Home to PA for Thanksgiving

November 19, 2011

Steve, Elijah, and I are looking forward to heading home for Thanksgiving. I LOVE this time of the year. The week before Thanksgiving to the week after Christmas is my favorite time of the year, followed closely by the last day of the school year Except for the over-commercialization of the season, I love everything about it: the sights of white lights and winter-wonderland-like decorations, the smells of burning wood and fresh pine trees, the taste of food I don’t indulge in other times of the year, the hugs and kisses from an affectionate family, the sounds of a house full of family and Christmas music, the feelings of love and celebration, and so much more.

This year will be even better because Elijah is at the age where he understands more. The wonder of the season will be memorable indeed.

Even though only three hours (yes, mom… only three hours) separates us from our hometown of Berlin, PA, it’s always a bit of a cultural adjustment to leave northern Virginia and travel to PA. I happened to stumble across some humor from Jeff Foxworthy this weekend, and it helped to prepare me for the coming transition.

You Know You Live In Pennsylvania if …

you consider it a sport to sit in a tree stand all day long with a bow or a gun just to put food in your freezer.

your local Dairy Queen is closed from November through March.

someone in a store offers you assistance, and they don’t work there.

your town has an equal number of bars and churches, or if you are in church and your priest or minister asks you to pray for the STEELERS, and wants to get you all home for 1 p.m. kickoff.

you measure distance in hours.

you know several people who have hit a deer more than once.

you often switch from “heat”to “A/C” in the same day and back again.

you can drive 65 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching.

you see people wearing camouflage at social events (including weddings).

you install security lights on your house and garage and leave all the doors unlocked.

you carry jumper cables in your car and your girlfriend knows how to use them.

you design your kid’s Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit.

driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow.

you know all 4 seasons: almost fall, winter, still winter and road construction.

you can identify a southern or eastern accent.

your idea of creative landscaping is a concrete statue of a deer next to your blue spruce.

you were unaware that there is a legal drinking age.

a critter is something you eat.

you go out to fish fry every Friday and bingo every Wednesday.

your 4th of July picnic was moved indoors due to frost.

you have more miles on your snow blower than your car.

you find 0 degrees “a little chilly.”

And more specifically, you know your from Berlin if you speak “Berlin-ese,” and the following statements sound right to you:
(as adapted from the Facebook Post “You Know you are from Berlin, PA When You Can Remember…”)

I’m going to town. Wanna go with.

Quit your “rootchin” around.

The kids can go down to the “crick” after they “red up” their rooms. They can take “pop” and “gobs” for a snack.

I just finished “warshing” the clothe.

Come back in an “our.”

Buying my mom some “flours” for her birthday.

Don’t use all the hot water in the “shour.”

You’re gonna get a “lickin’”if you keep that behavior up.

Your father’s gonna use the “switch” on you when he gets home.

What’s wrong with having a “Stiller” themed wedding?

We can’t wait to see you in a few days, Berlin! Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

 

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Posted in Family, Featured, Our Story