Happy Thanksgiving!

So once in every year we throng

Upon a day apart,

To praise the Lord with feast and song

In thankfulness of heart.

~Arthur Guiterman, The First Thanksgiving

I never realized that Thanksgiving wasn't a worldwide observed holiday. I guess if I had thought about it I would have come to the conclusion, but it is such a great holiday that I assumed everyone would want to partake in the overeating of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and my beloved cranberry sauce!

Today is not Thanksgiving, at least, not for me. I'm not bitter or saddened, because Thanksgiving Day does not exist in England. It's almost  as if I don't know what I'm missing. Yet, I do!

I thought I'd take this opportunity (which has dual purpose as paper-writing procrastination) to say a few things I'm thankful for:

• That I have lived in countries (I like saying that!) where I can practice my faith freely and be a strong, independent woman (or at least, try to be).
• My family. I won't list everyone here, but know that I am thankful for all of my family, those who I parted with a few months ago, and those who I haven't seen in years.
• My friends. I couldn't survive away from home (or sometimes, even at home) without them. The line between family and friends is a blurred one, and I'm thankful for that.
• That even though it's frowned upon, a preposition is something I can end my sentence with.
• The blessings I have. I only hope I can use them in the way God wills.
• Everyone who reads my blogs. It makes my words important and gives what I say meaning.
• Jane Austen. She makes me laugh constantly and her writing is a true blessing.
• The internet, because I can keep in contact with everyone and access information as the slightest of ease.
• Opinions (even wrong ones ;) )
• Music. Every human emotion can be triggered or satiated with it.
• Thanksgiving. Because when else can you watch the GREATEST parade on earth, avoid helping to prepare food, overeat to the point of sickness, watch men attack each other for fun (American football), and then fall asleep by 6pm? If this isn't the American Dream, I don't know what is!

So, thank you for reading my blog and keeping up with my happenings in Oxford. I am thankful for my readers and subscribers and that I am cared about enough to take a few minutes out of your day to read of my rants/adventures/crazy thoughts.

I'll be home in 16 days, and while I 'should' be sad about leaving glorious England, I'm more than excited to be home and see everyone and for what is surely to be an amazing Spring semester.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Oh, the Queen was in Oxford today and I saw her motorcade =)

My visit is complete!