Thanksgiving 2010 Part 1...The Tale of the Tree

Most people may spend their Thanksgiving around a nice warm fire, if you don't live in the south. Others might sip on cider and tell old family stories. This year, our Thanksgiving was excellent and enjoyable, but also unlike any we've ever before experienced. We gathered around the Thanksgiving tree. Thanksgiving tree you say? You mean Christmas right? Nope I mean Thanksgiving tree. Read on.

This year, as always, Carrie's Tuesday early bird arrival kicked off the 2010 holiday season and Wednesday, Jim, Connie, Joe, Mary and Kelly arrived. Wednesday evening, people began to gather at Grandma's to meet and greet. Becky, Keith, Denise and Andrew were still en route but closing in on Monroe, so without worry, we ordered our pizza. All was going swimmingly. I had arrived before dark and secured a prime parking spot as well as an excellent seat for the evening while wisely and carefully monitoring my fluid intake. Our largest concern of the night was food and when to eat it.

We were sitting and visiting and musical chairing and catching up with the out of towners...when all of a sudden there arose such a clatter...

SANTA CLAUS?!?!

You’re a little early.

This is Thanksgiving.

Jared sprung from his chair to see what was the matter...away to the window he flew like a flash but what to his wondering eyes should appear? Not Santa but a big *** tree limb the size of a small country had fallen to the ground. (There are no more references to The Night Before Christmas as I couldn't make anymore fit nicely.....sigh).

We all ran out to discover this limb had fallen. It's a good thing the basketball goal survived because it's priceless and therefore there was a big whew in the crowd seeing it was untouched.


According to the insurance people, this limb falling is considered an act of God. When the insurance company mentions that term, grab your wallet. Also, in this secular throw God out of everything world we live in, I find it COMPLETELY UNBELIEVABLY IRONIC they still use this term to blame God for the bad stuff that happens when they don't want to pay for something. Amazing.


Comparatively, this branch Jared and Randy are moving is really just a teddy bear twig.


Joe's assessing the situation.


Yeah, it's a bigun.


Thank God the awesome and amazing basketball goal that hasn't been used in 40 years survived. On the other hand, the limb did fall on the very usable gate to the back yard and on one prime parking spot where my very usable car was parked. Yep, that would be mine. Forty five cars and 30 people at Mom’s Wednesday night, and the limb found MY car.


This is not normal. But oh look the elusive fall leaves I've been searching for...kind of pisses me off.


It was like I’d won the lottery…….only not. Of course, if the lottery was something akin to getting the crap kicked out of your car, then yeah, it was the lottery.....note to self....maybe it’s time to be playing me some lottery.

To our amazement, the house was unscathed. The only 2 things "scathed" ended up being the gate and my car. This is the epitome of taking one for the team.

The next problem was the huge limb/tree still hanging upside down dangerously close to a power line. I will now with confidence read Jared's mind, "Yep, looking for my friend the chainsaw."


It took Dale and Jared 3½ seconds to put on their work clothes and head to church to get the tractor so they could begin “excavating” the tree, which of course gave the family a show for the rest of the night.

But while the cats' were away, the rest of the mice did play, because the girls in our family love a photo op.

There's got to be a blond joke in here somewhere. How many curly blonds does it take to saw a tree limb with 2 steaks knives? To infinity and BEYOND!!

Love the fingernail polish and the diamond watch. Normal wood chopper attire.

Maggie, "Oh yeah yal keep cutting.....I think it'll work." (turns face to snicker)


Whitney wanted to be in the middle.


But she got over it.


Rawrrrrrrrr Lindsey has no idea what's coming for her but Whitney's face says crazy doesn't it?


Emma pushed Whit into the leaves just at the last second. THAT'S MY GIRL!


There are several ways I wanted to go with this picture.
1. "Look a star!"
2. "Onward and upward...away on my broom!"
3. "Do you see that? Do you see the big *** tree limb still hanging?"


"Come my friends...come with me and we'll go up up and away!"


This is your straight typical model photo op in a Louisiana driveway, at night, with a limb in the yard and a tractor on the way to your house on Thanksgiving Eve. It just wreaks of the holidays.


I felt all of the following pictures were worthy of posting. Sadly, Mollie missed the whole thing due to babysitting.


People excited about the never before venue for the photo op. Olivia looks precarious.


Kelly wasn't ready. But Carlie's giving it the big thumbs up.


Now Kelly's ready. Carlie's still counting her thumbs....yep...still just the 2.


She just said to Whitney, "Hey look I have 2 thumbs!" Now Whitney's looking to make sure....yep it's confirmed just the 2.


Think about this. In this picture represents, 5 college students, one banker, one counselor and one teacher. Our future. Frightening.


Eli's joined the fray. Carlie's adamantly telling someone off camera, "YES JUST 2 THUMBS.....I'M SURE!"


For some reason, Carlie and Whitney were shunned...and we're not even Amish!


OOPS! Somebody heard the tractor! The cats are back.


All mice begin to scatter but Emma won't be deterred.


But there was one last opportunity for Maggie and Whitney to have story time in the forest.




And then with the sound of the tractor coming down the street, tree huggers from miles around came to say farewell (insert little tear here).


That's Dale driving the tractor onto the scene.


What happened next? Tune in for part 2 sometime later this week. ULM finals begin Monday and therefore the computer will be in heavy use til then. I'll sneak my time accordingly but studying must take precedence!

But just a little tease, we are still living happily ever after...