1980s: Thanksgiving and the importance of family history
For Thanksgiving, Betty and Thomas gather their family at their new house. It's the first time they're all going to spend a holiday there. With a more limited space, and with all their children now having partners, they opt for only inviting the closest family and letter others cater to themselves and their children. It's a hard choice to make, but more people can't possibly fit in the house, it will be tight regardless. While Betty is cooking, Thomas sets the table.
For many in the family it's the first time they meet. Larissa has not met anyone but Susan, and Russell not anyone at all. But dinner is delicious and the conversation flows, even if the family has to spread out between table and sofas around the house.
In spite of the chill, Larissa takes some time to get to know Michael and Carl outside.
After dinner, they all gather around the house. Betty takes some time to play with her favourite (only) grandson. She so hopes that now that they all have partners there will be more grandchildren coming soon.
When someone turns on the music, Sydney can't keep from dancing. Neither can Chris. Overall it's a great holiday, and they all agree that they had a good time.
While Thomas and Betty gathers their family in Copperdale, Grace, David and Kenneth has a relaxed Thanksgiving, having closed the restaurant for the holyday after a very busy night the night before. Meanwhile Arthur and Claudia travel to San Myshuno, where Cathy has invited them, and her sisters, to Thanksgiving, showing off her new apartment. It's crowded, and not everyone can dine at the table, but they do have a nice time.
After Thanksgiving, it's time for Abby to start college. She is a bit hesitant to start at all as she's never been really good at school, but she does love writing, and so she applies to the literary program at Britechester. When she arrives, Cindy is the first to greet her cousin.
Seeing Cindy is a comfort, but also a surprise, because Cindy looks nothing like the Cindy Abby is used to. "You think I'd be able to look like this when mom and dad is around?" she laughs when Abby asks. "They'd totally freak out and probably have some lame lecture about drugs and whatnot." she adds mocking her parents.
"But really, no make up, still in a braid? We need to do something about your style, as in we need to give you one!"
So the next day, with her hair bigger and with more make up, Abby lets Cindy show her around Britechester. They start by getting breakfast in Darby's Den, while Cindy explains all about the different clubs, the lectures and how Abby needs to think about homework in order to get as much grades out of as little work as possible.
She shows her the art room, just because she knows it will make Abby feel more at home. Then takes her to watch some of the debate showdown.
"Yup, it really is this lame," she tells her as they watch. "And today they haven't even have the time to clean up that bloody statue, so stupid."
"Who does that?" Abby asks. "The toilet paper."
Cindy shrugs. "Other colleges, students, me? Who knows?" she winks. Then she drags her away. "I'll show you a much cooler place."
Soon they are outside Maritime house. "My home away from home!" Cindy says, ignoring the cafeteria downstairs and bringing her upstairs to the jamming room. Inside there are instruments and a microphone, and Cindy immediately jumps into action, singing and playing the guitar. "So much better than that stupid violin they make us learn in class!" She urges Abby to take to the keyboard. "It's not that hard!" Abby tries, but she thinks it is hard, and unlike Cindy she sounds awful, but she's having fun.
That night, Cindy takes her to Pepper's Pub. This is a place she's heard about from her mother, and that on the surface has looked the same as it did in the early days of the century when Frank first got a taste for alcohol here which started his life long struggle he never won. There is so much history in the walls as they walk inside, and Abby remembers her mother's stories, and her great aunts' stories. How Anna had to much to drink and almost ended up in trouble, and how Alice fell in love and later had her heart broken here. It's a little awe inspiring.
But Cindy doesn't stop at the bar, instead she brings Abby down a staircase that was not there when Frank and Anna and Alice or even her mother went to Britechester. A staircase leading down into an underground club where the music is louder and the lights dimmer.
"They opened this up just last year," Cindy yells over the music. "Coolest place in town!" Cindy definitely agrees, and the rest of the night she is on her feet dancing to the beat. History all but forgotten, and over the next few weeks this becomes her favourite place to be in Britechester as her style becomes bolder, brighter and more revealing - at least when she's dancing.
But as comfortable as she is on the dancefloor, as out of depth does she feel in lectures. It's not that she doesn't like writing, she does, the creativeness of the process comfortable and familiar. But the academic logic that goes with college just doesn't suit her. Her attention span isn't the best and she'd much rather write herself than sit through boring lectures on how to do it, and while Cindy has been prepped for studies her whole life, and seem to be able to balance partying hard with geting straight As without issues, for Abby it's so much harder. And why does she have to write a term paper on photography when she could just take pictures instead?
Nevertheless she struggles on, trying to do her best even when she's bored out of her mind. At least college also offers up a lot of distractions. As well as light points, like being able to sneak in when Cindy presents her work on modern art and hearing her mother's name mentioned among those well known artists she knows her mother has admired all her life. After, Cindy tells her the professor praised her on her knowledge of obscure feministic beatnik artists in San Sequoia in the 50s. "As if that was the hard part!" she laughs. "Your mother's art is so much more interesting than those boring mainstream artists." Abby can't help but to feel a sense of pride. In her mother, in her history, and in her past. How much more fun wouldn't that be to study?
