Hurray, hurrah for apple pie! Yesterday was Thanksgiving and it was a thankful day. Although it wasn’t spent with the greater family it was still Thanksgiving.

This Thanksgiving was Cheryl’s and my first Thanksgiving together (Thailand ones don’t count). We chose to spend the weekend with each other as we are now the most immediate family we have. So we got in the car and drove across the prairies on a road trip. We drove for miles across the land admiring the natural beauty that is the prairies in fall. The leave were turning colour, the wind was rustling, and cabins were closing down. But, whilst most people were curled up by fireplaces, cooking dinners, and calling family we were trekking in the van. We drove through the Narrows and had lunch. We drove through Riding Mountain National Park and sat by a lake. We ate nachos and watched the sunset. And once we were successfully over the hills and through the woods to Grandmother’s house we went. We drove right into Shoal Lake to visit Cheryl’s Grandmother at the hospital there. She seemed quite pleasantly surprised to see us what with our smiles and Thanksgiving wishes. We had a nice visit for a few hours and then Cheryl and I ventured back into the open prairies.

By this time the wind was howling and the rain was coming in such torrents that it hit our van in large aqua-barriers. At times the weather could be considered “dicey” but like all things it eventually passed. By Sunday night we had arrived home and set ourselves up for the final 24 hours of Thanksgiving weekend. For our final day Cheryl and I did nothing but watch movies, prepare food, and eat food. I’m certain the Pilgrims would have been proud. Although we were not sitting across the table from family and friends, we were definitely giving thanks for all that we have. My particular highlight of the day was making my first apple pie from scratch. That’s right, Mom was not there so I made the apple pie (although I can’t take all the credit because whilst I was making the pie Cheryl made the rest of the meal).

Of course, whether you celebrate Thanksgiving with family or not the one tradition that is set in stone about the holiday is you must eat too much and then pass out from food coma, and this we did. By 9 p.m. we were comfortably numb and discovering that our belts go one size larger than usual, and maybe it’s the Mennonite in me but faspa soon overtook us and it was time for bed.

To all our family and friends out there who celebrated the holiday without us, we are thankful to have you in our lives. We hope your holiday was full of thanks, family, and food. And if you are just a lucky internet reader coming for a visit, thanks for sharing our story (and feel free to share yours if you want to leave a comment).

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!


Note: The pictures used in this post were taken be Cheryl Bates and Jay Ewert (that's right, from this weekend)

Life is Good...But the Weeds Must Die

Life in a small town thus far has been good. Cheryl has been enjoying her job and I have begun the regular life of a substitute teacher. For the past week-and-a-bit I have been daily moving between schools pretending I am a knowledge source from everything from Grade 1 to highschool home-ec. I feel like those annoying people in the Holiday Inn commercials; “Well, no I’m not an ICT instructor, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night!”. But the work has been good. I have been exposed to the schools and most of the experiences have been good. I would tell you more but this is a public blog and I am not about to become an ‘agent of the state’ with his foot in his mouth.

Otherwise, we are happy in our home.

Today, however, poses a new threat to my happiness because insofar no one has called me in to work, and that means I have no excuse to avoid the pending yardwork. There is at least 12 hours of pulling weeds with my name written all over it and so a-weed-pulling- I must go.

This feeling is not one of triumph such as my heroic battle against the lawn because unlike the lawn, which carries its own sense of elegance and self-worth, weeds are a ruthless enemy. Weeds are sneaky and mean, they engage in Guerrilla-like tactics; striking when you least expect it, hiding behind the foliage only to strike when your guard is down. The thistles stick in your hands, the spores violate the air, and they are always planning another attack wave with hidden numbers. Their roots extend deep to the point of conspiracy. Indeed, the only way to rid yourself of a weed is to dig at its roots until either you or the weed is forever vanquished. To do otherwise is futile. But weeds have learned to survive. There are even plants in the garden that are really undercover weeds. They are broadleaf yet flower, but don’t be deceived, they are the enemy and they must die. Other plants seem to have forged an alliance, covering the existence of the weeds with their own foliage, thus concealing the threat and converting it to a covert operation. Yes, the weeds have a plan but I have a secret weapon…Killex. Yes, I intend to descend upon the yard with chemical warfare. With my Killex canister in hand I will distribute death to the organic onslaught that is the weeds. And when the canister runs dry I shall deal out weed-death with my garden-gloved hands. There may be some casualties along the way but it will all be for the greater good (I would say “democracy shall prevail but let’s not get ahead of ourselves, we are only talking about plants here).

