Thanksgiving

Our first sign that we had arrived in South Carolina was needing to shed layers of clothing in the car as we crossed the state line and the temperature seemed to immediately increase 😂We’ll be honest, we were very happy to be back in warmer climes! Our first stop was an overnight stay in Chapin at a great Airbnb with Lake Murray right on our doorstep.

From Chapin we headed to our friends Dottie and Bill in Mt Pleasant. We worked with Dottie in Doha and are so excited to be able to spend Thanksgiving with Dottie, Bill and their family. But first up was an introductory tour of Mt Pleasant to see Shem Creek, pelicans and shrimping boats.

With Bill & Dottie

Thanksgiving Day dawned clear and sunny and, by the time we appeared in the kitchen, the table was already set for dinner and Bill’s shrimp to go with grits for breakfast was a work in progress. Complete with mimosas, the arrival of Liz, Kevin, John and Zeus, and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade on TV, the day was off to a superb start.

Ready for our feast later in the day
Shrimp and grits for Thanksgiving breakfast
Bagels with smoked salmon, cream cheese and capers
Cheers!
Watching Macy’s turkey float on television

Deep fried turkey was on the menu for dinner and like the true tourists we are, Sammy and I watched every step of the prep. The aroma was incredible and when that turkey came out of the pot, it looked amazing. Complemented by dishes including broccoli and sweet potato casseroles and honey baked ham followed by dessert, our first Thanksgiving dinner in America was everything we imagined it would be. Thank you to the chefs!

The turkey going into the pot
Submerged in the bubbling oil
And voilà! Forty-two minutes later it emerged again, crispy and delicious
Broccoli casserole
Sweet potato casserole
Toasted coconut cream pie
As requested, our Antipodean contribution to Thanksgiving dinner

As I sit here writing this post, post-dinner naps have been had, college football is on TV, the fire is crackling and we are very content. Thank you so very much to the Aimar family for welcoming us to your Thanksgiving Day with open arms. It has been wonderful and we hope our American friends the world over have had a very happy Thanksgiving 😊

P&S

Zeus provided expert supervision throughout the day…
…as did John

Clockwise from bottom left: Dottie, Daniel, us, John, Bill, Liz & Kevin