Happy Thanksgiving from Texas
Thanksgiving is here, and while I’m writing this from Texas—home of barbecue and bold flavors—I can’t help but imagine what it would be like to celebrate Thanksgiving in England. Let’s call it a colonial throwback, but with better weather and fewer ruffled shirts.
This year, I’m incredibly thankful because I’m bettering “day and day” from my stroke. Recovery, much like the English themselves, requires patience, resilience, and just a touch of stubbornness. And trust me, if I can tackle this journey, I can definitely tackle whatever mystery dish the English put in front of me next.
Now, let’s talk about the food. If Thanksgiving were an English feast, I imagine it’d look something like this: turkey would share the table with roast beef and maybe a leg of lamb (because why stop at one kind of meat?). Forget sweet potatoes with marshmallows—how about a side of Yorkshire pudding to soak up all that gravy? Cranberry sauce might be swapped out for a tangy chutney, and pumpkin pie would surely be replaced by a treacle tart or sticky toffee pudding. Oh, and don’t forget the obligatory plate of Brussels sprouts, because the English never miss an opportunity to make vegetables seem less fun.
And while Texans cheer for football, the English would probably gather around for a polite game of cricket or a dramatic episode of The Great British Bake Off. Either way, I’m thankful for the camaraderie and the occasional awkward pause when someone mentions that “tea” can mean dinner, a drink, or just biscuits.
So, from deep in the heart of Texas (and maybe a little part of my imagination that’s wandering through the English countryside), Happy Thanksgiving! Let’s raise a toast—whether it’s sweet tea, a pint of ale, or a hot cup of Earl Grey—to health, recovery, and second chances. Cheers, y’all… or should I say, “Cheers, mate!”