In the words of Garfield the cat, “If I’m not back in 10 minutes, send a banana-cream pie after me.”

Emerging Formal Adulthood

I have just completed one of the many tasks that now define my new contemporary proletariat life; I mowed the lawn. The blades of grass shuddered as I approached, for they could sense my abject manliness projected across the yard. Within my chest beat the heart of a new man; one who lives amongst equals in a world of hard-working, independent folk, and the grass new it. The weeds felt smug in the knowledge that the mower was powerless against them, but their time will come soon.

After many years of floundering through my gen-x advanced-gestation period, I have finally arrived on the other side; that of living, loving, and having. Cheryl and I are happily moving into our new lives with a vigor formerly unknown to us. We are emerging upon a new part of our lives I will call “formal adulthood”.

This morning the lawn was a symbol of our emerging adulthood. Cheryl bustled about the house attending to various odds and ends. We moved about our new world with purpose of hard-work and cleanliness (which I hear is next to Godliness). At one point she ceased her efforts in order to greet me in the yard and bring a cool drink. We met, we smiled, we exchanged looks, and in front of all the lawn to see, we kissed. It was a flirtation of our new-found independence, a breath of life fanning the flame of exalted and proud mediocrity. The grass was trembling.

But where does one go from there you might ask? Well, ever onward my friend. The beginning now is merely a continuation of what was and the end is merely the gateway to the next. All of us humans on planet Earth are moving forward and the best place to get to is one you are at. I am here, the world is turning, and I am fine.

The Best is Yet to Come

Yes, it has been a loooonnng time since my last blog but never fear dear readers...I am fine. Cheryl and I have been traveling across the prairies selling our wares and enjoying life. We have survived six weeks of grueling work and our blood, sweat, and tears have finally purchased us a few days off. Upon checking the interweb it came to my notice that many of you have been checking this site to no avail and so I have logged on to assure you all that we are not only still alive but are also kicking. And...I intend to once again regale you all with tales of the innermost kind dealing with events, quirks, and introspection. But first...a few days off. Until the next interspective moment on the web (the best is yet to come).

Keep you stick on the ice.

Sincerely
Jay Ewert

The Times They Are A-Changin

Well here we are as always, two people amidst a changing universe around us. Throughout history the world has always been subjective to the inevitability of change and Cheryl and I are no exception to this rule. Change is upon us, now how do we choose to receive it?

If you have been savy enough to engage with us personally then you no doubt are aware that Cheryl and I plan to relocate soon. During our escapade toward employment Cheryl was blessed with a job offer in Arborg (close to Gimli). She has since accepted the position and we have been moving ever-closer to our new future in the again frontier of the Canadian Prairies.

How are we receiving it you may ask? Well, we are ecstatic! Only yesterday we secured ourselves a house to rent complete with a beautiful backyard. The community of Arborg is lovely and the people are friendly. This is that moment in our lives when we embrace our coming of age and "come into our own" so to speak, and I for one am excited!

Although I am aware, as I stated initially, that everyone on Earth is experiencing change I feel particularly large in life because the changes Cheryl and I are currently engaged in are those of epic proportions. We are embarking upon the next step of life. Have you ever read that tiresome motivational poster that states "Today is the first day of the rest of your life"? Well, it suddenly makes sense. Carpe Diem brother, the world is turning!

but how are we to feel about all this? Like any life-changing scenario we are quaking with trepidation and anticipation. The ground is shifting and if we don`t shuffle soon we just might spill?. Everyone experiences those moments of personal apprehension when they realize they are getting older, or feeling that their boundaries have somehow changed due to the inevitability of entropy. Physicists hypothesize the Universe is currently etching outward and that all matter is slowly moving toward disarray. Do we all feel this apprehension as a manner of holding together what we thought we knew in light of this universal push towards disarray? Or, is it just simple xenophobic reactiveness; the unknown seeming to loom over us?

I feel this change is part of the natural process of life. Many past trials of life have taught me the tools required to advance ever further into the unknown of the future. And without my past failures I could never harvest the successes of the future. Therefore I greet the new challenges of the future with a lucid fervor. My past has granted me a dynamic life, beautiful partner, and a bright future. The only challenge that seems important at this point is to savor the now, and the now is savory. In several days our family and friends will all gather to celebrate our changing and growing lives. They will join us in solidarity to bless our future. Thus, savoring the moment is just what the doctor ordered. So,how are we taking the change? We are embracing it and counting ourselves as lucky.

*Blessings to all you readers that are experiencing change. And to those joining us in a few days, we are looking forward to facing changes with you by our side.