Memories from our first Caribbean Thanksgiving

the Thanksgiving sunset

one of the sailboats we see sailing by every evening

one of the many cruise ships we see cruising by,

but this one was different from the rest with its black bottom

Ezra helping prepare the vegan pumpkin pie

the final result

cranberry sauce from scratch . . . so easy and so tasty!

arugula salad with beets and toasted almonds and a balsamic vinaigrette

my plate of leftovers

This was our first Thanksgiving on an island as well as our first Thanksgiving without at least one set of our parents there. It was also our first Thanksgiving as vegans - not just vegetarians. I wanted to make it special and by making everything we ate that day, I felt I had created a special culinary tradition for our family. It was a lot of work getting ready and Ezra was quite patient with me by playing alone for the majority of the day before Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving day, while I worked in the kitchen. But, Ezra likes to be my helper, true to the meaning of his name which is "strong helper," and he helped me pour the pie ingredients into the blender. It came out perfectly and I can't wait to make another one soon. I made everything that we ate from scratch, except for the stuffing. We had an entirely vegan meal with an arugula salad, vegan meatloaf, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy. I also made cornmeal muffins, a maple syrup tart, and the pumpkin pie. Everything was delicious and even our non-vegan guests enjoyed their meal. It was a day to remember with lots to be grateful for here and now on this beautiful island.

Happy Thanksgiving

I'm grateful for so many things...

my little family

Ezra's happiness

Michael's decision, determination, and hard work to go back to school to become a doctor

where I live

that I get to watch Ezra grow up on an island

all of the beautiful beaches

spending time together as a family

my marriage and relationship with Michael for the last 16 years that has brought us to where we are today. I am thankful for the love we have for each other and the support we have given to each other. From going off to college and creating our dreams together, starting careers in the work force, the trials and tribulations that come with life, miracles and tragedies both, creating our family, home, redefining who we are and our dream for our future, and the all important endeavor of raising Ezra together, I am thankful for the patience, understanding, compassion, and great love that we have for one another.

Happy St. Maarten's Day

the new landscape of our beach

from the rocks to the whitewash is all new beach for us to lay on and for Ezra to play on

these rocks used to be covered by the sea

you can walk to the villas next door now

the new view from the entrance

November 11th is St. Martin's Day, a holiday here in St. Maarten and also in many other European countries. It is also know as Martinmas or Martinstag. It is the celebration of St. Martin of Tours, a kind and simple man who led a quiet life. One of the more famous stories about his life is one of him cutting his cloak in half to save the life of a beggar from dying in the cold. Agriculturally, it marks the end of autumn and the beginning of winter. It couldn't be more apparent here today that the season is changing. Two nights ago we had a heavy windstorm and as of yesterday we have a new beachfront at our hotel. Whereas before we had only a postage size stamp patch of sand to sit on, we can now lay our towels out and build sand castles while Michael goes snorkeling in the sea. Not only has our beach changed, but the weather is taking a turn for the milder, cooler breezes of the high season. It is truly a day to celebrate change.

Back home in the United States, my fellow Americans are celebrating our heroes of war for Veteran's Day. I am also remembering this important day in my country while celebrating a new custom in this foreign country where I am a lucky visitor for two years. Although I will embrace my time on this beautiful Caribbean island, I love my country and am grateful for those who made it what it is. Today I am thankful for this beautiful world we live in!

Philipsburg Jubilee Library

Fresh veggies keep the body happy, and lots of books keep the mind happy. Three weeks ago we found the Jubilee Library in Philipsburg. This week my three books are due, and it's just in time for me to get my next collection. I go through more books here than at home with the absence of television in our apartment. It's a good thing we have a library to keep me entertained. This week I hope to get an audio cd to brush up on my French and a book I heard about on my free podcast of NPR's "Fresh Air." Ezra will surely find something this time as well, since they have a very decent children's collection. I went with very low expectations, but I think from the photos you can see what a little treasure it is to us.

Rasta Farm

Fresh vegetables are hard to come by here on the island. Everything is shipped over from other countries and therefore is lacking in freshness. When we first arrived to the island and ate at our favorite restaurant Top Carrot, where the veggies on your sandwich are crisp and delicious, Michael was keen enough to ask where we could find a farm with fresh vegetables on the island. The waitress told us about the rasta farm. We have since then been several times to get the fresh produce you see above. We bought whatever was available, which was arugula, spinach, basil, and eggplant. The arugula was so spicy and delicious, we had never tasted arugula like that before. Now we are looking forward to the next harvest which will include tomatoes, pumpkins, squash, and onions. We are grateful to have this farm on the island.

White Coat Ceremony

Michael received his white coat this last Friday at the end of a 2 hour long ceremony which had introductions to the faculty, speeches from students, and awards presented to current outstanding students. I wish I could tell you something profound from the speeches, but as you can see from the picture I brought Ezra with me, and he's not really into speeches yet. So, about 20 minutes into it, we quietly exited the lecture hall for the hallway where Ezra could speak freely, move around and play with another student's little one. We came back just in time for the Hippocratic Oath and the donning of the coats. I distracted Ez with a little snack before it was time to go up and film Michael getting his white coat on. It was fun to tell him that we were going to go see daddy get his coat on (he must've forgotten that he was there hidden in the sea of students seated in the hall). He was so excited. After the announcer read his name and University, Ezra called out, "Michael!" It was funny for the audience and Michael took a double take to see us in the middle of the aisle filming. Afterward, Ezzy squirmed out of my arms to run over and hug Michael as he came around the stage and walked up the ramp to get his picture taken. That's where I got the shot you see above. I think the look of pride on Ezra's face says it all for how we feel about Michael on this awesome journey he's taking us on. We're so proud of him for his hard work, diligence, and intelligence on this path to becoming a physician. He is setting a wonderful example for his son what can be done if you work hard enough. So despite missing any earnest speeches to give us all a boost to go home with, Ezra's heartfelt recognition was profound for our little family!

Making Friends

For the past three weeks we have not had the internet in our home due to some unknown problem in our hotel's internet connection. We have literally been on an island afloat in the Caribbean Sea away from our friends and family back home and feeling rather disconnected without our daily email, facebook, and skype contacts. But, when one door closes another window opens. Is that how the saying goes? We have been making new connections here on the island with our AUC cohorts. I have started walking with a group of spouses in the mornings and have been very grateful for the 4 mile loop through the golf course and around Mullet Pond with the nice young ladies. Ezra has had a handful of playdates with the wonderful little children you see in the picture. I couldn't have dreamt up a better selection of friends to welcome him to this beautiful little island. So, although I am so glad to have my internet back and will be making more of an effort to be a regular blogger and keep in touch with family and friends back home, it was time well spent without the internet making these lovely new connections here in St. Maarten.