Thursday, November 24, 2022

Thanksgiving

 My car is working again.  Two more sensors got changed and now it seems ok.

So I drove down to my old home town of long ago, probably still has near the same number of people living there as when I grew up there, which would be about 4000.

I grew up a hick from the sticks.  That's how people used to describe when you grew up in a tiny little town.

My brother lives there still.   I didn't take a single photo all day.  Sorry.   I forgot my billfold so once again---no money to spend along the way, which was probably in my best interest but I had to borrow gas money off my brother to get home.  My wallet had fallen out of my unzipped purse but inside the house.  I found it when I got home and lucky me, no cats had peed on it.

I left about 9:00 this morning, a little after and got there just after noon.   We had Thanksgiving lunch maybe at 2:30, after my brother's wife's sister and her daughter got there and also his son and his son's wife, daughter and a friend of hers.  Also his office manager from work came.

It was an easy dinner, with mashed potatoes kind of the main course. I mixed the mash up with the salad and the green beans and then put all that onto the small dinner roll, which was quite good.   No stares this time for how I mix up food because everyone was too busy with their food.  I thought it was very good and not too much food to feel stuffed.

I don't like to think of all the work of usually one or two people put into extravagant dinners.   I was happy it was simple.  

I got back home at 9:00 p.m. after driving three hours back.  

12 hours gone, 7 of that spent driving.  Thankful I made it down and back home!  


14 comments:

  1. Good news about your car. We have long distances in Australia but I am always so impressed at how North American people will drive for hours for just a social event, as you did. At worst we will drive for two hours, but there will be a twenty minute break along the way. Err, you don't write like you are a hick from the sticks.

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    1. Well now I live in a town of maybe 85,000, not sure the number here now as they say an extremely high percentage of people here won't respond to the census. I do still feel hemmed in by the number of people here, claustrophobic sometimes over it, so that probably is a remnant of my sparsely populated upbringing. I have one brother who loves being in a city and one who stayed put in our original small town. Its the closest family I have, down a little over 3 hours drive from here. I go once a year, sometimes twice. Hope to go again for Christmas. Otherwise I don't get to see family. I do wish they were closer and didn't require that extreme drive. It wasn't bad though, traffic was very light.

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  2. I grew up in a town half the size of yours and am a hick from the sticks, too. But I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm glad your car is fixed and you got to visit with your bother and family yesterday. I totally like simple meals, but am usually the only one in the extended family. The more food, the better (especially meat) according to them. But it usually doesn't go to waste, so I guess it's okay. My father-in-law especially likes it because we send him how with a generous care package of food.

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    1. They are vegetarians so I fit right in with a dinner like that, but have always liked to mix up mashed potatoes with something crunchy like salad, one of my favorite things. There wasn't much left of the food prepared. I'm not sure who made the dinner rolls but they were made of sweet potatoes and I need to get that recipe.

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    2. Growing up I knew no other way or place. I didn't know anything about cities or anything larger than the small world I lived in. My nephew and his wife are very world wise and have travelled extensively. She travels for work, was born in Brazil but went to school in the US and then lived in Norway, travelling the world for her job. My nephew too has travelled all over the world, not as extensively as his wife but impressively. I do feel a little like an uneducated hick when around those two but they're very humble and nice.

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    3. There is benefit to seeing how other people live in various parts of the world. Usually, travel makes you appreciate what you have. That's been my experience anyway. But in the end, when living our everyday lives, I don't think it makes much difference.

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  3. Hooray for having your car back again. And definitely hooray for finding your wallet - which hadn't been piddled on.
    A simple celebration dinner sounds good to me.

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  4. I recall the term Country bumpkin and city slicker.
    Coffee is on and stay safe

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    1. I remember those terms, from when I was a kid.

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  5. It's good to see family. Glad to hear your car is doing better.

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  6. Sounds like a great meal. :D Great news about the car and your safe return home. ~hugs~ For some reason, I used to say I came from "Cow Town". lol Not sure where that came from, but a hick and the sticks are familiar terms, too.

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    1. The college over in Corvallis, Oregon State, used to be known, maybe still is in some circles, as Cow College in Cow Town. It's focus is agriculture, is why. They do amazing research there now on all kinds of things. And have a vet school. There was a football coach, moved on to take a job at Nebraska, couldn't stand it, missed Corvallis so much. He rode his bike to work, just loved the small town atmosphere, bike trails, hiking trails, so he moved back. I think he finally took an assistant job at the football team.

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