My Love Letter to Thanksgiving

My humble Thanksgiving table.

The first four seasons (including this spectacular Fall) of my life here in Italy have filled me with so much overflowing joy and gratitude. It’s actually difficult to articulate what this has meant to me, so thank you for bearing with me, as I try to do just that.

Suddenly I got to thinking that my 2025 New Year intentions were to enjoy deeper connections with people, and to spend more time in giddy joy.  2025’s home stretch has me noticing that my intentions have surely come to beautiful life all year long and, that they’ve actually complimented each other (surprise ;).

I love to say that from the moment I stepped outside the door of my apartment in Redondo Beach back in March to begin this adventure, magic and miracles have happened over and again.

From Lisa and I being practically adopted at the gate by our Brazilian-Italian agents who helped us complete our (what equaled easy-peasy) citizenship process, to living in a spectacular first home in gorgeous Cagli - owned by my first adopted family here in Umbria - Italian blessings surely rushed to meet and greet us.

My Italian passport was in my hands within a few short months. By now I’ve found loves around every corner who are among the kindest, most helpful, fun and loving men, women, and children ever, especially because they love that I even try to speak Italian!

It was my easiest moving day ever, when Lisa returned to LA and I came to live in my current Gubbio home. My apartment belongs to the agents (who were my movers!) I mentioned above, and by now their entire family has very, very kindly adopted me.

They hosted a birthday party for me in October with the best cake and candles, plus we watched Italian football together!! I felt soooo incredibly loved. It was my happiest birthday in a very long time, and I thanked them for being my gifts.

There is a park that is quite a long walk from my home and, it’s my adoptee. It has other fans but it loves me best, especially the crown of trees that surround me when I sit on the swing, and just breathe with deep gratitude and joy. I’ve never experienced autumn colors like these and the mere change of gorgeous scenery every single day – sighhhhh - fills my heart with so much happiness.

My favorite way to connect with the new loves in my life, is to bake cookies often and surprise them with little gifts. I started this with my adopted families of course! My gift list keeps expanding to surprise just about everyone I know in town where I shop and visit often (both in Cagli and Gubbio). Sometimes someone seems moved to tears to receive my heartfelt gift, and I am equally touched.

One of my own favorite gifts is to discover how much fun it is to risk speaking Italian in social settings where I know no one and have no translator! At a party one night and then at a fantastic Truffle Festival, I did just this and had the most fun! There’s that brand of giddy joy that I love so much!

Something else that has been wonderful is the strong connection I keep with my family and friends in the US, here on the continent, and UK.  WhatsApp videos and phone calls are fantastic and regular, and this way everyone doesn’t seem so far away. Little Renata and I can even have live calls now, since we’re finally in the same time zone.

One day, almost in tears, I began to wonder ... How can I possibly tell my angels, guides, ancestors, the Universe ... how much I love and appreciate all of this, in a way that is deeply personal and meaningful?

I was inspired to host my little family here in Gubbio, for what I called Un Quasi-Thanksgiving – a small Thanksgiving dinner at my table. It was my love letter.

It truly meant the world to me, to welcome them at my humble yet beautiful table adorned with autumn leaves (we did this as children for Mama’s table), and especially to serve my Nana’s Sicilian Rice dressing that is our family’s most revered recipe. Infusing every single dish (and there were lots of them!) with so much love, was of course the best way I could share my heart’s deep gratitude ... for their being my family here, and for all of the miraculous blessings I’ve experienced in 2025.

So far ;).

By the way ... We were having way too much fun to take fotos of the food or ourselves that night! So, below is my leftover plate, finished with shaved truffle ... it includes next-day heart-shaped ravioli.

Of course.