| Traditions |
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| Saturday, 09 October 2004 00:00 | |||
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Ever since we sold Grandview Lodge in 1999, Thanksgiving weekend just isn't the same. At Grandview, the week prior to the holiday was spent preparing the lodge for the festivities of the weekend. When Jim was alive, he had made Thanksgiving weekend Grandview's last "hurrah" for the season and after his death, we continued the tradition. We would gather up cornstalks, hay bales, pumpkins and squash and decorate the inside and outside of the lodge with as much vigour as most folks put into Christmas. In 1992, I had added a gourmet six-course dinner on Saturday night and we also continued that tradition so a lot of effort was put into preparations and designing the right menu. We had live entertainment on Saturday and Sunday nights, great activities throughout the days for all ages and there was a warmth felt unlike any other time of the year. The summer staff would all return to help for the last weekend and the reunion that resulted produced a camaraderie not seen during the regular season.
It was a great time for family as my sister, Jim's Mom and Rene, my folks and later Rick's family would all join us. Our close friends and their families and some of our most beloved Grandview guests would surround us. It was without question my favourite weekend of the entire season and even in 1993, just 3 weeks after Jim's passing, I looked forward to the warmth of that weekend. The comfort of our family and friends was more important than ever that year and there was plenty of it to get us through a difficult period.
Time has passed and things have changed and while Grandview is no longer open at Thanksgiving, part of me is sad for them and what they are missing. At the same time I like to think that it was something we created and something that without us, simply cannot be. Thanksgiving is still a special time and new traditions are being made but I will always treasure those times we shared every October from 1988 through 1999 at Grandview Lodge.
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