Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Thanksgiving Weekend

Thanksgiving comes during the most wonderful time of year. Somehow a tradition started a few years ago. I think the twins were 2 1/2 the first time we went to my sister's for the weekend. Maybe it was the last trip we could take before the roads turned bad. Whatever the reason for starting was, we have all kinds of reasons to keep the tradition going.

I live in the middle of the city, right on the brink of the "hood". Not a day goes by that I don't see hookers and druggies. I'm raising my kids here. When I was a kid I had no idea what a hooker was and I certainly wouldn't have recognized one if I saw one. My kids regularly tell me about a girl on the corner. Not an ideal situation to raise kids.

My sister lives on ten acres in the middle of farmland Alberta. It is very quiet there. The only noise you can hear are the quads roaring home at the end of the day. A far cry different from my lovely little home.

So we hop into our cool little mini van and burn our way across the province. Armed with a DVD player and 11 DVDs, we set out. We travel though some very beautiful country with varying amounts of snow and I realize that we are not prepared for all weather. As a northern girl, I should be better prepared! Six hours later we arrived at my sister's house. SIX INCHES of fresh snow! I am wearing clogs and bare legs. Really, I should know better.

They have spent the last two years building a beautiful home and I do mean home. It is so welcoming and well decorated. They had just had their topsoil levelled and spread over the yard. That being translated means mix dirt and snow and you get mud. Not just any old mud but the clay kind that sticks to boots and little children like glue. Seven kids all covered in mud, oh and two dogs too.

We were free from the business of life in the city. I didn't even have access to the Internet. (Not because they are backward, but because Telus has no service to speak of.) So no TV, no Internet, no traffic rushing by. So tranquil. We sent the kids outside and they went away for hours. Periodic checks out the window assured us they were still alive.

For five days we enjoyed country living. In typical "Michelle" fashion, we were very well fed. Thanksgiving dinner was a fresh turkey raised in a farm setting, not commercially prepared. Nothing makes better gravy. More food then we thought we could polish off magically disappeared.

I needed to return to the city and my home. I'm still enjoying the benefits of a country holiday and I hope to for quite some time.

2 comments:

Aimée said...

Sounds like an ideal getaway. Cousins are wonderful and nothing beats 'sister time'. Plus, I've seen that kitchen of Michelle's, I'm sure some nice meals come out of that one. Happy belated Thanksgiving.

Anonymous said...

Kelly, this is so beautifully written! I'm touched!

When are you going to write about the hike up Asskatoon Mtn?