The giving of thanks :)

Boy oh boy is this a holiday full of fun and good food! I love being around family, especially those I don’t get to see too often. I started off the day with the crack of a rifle. Deer season was in full swing and around here we hunt Thanksgiving morning! So after we had the deer hung, my mom comes up to me and tells me she just realized she hasn’t started to decorate for Christmas yet. Now she usually starts decorating before hand, so everyone can see the decorations when they come to eat but things have been super busy and kind of chaotic lately so she was running a little behind. So she goes and gets the decorations that go outside of the house and begins to put them up, which was nice for me because I didn’t have her standing there telling me to make sure I don’t cut my finger with the knife or something like that! A little later we all got ready to go to my grandmother’s on my mom’s side home to have a feast with that part of the family. When we got there, my grandma had cooked enough food to feed and army for a week and the house smelled absolutely delicious! Seeing as the whole family had not yet arrived, we all flopped down in the TV room to zone out and prepare ourselves to be so stuffed we felt like slipping into a coma! When the rest of the cousins and aunts and uncles finally got there, we dug into the food! Now let me tell ya, all this food was homemade and it had no shortage of grease and butter! The mashed potatoes had a hint of garlic, the eggs were sprinkled with paprika, the beans had just a hint of ham flavor, and the turkey, oh the turkey!, it was melt in your mouth and go back for seconds status! We had yeast rolls and sweet tea and three different kinds of pies. All of that food plus good company is what it is all about. Now I know it may sound sad, but these cousins of mine live less than 25 minutes from me and I see them once, maybe twice, a year. I don’t know if it is our busy lives or what but I really wish we could all get together more often. My oldest cousin is due with her first child in early February and she is already pretty popped out there, and one of my other cousins is working as an apprentice wine maker on Afton mountain and has already made his own wine that they would name after him if he was 21. However, since he is not, he has to wait until his birthday to have that great honor. When my brother and my cousin Mark, the wine man, get together, it is like time stands still and we gets to break off a little piece of heaven and sit in it for a bit. I love listening to those two talk about there different hunting stories and fishing trips. And their laughs are contagious. No matter what story they are telling, they can find something to laugh about and it truly ties together all of Thanksgiving, being able to find the good in things and catching up on what you missed over the past year.

Not to long after my brother and I finished dinner at that house, we had to leave and go over to eat with my dads side of the family even though neither one of us were hungry in the least. As soon as we walked in the door, our family said “HEY THERE THEY ARE!!!” (imagine this a little on the loud side) and I walked straight to the kitchen to help my grandma out with food prep. All of the hustle and bustle and hollering was a bit overwhelming at first and I sort of wanted to tell everyone to zip there mouths and calm down, but then I realized that, you know I only see these people once or twice a year, and they I should enjoy them even of they are slightly annoying! So I helped finish cooking the food and getting it to the table and after grace, we all dug in. However, all the digging I did we eat a roll and some more mashed potatoes! That was all I could possibly eat without bursting! And wouldn’t you know, that when we tried to clean up, the dishwasher decided to freak out and blow water all over the kitchen?! Surprisingly everyone stayed calm and someone, I’m not sure who, fixed it and we went on about our business. After the wreckage of turkey, broccoli casserole, sweet potatoes, and many other joyous foods were cleaned up and put away, we brought out the oh so delicious deserts and sang happy birthday to three of the relatives that had a birthday somewhere in the week! And somehow in the midst of all of this, cranium, the board game, was brought out and I ended up on a team. Now I do enjoy board games, but I have never been very good at them at all. My dad actually wrote the answer out on the paper and I said it and everyone got worked up that I got the answer until the realized what he did then they got mad, but dad and I just laughed and laughed and laughed about it because every year someone cheats like that just to ruffle one of my cousins feathers! Now let me tell you about my grandfather! So I had been asking around to see where he ventured off to and no one was quite sure. So I walked into the back of the house and wouldn’t ya know, he is sittin there in his chair watchin the news. He never has been the most social person, but I think that may be way we seem to get along. I laid down on the bed and watched TV with him for a bit until we decided we better go make sure the rest of the house was still standing. The rest of the night was pretty low key. Some people went out on the patio and built a fire in the pit, and other went into the TV room and watched a movie and dozed in and out. As for me, I sat at the table with my uncle and talked about college and life and he set my mind at ease on a few of the classes I have to take. You know sometimes you need that little boost to let you know the world is going to keep spinning and everything will be alright. I feel like Thanksgiving puts all of that in perspective and allows us to slow down just enough to realize what we have and that we need to appreciate it!

