Thanksgiving Abroad

Living in another country means that you may miss out on some holiday events that are specific to where you are from. But, with Mom and Dad in town, I was determined to have Thanksgiving in Costa Rica!

First we had to find a turkey in San Jose....Have no fear, Price Smart (our Sam's club equivalent) had them for the gringos! One giant 16 pound frozen turkey? Yes, please!

Have you ever wondered how much will fit in a Costa Rican mini stove? Luckily, one large turkey fits perfectly. Whew! It was close!

Mom was a little under the weather on Thursday, but we managed to pull off a full meal with turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, dressing, cranberry sauce, rolls, and gravy! And let me tell you - this was not an easy feat! We had to hunt down ingredients, get creative with some, and work in a not-so-well stocked kitchen to make this happen.

My colleagues from my office came for lunch along with my friend Casey (the one from Gaston County.) Everyone visited and enjoyed the food. (Or, so they tell me.)

Overall, I would call it a Thanksgiving success! I'm so thankful for being able to share this day with my family and friends here in Costa Rica.

More to come about the adventures of Ma and Pa Featherstone in Costa Rica!



<3,
Amber

La Gripe

I have arrived safely back to my home away from home in Costa Rica. The trip was long, but no real bumps along the way. Everything was just as I left it in my apartment and all of my luggage arrived with me. So, all in all, I call it a success.

Unfortunately, the US left me with a parting gift - la gripe (pronounced gree pay)!! In Spanish, la gripe means "the flu." I like their word for it better; it seems more menacing or threatening somehow. So for now, la gripe has me confined to the house. I cannot let it go on too long as Ma and Pa Featherstone arrive in just a week!!

That's all for now.

<3,
Amber

Mocking the Moth

I am thoroughly enjoying my time back in NC this week. I have had the chance to catch up with some of my trusty blog followers and have loved getting feedback and requests. I love sharing my stories with you, but sometimes the silence from your end can be a bit deafening. (Hint! Hint! Leave comments!)

Many of my followers have had a good laugh over my giant moth visitor. I do realize that the photo does not do it justice, but I promise it was GIANT!!!

This week, my company is having their annual meeting and my colleagues from all over the world are in town. I had a very rousing dinner the other night with my colleagues from England, Costa Rica, New Zealand, Canada, and the US. They had me recount the moth story and all had a good laugh about how it was just a measly moth that could not have been frightening in any way. One of my colleagues compared my moth story to a big fish story - where each time it is retold the fish (or moth in this case) gets larger and larger. By the end of dinner the table created their own giant moth model for a good laugh. I think the plates were supposed to be it's giant wings...

I love that my stories make good dinner fodder. Glad I could bring some laughs!

More to come next week from what is now hopefully a sunnier and less rainy Costa Rica!

<3,
Amber