Thanksgiving, Times Two

November 27, 2008
On Thanksgiving morning, we went to Kampala to take Sr. Jo Ann Geary to catch a midnight plane to Brussels and then to U.S. She is going to St. Louis to have emergency oral procedures she could not get here. She is a big loss to us and to the people in the diabetes and high blood pressure clinic at Gulu Hospital, so we ask your prayers that all goes well and she’ll be able to return here in January.
So we ate our “first” Thanksgiving dinner mid afternoon at the Rwenzori Restaurant in Kampala which we like-Pork chops, tilapia, and our driver George—in pix [coming]-- had chicken wings; and….a second and Boston-style complete Thanksgiving Dinner later at the Missionary Franciscan Sisters of Africa who happened to be next door to ARU [Assoc. of Religious of Uganda] where we had arranged to stay for the evening. The Franciscan sisters had heard we were coming and wanted us as their guests which was ok with the lovely women at ARU. There were three US sisters among the group and the woman from Boston had engineered it with help from their African cook. Turkey, dressing, potatoes, stuffed pumpkin, carrots overlaid with fresh rosemary sprigs, etc. Of course, pumpkin pie for dessert. We thought we had died and gone to heaven! Marcellina Otii had sent us a clever “pieless Thanksgiving note” but not to be! The cornucopia was stunning with African vegetables and fruits!