Heat is an amazing thing. M and I finally caved yesterday and decided to run our heating for THREE long hours a day instead of the one that it had been on before. And it really is a beautiful thing. We've decided that it is weird to be "grown up" and thinking about things like heating costs and telephone bills.

Happy Thanksgiving to any Americans reading. I have to be honest, in light of all the inquires as to why we celebrate Thanksgiving, I had to do a quick google search and brush up my Thanksgiving facts v. Thanksgiving fiction. It was pretty enlightening and now I am armed with official wikipedia tidbits. Our Thanksgiving bash will take place this Saturday, most likely with more Germans in attendance than Americans. Seems to be a theme these days...

I spent last weekend in the tiny town of Castlewellan. I went for a(nother) training with a(nother) youth org in Belfast. The content wasn't really anything new, just a good juxtaposition of youth work training and social work problem solving methods, but the company and conversation were worth it. The group petitioned for an afternoon break on Saturday, to walk around the fabulous park that was just outside our doorway. And then it rained. I, however, got stubborn, and decided to walk anyway, so off I went on my own, in the rain, to search out a castle. I found the castle (see below) and deemed the walk my "Thanksgiving Walk." Every year, after Thanksgiving dinner, my aunts, mom, sisters and I try to walk off a few of the calories. I don't know how much it helps, but I have memories of walking through woods with leaves the colors of fire, and walking under street lamps as snow flurries began to fall. Unfortunately, this year, the family isn't the memory, but at least there's a castle.


We're gearing up for Christmas now (OK, let's be real, I've been ready for 3 weeks). The big switch on of Christmas lights at City Hall was on Tuesday night, with Shayne Ward singing (previous X-Factor winner). I had to work, but we still heard bits of the screaming crowd during our detached walk two(?) miles outside of town. The Continental Christmas Market is up and running on City Hall grounds now, too. I had big plans to go yesterday morning, and then, in true Belfast fashion, it poured. I will go and bring back photos for you though. Even in the construction phase last week it looked pretty cool, with tons of huts and pavilions built for these next three weeks. We've got a tour of Belfast Castle scheduled, a cookie baking night, Christmas dinner for our yp in the center and on the streets...it's an exciting four weeks. (Not to mention a trip home in one month+1 day!)

I got an email from TOMS shoes yesterday. I love this company. They sell these super cool shoes, and for every pair purchased, they make second pair for kids in Africa or South America. I went and read their blog (got all teary-eyed) and then began thinking like a social worker. Does giving one pair of new shoes to a child really change his life? Wouldn't it be better to teach them how to make shoes instead? But you know, when I get to thinking this way, I feel defeated. Poverty and inequality seems too big to overcome. Maybe new shoes today doesn't change much (Paolo Nutini would disagree) but the compassion an]d humanity shown through that action is just as important. It may not be enough, but it is one guy doing his best, and if 50,000 pairs of shoes, put onto the feet of children one by one, is just the beginning of this guy's best, I've got a lot of catching up to do.