How to Spend Holidays in a Foreign Country

First: - Thanksgiving:

Order, and do not bake, because your oven kicked with a gas leak about two years ago, pies from La Buena Vida bakery.  Pick them up from the window from the gal in the white baker's hat.  Jockey to pay with the lady receiving two dozen dinner rolls into her over-the-river-and-through-the-woods basket.

Step out of the way of the city employee on Hernandez Macias shouting up to the guy in the cherry picker to adjust the giant tinsel mistletoe he is hanging over the street to the left.

Elbow a Philadelphia buddy and remind him of standing in the cold at the Thanksgiving parade in the shadow of Billy Penn. Grumble at your kids, who are on Facebook, that they should be watching a parade.

Every once in awhile, throw your hands up and yell, Touchdown!

Tell yourself you won't have seconds, and then ignore yourself.

Giggle when all the kids (yours are teenagers now, and too sophisticated for such nonsense, you see) squirt whipped cream moustaches on each other.

Love that after dinner, your kids, along with new and old friends, go outside to watch the stars from the lienzo charro - the rodeo ring on the property.  

Thank you Karla and Kayla Lorch, fantastic mother/daughter cook and hostess team!
Look for South of the Border Holidays, Part II.  Coming soon...