It is a quiet Thanksgiving evening here at The Manor. Fires are burning in the wood stove and in the fireplace. Everyone is relaxing and doing their own thing on a computer or tablet, be it playing a game, watching something, or in my case, writing. We kept it simple this year, but had an excellent time, nonetheless. Obviously, it is getting late in the year, and I am beginning to feel that sense of reflectiveness. There is a lot to ponder on, from the way forward on the farm, to the people who are in the here and now, and those who have passed. So I sit here in the library with the fire popping, and the sounds of a couple quiet games being played in this room and the next. The room feels warm with a smokey aroma. I have not felt this comfortable and relaxed in quite some time.
This year saw the passing of my stepdad, and with the distribution of his estate, and what was left of mom’s things in his possession, I feel a bit like I have the dust and ashes of their lives settling in about me. True it has made us a little more comfortable, but it is a bit uneasy at the same time. I’d much rather have the people here. Their lights are gone, and all that remains is the shadows of memories that give contrast between my own life, and the things they did to make it possible. They provided a lot for us kids when we were young. Now we all have to do our own things, and make the best of what we have, which is much because of them. I feel their void in the shadows of memory.
Thanks to scheduling, our Thanksgiving holiday started on Saturday with all the kids at the buffet and at the European Food Club. Today we had the girls for games and a meal. We will be together with one of the boys for a full Thanksgiving meal on Sunday, too. That works out to three days of Thanksgiving over an eight-day span. That suites me just fine! Maybe it doesn’t match up to traditions I was raised with, or to culture that I live in, but all of our holidays tend to be extended out like this, and I have plenty of room for it all.
Next is the run up to Christmas. That is music, decorating, shopping, spending time together. Then we get to the Christmas Eve tradition of Chinese and a small gift exchange, with PJ’s, hot chocolate, and a sleepover. Then comes Christmas Day, which looks like the traditions of many people. Following that we do Boxing Day lunch, and a day of games and relaxing. That pretty much looks like today has.
Finally, we do a little time relaxing again on New Year’s Eve and Day.
Once the New Year gets started, we have winter in earnest, and the weather bears down cold, while we endure the seemingly endless time till the slow climb into above freezing temperatures again. Mud season follows, though this year it will be different to any of those gone by. This year I anticipate putting the tiller on the tractor and stilling up a garden early, and then repeating it several times till planting season begins. One more time I am going to try to defeat the weeds and raise a somewhat respectable garden for the delight of my family. I have compost going in the back that I will lay out on the garden, then I will begin a new pile for the following year.
Spring will mean firewood gathering, and it will mean cleaning the barn and the granary again. I really hoped the last time would be the last time. But alas, we have trashed them again. There will be changes to how we store things, and hopefully this time we will crack it once and for all. At least this time if we don’t, the hauling should not be so hard with the tractor on duty. We also have a septic system to replace, and I expect to do that come spring. Missus has a list, too!
Bedtime is coming soon, and everything else I have on my mind will have to go to my dreams. There is a lot there, too, but that’s where they will have to keep for now, secrets in my mind.
Happy Thanksgiving!