Gastronomical Delight Crema de Carabassa Amb Tortellinis from Alfons

A Mouth Watering Pastel Dulce de Ayote from Luis

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you....for taking the time to read me, follow me, comment me, laugh with me and share common interest with me.....Thanks for all the personal emails that I have received since I open this blog on April. I never thought what to expect when I started this blog.....I just wanted to write recipes, collect memories, and look for tasty dishes all over the world.....What I have found? A fantastic community of wonderful people that are always there to share some words and to give a nice push up in some gray days....Thank you so much for allowing me to enter in your kitchens, for allowing me to make your recipes and for making everyday a bright one.......

As you may understand, these days have been very busy.....I will visit you again in few days....


 
Some of My Dishes 
(I will post them soon)

For all of you, I want to share two gifts......First, a  flowers bouquet from  Ana (the flowers are from her garden) that was sent to me because Thanksgiving  by email....Thanks Ana!!....it was very special to receive this gift!!


Second....A poem for all of you that summarizes the way I want to thanks....This is a poem written by Violeta Parra a Chilean folklorist and visual artist......the poem is called "Gracias a la Vida"

Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto. Me dio dos luceros que, cuando los abro,
perfecto distingo lo negro del blanco, y en el alto cielo su fondo estrellado y en las multitudes el hombre que yo amo.

Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto. Me ha dado el oído que, en todo su ancho,
graba noche y día grillos y canarios; martillos, turbinas, ladridos, chubascos, y la voz tan tierna de mi bien amado.

Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto. Me ha dado el sonido y el abecedario,
con él las palabras que pienso y declaro: madre, amigo, hermano, y luz alumbrando la ruta del alma del que estoy amando.

Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto. Me ha dado la marcha de mis pies cansados; con ellos anduve ciudades y charcos, playas y desiertos, montañas y llanos, y la casa tuya, tu calle y tu patio.

Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto. Me dio el corazón que agita su marco cuando miro el fruto del cerebro humano; cuando miro el bueno tan lejos del malo, cuando miro el fondo de tus ojos claros.

Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto. Me ha dado la risa y me ha dado el llanto. Así yo distingo dicha de quebranto, los dos materiales que forman mi canto, y el canto de ustedes que es el mismo canto y el canto de todos, que es mi propio canto.

Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto.

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