HOLIDAY ROAD!

It was another week of testing my ability to leave my 'comfort zone'.  I sometimes feel so attuned with my adoptive 'laid back' city, but other times, I feel the forty years of a 'faster pace of life' previous existence overtaking, and I fail to blend in.  This being said, I feel the following is slightly 'disjointed' and the inability to flow would indicate my inability to dysfunction in a functioning arena. My neighbour had interrupted my weekend proceedings, by asking if I had another 'episode' for the newsletter.  She hoped to get this month's edition of our neighbourhood news finished before Thanksgiving, and was compiling it a little earlier than usual.  As I had planned my week, meticulously, from post blog Sunday afternoon, to post Thanksgiving grocery shopping on Saturday, I had not left any room for frivolity!  

The 'episode' to which she was referring, was a chapter in a story I have been writing for the past fifteen months.  Mostly fictitious, it tells the tale of two couples living on opposite sides of the Atlantic. The English couple live in Tottenham, England, and the American couple live in Austin, Texas.  The thing that links them is that they both live in a complex that bears the same name, which just so happens to be the name of the complex in which I live!  The London 'block of flats' is very old, and in my mind's eye, is actually where my paternal grandmother used to reside; the couple in the story bear the names of my maternal grandparents. The Austin complex is my complex, although the condo in the story is not mine, but the lay out is that of one of my neighbours! The name, and characteristics of the couple, is purely fictitious.  

However, I digress, slightly, as my week did not comprise the writing of the story, but as always, encompassed the differences between the two sets of lives.  A tale of  two cities,  so to speak!

I finished the story quite quickly, and sent it to my neighbour, and continued with my weekend.  I was having fun with the space saving bags, again!   I had to use my time wisely, as there would not no time for deviation throughout the coming week!

Monday morning was very much 'on track'.  I was late for work, as I introduced a 'bagel run' to the proceedings.  Not content with the packs of round tyre-like (both in shape and taste!) lumps of stodgy dough, my customers prefer the freshly baked variety.  I have been nicknamed, by Jerry in our office, 'office mom', (notice the 'o' rather than 'u' in the middle of the title, due to our location,) and this particular job appears to include providing a breakfast service to the staff, namely my husband and daughter!  Arriving ten minutes late did not hinder my performance, and I concentrated on my workload without slacking.

Walking around to the post office was a little grueling.  The weather was not hot, but at the same time, not cold.  The usual pleasant greetings were shouted, and the question of 'who's that?' was responded to with, 'that's the English lady'.  I smiled, graciously, as not only was I 'The' English lady, I was positively referred to as a 'lady'.  I was then pulled to one side by the second in command, and asked some direct questions about the state of Europe, the recent uprising in Spain, and various other political dilemmas, as if I was an authority.  Of course, I obliged with answers that were preceded with the words, 'in my opinion', which appeared to add even more credibility.  The more I spoke, the heavier my accent became, and the heavier the accent became, the larger the crowd surrounded.  Feeling rather empowered, I left for my walk back to the office, where I was once again, 'momma', dealing with a variety of metaphorical 'soggy diapers'.    

I was hosting two 'dinner parties' during the week.  Wednesday evening was our weekly 'fellowship' group, where I make a 'pot luck' dinner, for four people upwards, and get to practise any new recipe I want to 'try out', and Thursday I was hosting the monthly neighbourhood dinner.  There are no hard and fast rules to the contents of the feast but I find it very difficult not to over cater, especially on the dessert front!

Baking was on the agenda for Tuesday morning, and although I had planned to create a simple repast for Wednesday, the accompaniments required more effort than I had anticipated, and the piped, souffle mashed potatoes took longer to prepared than the time allotted!  Apparently, however, it was worth the labour!  I felt as if most of my time was spent scrambling around to clear up before leaving for work, or in the case of the latter, before my guests arrived.  

My neighbours, few as they were on Thursday, as I did not really give much notice, were all used to living 'abroad'.  Two, although having lived stateside for fifty years, were born and grew up in India, and the third, although born here, studied at Oxford and spent a good deal of her life in Paris. (The wife of my Spanish neighbor, whom I have mentioned before).  We discussed the difference in culture and the difficulty in 'fitting in' when first thrust into the diversity of a new country!  This time, I could speak with actual knowledge, rather than with a knowledgeable sounding opinion!  Dinner was English and European themed, with Shepherds pie, Vol-au-vents, sausage rolls, and a variety of desserts which included Italian meringues, mille fueilles, roulade and a few others, because one type of dessert per person is not enough.  My young female neighbours came in at ten thirty, upon request, (as they had not been able to attend the soiree) to take some samples back to their condo, so as to minimise the amount I had to pack up and store!  

With the 'traditional' neighbours gathering over for another month, one of the major different events is upon us next week, that of the Thanksgiving.  Shopping is tantamount to that of the expedition I used to make for Christmas lunch!  Enough food to feed an army, cooked on one day, and eaten for several following, with the genuine attempt not to waste, but knowing that inevitably you will be feeding the 'trash' even if it is a small amount.  

This year, my 'preferred' store for purchasing weekly grocery items, (I shall not print the name, but would add that if anyone recognises it, I write, 'without prejudice',) provided a shopping list.  I picked this up after I had bought my wares, and Samantha and I studied it hard.  After deliberating on where to buy the turkey, 'big bird' was purchased at the said supermarket, for the first time in our history of Thanksgiving turkey purchasing!  'Big bird' was perhaps the only relevant thing on the prepared shopping list.  I looked over the 'Thanksgiving made simple' list and whilst I am sure it would make this very easy for some, my English mind could not comprehend the simplicity of the suggestions.  I contemplated the item 'baking essentials',  and then 'fresh desserts'.  Would one necessarily outlaw the other?  What constituted 'baking essentials'?  On the first, 'made simple' step, I was confused.  Although there was a suggestion to purchase 'fresh' vegetables, the recommendation to add 'organic canned vegetables' to the list was made.  Somehow, 'organic' and 'canned' do not go together, although I am sure it is perfectly legitimate.  Would the can not comprise the 'organic', or does 'can' mean 'jar'.  I was not about to find out!  Although my creations in the kitchen are often far from simple, I am a 'simple' cook!  The list continued, and most of the items were 'ready made'; something I rarely buy, and although there is far more variety of 'ready meals' in the English supermarkets than when I left the 'green and pleasant land', I have a strange perception of failure if I succumb to buying something that has been prepared by another!  Obviously, this is purely a personal defect and one that perhaps, one day, I shall overcome!  The other aspect is that I do find it, oddly, therapeutic to cook, despite the fact that I would prefer someone to take care of the washing up, and clearing away!

The shopping was completed, and the list (perhaps unnecessarily critically) considered an amusing joke.  


I contemplated my two couples in the story, and how one would probably have the whole Thanksgiving meal catered, due to her busy schedule and financial ability, whilst the other would prepare Christmas dinner, with all the trimmings, without a ready made product in sight, due to tradition.  

Once again, I will finish by wishing all those who partake, a very Happy Thanksgiving, and I am personally thankful for the freedom to be able to partake, and to cook 'from scratch' as the saying goes.  I do not frown upon those who do not follow my self-imposed rules; in fact, I am a little envious at times!  To my fellow Brits, who are not on this side of the pond, I say, Happy Thursday!  I shall continue with my tale of two cities, in ........ another story!