Happy Thanksgiving!
Although we are thousands of miles away from our Old Kentucky Home, my classmates and I certainly made the most of this beautiful day reserved for giving thanks.
Kelsey, Jordan, and I are currently completing our primary placement at Wiehagen Schule in Werne. On Tuesday and Wednesday, we did some "Getting to Know You" activities with the students. Today, we shifted our focus to Thanksgiving in America. Students were asked to tell us some of the things they are thankful for, to select and write 8 of those ideas on turkey feathers, and to color by numbers before building their own bright and colorful "Thankful Turkey" to take home and to keep. The photos below help illustrate the process.
After school, Lana helped the three of us go grocery shopping. We ran into Jennifer, Kathryn, Morgan, and Jessica while we were there! Kelsey, Jordan, and I cooked an American Thanksgiving meal for my host family, and many of the others had a similar idea in mind. We served turkey breast, green beans, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin bread.
The pumpkin bread seen above was our personal Thanksgiving Miracle. Canned pumpkin purée is not easy to come by in Germany, so we thought we had hit the jackpot when we found a glass jar of pumpkin chunks with honey! It turns out that the pumpkin chunks were in vinegar and honey, so they were essentially pickled. We puréed the chunks, added more molasses and spices to the recipe, and we gave it a whirl anyway- who would've thought that these Kentucky ladies could make a delicious pumpkin bread from pickled pumpkin chunks in Germany? We sure didn't, but it was to die for.
After our meal, we chatted about nothing and everything, clapped and sang as my host dad played the accordion, and wished for more pumpkin bread.
I am thankful for my sweet and welcoming host family. I am thankful for the company of my fellow American student teachers who made being away from home today so much easier. I am thankful for my Thomas, my Gatsby, my family, my friends, and all of you who are sharing this journey with me. Ich bin dankbar für alle.
This weekend, Lana and I will visit Dortmund and the world's tallest Christmas tree assembly. I can't wait to share it with you!
With love and blessings,
Johni (Mrs. L)