The art of the story

Yesterday Brandon and I hooked up with all the girls on our Albertan side of the family. We went to a country restaurant about an hour outside of Cowtown, about a 1/4 mile off of the Number 1, and in the middle of a big wheat field. The food was what you would expect from a place like that - home cooking served by the daughters of the household. One half of the converted house was the restaurant, and the other was a gift shop with really neat odds and ends that you just can't find every where. It was great to hang with the women, and lunch was capped off with a slice of Flapper Pie. A very simple but tasty concoction of custard, graham wafers, and some merange (sp?) on top. I took a moment when someone was holding my baby to run stuff out to the car and just take a look around. You can watch the clouds dance across the land, and look out forever. Although some areas of Alberta have had a really long and tough winter, this area is already pretty dry and ready for the farming to begin again. I stood and took a picture in each direction, north, south, east, and west because it is such a different environment to me. Yup. I am a coast girl through and through.

The evening finished with a family dinner and reuniting with the boys. Nothing like good eats and great company. I love kicking back with a game in the background (too bad the Canadian team didn't win) when everyone is relaxed and then the stories start to come out. See, not everyone understands the art of storytelling. Some people think that storytelling means that you drag out all the old stuff that is better left in a closet because no one is better off hearing that story again. Nope, the true art of the story is bringing out the slightly embarrassing or incriminating (or both) stories about friends and family and regaling the next generation and newbies to the family legends. Whether it be the sort of the "remember when they shot the bear from the porch" variety or the "do you remember Jake, the rubber chicken?" you know you should just grab your drink. kick back, and enjoy the ride.

*NB - not all good stories involve someone with a red face or doing something a little edgy... but many of them are. But good stories are gems in your arsenal of life experience, to be treasured and brought out at the right time. Now I am definitely getting the urge to do some camping!!!!