Bill's Blog

A Minnesota Thanksgiving

We have not been up to a lot since our return. I have been trying to get my airplane back into operation. This has required having a mechanic check it over and getting insurance. Neither has been completed yet, but I am hoping for next week. I have also talked to flight instructor, so that I can do my biennial flight review in the near future.
I did some yard work. Luckily there was no snow on the ground last week. So, I was able to get most of the leaves up that still needed to be moved. They are in two large piles out in the garden. I also got the rain gutters cleaned out. Finally, I started to move outdoor furniture into my porch. It all seems to be coming right along and none too soon with the snow coming today.
Betty has been in a super-house-cleaning mode. There was a lot of work: cleaning and scrubbing, and rearranging furniture and going through closets again.

One of the things that has surprised me the most is how different the traffic is in Minnesota. First, there is hardly any traffic. I find myself asking, "Where are all the cars?" It is such a breeze to get around; I love it. Oh yes, the roads are in fantastic condition and design compared to Argentina.

Another surprise was the ads in the Sunday paper and on Thanksgiving Day. We never saw anything like it in Argentina. When you are away, you forget how different some everyday occurrences are. Dozens of store ads is one big difference.

Sometimes I wonder about my own intelligence. Thinking about our return to the states and Minnesota for the holidays seems a bit crazy to me right now. You might ask: Why is that Bill? The answer is "The Weather." The days are already quite short with the sun coming up at 7:23 AM and setting at 4:36 PM. A quick calculation will tell you that there are 9 hours and 12 minutes of daylight possible each day. Truth is nearly every day has been overcast, which means that it has been very dark here. And then there is the temperature. The past week it has in the 40's, or about 7° Celsius, for daytime highs and as cold as 10° at night. That is -12° Celsius. Yesterday, Thanksgiving Day, was no exception to the cold weather with a low of 11° and a high of 22°, or in Celsius it was between -11° and -5°. Then the snow started this morning. It started with fine, light flakes that floated ever downward until there was four inches on the ground. Yes, I must question my ability to make good decisions, when I leave a warm, sunny, sunshine filled land for this black hole of weather.

Carving Time	Hot Cross Buns
Betty and Birgitta in the Kitchen	Gitta, Brian, Judy, Alex and Betty

Before the Feast

The Feast

Turkey Day Ads

Still it is good to be with my family again. My daughter, Birgitta, is as perky as ever. It has been fun to be back with her. My son, Dain, flew from Los Angeles to Minneapolis on the weekend. He is staying at a hotel, which is a bit odd to us. But I guess he likes it that way. He has been over a few times and that has been great. His partner, Marleta, has been in town too, visiting her family, although it has not been all fun for her - because her grandmother died last week.

Yesterday was a very special day; it was Thanksgiving Day. Betty went all out to cook a fantastic dinner. She roasted a beautiful fresh 24 pound (11 kilo) turkey with sage dressing. She made mashed potatoes and gravy, and candied sweet potatoes with maple syrup and pecans, and fresh bread rolls. Birgitta made Brussels spouts and I made red cabbage with cranberries - yes I mix the two ingredients. Then there was dessert after dessert. Betty made pumpkin pies and a beautiful carrot cake; and with Birgitta's help Betty made her first ever cheesecake, pumpkin cheesecake, that was fantastically delicious. Birgitta mulled some cider for those who wanted it. Most of us drank wine. Thank God we brought home some good Argentinean wine. How I love the Malbec!

Dain and Birgitta and Betty and I sat down to enjoy this wonderful feast. Our good friend Alex St. Croix, my brother - Brian, and his wife, Judy, joined us for dinner. Brian and Judy had question after question about Argentina for us. We tried to answer them and to shed a good light on the land that we so much enjoyed for the past year. As usual I ate too much. It is hard to stop when there is so much good food. Brian and Judy had to depart about 5:00 PM so they could visit her brother, Dave. About an hour after they left my sister Gay Lynn came over to enjoy dessert with us. She stayed for hours and we talked and talked and talked. That is what happens when you don't see each other for a year. I love my brothers and sisters; and it is great when you see them after being apart for such a long time.

Today has been quiet for me, but Betty and Birgitta went shopping. Today is the second biggest shopping day of the year and they heartily joined in. I tried to fix a TV that broke down while we were in Argentina, but I had no luck and we will have to trash the set. In the evening we joined Dain and Marleta at satirical comedy show that poked fun at US politics. The ensemble, called the Capitol Steps, has been satirically making fun of our national leaders since 1981. Birgitta found it hilarious. I would say my response was more reserved. Sometimes I think that our political system, especially at the national level, is so sad, so sick that it is hard to laugh at. You can judge for yourselves, if you download one of their song parodies at their web site.

Posted by bill at November 25, 2005 11:35 PM