Monday, November 27, 2006

Thanksgiving Weekend Firsts...

1 - Watching a calf being born at Schum-acres farm, to a mother who apparently has done this many times before, because she didn't even seem to be working very hard, and then - Voila' - out pops a calf! And once she gave it a good licking to ensure it was alive and breathing and hers, she promptly set out to run a couple laps around the barn. No problem! :)

2 - Possibly the longest hot-tub soak in Becca Clark history, a good 2 hours or more with a few cool-down breaks in between, in the amazing, huge, and wonderfully massaging hot tub that Rachel's brother won on "The Price is Right!" Ahhh...

3 - Spending Thanksgiving dinner with no blood-relatives! A very foreign concept...Although my sense of "family" has always been fairly flexible, with all our holiday "family gatherings" consisting of my immediate family and the other missionary families, there was still the smaller family within that which was my own kin. And in college, Thanksgiving was spent with my sisters and aunts and uncles and cousins. But this year, I joined the extended family of Ben & Carina for their autumnal feast, and it was a very new experience, let me tell you, flying solo for a major holiday! It was my own choice - I could have gone to my Aunt's house with my sister, but I didn't want to spend that much time in the car, and I knew that I would need some time to just be at home. So, overall, it was great fun, and at the end of it all, as I was leaving, one of them thanked me for being part of their family - for we ARE related, through the blood of Christ.

4 - On Friday, Carina, Rachel, and I helped Ben turn the doe he shot into venison steaks, roasts, and stew meat for the freezer. And then we ate some for dinner!!! Probably the freshest meat I've ever eaten. :) And, boy, was it tasty!

5 - It didn't snow!!! Now, I know that's not a first, because I grew up where Thanksgiving was hot and often accompanied by post-dinner swims in the pool or the ocean. But, ever since I've moved to the land where snow is a reality, I believe this is the first Thanksgiving break I remember where there hasn't been a speck of snow in the air - not even a hint of a flurry. Snow, snow, stay away! At least for a little while longer...

6 - There was no green bean casserole at our Thanksgiving feast!!!!! :( I got to have some left-over green bean casserole from my sister's feast at her in-laws', which was good, but it just isn't the same...The french-fried onions had been incorporated into the rest of it, leaving me without that satisfying crunch. That is the only "first" on this list that I do not wish to repeat...So overall, I'd have to say that I'm pretty thankful for this Thanksgiving! How was YOURS?

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Our thanksgiving was good but very different - a lot of firsts for me as well.
1) First thanksgiving in another country (that, of course, doesn't celebrate thanksgiving)
2) First thanksgiving with no family but my husband
3) First thanksgiving where I actually made the dinner! (I've only ever enjoyed the eating part of it before, because I"m a bum!) But this time I made the whole thing!
4) First thanksgiving without a full turkey (they are too expensive here). We got the ready to roast kind.
5)Also, first thanksgiving with no green bean casserole. Yes, very sad. But we had cauliflower au gratin, an aussie favorite. It did the job nicely.
6) Lastly, first thanksgiving with no watergate salad. They don't have pistacio pudding here.

But it was still wonderful, and the people we had over to celebrate with us are becoming just like family and I am so thankful to God for all His incredible blessings!

Miss you, Bexx. Still waiting for that loooong email! ;)

tskd said...

We didn't have green bean casserole at Michelles. I remember becuase Laura made it specially for you when we got back.

Of course, maybe that counts then, since you still had it before school started back up.

The thanksgiving when I HAVE green bean casserole will be a first!

Ben said...

I've never been to a thanksgiving dinner with Green been casserole. I think i've only ever had it twice in my life. But i'm fine with it, i mainly just opt for extra pie in place of the 'veggies'.

rebequinha said...

Oh, my goodness, you're so right about green bean casserole at Michelle's! I had completely forgotten about Laura making me a special one that year... Good memory, Tegs! :)

Michelle said...

Funny thing. My family loved green bean casserole and had it all the time. Just not at Thanksgiving. I think last year was the first time I had green bean casserole on Thanksgiving...so yup, no green bean casserole the year you guys came...

KJBLS said...

becca, we'll make green been casserole all summer.
i promise not to sneak into the cupboard and eat all the french fried onions as a snack!

Ben said...

So when are we gonna party?/ I'll be home around the 18th till the 2nd.