Giving Thanks!

I nearly missed Thanksgiving...but wait - isn't that how life goes?  We always just ask, ask, ask - but we hardly ever remember to say thank you and to tell those close to us what they really mean. Then sometimes life happens to slow us down... I woke up on Thursday morning as if it was any other Saturday morning.  A day off from work - although I had more than enough work to keep me busy. I switched on the coffee machine and the television and there it was, on NBC - the Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Parade!! No! Could this be? How on earth did I forget about THE Parade?  Why did I sleep in when I should have woken up only a few hours earlier to save myself a spot somewhere along Sixth Avenue?  I was so upset with myself for letting "normal life" suck me in and so  I made peace with the fact that I will now completely miss Thanksgiving this year.  "Today will just be a normal day - nothing special!"

The past few weeks has been hard for Team 319 First Ave, NY.  Although we were very lucky with Hurricane Sandy, the "hurricane week" affected us a bit more than we thought.  We felt homeless and cold, while the darkness of our apartment took a little bit of our light. Just the thought of being in the middle of one of the biggest storms to ever hit the USA was frightening and the scenes outside the next morning was devastating.  We tried to compress and hide our fears by comparing Sandy to the South East in Cape Town and by drinking wine as an excuse, but still it affected us all a bit.

Also, for most of us life is filled with the three letter, unnecessary, "don't really know whether it's worth it"-word... CPA.  Yes, Certified Public Accountant.  The certification that a Chartered Accountant from South Africa has to have in order to move forward in life in the United States.  Together with that, some of us have been traveling for work and others have been working late hours.  But that is nothing compared to the family member that one of us unexpectedly lost this week.  Then everything else that was going on seemed so small and unnecessary.

I think that is where the Turkey excitement in the supermarket up the street came from.  We needed this.  We needed to put this Turkey in the oven for 5 hours.  We needed to feel like we were back home.

So we purchased the biggest chicken that I've every purchased in my life - for only twenty dollars.  Bargain!  And then we had to find the recipe.  Our first Thank You was to the modern world of technology...

Here is a few pictures of the steps we took during the 5 hours that Turkey was in the oven - I almost feel like we should have named it (the Turkey now).

But eating a fancy Turkey like this would not have been the same without laying a fancy table to sit at while eating it, with maybe some candles and flowers.  The first thing we needed was a dining room table - which we didn't have.  Oh the joys of living in New York City!  But we did have is a number of study tables (typical auditors!). Risk mitigated. We decorated that with a red couch blanket and a bottle of champagne (also - just for purposes of the photos) and we were at home...

This year is basically over and I have so much to be thankful for.

By looking at these pictures, the first people that I have to thank is my New York family.  Han, Gus and Laan.  Thank you for being here while we all learned to adjust in this new world together.  Experiencing this with you shaped me even more.  Thank you for always being here when I need you.  Thank you for making me laugh most of the time. Thank you for the hope and the love.

Then, thank you to my two most amazing parents.  My Dad who lost half of his finger in an accident on the farm last week and all he did was make a joke about it.  I'm so glad it wouldn't affect your golf Dad! My Dad who lives this dream with me every single day and I couldn't have asked for a bigger fan.  And then there is my Ma.  The woman who still organizes my medicine to come all the way from South Africa. (I've hardly set foot in a Pharmacy here in the past six months). My Ma who mails me a SARIE magazine for R270 - while its only worth R20.  My Ma who understands that when I'm quiet it's because I'm working hard and still, regardless continues to send her daily text messages at least twice a day.

Then my two best girlfriends, my beautiful sisters. Those two sisters for whom I will run to Victoria Secret and Kate Spade every single day to buy gifts.  Esther for her logical, realistic and honest thoughts and Janri for her free spirit.  Lief vir julle.

Then my amazing friend and love... Actually, I think I'm going to keep this message between the two of us.

But above all I have my God to thank for my health and a healthy family, enough to live of, a clear mind, love, friendship, experiences and success. Nothing is possible without You!

Happy Thanksgiving!