apartment

We all know I am a sophomore, and I have been fortunate enough to be able to have an apartment this year instead of living on campus. Let me tell ya, it is wonderful! You don’t have to wear shoes in the shower, you can cook your own food, you get your own room again. I mean it is just like living at home without the parents, and you have to start paying your own bills, but you know what I mean. So I have three other roommates and two of them are moving out next year. Not because we don’t get along, but because one wants to move into her sorority house, and the other is moving to a place with bigger bedrooms, which I understand. I mean she is moving in with some of our other friends so we will still get to see her all the time. But the thing is, we have to find two other people now to move in and take their places on the lease. We found one other girl, and I’m really glad she is moving in because we get along really well and she is a great person. But we are still trying to find a fourth, and we have to find them by the end of November or the office will place someone in that room and we all know that could be a little awkward. So I asked this other girl, but she wants to be an RA again next year and is supposed to let me know if she wants to live here, but we don’t have the time to wait to hear back from her. So I have no clue what to do. I mean I’m not just gonna walk up to someone on the street and ask if they wanna live with us. And all of my other friends already have places to live. Ugh it is so frustrating because I don’t understand why we have to find someone so quick. I guess it is because the village managers are just greedy and want that money or something but I mean come on. Cut us a break. At least give us until Christmas to find someone else. Anyway, if yall have some suggestion on what I should do I would love to hear it because as off right now, I am totally out of ideas. And I guess if worse comes to worse, they will just place someone there, but I don’t want it to come to that because I would like to know the people I am going to live with. Oh and are you guys moving into apartments next year?! I really recommend it! Anyway, let me know what you think!

backwoods

So I don’t know if you guys know, or even care for that matter, but in the state of Virginia, rifle season starts Saturday November 14^th, and I am pumped. This weekend has caused me to have to do a large amount of work this week because Lord knows I’m not going to do any while I home. And that is also the reason I am posting this blog early. Because right around the time it is due on Sunday night, I will coming down the interstate and it probably wont be a good idea to try to be posting this and drive at the same time, plus I wouldn’t get internet so I would be screwed either way right?! And has this past week and the one coming up been hell for anyone else? It seems to me that all of the teachers are trying to get that one last test in before Thanksgiving Break, so they can start hassling us about final exams after Thanksgiving Break. Anyway, back on topic here. So I am going home and I am going to scout around Friday afternoon and see where the deer are coming in to feed, so that way, I’ll have a fairly good idea of where to set Saturday morning when I have to get up BEFORE the crack of dawn and walk in and get myself settled before daylight. I just hope it isn’t freezing, which ‘m sure it will be, but hopefully it’ll all be worth it and I’ll get my buck. Unless opening day is doe day, which I’m not sure about and probably need to look into. Now I know that many people feel that those who hunt deer are horn hunters and they only do it to kill the biggest buck they can, but not me. When I pick my deer, I go for body size and amount of meat. After all, I plan on eating it and feeding others with it. Why would I pick a scrawny little thing with no size to it at all? But you also have to watch out, because if the buck is too big, it’ll taste like crap because the meat will be strong because of high levels of testosterone. But if you kill one big enough to wear it tastes horrible, he was probably big enough to mount. But there I go sounding like a horn hunter! But just so you know, my family doesn’t hunt for the glory of a big kill, we do it for the food. We try to get enough meat to where that can be our main meat for the winter. Deer meat is probably the best red meat for you that there is. I mean they are all natural and lean because they don’t eat grains, just grass and berries, not to mention it tastes delicious if cooked properly. Now I would like to know how you all feel about hunting. Do you think it is ok or do you think it is cruel? Have you ever had deer meat and if so do ya like it? Seriously I want to know how you feel because I know a lot of people that say we shouldn’t hunt.

