Thanksgiving II

Last weekend we threw our second Thanksgiving feast for our northern friends, bringing some stateside tradition that we got love over to the UK. Thanksgiving is one holiday that I feel like I can really go in for - its all about sharing good food with family and friends, which in my books sounds like a pretty great combination. It feels weird and really good to be able to officially call something "our annual...(event)"; there's something about establishing traditions that makes you feel connected and rooted to a place and its people, which is something that I am slowly beginning to feel here.

It felt like an appropriate and timely celebration as well - near the end of what has been an often tough and bumpy year, I do feel so incredibly thankful for our lives here and the people in them. It was awesome to share a feast with the people that have seen us through our first year of transition to Manchester and in a small way return the favour!

We chowed our way through an enormous turkey (that had a very happy life!), homemade stuffing, candied yams, bacon-beans, mash, creamed corn, apple cabbage...and after a break which included a quiz (do you know how fast a wild turkey can fly?), we went on to a dessert of mostly pies: pecan, apple, cherry and of course the star - pumpkin pie! (Thanks to Sarah who smuggled a can through from the US last summer!).

It was a great day, and are still working our way through the leftovers...We're looking forward to carrying on the tradition every year, connecting past traditions with friends we meet and walk with on our journey...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Pass It On

A brief blog entry for World Aids Day. Having spent over 3 years working with persons living with HIV in New York, it's great seeing my bro Dave doing HIV awareness work in a totally different context with Samaritan's Purse. Check out what they do, and if you are based in the UK, it is SO SO easy to make a huge difference in helping to raise a) awareness and b) funds for those living with HIV in the 3rd world. Seriously, watch how easy:

Step 1: Get out your mobile phone/iphone/crackberry/etc

Step 2: Text the word 'EPIDEMIC' to 60999.

Step 3: Hit 'send'.

That's it! The whole pound goes to AIDS work done in collaboration between Samaritan's Purse and local groups. I bet you anything you'll never even notice it on your bill this month. Heck, why not hit send a few more times? What are you waiting for?

Today reminds me of how much I learned during my time in NYC working with people whose lives are affected by HIV/AIDS. For one, the enormous slap in the face it was to realise that this is NOT something that is solely a third/developing world issue. And secondly, just how much misinformation there is about HIV and AIDS, even in our ostensibly well-educated, well-developed society. I know at times I felt that there were never-ending mountains to climb in responding appropriately to the issue on a personal, local and global scale. We have a long way to go with education and justice around this issue...

Pass it on!