A true story · Thanksgiving 2024

No Turkey. Big Storm. Tractor in the Ditch.

Theodore Blankenship · From the world of North of the Bridge

With Thanksgiving coming up, Teddy’s been thinking about one particular holiday — Thanksgiving 2024.

The night before, the snow had been coming down steady, and the forecast said 2 to 6 feet on the way. Teddy figured the roads would be buried, so he didn’t pull out the turkeys… which did not sit well with Maw.

By Thursday morning, the kids, their friend Raven — pregnant and stubborn as ever — and even Maw’s 90-year-old aunt all said they were still coming.

Teddy headed out to plow the driveway and the long stretch to the highway… and dropped the tractor straight into the ditch.

Maw had a houseful of people coming and nothing ready to cook.

The youngest called his buddy with a loader, who showed up, pulled Teddy out, and cleared over a mile of snow like it was nothing.

With no turkey to cook, Maw pivoted. She grabbed the dozens of eggs we always seem to have and made quiche. Then she fried bacon, toasted an entire loaf of bread, and set it all out.

And she beamed as the plates came back empty, again and again.

And somehow, it turned into one of the best Thanksgivings we ever had.

Actual photographs and silent footage from that day will accompany this story.