November: Turkey, Trees, Twists and Turns

Hello all!

For those who just want pics of Shahra: They'll be coming soon. We even got new pics taken a week ago. Just be patient and enjoy some original prose by Tracy.



Hope you had a great Thanksgiving and have begun looking ahead to Christmas. We're doing quite well in Indiana. This week we had our first cold snap (ok, it only got down to 22 above, but the wind was cold :) There could be snow by the end of the week (yes, yes, just an inch, and it won't stick) It looks like I need to keep the old ice scraper shined and ready to go (fine, fine, it's Dec 3 and I've only used it 3 times) Old man winter has come to Indiana (well, maybe not "old man winter" but his 2nd cousin twice removed sent us his love) Basically, this MN gal has nothing to complain about, but that wind still felt icky this morning!


Thanksgiving:

Thanksgiving is the big holiday in the PJ household. In contrast to Christmas, my family did not always do a lot for Thanksgiving. Since we've been married, Jeff and I have created our own down home family holiday. I joke that I like to recreate the Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving picture each year. All we need are the people. This year we co-hosted with Pastor John and his wife and adult kids. One of Jeff's grad friends Jill also joined us. Thanksgiving is the one time every year I get REALLY domestic. I make everything from scratch. This includes about 8 dainty recipes I got from grandma after I got married (for those who don't know, a "dainty" is a sweet treat consisting of various amounts of sugars, coconut, chocolate chips, etc, etc. Amazing little treats made with love, and lots of sweetened condensed milk). I think we could have fed 30 people. 4 homemade breads, 5 lbs of mashed potatoes, 2 kinds of stuffing, 4 pies.... it was everything hard working, gluttonous 'Mericans could ever hope for.

This was followed by a day of shopping at the crack of dawn.

Thoughts on Christmas:

When I was a child, Christmas was the big holiday. We always went to Winnipeg and saw all of my mum's family. It was a wonderful 3 day event with everyone at church, followed by a visit from Santa at Uncle Richard's place, Grandma's dainties and visits. There were many years when my parents and I would go to a fancy, 5 star restaurant with my grandparents on Christmas Day for dinner. Perhaps the Long family would join us, or the Wilkie relatives. I remember a harp playing by our table one year as we ordered the most elegant dishes served on fine china. I was expected to act like a little lady, and gladly complied. It was always cold in Winnipeg and the back seat of the car never held 4 people very well. I can still hear Auntie Millie comment on the great changes made to Portage and Main over the years and my father's yelling "you know, we'd get there quicker if they had a throughway in this city." As we drove by the stuco ranch homes on Winnipeg's south end, I thought of the families inside. The way they were gathered around their tables. How they knew where they were and didn't get lost every year trying to get to Uncle Richard's house. I envied those families, cozy in their homes, sitting by the fire, while I froze in the back seat of a 1985 Chevy Celebrity with my 3 cousins. But I hold these memories dear to my heart. Christmas was the one holiday that I could count on...it never changed.

But, I have changed. Grandpa died in 2005 and had Alzheimer's for years before that. After a time, the "London Weinds" as we called the relatives from eastern Canada were unable to make the 17 hour car trip. All the kids grew up, yours truly included. It wasn't the same when 19 year old Erin handed out the presents a few years ago. Last year, we made what we knew was to be our last trip up to Winnipeg. Ministers are pretty busy over Christmas. The grandchildren were having children of their own. I believe we all knew things had changed...our family church pew included 5 people who blended in to an unfamiliar church. This is a far cry from the days when all 18 members of Pastor Weind's family filled multiple pews at Christ Lutheran. So, last year we knew we were saying goodbye to a beloved time. But as we said goodbye, we realized that perhaps we had said goodbye many years ago and didn't realize it. One by one, the traditions changed. But we enjoyed them, remembered them, said goodbye to them. As the church choir sang Silent Night in German and the lights were lowered, I remembered the Christmas Eves of my childhood and wept inside that they are forever gone.

Well, that's the news from Lake Winnipeg, where all the women shovel sidewalks, all the men ask your pardon and all the children learn French :)

(Peter Sherry I'm counting on you to understand the above)