For many in the family it's the first time they meet. Larissa has not met anyone but Susan, and Russell not anyone at all. But dinner is delicious and the conversation flows, even if the family has to spread out between table and sofas around the house.
In spite of the chill, Larissa takes some time to get to know Michael and Carl outside.
After dinner, they all gather around the house. Betty takes some time to play with her favourite (only) grandson. She so hopes that now that they all have partners there will be more grandchildren coming soon.
When someone turns on the music, Sydney can't keep from dancing. Neither can Chris. Overall it's a great holiday, and they all agree that they had a good time.
While Thomas and Betty gathers their family in Copperdale, Grace, David and Kenneth has a relaxed Thanksgiving, having closed the restaurant for the holyday after a very busy night the night before. Meanwhile Arthur and Claudia travel to San Myshuno, where Cathy has invited them, and her sisters, to Thanksgiving, showing off her new apartment. It's crowded, and not everyone can dine at the table, but they do have a nice time.
After Thanksgiving, it's time for Abby to start college. She is a bit hesitant to start at all as she's never been really good at school, but she does love writing, and so she applies to the literary program at Britechester. When she arrives, Cindy is the first to greet her cousin.
Seeing Cindy is a comfort, but also a surprise, because Cindy looks nothing like the Cindy Abby is used to. "You think I'd be able to look like this when mom and dad is around?" she laughs when Abby asks. "They'd totally freak out and probably have some lame lecture about drugs and whatnot." she adds mocking her parents.
"But really, no make up, still in a braid? We need to do something about your style, as in we need to give you one!"
So the next day, with her hair bigger and with more make up, Abby lets Cindy show her around Britechester. They start by getting breakfast in Darby's Den, while Cindy explains all about the different clubs, the lectures and how Abby needs to think about homework in order to get as much grades out of as little work as possible.
She shows her the art room, just because she knows it will make Abby feel more at home. Then takes her to watch some of the debate showdown.
"Yup, it really is this lame," she tells her as they watch. "And today they haven't even have the time to clean up that bloody statue, so stupid."
"Who does that?" Abby asks. "The toilet paper."
Cindy shrugs. "Other colleges, students, me? Who knows?" she winks. Then she drags her away. "I'll show you a much cooler place."
Soon they are outside Maritime house. "My home away from home!" Cindy says, ignoring the cafeteria downstairs and bringing her upstairs to the jamming room. Inside there are instruments and a microphone, and Cindy immediately jumps into action, singing and playing the guitar. "So much better than that stupid violin they make us learn in class!" She urges Abby to take to the keyboard. "It's not that hard!" Abby tries, but she thinks it is hard, and unlike Cindy she sounds awful, but she's having fun.
That night, Cindy takes her to Pepper's Pub. This is a place she's heard about from her mother, and that on the surface has looked the same as it did in the early days of the century when Frank first got a taste for alcohol here which started his life long struggle he never won. There is so much history in the walls as they walk inside, and Abby remembers her mother's stories, and her great aunts' stories. How Anna had to much to drink and almost ended up in trouble, and how Alice fell in love and later had her heart broken here. It's a little awe inspiring.
But Cindy doesn't stop at the bar, instead she brings Abby down a staircase that was not there when Frank and Anna and Alice or even her mother went to Britechester. A staircase leading down into an underground club where the music is louder and the lights dimmer.
"They opened this up just last year," Cindy yells over the music. "Coolest place in town!" Cindy definitely agrees, and the rest of the night she is on her feet dancing to the beat. History all but forgotten, and over the next few weeks this becomes her favourite place to be in Britechester as her style becomes bolder, brighter and more revealing - at least when she's dancing.
But as comfortable as she is on the dancefloor, as out of depth does she feel in lectures. It's not that she doesn't like writing, she does, the creativeness of the process comfortable and familiar. But the academic logic that goes with college just doesn't suit her. Her attention span isn't the best and she'd much rather write herself than sit through boring lectures on how to do it, and while Cindy has been prepped for studies her whole life, and seem to be able to balance partying hard with geting straight As without issues, for Abby it's so much harder. And why does she have to write a term paper on photography when she could just take pictures instead?
Nevertheless she struggles on, trying to do her best even when she's bored out of her mind. At least college also offers up a lot of distractions. As well as light points, like being able to sneak in when Cindy presents her work on modern art and hearing her mother's name mentioned among those well known artists she knows her mother has admired all her life. After, Cindy tells her the professor praised her on her knowledge of obscure feministic beatnik artists in San Sequoia in the 50s. "As if that was the hard part!" she laughs. "Your mother's art is so much more interesting than those boring mainstream artists." Abby can't help but to feel a sense of pride. In her mother, in her history, and in her past. How much more fun wouldn't that be to study?
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