THANKSGIVING IN GERMANY
Steve and I decided to have a few people over for a traditional American Thanksgiving meal.  We had it on Tuesday before Thanksgiving because on Thanksgiving Thursday, it is missionary transfer day and Elder Pearson would be leaving.   First we where just going to have the missionaries here to our apartment then we decided to invite all the Americans in the ward.   So we couldn't have it in our apartment as the list of people able to come went up to 28.  We where given permission to use one of the rooms at church which was just perfect.  We cooked the food at home and then transported it to the church.   We have great friends who helped with transportation because I had visions of many bike trips with turkeys and such on my bike in freezing cold weather.  I have never made so much food in my life but everyone contributed to making the whole evening a big success.  I was so worried my dishes wouldn't taste like they should because of my experimenting with ingredients substitutions or the large scale of the size of the dishes.   But it all turned out OK.  I cooked 2 turkeys, size 9.3 lbs each, one right after the other in my oven.  My roasting pan and oven can't do anything larger.   Stuffing, LOTS of stuffing, 3 pots of it.  Gravy, LOTS of gravy.  Sweet potatoes, 3 pots, wow they are expensive here, they must think they are an exotic vegetable or something.  I brought celery & peanut butter, pickles, olives, prieselberries (cranberry) sauce.  I also made 2 pumpkin pies from fresh pumpkins, with fresh whip cream which unfortunately went a little flat by the time we ate it, but it tasted good.  We had others bring mash potatoes (LOTS), butter, salt & pepper, a wonderful cranberry jello holiday salad, another pumpkin pie, apple & peach pies and vanilla ice cream, rolls, fresh veggie plates with dips, green bean casseroles, & apple cider.  We had food left over which we tried to send home with people but we didn't have much at church to package food up into so we do have a bunch of leftovers.  Which is OK because after cooking for 2 days, I don't feel like cooking today.  Now I really know why we have the day after Thanksgiving off also.  Everyone was so helpful in getting things set up, served and cleaned up afterwards.  What a great group of friends we have here.

I didn't get a picture of some of the guests, so if anyone has photos of missing people please send them to me.

My kitchen as it gets messy and in work for 2 days.

My largest bowl full of stuffing, then put into 3 pots to cook.

In the church kitchen with baby Ivy May Watson.  She is wearing her "My 1st Thanksgiving" shirt.

The table is set and food is on, now to get people to come in and sit down.

Myles and Ivy Watson, Bob & Judy Palmer,  Macy Watson and Steve in the distance.

Sister Chloe Lehman (what a great smile), Macy, Briana or Jazera

Christie and Ivy Watson

Macy, Briana or Jazera, Sister Holly Nufer, Robyn Watson.
The wonderful cranberry jello salad from Judy that I want the recipe for is in the foreground.

Judy and Bob Palmer

Elder Stimpson, Elder Teppo Ilmari Lietsalmi, David Wilson,  Robert & Jennifer Wegmann, Melanie Weber, Sister Lehman, Macy, Judy Palmer

Robert & Jennifer Wegmann, Melanie Weber, Sister Lehman

Robert & A.J. Wegmann

Elder Stimpson, Elder Lietsalmi, David Wilson, Elder Chase Person, Elder Egly

the group

Robyn Watson and Judy Palmer

Carly Watson

Elder Chase Pearson, Macy, Carly, Robyn Watson

Elder Pearson and us

Steve and Myles doing the big dish washing task

me with Christie and Ivy

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

WORMS GERMANY VISIT
On November 23, 2013, Judy and Bob Palmer took us to Worms in their car.  The weather was cold but clear for the most part.  We had heard so much about this old city that is located close to Mannheim but just far enough away that we had not been able to get there.  The Palmers are wonderful tour guides and this is a city that is close to where they live so they knew so many nice places to see in the city.  This is one of the oldest cities in Germany.  We saw among many things the "Dom" Cathedral, the Martin Luther's memorial, and the Jewish Cemetery dating from the 11th century.

Walking through the town, the Weihnachts (Christmas) buildings where getting setup.

The big Christmas tree in the town center.

This is how they stand up a cut tree that is so big.  A hole in the plaza that they put the tree into with wood wedges to hold it.  Quite a big task I would think.

While walking around we saw a travel burro that had a good deal on travel to some warm island so the Palmers went in and got travel set up to go there.  They are always traveling someplace.

Behind us is a large rotating bronze wheel/fountain with the city's history and legends depicted on it.

The Lutherdenkmal (Martin Luther memorial) with other important reformation Christian/Protestant people around him. 

One side of the monument shows the Luther trial known as the Diet of Worms.

The oldest Jewish cemetery in Germany (1076).  Many of the grave stones are in Hebrew and so worn with age that some do not have visible writings any longer.  The green moss on the stones and the different angles of them along with the fall leaves made it a pleasant and memorable experience.

The Dom, St. Peter Cathedral is a very impressive part of the Worms history.  The church was heavily damaged in WWII with all the windows destroyed.  I like the red sandstone and the stone carvings inside the most at this cathedral.

Impressive 3D deep stone carvings inside.

Dogs are not allowed inside so this family is patiently waiting on the steps of the Dom for their owners to come out.

We had lunch at a lovely and delicious cafe.
Big wine selection.
I don't drink wine anymore but the food was all very good.