What does thanksgiving mean to you?

What does Thanksgiving mean to you? Is it getting together with family and friends? Feasting until you are so full you can't move? Is it pilgrims and pumpkin pie? Is it football and fall?

To me, Thanksgiving is the changing of the leaves; crimson, orange and gold. It's a run in the woods with the smell of pine needles and the sound of crunching leaves under foot. It's fresh cool sheets that mom took off the clothes line. It's apples that are hand picked from the MacIntosh apple orchard. It's the anticipation of the night before with a turkey floating in the bath tub at mom and dad's house in Spencerville. More then all of this it's time spent with my family and friends. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I guess you could say I've always had a thing for the Burd :) So why is it that a holiday celebrating the harvest and the giving of thanks for a successful bounty of crops has come to be my favorite holiday? It is my favorite holiday because it is a "pure" holiday. It hasn't been consumed by consumerism, there isn't the stress of a full schedule or the pressure of the pursuit of the perfect gift. I think I love Thanksgiving for what it isn't. It isn't a holiday; spent rushing around, spending money or filled with unrealistic expectations. For me, Thanksgiving has always been spent relaxing and spending time with the ones that I love. It is a holiday with the sole purpose of taking a moment, living in the moment, being thankful and giving of yourself.

I'm sure that you're also wondering how a vegetarian can love such a carnivorously focused event? Although I'm a vegetarian I can still appreciate the delicious smell of turkey and stuffing roasting in the oven and the mouth watering aroma of my mom's pumpkin pie spiced with nutmeg (my personal favorite). My Aunt Elsie always made the lemon meringue pie because she could get the meringue just right (Char's favorite). Last year mom and dad came to my house in Burlington and Nick and I made Thanksgiving dinner for them. I made a Tofurkey. What can I say.....it was terrible! I'm glad Nick insisted on making a real turkey as well. Once again, Nick saved the day. I didn't eat it but I was glad our guests didn't have to endure that nasty Tofurkey. This year Nick and I celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving together with our three cats. We made dinner together; fish, salad, vegetables and a glass of wine. You can see it above and yes that is my new bike in the background. Dinner was delicious :) We sat with a candle at our cute little dining table and enjoyed our first Thanksgiving as a married couple, just the two of us. Make that the five of us ;) Pumpkin, Gizmo and Maggie were there too.

This Thanksgiving I am taking the time to formally reflect on what I am most thankful for. My "thankful for" list is too long to mention in full so I will give you the coles notes version. In short, this year I am thankful for; lifelong friends (you know who you are), new friends, new babies...and old babies :), a best friend who is also my new husband (glad to be rid of that old one...just kidding), tremendous opportunities, adventures in a new place, my health, my cats (the kiddies), continued learning and growth, the opportunity to create my own happiness and most of all for my family. Happy Thanksgiv'r! Love you xoxoxo.