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I had only budgeted for a week in Beitostølen, but because the snow conditions were great after the World Cup, I decided to stay. After a week in the hotel paying an exorbitant amount of money per night for a room and three meals, I moved to the home of Sigrid Tufte Talle just down the road to save money and live somewhere new.
A few days after I arrived, Sigrid notified me that it was Christmas time by starting to bake gingerbread cookies. I confirmed it by drying the dishes with the proverbial Christmas towel. The only other that was needed now was Thanksgiving dinner, as any American knows. Only after stuffing oneself with turkey and mashed potatoes can the Christmas extravaganza get into full gear.
So, we decided to have a Thanksgiving meal, though one day delayed to allow Anne Marie to drive over from Geilo. Sigrid and Anne Marie grew up together in Geilo and have been friends ever since. The snow that fall overnight into Friday lent a more pleasant backdrop than the brown, decaying plants.
Sigrid found a turkey breast somewhere down the road (frozen in a store), while Anne Marie arrived early to lend her cooking expertise to the mission. Instead of mashed potatoes, we ate some gourmet inspired sliced and baked potatoes. There were croissants, in place of biscuits, and of course plenty of turkey.
We were so hungry after making the meal that I almost forgot to tell the Norwegians that Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for all that you have. I tried to make that an indication that we should start sharing with each other what we were thankful for, but hunger set in with them and I just said silently that I was thankful for the people around the world for supporting me and providing me places to live, that my family was healthy, and that I had been given so much potential and determination. After glancing outside at the snowflakes falling from the sky, I was also thankful that I had been able to ski.
Peace,
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