So Many Questions

Have you ever noticed how some people never seem to have any limits and do whatever they want when they want, and some people are so reserved it is like pulling teeth to get them to loosen up enough to be enjoyable? I have never understood how some people can be so reserved while others can be the complete opposite. I mean I understand being a little shy at first and not always wanted to go out. As a matter of fact I’m not going out at all this weekend. One because I’m sick, two because I have so much work to do that it is burying me, and three I just plain don’t feel like it. But I don’t see that as being too reserved, just enough to have my priorities in line. Maybe that’s what it is. The people that are very reserved just know what they need to get done and they don’t want to waste their time going out? But that also seems to not be all the way true because it seems like everyone likes to have fun every once in a while. Or maybe their kind of fun is nothing like the fun the rest of the people I know. I really just have no idea. I just know that there are some people out there that would have so much fun if they would just loosen up a bit. Isn’t this the time in our lives when we are supposed to be living it up and having fun before the real world slaps us in the face! Although I feel like we are entering the real world already in a way. We get to be at college with no rules except for the ones we set for ourselves, we get to come and go as we please, and we don’t have to do anything we don’t want, except for homework, which some people skip out on anyway. For those people that understand they need to “work hard, play hard” as they say, does that make one of those people with no limits or does it make them someone that can balance out what they need to do in life and they understand how to put things in perspective. Sometimes I wonder if people put things in perspective, including myself. I know we know about the simple things in life, caring for our family and friends. But do we put some material things over others? Do you feel the world would come to an end if your cell phone had no service for more than a couple of hours? Sometimes I could care less if I had a phone but still had some contact with the people I care about. Other times I am like “are you serious?” when I can’t send a text message. It is something I ponder a lot. Is technology a good or bad thing? I mean sure it is wonderful in the ways of science, but what would the world be like if we didn’t have computers or the internet. Of course if we didn’t have those things we wouldn’t know any different. We would look things up in the library from actual books, and we would make a phone call (landline) or send a letter to someone just to say hello and see how everything is going. I have always thought I was born in the wrong time period. So does my dad. We feel we should have been born when the west was being settled and everyone rode horses everywhere and when you told someone something and shook there hand, you meant every word. Of course I do like the pleasures of indoor plumbing and being able to take a bath every day! Wow I have rambled on and I have no idea how I got here, but I guess that is how my brain wants to work tonight scattered! I guess I just wanted to say that we all need to take life in stride and make sure we have everything in perspective. What is important to you? How would you feel if there wasn’t internet or cell phones? Or have you ever even thought about it?!

Give him a Break!

Ok so we have all seen in the news, since the very second it happened, that Michael Jackson’s death was a tragedy for pop culture. But ya know, we all know he died, and yes some of us may have appreciated the news coverage for about a day…but seriously how long are they going to talk about it? Let the man’s legacy live on and leave his life and family alone. They are still covering his death and plenty of channels, especially the TV guide channel. They just can’t get over it. The same stories are on all the time and his family is constantly being interviewed. Does anyone still care that much? Is there really no news better happening in the world than this man’s death? And will they ever figure out the true story? As you can probably tell, I am way over it. I mean yes it was sad that the king of pop died but he wasn’t an angel either. If any of those accusations about him and the children were correct then that is just sick. However, this whole event has showed how big of an influence he was on the world. There we people crying and leaving flowers and teddy bears outside of his house and the hospital. It was, from what I hear, almost the way it was when Elvis died. The world mourned both of their deaths for the simple fact of them being entertainers and touching that many peoples lives. I understand that they were influential and all but I feel like the media is just dragging it out way too long and putting to much emphasis on Jackson’s death. Anyway… there is my rant on how I feel about that. Just let him die peacefully, Lord knows his life wasn’t peaceful ever since he was born.

