It's Here...

The first official day of winter isn't until December 21st, but here in SLC, winter has definitely arrived. It snowed a lot last night, and it stuck to the ground. I guess it's time to accept this winter season and start preparing for Thanksgiving this week.

This year marks our first vegetarian Thanksgiving. Our dishes include a vegan turkey roast made with seitan, vegetarian gravy, and a pumpkin roulade. The roulade has a decadent marscapone cheese filling with candied ginger (yum). A friend is making vegetarian stuffing, and I'm sure there will be plenty of vegetables, rolls, and potatoes to stuff our bellies--not to mention copious amounts of wine!

Finding Warmth in a Cold Season

Thanksgiving is fast approaching, and this time of year always puts me in a reflective mood. As the daylight wanes and the weather turns cold, I struggle to push away the darkness in my head. November inevitably turns into December, the worst month of the year. However, despite my often jaded, pessimistic outlook, I am thankful for the love in my life.


My own flesh and blood has never been a consistent source of love or happiness, but I have an amazing chosen family. My husband, two cats, our best friends, even my work family bring me so much joy. 


I know I'll spend Thanksgiving with fabulous friends and we'll spend the day cooking and eating delicious food, drinking wine, and sharing our day together. I look forward to that warm, fuzzy feeling I get knowing we've found our own family in one another as we sit around the table, laughing and telling stories. Everyone feels welcome. It's a warmth I never knew as a child, and I'm so thankful I found it. I may not have a traditional family, but I'm having the last laugh anyway.