Happy Thanksgiving.  A simple evaluative statement if ever there was one.

Did you know that there are eight countries in the world that have a holiday dedicated to giving thanks.  That’s not very many.  (If you want to know which ones go to this site–the site also has a nice image.)

Thanksgiving could be considered the evaluator’s holiday.  We take the time, hopefully, to recognize what is of value, what has merit, what has worth in our lives and to be grateful for those contributions, opportunities, friends, family members, and (of course, in the US) the food (although I know that this is not necessarily the case everywhere).

My daughters and I, living in a vegetarian household, have put a different twist on Thanksgiving–we serve foods for which we are thankful–foods we have especially enjoyed over the year.  Sometimes they are the same foods–like chocolate pecan pie; sometimes not.  One year, we had all green foods–we had a good laugh that year.  This year, my younger daughter is home from boarding school and has asked (!!!) for Kale and White bean soup (I’ve modified it some).  A dear friend of mine would have new foods for which the opportunity to enjoy has presented itself (like in this recipe).

What ever you choose to have on your table, remember the folks who helped to put that food there; remember the work that it took to make the feast; and most of all, remember that there is value in being grateful.