Wednesday, November 26, 2008

The day before Thanksgiving

That was some wind that passed through our state yesterday and early overnight. A quick perusal around our yard in the dark this morning indicated we survived with only a few dead branches down. I’ll take a full go around later when a little dryness has set in. My rain gauge said we got just over two inches of rain in our yard.

Although the winds had begun to calm a little when I went to bed last night, even a little wind will keep me awake. I lie there in the bed imagining every one of those gusts is going to bring something into my house I don’t really want. I suspect the thought of having to re-enter this modern mortgage world to get repairs bothers me. Sure. I have insurance, but how much of Nature’s wrath is actually covered is always a concern even when the issuing company assures me it would be covered.

So I think I’m tired this morning and thus, in a little funk. Gator Wife has left for her part time job, her last visit for this week as she’s taking the rest off to use up some of her remaining earned vacation time. Her company doesn’t carry over the “My Time” hours to another calendar year. Those “My Time” hours are a combination of earned vacation and sick leave hours that many companies use today under various names.

Our Thanksgiving celebration tomorrow will be an easy one. There are only three of us left, the three local Gator family members, to get together. The limited family that we still have all have plans with their families. And Gator Son lives way out West with his wife, daughter and the wife’s family. I guess a plus of the day is that no one has too much work to do.

We’ll have the traditional turkey and all the fixings. GD will be here by mid morning tomorrow to bake her specialty, the pies. GW and I will start the turkey early in the morning and she and GD will get the vegetables ready. My task is to make the bread and rolls. I make good rolls. With only three of us here, cleanup will be rather quick and easy.

While all the stuff is cooking and we’re waiting for the magic eating moment, I’ve heard we’re going to complete the Village 2008 project by placing the final trees, giving it a good “snow job,” and putting the skirt around the bottom. At dusk, we’ll officially light the complete display and the celebration of our Christmas season will be underway.

Every year, that beginning reminds me of my childhood. My mother always put up our family tree the day after Thanksgiving while I was growing up. We were the first in our neighborhood to have the Christmas lights glowing. I guess that old tradition is why we have our Village ready by Thanksgiving Weekend every year. It is the beginning of a celebration ingrained in me since birth.

GW and I didn’t begin the Day-After-Thanksgiving buying binge until we had our two kids. We’d leave them with Grammy, her mother, for the day and head out. By the day’s end, all our Santa Assistance had ended. To say it was a tiring day is an understatement. Now, though, both those little kids are in their 40s and we abandoned the “Black Friday” shopping too many years ago to remember.

I’ve gone through all this Thanksgiving stuff today because Tomorrow is the holiday and old GiM takes such days off. In fact, tomorrow’s post has already been written, and it’s a short one. So, if you don’t peek in, have a Happy Thanksgiving, and we’ll try to have something with which to return Friday.

GiM

No comments: