One of my favorite Thanksgivings (Big Big Smile) was when I was in Sicily… alone. What an amazing, life defining-experience of personal revelation and discovery. My great grandfather was born there, so of course exploring the old world (that it still is in many ways) was extra special to me. I wish more people would travel to unknown shores by themselves… it can be such a rewarding experience. Something fascinating takes hold of me whenever I go somewhere far away… without an agenda, without a schedule, without accountability… and simply allow myself the luxury of being vulnerable to the unknown, or at least as vulnerable as a Tiger/Gemini is capable of being. I always arrive “just in time” as if I have a divine appointment (successfully met and unbeknownst to me).
During my last trip to Italy I was staying at a hotel in Palermo where I met a darling married couple who were staying there as well. He was a 6’ 6” Texan and she was a pretty little roll of dough from Tuscany who was barely 5’3”. The three of us met in the lobby where marble floors were accented by dark red carpets and plush ornate chairs had been placed in different corners for intimate conversations. Italian scenes captured in softly hanging tapestries had been hung above beautiful brass railings. We had all come down from our rooms to the lobby in search of something sweet to eat. Unfortunately, the kitchen had closed, but we had found each other. The couple suggested that we find a “bar” (a bar in Italy is what we in the States would refer to as a cafe). Usually walking through the streets of Palermo late at night is not the safest thing to do, although having a man the size of the Vatican with me I figured I’d take my chances. Besides, I had a serious sweet tooth and the lure of tasting traditional Italian pastries with new company was very intriguing! As we walked through the dimly lit and strangely quiet streets of Palermo, our eyes followed smooth cobblestone directions as the newlywed-like twosome enchanted me with their story…
On the night they met neither one of them could speak each others language. They had met through flirty glances at a small house party in Tuscany, danced their way without words through Italian bottles of chianti, woke up in bed under the telling Tuscan sun… and he has never been back to Texas since. “That was over twenty years ago,” he exclaimed. “This is our twenty-second anniversary,” she quickly added, smiling at me with sparkling eyes in the shape of two hearts. She had learned to speak English. He still couldn’t speak Italian (something told me she didn’t mind).
I have traveled a lot throughout the years and I am always surrounded by others who also travel quite a bit (even when I’m temporarily planted somewhere), so Thanksgiving has become more of an open and truly warm gathering of loving friends as opposed to a traditional family holiday (which, true to my life, hardly runs along the path of traditional anything). I have found myself happily cooking Thanksgiving dinner (including apple crumb pie) for twenty or more hungry urbanized mouths more than a few times in several different cities, especially when I lived in New York and Los Angeles. Even though I’m a vegetarian, cooking turkey for everyone had always been a pleasure. However, over the past couple of years I have found that I simply cannot bring myself to sacrifice the little gobblies any longer. Now, it’s tofu-turkey with a smile (yes, it is delish… when it’s made the right way)! A smorgasbord of my specialty gourmet vegetarian dishes will always remain, but like a fabulooo art curator I change the dishes I serve. Some of my current faves are: sweet potatoes flavored with sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, chopped pecans and heavy whipping cream (forget the goopy overwhelming marshmallows…), orange cranberry sauces with minced dates, chestnut stuffing (à la veggie broth) seasoned with rosemary, sage, and thyme… and pumpkin pie with whipped cream of course!
Being that traditional American lifestyles do not appeal to me (even though I was born and raised as a “California girl” in San Diego), I’m not the least bit interested in football (I mean shoulder pads are sooo 1980!), I’ve been a vegetarian for over sixteen years, I have American Indian ancestors (Choctaw), and I have an undeniably deep affinity with Europe, so it is fairly easy to see my cornucopia of conflicting feelings pouring out towards the turkey traditionalist day celebrating the conquering of the “new world.” Be that as it may, I love the warmth shared by a friendly gathering community, so every year I do my best. This year my best will find me lounging in the sun with loving friends, eating faux meat, nibbling sweet American pies, and toasting French champagne while being thankful for parents who have always understood me and have always supported me (I can still feel my dad doing this even though he’s in Heaven) and for living in a country that allows me to do the things I choose to do… Thanksgiving, I’m on my way. I’ll see you soon (on a private topless beach)!
