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Family Traditions
by Kim Leady

Where has this year gone? I ask myself this question around this time every year. The pumpkins that decorated many porches are being replaced with brilliantly colored strands of lights. Stores are playing ‘I’m dreaming of a white Christmas’ –aren’t we all. Malls are bustling with shoppers looking for deals. And the grocery stores are busting at the seams with hams and turkeys. The holidays are upon us.

For my family this means trying to remember whose family we’re supposed to be with on which holiday. You would think we could remember this from year to year. But since that doesn’t seem to be our style, it took several hours of debate before we came to the conclusion we would be at Grandma and Grandpa’s house in Ohio for Thanksgiving, and Grandma and Grandpa’s house in Tennessee for Christmas this year.
With that said, I would like to share what awaits the Leadys this turkey holiday.

Since we will be in Ohio this year on Thanksgiving Day, we have an eight-hour road trip – well really, it will be more like nine hours since the weather person is calling for snow for Northern Ohio. Thank God we have been blessed with children that have always traveled well. Of course, it’s like anything else, if you start them young, it just becomes second nature to them.

Thanksgiving Day will have us rubbing elbows with my Father’s family and then after our feast, the boys will enjoy an afternoon of sledding down their Great Grandparents’ hill that is behind their house. I think I need to point out that it’s a treat to have snow for Thanksgiving, even up in Northern Ohio. However, it’s a miracle to have a hill to fully appreciate the white stuff. For those that do not know, this part of Ohio is flat farmland. Flat as a pancake.

The day after Thanksgiving, Mom and I will be shopping just like millions of other Americans. Hey, just because I’m 520 miles from home doesn’t mean the clock stops ticking. Christmas will come whether I’m ready or not. In the afternoon, we’ll be arguing over the wishbone with Steve’s family, followed by a serious game of cards. Because of this, the family will be treated to my brother-in-law, Vic Jr’s Indian war dance, which he performs around the card table after he and his partner has won a game. He doesn’t know this, but we let him win at least one game just to see him do his victory dance. We should really sell tickets for this show.

Also, hopefully this year there will be a home movie festival. We haven’t received final word on whether Dad has fixed the movie projector, but we have our fingers crossed. It has been many years since we have seen a show. The boys were only five and three. Now that they’re older, I’m sure they will appreciate watching their Father’s childhood pranks, and the narration of the movie won’t be peppered with ‘No son, that’s not you, it’s your Daddy’.

On Saturday morning, Steve and I will be working on family computers followed by the guys going to a gun show, and finishing up with a visit with my Grandparents.

Sunday we leave for home. And this year we have decided to visit a Kentucky Christmas tree farm on the way back. For many years now, we have gone to tree farms to find our family’s Christmas tree. These outings hold many wonderful memories…like the first year the boys were able to cut down the tree by themselves. I can still see the proud smiles on their young faces. There is nothing like finding the perfect tree, cutting it down together as a family, and then dragging it back to the car all the while arguing about it’s height. The frozen toes and fingers are optional depending on the weather.

In the end, hopefully the tree will fit through our front door and I won’t have to eat turkey again until next year.

From my family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving.


Kim