White Thanksgiving

 

     I used to live in South Carolina; Charleston, to be exact. Beautiful city. Summa' the homes have the taste of Old-World Southern Mansion to 'em. I really liked it there, but I've liked pretty much everywhere I've ever lived. We lived there 'bout a year; maybe a little longer. Until I moved to South Dakota, Charleston was the closest thing to feelin' like home, to me. Dunno' why.

     I recall the year I was in seventh grade. From the get-go, there were surprises. I had lived previously in Maine, where snow was just  a way of life; kinda' like the Dakotas. In Maine, the snow could be ten feet deep an' life went on like always. Stores opened, kids went to school, business din't really change all that much.

     Things are different in South Carolina. In fact, I woke up one mornin', shortly before Thanksgiving an' was thrilled to see snow on the ground. I was a kid; that's what kids do. Everything was covered in that thin layer of white that, in some places, might almost seem like frost. The locals seemed to think it had snowed durin' the night. A full quarter-inch of snow had been recorded at the weather bureau.

     7:00 in the mornin' an' there was a knock on the door. Our next door neighbor was wrapped tightly in her robe, hair still showin' pillow-friendly signs an' teeth chattering. Even before we could invite her in, Mrs. LeBeau was talkin' a mile a minute. The panic in her voice was unmistakable. She din't know what to do. Should she send her son to school or keep him home? It was snowing, after all.

     I recall the difficulty that my mama had in keeping a straight face. She was a veteran driver in ALL circumstances. It took her awhile to realize that the locals were not used to driving on slippery roads. While she tried to calm our neighbor, she casually turned the radio on to listen to the weather report. Before long, we heard the news that would be the final word in calming Mrs. LeBeau; all schools would be closed until further notice, due to unsafe driving conditions. That was Monday, before Thanksgiving. It snowed again, that night an' the next. I sure wasn't complainin'; I was a kid an' school was out, unexpectedly.

     We din't hafta' return to school until the Monday following Thanksgiving. Only time I ever recall havin' a full week off for Thanksgiving. Truth be told, it was a sorry time for a vacation; we din't even have enough snow to build a miniature snowman. Sure makes me glad that I live where I do; where snow falls for real.

     Let's hope we all get a week's vacation for Thanksgiving, this year, but not for the same reason. Otherwise, we might never dig outta' the snow.

Have a great Thanksgiving!

     Until the next time, keep a hug on.

 ~ Yaya

Are You Ready For Thanksgiving?

    

     I am so excited 'bout this year's holiday season. Unlike previous years, I have so many ways to prepare and every single one of 'em is somethin' I can hardly wait to get started on. Are you ready for Thanksgiving? Don't you jus' love bein' able to gather with friends an' family? With food as the central topic, you can play games an' enjoy the holiday even more, this year.

     Are you a teacher? Have you been wondering how to share knowledge in a way that will hold your students' interest?  Python Thanksgiving Party Games is definitely the answer to your quest. Print all the copies you want an' keep those thirsty minds askin' for more. Python Printable Games are the perfect addition to your teaching agenda because everyone loves to play games an' your kids will learn while they play.

     Do you like working crossword puzzles or word searches? Surprise! You can get both with these packets. In fact, there are quizzes an' poems, match games an' scavenger hunts; so many different kinds of games that I can't list 'em all. Your kids will look forward to Thanksgiving, this year an' every year, because you will have enough variety to create different games for each year. Hurry over there an' check out the wunnerful games that Python Printable Games has. You'll be glad you did.

     Until the next time, keep a hug on.

~ Yaya

This Product Was a Free Giveaway

A Baby's First Thanksgiving

     It was my first son's first Thanksgiving and we wanted it to be special.  He was only five months old and couldn't possibly remember anything about it, but we really wanted to make it something we could tell him about as he grew.  How could we make this Thanksgiving Day memorable for him?

     Then, it happened.  We got word that we would be moving and we had all of one day to get 'er done.  The landlord didn't want us to leave, but something about living in a mouse-infested trailer house just failed to make me wanna' stay.  Go figure, huh?  When we got the word that we had another option, we jumped on it.

     So, on Thanksgiving Day, we woke up early and stayed up late.  We hadn't learned of the mice until too late in our previous dwelling.  (I was never quite able to think of that place as home.)  This time, we had made sure there were no extra occupants and we were SO. READY. to. go.

     Finally, at 11:45 that night, we sat down to my baby's first Thanksgiving Dinner, one which he was also able to participate in, in spite of nursing.  I can say with all honesty that, after living for two months with the pitter-patter of little mouse feet, it was one of the best meals of Oyster Stew I have ever made.  And I no longer had to worry that something would capture one of us while we slept.

     Oh, and did I mention that we managed to make it a memorable day?