We flew from Calgary on November 19th and pretty much waltzed through security and customs. We knew that this week was the busiest travel week in the States so were relieved that that chaos had not yet spilled into Canada. Geoff and Elijah met us while Melissa and Miles cleaned house. We had a wonderful pork roast dinner waiting when we arrived at their home.
Sunday was a big day for Elijah as he was baptized. He had come to the decision on his own having formed a relationship with God at the tender age of four. The pastor introduced him to the congregation as the future pastor of the church and no one could dispute this after hearing him speak. He told of how he felt about the baptism saying he was afraid of getting water up his nose but not afraid of speaking of his faith before an audience. He and Geoff left to get changed into their swimsuits then we met at the pool. Since the church rents a high school for its services, this meant walking down the hall after picking up Miles at Sunday school.
As the congregation gathered in the bleachers, the youth pastor and Geoff supported Elijah as he spoke again of finding his faith. The baptism was quick and Elijah did NOT get water up his nose. Geoff beamed with pride as they left the pool. I suggested that Elijah choose his baptism supper and he wanted lamb and green (mint) jelly. So Geoff and I went off shopping. We also bought all the fixings for Thanksgiving.
Monday, the kids had school so I joined Melissa in taking them there. We then went on some errands, first letterboxing at her library. She had hidden a hand-carved stamp of Mr. Tumnus which I found. I had brought my personal stamp with me so could record my find in the stamp's logbook. It's a fun hobby that gets you to places you might never go. It was my 10th find so I now have a blue ribbon on my Atlas Quest webpage (Melissa has over 100 finds). We also checked out a box she had planted that may have gone missing. It had been tucked into a brick wall and landscapers must have thrown it away when they repaired it. She had to re-carve the stamp and we planted it again later in the week. Tuesday, I did another letterbox at a nearby coffee shop, Carino Coffee, and enjoyed a Pumpkin Chai Latté.
Wednesday, the kids were on holiday so Geoff took the car to Boulder (he normally spends 2 hours on the bus). We walked to Southlands Mall and did some shopping. I bought four Hollyberry Candles at the Yankee Candle there. They make the best ones and it is a scent almost impossible to buy in Canada. While the kids napped after lunch, I made Geoff's version of cranberry sauce and began preparations for Glen's Mom's jellied cranberry salad (a request from Geoff). I didn't have my recipe with me but I think I nailed it (I've made it for at least 35 Christmas dinners so you'd think I'd remember it).
Thanksgiving Day dawned warm and sunny. The pumpkin pie was cooking, the turkey brining, and the dressing prepped so the male Armstrongs headed outside for the traditional football game. I put my camera on sports mode and went nuts recording the antics of the players. Chris Taylor had given me an 8 GB memory card for my Canon so I could pound off 325 pictures without blinking an eye (or filling my card). Then I remembered my Olympus took video so I filmed one of the catches Elijah made and Miles demonstrating how he could roll around in a nylon fire truck.
At 3 pm, we turned on the radio to listen to Arlo Guthrie's Alice's Restaurant Massacree then began cooking a Thanksgiving dinner that 'couldn't be beat'. Everything came together for a wonderful meal enhanced by the arrival of Mr. Kelly and Mrs. Kelly (long story) bearing rolls, pumpkin cheesecake, and chocolate pecan pie. Elijah wanted everyone to add to Miles' grace so we each said our own words of thanks. The turkey was delicious as were the bourbon sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, bacon-enhanced gravy, cranberry sauce and salad, all washed down with Beaujolais Nouveau. After clearing away the dishes, we trooped outside to witness the turning on of the Christmas lights. After oohing and aahing at the display, we sat down to consume the desserts. All were delicious although Glen had to eat some of mine as I was too full.Black Friday begins for some at midnight. Stores closed for Thanksgiving open, discount their goods, and allow shoppers to begin Christmas shopping on a day most have off. Opening times vary but all are doing business by very early in the morning. Glen had agreed to accompany Melissa to find bargains for Christmas. My dislike of shopping and crowds is renown so I stayed home with Geoff. As it turned out, all the craziness was over by 9 am when Melissa and Glen hit the stores. An hour later, they had everything they wanted but Melissa thought I should check out the deals. I was unsuccessful in getting any bargains but it was fun to partake of this American tradition.
Sunday we left very early to catch our flight knowing it was the busiest travel day of the year. Geoff dropped us off 2 hours before and we began the process by standing in line to get our boarding passes. Then we wound our way around the barricades through security. I had a full body scan for the first time. By the time we reached the gate, an hour had passed. We were quickly bundled onto the plane and it left on time. As we approached Calgary, the pilot warned us there were high chinook winds blowing but most who have flown into our airport have experienced this. Then he added that we'd have to circle as there was only one runway in use. As we did so, our plane was buffeted by gusting winds. As it pitched and yawed, we made our approach. I was sure a wingtip would touch ground as we landed so breathed a sigh of relief at the gate. The usually long customs lines were nonexistent but we had to wait at the luggage carousel. I must ask the question, "Why does it take 30 minutes to unload a tiny plane?" but perhaps the winds were causing problems. Meg and Mike picked us up and as we drove home, the winds battered us. It turned out the peak of the storm hit just after we landed and did much damage downtown. So much so, the city closed the area to traffic and warned people to stay inside. Here is a video taking of a plane landing at that time. I am so glad it wasn't ours.
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