Holiday Hopping

I am so ready to feel better so that I can fully enjoy being back in the States for the great fall holidays of Halloween and Thanksgiving. While the American Women's Club in Duesseldorf did a great job with a Halloween party and Trunk or Treat activities, Halloween just wasn't the same in Germany or in England. Though it's catching on, Halloween is definitely an American phenomenon. And then, of course, Thanksgiving isn't even a holiday anywhere but here and Canada (I think theirs is at the end of October). Are their other places that do an official Thanksgiving? Long-time blog followers will remember what I had to pay for a turkey and 8 sweet potatoes in Germany. And canned pumpkin was a specialty item indeed. So I'm ready to decorate and enjoy the pumpkin recipes and carvings as well as the mums and the cornucopias, et al.

However, come Christmas time, I'd love to beam back over to Germany. Nobody does Christmas better. Everything is so lovely. There's no over-done tackiness. There are big Christmas markets and little village Christmas markets and markets at castles that feature only handmade items. And there is food and drink that is only available during the holidays, and that makes it all taste so much better. Before we moved to Germany, I masted the art of baking Christmas stollen. It was so plentiful there that I haven't made it in several years, but I'll have to crank some out this year.

So, once again, I'm ready to completely shed this flu bug and get on with enjoying my American fall festivities.