Wistful Wednesday : Thanksgiving

Old photos of Thanksgiving..boy they are few and far between.  I did find a few..this is part of Far Guys family.  His Great Uncle Frank, his Grandfather Curt, his Mother and his Great Aunt Mae.   These are old Polaroids, taken no doubt by Far Guys Dad as he was a bit of a camera nut.

This is one of the table all set for their dinner..I see cranberry relish and pickled  beets and possibly pickles. Far Guys Mom has her eyes closed in this one.. but it is still a good photo..note the telephone on the wall..and the little edging on the shelves in the pantry.   Far Guys Mom has written on the back Thanksgiving 1963. :)

Return To Swan Pond

One day this fall ( November 08)  we were driving by Swan Pond..the Swans are gathering. I noticed a distinct separation of the Swans.  A bunch of large adults were along one of the islands.

Another group was swimming with their now grown babies.. this years cygnets are sporting a dirty grey color and pinkish colored beaks.. next year they will be all pretty and white. The cygnets stay within the family group for about a year. So the other group with no cygnets must have been the Swans that did not hatch any young this summer. I viewed it as a bunch of gossipy old Aunts.."Look at that show off..they had five cygnets this summer. Tsk..Tsk..bet they have their beaks full."

We watched the Swans for quite some time..they are beautiful creatures.  They must gather up here and then migrate out together..going to warmer climates for the winter.   You could learn something from a Swan.

The other night I was listening to my father and my brother discussing the upcoming winter.  The muskrat houses are low, the beaver houses are high.  The squirrels are not gathering acorns like they should.. their consensus was extreme cold.   Well isn't that just wonderful.. I am looking forward to that with great anticipation:)

The Red Bridge

When Far Guy was growing up..there was a bridge in town called the Red Bridge. Since I didn't grow up in town I was not privy to the "townies" secret language. The old red bridge just exists in his mind..because it was all messed up in the name of progress..and is just a whole bunch of culverts now.

This is a Red Bridge which has nothing to do with the old Red Bridge. They are just in the same town.

Oh and yes..this is The Red Bridge Inn..which isn't red either but pink. I wonder if that is another "Townies" secret that us country people are not privy too.

I didn't have much time, I was waiting for Far Guy, he was running an errand. I took these photos a week ago on November 16Th when it was sunny and warm. We have had a lovely November..Indian Summer at it's finest. Today not so much..we are back to dreary rainy weather.

I have to make a trip to town today to get the last of the supplies for the feast on Thursday. I am in charge of two pies, a lemon and a pumpkin, pumpkin bread, dinner rolls and a loaf of bread from the bread machine. I may have to cave and send Far Guy to the store on Wednesday..I am scheduled for a root canal on Wednesday morning. So let me tell you I am starting off the holiday season in fine style this year. I have no intention of doing any shopping on Friday..I am not an idiot..I am not a shopper..I am not a cook..and I am certainly not a baker..no wonder I dislike the holidays so much.

Is there something I am missing.. is it like the "townies" and their secret about the bridges? What could it be? There must be some big ole joyful holiday secret that I am missing?  Some people just LOVE "The Holidays"..  me..not so much:(

A Death In the email family

I have been communicating with an elderly gentleman for about three years by email. We met online, he loved jokes and had a wicked good sense of humor. He had been struggling with Alzheimer's and health problems, I could tell when he was doing well and when he was not. I could tell by his emails what time of the morning he got up. October 1st the emails I sent to him started coming back, I figured something was up..yesterday he died, we were notified by his step daughter..she said " He communicated with you alot..I just thought you would like to know."

So it is an end. We have an end to the story. Maybe we don't..you see Charles was an atheist. His father was a Pentecostal Evangelist in New York City.. Charles could quote Bible verse after Bible verse. His father committed suicide. Charles was a Marine..he was at Camp Lejeune..he always said that his children that were born there in 1957 and 1958 were marked..one had Aplastic Anemia and one had Cerebral Palsy. The love of Charles life was diagnosed with cancer here in Minnesota one summer..he said "That asshole doctor walked into the room, looked at my wife and said you are going to die." and then he walked out of the room. His lovely Rose died less than six months later. He remarried and his second wife died too..he said "I have out lived two women and one of my children..I am old and I can't remember lots of stuff.. I am done now." I guess you are Charles.. I guess you are.

