Cousin Time

The Back Yard Yesterday

The Wednesday weather more than validated the painful yet ultimately rewarding decision for Tuesday night travel to NYC and back.  Getting up for work was a little painful but I only had a half day and got home just as the snow started to fly.  We were right on the snow-rain line all day and into the night.  It would snow, sleet, rain, and then switch back and forth in an almost choreographed routine.  Buddy was not pleased with all the weird sounds buffeting the house.  I’m just glad I wasn’t trying to negotiate the roads. 

Buddy Trying to Convince me to Take Him Along

We ended up getting around 8 inches of snow from the storm that lasted into the wee hours of Thursday but it was compacted by the intermittent rain.  I nervously waited for the snow blower to turn over for the first time since March but after an extremely pregnant pause it coughed to life.  Since the snow was so heavy it took longer than I anticipated to get the driveway cleaned up but it also allowed time for my wife to complete the sweet potato peeling that was ostensibly a joint project.

The Drive North

After a hurried breakfast everybody rose to the occasion of departure time.  This is Buddy’s favorite day of the year because he usually travels with us to New Hampshire and spends the day running through the woods and fields with his cousin dogs.  That wasn’t happening yesterday because we were restricted to the smaller car due to my issues with backing up.  We bribed him with a huge bone and I don’t think he even noticed when we left.

Elder Table

The drive was beautiful since all trees were coated with the blowing snow.  It was like travelling through a confectionery's world gone mad.  As we travelled north we encountered more and more snow and an equivalent number of electric company trucks trying to restore power.  I was a little nervous since the annual gathering place for my father’s family Thanksgiving is nothing if not remote.   We arrived to a well-lit house though even with well over a foot of snow on the ground.

Middle Table

This is also one of my favorite days of the year as it is usually the only time annually that I get to hang out with my cousins from my father’s remarkable family.  The operative phrase here is “There’s just something special about cousins!”  There’s no awkward pause to reacquaint ourselves, just an immediate immersion into a warm group of people who were lucky enough to share a blood line.  An added treat was the presence of my son and the ABFA who were attending this year.

The Young'Uns 

There’s an almost breathless attempt to catch up with everyone while at the same time setting up tables, silverware, and dodging the inevitable, signature pack of dogs (sorry Buddy).  We were down to three tables which traditionally associate by age groups.  The youngest table quickly established themselves near the television showing the football games while I dug in on the middle table firmly resisting a move to the older table despite the increasing gray aloft.

Wife and I Sneak into Young Table

There was no way the traditional family football game was taking place because of the snow.  One of my cousins and I remembered shoveling off a football field when we were teenagers but there was a significant lack of the age group available to motivate.  I don’t know how many more of these I have left so I was a little disappointed.  However there was an attendant benefit to the cancelled game as more time was availble to sit around the table and cousin converse.  I always leave these celebrations wishing there had been more time to talk and yesterday that was afforded.  One of my cousin’s daughters is dipping her toe into the transit world so there was some shared angst about the inevitable governmental pitfalls involved.  Another cousin has written a book about the carriage house and ancient mill he has restored in West Virginia.  I did miss the game though.  I was anxious to see the ABFA in action pitted against my son.  He claims he’s sad there was no game but those might be crocodile tears.

The Rare Sighting of my Daughter Washing Dishes

Once the sun set the crowd started to disperse and we reluctantly made our way back south, trailed by our son and the ABFA who will be coming with us today to my sister’s second Thanksgiving.  The rest of the night was spent monitoring football scores and watching a movie selected by the ABFA. 

I Think Your Mother is Taking a Picture of You for Some reason

The day redeemed exactly what was expected – the all too rare opportunity to share time with family and friends which is really what Thanksgiving is supposed to be.  I know I’m thankful for the cousins I’m blessed with.

End of the Night - Buddy Herding us Back onto the Couch