Let me preface this with what Thanksgiving entails in my family… drinking, more food than you can possibly eat, and playing cards. This year was no exception. The moment we walked into the farmhouse, my uncle promptly inquired whether we would like whiskey sours. Is that a rhetorical question? Of course! Pardon me… first it was hugs all around, and then he asked. We chatted, we caught up, we laughed, and then we gorged.
Thanksgiving for us included a 21 lb. stuffed turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce (the canned kind), green beans, more stuffing, and other forgetful items. Dessert is ALWAYS pumpkin pie.
We have a family tradition of playing a card game known as ‘Oh Hell’ (which honestly could be called ‘Fuck’, ‘God Dammit’, ‘Well shit’, or a variety of other swear words because all of those are shouted out at one point or another). ‘Oh Hell’, typically referred to as just plain Hell, has a simple yet challenging goal… try to guess the number of tricks you’ll take with the cards you’re dealt based on the suit that is trump. You start with 7 cards, but that number dwindles down to one by the end, which you don’t actually get to look at, but instead place on your forehead and try to guess if you’ll take that trick. Okay, maybe it’s not that simple, but when you’ve been playing for over 15 years it seems that way. And it sure is a blast! A few snapshots of this years game…
My late Grandpa always kept score (and oddly always won)… hmmm… Anyway! Two rounds and a decent amount of booze later, we concluded our Hell-playing for Thanksgiving 2016.
Sadly, my Grandmom sold the house we used to spend holidays in at 15 Woodcrest Road in Asheville. The house was a 3 bedroom brick house situated on a quiet street behind the well known Grove Park Inn. I can still picture the mint colored carpets, the pale yellow kitchen, and the diving board bridge that crossed the creek in the back. I remember sledding and rolling down the hill in the front yard and bouncing on the diving board as we crossed over to go take a stroll to Grove Park. This starts her 4th year out of that house and in an apartment. However, my 92 year old Grandmom decided to move this Thanksgiving, soliciting the aid of her 8 capable relatives for the task. Never have I seen a move go so quickly, nor seen a one bedroom apartment hold so much stuff! Two pick-up trucks, one trailer, three SUVs, and one station wagon loaded to the brim transported 92 years of belongings to a new location.
Each time we visit Asheville, I make sure to head to Biltmore Village for some shopping and strolling. Which of course includes our usual craziness…
My Grandmom isn’t the only that moved recently. My Aunt and Uncle sold their home in Asheville, trading it to a move out to their horse farm. Since all the kids came for Thanksgiving this year, we had to find a hotel to stay in due to limited space until they renovate the farmhouse. Etowah Gold Resort wasn’t too shabby for a late find. Couldn’t beat the afternoon view.
When you’ve decided to spend life with me, you learn to deal with my nutty behavior. Since I was actually awake for the drive home, I got bored quickly. Therefore, I decided to play with my camera and annoy my chauffeur. Scheep helped.
