We Gather Together

Sometimes it snows in November here in Potter County. In fact, it happens quite often. But we have lived here nineteen years now and this is by far the most snow we’ve had in November in all those years. And it gets cold in November too. Night temperatures in the twenties are not uncommon. But on Wednesday night it dropped to 5°. We usually don’t start hitting the single digits until late December and on into January and February. The old timers around here say that this is nothing new, but for us it seems significant. I saw that the two famous almanacs, The Farmers Almanac and The Old Farmers Almanac and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have different forecasts for this winter. The Old Farmer’s Almanac and NOAA say it will be milder than usual. The Farmer’s Almanac says we will have “a very long, cold, and snow-filled winter” and that in “the middle of February . . . temperatures will be their most brutal. The cold is expected to last through the end of March. But winter could linger until April.” At this point I think The Farmer’s Almanac will win, but I’m rooting for the other two.

Last week's snow.

When the temperature hit 5° we were not here. We left on Wednesday afternoon and headed downstate to the Thayn’s house. Before we left, I filled all the chicken’s feeders and waterers to capacity hoping they would be okay for three days. I was worried about their water with the hard freeze coming. I only had one heated waterer and knew that wouldn’t be enough, so I bought a second one and set that up too. We also tried to prep the house for the cold. We opened cupboards and set the faucets dripping. We needn’t have worried. All was well when we got home. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

We left on Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. with a carload of things. We took apples, squash, and cider to contribute to the feast. We also had a Christmas tree tied to the roof of the car for the Thayns. They are going to Tabor’s family’s in Idaho for Christmas this year and they didn’t want to buy a tree that they’d have to dispose of before they left. A free tree, however, was perfect. One of the enterprises run by the family that Stacey, Hannah, Miriam, and Josiah works for is Christmas trees. Employees get a free tree every year. Josiah has actually been working at harvesting and shipping their trees this month. So he picked out a nice eight foot tall Fraser fir tree and we took it with us.

We arrived at the Thayn’s house at 9:30 p.m. It took us longer than usual because of the weather up north. It was snowy all the way to Punxsutawney, but after that it was clear. There wasn’t even any snow on the ground down there. The Fosters were already there, having driven from Detroit earlier that day. That night we didn’t do much, it being so late. Hazel and June had already gone to bed. We just visited for a bit and then went to bed.

The next day, Thanksgiving Day, the house was humming with activity. Hazel and June were up early and ready for a fun day. It took us a moment to recognize Hazel. She got her hair cut on Tuesday. She looks very cute and so much older with her shorter hair. She also lost another tooth while we were there. In the morning we worked on setting up the Christmas tree. While that was underway, we were also preparing food for the feast. Josiah and Sarah worked on an apple pie and dinner rolls. Sarah and Tosh were in charge of the turkey. Sarah also made the cranberry sauce. We also made baked butternut squash, sweet potato casserole, gravy, and cauliflower au gratin. The kitchen was very busy. As we worked, we enjoyed being together, talking, joking, laughing.

Hazel's new haircut.

Working on the Christmas tree.

Preparing for the feast.

We sat down for our feast in the afternoon. The food was excellent. After dinner some of us played games. Hannah, Hazel, and June had a fingernail painting session. Some of us just relaxed. Later we had a musical evening with instruments and singing.

Our Thanksgiving feast.

After dinner.

Friday was a fun and busy day. The people who owned the Thayn’s house previously left all of their outdoor Christmas decorations and we spent the day putting them up. We usually don’t do extravagant outdoor decorations, so it was different and fun to assemble lighted reindeer and a creche and hang numerous strands of lights. When we were done the house looked great. We also celebrated Hannah’s birthday that day. Her birthday isn’t really until tomorrow, but we wanted to celebrate it while we were all together. That night we made tamales while we watched Home Alone, our first official Christmas movie of the season.

Outdoor decorating.

Hannah's birthday.

Making tamales.

I love being with my family. I can’t really describe how I feel when I’m with them. Sometimes I love to just sit and listen to them talking and laughing amongst themselves. It is what I imagine heaven will be like. Being with them is pure joy. I have a wonderful family. My children and my grandchildren are such a blessing to me.

On Saturday we spent the morning playing games and enjoying a few last hours being together. We ate tamales for lunch. They were excellent. Then, too soon, it was time for us to come home. We left at 2:00 p.m. Sarah and Tosh are staying until tomorrow. Our drive home was like the drive down only in reverse order. It was clear below Punxsutawney, but the further north we drove, the worse the weather got. From Emporium to our house, Stacey drove slowly through freezing drizzle. We didn’t get home until 6:30 P.M. We found the same foot of slushy snow waiting for us on the ground in Gold. I went down in the dark right away to check on the chickens. They did fine. They still had plenty of food and water.

While we were gone, one of my night-blooming cereus buds bloomed and faded. The other bud waited until we got home. It started opening late last night. I took a photo of it at 9:30 p.m. Josiah took another at 2:00 a.m. It was fully open sometime in the wee hours when we were all asleep. This morning it was still slightly open at 6:00 a.m. Now it is shriveled up. It was a treat having it bloom so late in the year. I wish it bloomed earlier in the evening. No one wanted to stay up until 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning to see it fully open, no matter how lovely it was.

My night-blooming cereus as it opened and then wilted.

So we are home again and Thanksgiving is over. Tomorrow is the opening day of deer season and there is no school. On Tuesday Miriam should arrive home from her Thanksgiving trip out west. I’ll be glad when she’s home. I’ve missed her. Now that Thanksgiving has passed, we’ve officially begun our Christmas season. The outdoor lights on the house will glow every night from now until New Years. Our house will be full of Christmas music. We will start watching Christmas movies. We’ll start indoor decorating after Miriam gets home. The Thayns hope to come up for a weekend to have an early Christmas with us before they go to Idaho. We’ll get our Christmas tree then so Hazel and June can help us decorate it. There was talk around the Thanksgiving table of the Thayns and the Fosters maybe coming here for New Years. That will be fun. I hope it happens.