Surprise!

So this past week my brother decided he had had enough of being away from his family and that instead of living in Colorado anymore, he would just come on home. Well he only told my dad about this decision and just packed his stuff on up and drove through one of the biggest blizzards Colorado has seen in twelve years. I didn’t even find out about this whole trip home until about two days ago and as soon as I found out I was bound and determined that I was going to come home and see him no matter what. I called him everyday to check up on him and make sure he was doing okay and that the trip was coming along well. He told me some of the craziest stories about what he had to deal with during this trip but none of it surprised me very much! He had to drive four hours out of his way in Colorado because the blizzard had snowed all of the interstate shut then he had the driver’s side of his truck iced shut while he was driving because it was so cold and the wing blowing the snow and rain directly into the truck. Then his rear driver’s side tire blew up on the interstate and when he got out to change the tire, his jack broke. So he had to fashion a way to get his tire changed and that set him back on his time by about two hours. So he stopped to get some diesel fuel and realized the radiator was cracked, and when I heard that, I started praying even harder that ole Ralph (the name of the truck) would bring him home safely. I didn’t even care if the darn truck died right there in the driveway, just as long as it got him to the driveway! Well he finally made it home at 12 o’clock last night and I made sure I was going to be able to get up just about as early as I could stand it and hit the road to come home and pounce on him. So I left out at 5:30 this morning and drove through the nasty rain on to Middlebrook and got there by 7:15. Well of course he was still sleeping when I got there, which is understandable. He had just driven sixteen hundred miles across country by himself. So as tired as I was, I went to take a little nap in the chair, and I would wake up when I wake up. Well I woke up, about four hours later, and he was still sleeping and I couldn’t take it anymore. So I went into the bedroom and woke him up! So after I got him out of bed, I went out and made one hell of a breakfast! We had scrambled eggs, bacon, country ham, and pancakes! I know, a heart attack waiting to happen. So we sat down and ate for a spell and he told me more about all of his hunting and fishing adventures! We were cracking up about just about everything, and it made me feel so good inside. I have prayed everyday since he moved that he would come back home to live and look where he is! So after we got done eating and I cleaned up and all, we got our stuff together and headed out because he had some really good friends he wanted to surprise and then we came on to my grandparents house for Sunday dinner which is where I am right now. Now if you remember, none of my family knew he was coming and they haven’t seen him for just shy of a year. When we walked in, my grandma looked like she might have a fit she was so happy! She was actually jumping up and down and squealing! It was one of the best things I have ever witnessed. Pure joy and excitement for prayers being answered! My granddad also looked shocked, but he doesn’t really get too worked up about much, but I know on the inside he is just busting with happiness. So as we sit here right now, we are waiting for dinner to be ready and I am listening to my brother tell his stories of all the things he got to see and do. The lighting in this room makes it feel even more warm and happy. The yellow orange light and glow in the little fire in the hearth gives the feeling that life is good today! And the way he is telling his stories, in the tone that he is always right!, makes this Sunday seem a little more complete then the others. He may have the attitude that the world should work the way he wants it to, which it never will, but that is how he has always been and I wouldn’t want him to change for anything in the world. This is what I feel like makes life complete. Sitting here listening to stories and how people tell the stories from their point of view.
I have an exam I have been studying for tomorrow and I have a feeling I will get a good dose of coffee tonight because I haven’t studied hardly enough for the exam but I was bound and determined to spend time with my family so I will just have to pay the consequences later tonight but I am willing to pay the price. The ride back I am sure will seem a lot longer than normal because I will be worrying about the test I have. I mean it is not like I have putting off studying, I studied for about two and a half hours today during down time and I know that will help, but I will stay up tonight until I know everything I need to know and hopefully, it will pay off! My point is that, family is precious, and I don’t put much before them!