Happy Thanksgiving to those of you in the U.S. I think it’s a wonderful idea no matter where we live to take a day, or better yet, several days throughout the year to consider everything and everyone in our lives for which we are thankful. We are all busy and are bombarded by negative news reports, political scare tactics, vicious elections, and the knowledge violence can happen anywhere at any time. It is easy to lose track of what is important and good in our lives.

This week, in honor of Thanksgiving, I have a special treat for you. My friend and fellow author, Mary Ann Poll, has shared with me an inside look at how the residents of Ravens Cove, Alaska celebrate Thanksgiving.

Mary Ann writes spine-tingling novels about the clash between good and evil. Ravens Cove is the first novel in her Iconoclast Mystery series, and it takes place in the fictional town of Ravens Cove, Alaska.

Kat, the protagonist in Ravens Cove, wrote this post, and she describes Thanksgiving in a small, Alaska town. Kat mentions that the dishes her relatives serve for the Thanksgiving feast come from a variety of cultures and traditions, making the meal truly Alaskan and emulating the “first” Thanksgiving which was also a blending of cultures.

Mary Ann will write a guest post for me in a few weeks, and I know this post by Kat will have you excited to read about Mary Ann and her books. Take it away, Kat.

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Happy Thanksgiving from Ravens Cove, Alaska

Today is a cold one for this time of year. Usually, we are around thirty-four degrees, but today our forecast is for the mid-twenties and a north wind, which means I’ll be pulling out the Army-green parka and clunky boots. On the bright side, the cold means fair skies…after 9:30 a.m. when the sun peaks out from behind the mountains. But, I digress. Today the cold is really last on my list of concerns because this is one of my favorite events of the year – Thanksgiving at Grandma’s house.
It seems like half the town gathers at Grandma’s (Alese Bricken for those of you who do not know her) for Thanksgiving. It is the time to catch up with my neighbors. Funny how we live in a small town and in the winter we can still go months without talking to each other.
We will have the traditional American feast but with parts of my Alaska native heritage thrown in – Grandma cannot seem to cook a meal without adding moose to the menu and, of course, smoked salmon for the appetizer. And, there is the pumpkin pie and mincemeat – does anyone know how a mincemeat pie became part of this? – Not my favorite, I’ll tell you! But, I will have a small sliver because Grandma thinks it is good for my bones. And, I choose my battles with Grandma.
May your turkey day be blessed!
Until next time…… Chin’an gheli – for my English-speaking friends: Thank you very much.
Kat

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Thank you, Kat, and thank you, Mary Ann. I am very thankful for you both for writing my post this week, and I love the idea of imagining how my characters spend their holidays! I am also thankful for my blog readers. A few of you have been with me from the beginning, and you hold a special place in my heart, so as Kat said, Chin’an gheli!

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Robin Barefield is the author of three Alaska wilderness mystery novels, Big Game, Murder Over Kodiak, and The Fisherman’s Daughter. To download a free copy of one of her novels, watch her webinar about how she became an author and why she writes Alaska wilderness mysteries. Also, sign up below to subscribe to her free, monthly newsletter on true murder and mystery in Alaska.