Thanksgiving Day in Newfoundland

Yesterday it was Thanksgiving in the US. Here in Newfoundland? Perhaps not so much at first glance. Let me explain. For two weeks now I’ve been waiting for payday to arrive so I could get the snow tires installed on the car. That was yesterday. I went to sleep the night before with bare roads, I awoke to a blizzard. Hello? A day early! As they say in Australia, “Bugger!”

As I rose from the bed there were four excited dogs, eager to get outside and investigate. It is hard to be a whiner in the face of all that enthusiasm, so I opened the door and let them out. I had to giggle as I watched their antics through the window. I was waiting with a huge towel when I let them back in, but all to no avail, they shook snow all over me anyway, then grinned and wagged their tails as if to say, “Mom, it is snowing out, it’s that great?” Oh yeah, awesome.

After breakfast K boarded the car and set out for work, plowing her way through the drifts. This girl takes a snow day when the drifts are too deep to find the car. Soon after she left I donned the winter gear and headed out into the storm myself, coat, boots, hat, mitts, snow scoop, dogs, yep, got it all. I finished clearing the driveway in time to get lunch ready.

After lunch the snow plow went by and filled the driveway in, so out we go again. It was still snowing hard, but we (me and my oh so helpful dogs) got it all cleared away. I glanced over at the neighbor’s house and saw their car parked out on the roadway. Not good. Thinking all might not be well there, I took snow scoop in hand and went over. I started at the road and was halfway down their driveway before she came out.

“What are you doing, you crazy woman?” she shouted as she struggled through the snow towards me.

“I saw the car on the road and thought I could get some exercise,” I replied.

“You’ll have yourself killed, you fool, go home.”

“Are you guys Ok?”

“The old man’s sick, and I’m not so strong. I can’t thank you enough for this. I can get the car off the road now, you stop before you drop.”

“Yes Ma’am, I’ll just make a path to your door, you put your car in then go take care of your man.”

We chatted for a few more minutes then I went home. The cottage was warm and cozy. I made some spiced tea and settled into my favorite chair with some Christmas music on.

I sat knitting for a while, watching the storm, and I realized I do have a lot to be thankful for. So I silently thanks the gods for this warm home, the four sleeping companions around me, the amazing woman who shares this life with me, all the new friends I have recently made, and for the good health that allows me to enjoy it all. Yes indeed, in the end, yesterday was Thanksgiving in Newfoundland after all.