Monday, November 20, 2023

A Northern Thanksgiving

     I have to remind myself that not everyone celebrates Thanksgiving like the Americans over here. I keep asking Canadians what their plans are for the holiday.

    Here in the Northeast Kingdom there are a lot of Canadians, and plenty of people who speak exclusively French. There have been times when I've been unable to speak to a person because English is not in their vernacular. When we were living in Texas, I'd run into the situation with individuals who only spoke Spanish - an interesting contrast between the two states, providing a sense of familiarity in an otherwise unfamiliar environment.

    Yet another hurdle: vegetarian food, better yet, northern food. I miss heavy spices and vivid flavors.  I'm used to the bold and rich flavors of southwestern Americana, to peppers and overwhelming spice, and to Cajun kick. Things taste muted here. Not many people are a fan of that kind of food here. There seems to be a lot more gravy and bread, and a lot more greens.

    Also I thought I knew what poutine was, thanks to a restaurant in downtown Chattanooga that my wife and I used to frequent, I did not. Real poutine is thick cut potato wedges, deep fried, some cheese curds, and some brown gravy drizzled over top (I prefer the non-traditional ones from Chatt)

    Anyways, I drew up a quick animation about the short life and death of a turkey for a non-vegetarian's Thanksgiving meal. This one was only 64 frames of animation, using a single color pallet for once. Nice and simple.

    Regardless, I have plenty to be thankful for: I have a place to live, food to eat, a fire to warm my bones. I have a family to love, to love me, and an abundance of hope for our future together, no matter how many miles may separate us all.

   I hope that you have plenty to be thankful for this year too, American or not. 

   Until next time, stay warm and toasty.

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