Did I share my faith with Charles, yes I did. I would occasionally send him a real Bible thumping email..something that might get through that thick head of his. Occasionally he would send one back to me...it was like an email war. I can't be certain that he ever gave up his atheism..I guess I would like to think that those Bible Verses that he learned as a child came quietly back to comfort him the last few weeks of his life.

I loved it when he was in a reminiscing mood..he would write his thoughts to me..
"I was born in Newark New Jersey my father was a Pentecostal Evangelist. When I was old enough to remember we would go to the missions down in Hells Kitchen and The Battery in Manhattan. My Mother had one of those Fox Stoles with the head on I would go to sleep looking at the fox ( No wonder I like animals today, I guess they make me feel safe) Remember this was shortly after the depression. We moved several times and most of my memories then was being able to look across the river from the house and see the Empire State Building. We told the weather by the different colored lights on top. I got to go to Coney Island a few times to the boardwalk and the beach. The subways stops right at Coney Island, I never had enough money to ride in the park. At the entrance was this big Steeple Chase Ride. I need to stop now..I am tired."

I am sad. Really sad, I am not sure if there is a lesson to learn here or not. Don't communicate with the elderly..they will croak before you do. Do not give out your email over the Internet..you will be crushed when your friend who you never actually met dies. Don't get involved..Don't send jokes to anyone..they might die. Then I think of the jokes he exchanged with me and Far Guy, and the wonderful stories he shared .. how I worried about him during Hurricane Ike .. about the ruckus he caused and his cab ride back home.. about the smiles we shared across the miles. Is my sadness now worth it? I say yes it is..it was a pleasure to have met Charles and my life is richer and funnier because of him. Rest in peace my friend:)

Slaw Report

We will probably be known as the "slaw people" for awhile. The coleslaw was a hit. My Mother was the general, Far Guy was the gofer and I was the mixer..it took about an hour and fifteen minutes to mix up goop and incorporate it into thirty pounds of shredded cabbage with a little shredded red cabbage and a few carrots.  Small batches were mixed one at a time.  The bowls were covered and refrigerated immediately. The goop is miracle whip, powdered sugar, celery seed, pepper and vinegar. As for the proportions..your guess is as good as mine..as my Mother just dumps, mixes and tastes. I told her I would really like some coleslaw with apples and raisins in it..that is the way my Mothers Mother made it. So there you have it the slaw report.

The fundraising dinner was a success, with 312 people being served. I am kind of a nut when it comes to food handling..and I noticed that many people there could have used a lesson or two. I will probably go to the next reunion committee meeting and give them my view ..well maybe not. I could give them some tips that would make their serving and clean up less germy.

The menu was real meat meatballs, fake mashed potatoes, fake gravy, real corn, real coleslaw, and Finnish flat bread. For dessert volunteers baked and donated bars and cakes. Nothing like bringing germs from thirty different kitchens into one area...and who doesn't like dessert? The solution is SO SIMPLE...fine you don't want to spend your food dollars on dessert..have your volunteers donate vanilla ice cream, and toppings..caramel, strawberry and chocolate. Viola..dessert...or is that voile..vola..whatever..

One way to burn people out or totally exhaust them is to put them in charge of clearing tables..and watch all the heavy sedentary office type workers clear tables one plate and cup at a time.. I finally grabbed a tray and heaped it full and cleared some tables.  No one was disinfecting tables after they were vacated either.. uffda..germ city..

I just don't know ( Insert sound of an old lady clicking her tongue here) what the younger people now a days are thinking. Just because you can't see germs..they aren't there? They are everywhere..yes, I am one of those people that stands with disinfectant wipes disinfecting my grocery cart before I put my groceries in it. And yes, Far Guy does it to. There is a reason that most of the new shopping carts are black..filth..that is the reason.

If you don't wash your hands at least ten times a day, more if you are working with or handling food ..you deserve to be sick with food borne vomiting and diarrhea illnesses that could possibly kill you...but no one else needs to die just because you are too stupid to wash your hands.  Just my humble opinion:)