The night before the following Thanksgiving
I wasn’t planning on 3 diaries worth of gratitude but unlike that third
helping of stuffing, there’s always room for more thanks:
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All my dogs, past and present
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Our little house in the woods, complete with all the mistakes we made while building it.
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Cafe will be open Thanksgiving Day!
Please recommend (and unrecommend the Cafe from earlier)
Oh my Andi! That’s the best. I’m having the best day, Thank you.
what “that” is the best?
I’m glad you’re having a great day. It’s probably the result of having a dog in the house (hint, hint) — they lower people’s blood pressure just by being around.
Oh, sorry. Your collection of photos. My head has been slowly filling up and my ears are totally stuffed and my throat hurts and I feel kind of horrible. So, I’m not thinking very clearly. And I may, actually slide into lurk mode (as typing becomes more and more difficult to contemplate).
I was fine yesterday morning, but I got a flu shot yesterday afternoon. Could that trigger a cold?
I was sick for three days with a temperature of 101. So yeah, I think they can make you sick.
You should go to bed and have sweet dreams of your previously pleasant day.
What’s the difference between this and the flu?
As far as I could tell there was no difference between the shot and the flu which is why I haven’t ever gotten another one — but then again a lot of people get the shots and have no adverse reaction.
I’ve been so susceptible to flu the last few years I thought I’d try it. But, I don’t know. . . .
include
* Soreness, redness, or swelling where the shot was given
* Fever (low grade)
* Aches
No more so than me. I have never had a flu shot in my entire life. I get the flu maybe once every 10 to 12 years. I thought about getting a flu shot the other day and changed my mind. I am going to continue to trust my body.
I hope you feel better katiebird!
You cannot get the flu from the flu shot because the virus is dead. But since it takes the vaccine about 3 weeks to work you might have just gotten the flu coincidentally. I’ve been getting the shot for the past ten years and haven’t gotten sick since. In fact, I just got mine this morning by a very cute doctor at my health club. mmmm.
But I don’t believe in coincidence either. I guess I should be thankful that I won’t have to go to work until Monday and maybe I’ll be past the worst of this.
I’m a great believer in flu shots myself since having the Hong Kong flu in 1970. 105° fever – hallucinating – could not get vertical no matter what. Literally crawled to the bathroom several times the first day, but after that . . . nothing left. Pets went unfed for several days. (Still feel guilty about that, but really, there was nothing I could do about it.)
Yes, flu shots can make you feel bad, but it’s not the flu. I put a comment here a while ago about how it works.
I was also very careful to get a flu shot when Mom was still with us – she had iffy lungs anyway and I was worried I might pass the flu on to her. About 36,000 people die from it every year in the US. See the CDC info page.
Something I’m thankful for? Flu shots!
Janet, thank you so much for this explanation. Now it all makes sense. So maybe this won’t last too long or get too bad?
And if it does — at least I’m home for another 4 days.
I just knew that I couldn’t keep getting as sick as I’ve gotten the last few years. I’m hoping that this weight loss will help, especially next winter when I should be at a normal weight.
So, I got the shot. Now I’m glad about it. I can think of this as an investment.
According to the CDC – one to two days.
If it lasts longer than that, it’s probably that you just happened to get a cold just now.
I hate colds – not as much as the flu, but I hate them anyway. They make you feel so rotten and I never feel like they come with adequate complaining rights. One thing I keep remembering about my friend Melanie was that when I got a cold, she’d be so genuinely sympathetic – even though she was dealing with cancer. I miss her. My best friend for 30 years. I’m thankful for all the people I love who are still with me, but there’s no replacement for a 30-year Best Friend.
Yebeg Wot
You will need some berbere, if you can’t get any, you will have to make it.
Get a dish, and put a pinch of each of these:
ginger
cardamon
coriander
allspice
nutmeg
fenugreek
cloves
cinnamon
add another pinch of ginger
Put a pan on the fire, and dump it all in. cook it gently, so the spices darken but do not burn. After a few minutes, add about a cup of African cayenne pepper, half a cup of paprika, and a few pinches of salt and black pepper. Stir it around and let it slowly roast for about ten more minutes. Take it off the fire and when it is cool put it in a jar.
Now put a big pot of water on the fire and hard boil 8 or 10 eggs.
Cut up a few onions. Non-sectarian Sufi chop.
Put another big pot on the fire and throw in the cut up onions, let them cook a few minutes, just dry. Keep stirring them so they don’t scorch. When they change color a little bit and get soft, put 3 or 4 lumps of butter and 3 or 4 big spoons of your berebere in and stir that around.
In another pot, brown cubes of lamb on all sides in a little butter, then throw it into the pot with the onions and berbere. Put in some water, let it cook a while, until the lamb is tender.
Remember to take the shells off your hardboiled eggs before you throw them whole into the yebeg wot and serve it with naan or pita if you do not have any injera.
(Maybe a BooTron can delete the original one posted in the closed thread)
I didn’t mean to cut off your recipe giving. When the comments get too many, a new cafe gets opened but the ‘closing’ is metaphorical so it’s fine that your comment is in both places.
by the train wreck show.
you can, just use chicken instead of lamb and don’t bother browning it first, but if you will be serving it to Jews who observe dietary laws, don’t put the eggs in. This is no problem with the lamb, the most obsessively religious people of all faiths except vegan can eat it.
That sounds really good.
I was too lazy and/or distracted to brine the turkey today. Any sense in doing it now?
Yes! Get on it! It’s easy! And TOTALLY worth it! (Some recipes only call for 12-hour brining anyway.)
I gotta go now. I have a turkey to bathe.
Make a huge vat of it, and what you house does not eat, take somewhere where there are people who do not have a turkey.
Hi everyone, how are you doing.
Andi great job on the cafe’s, you are a natural at this..
I haven’t had too much to say, so I haven’t been commenting, but I’ve been reading as always…
Andi! Wonderful diaries today! I really, really enjoyed all your pics. I was checking in from work. It’s been a rough week, so I haven’t been able to hang out as much as I’d like.
I’m popping this photo up now while I have the code for it… It’s a shot of the garden … See I remembered! It’s not the complete garden, but gives a good size view. I’m going to have to play w/ the panorama feature some more to capture the whole thing at some point. Probably next year, as it is now brown, gray, and white! (Yucky snow) 🙂
Where all the flowers in my photos grow!
Olivia! Get that photo up and I’ll dig up a 4 — just for you!!
Looking forward to seeing the garden.
I think doing diaries on special occasions is the way to go — there is a built-in theme and you don’t have to think too hard about what to do.
I did post it, at least I can see it… (Now I understand kb’s post… hmmm…)
it wasn’t showing before but now it is and I really like seeing it. It’s lovely.
I don’t know why, but it didn’t display on my pc. So, I highlighted your comment and saw the image code:
And it didn’t show up for me in preview. So I pasted it into the location bar to see what would happen
And there it was!!
And when I went into the cafe — Your picture was there in the comment. Where it definitely not before.
The mystery photograph — now I really feel feverish.
Oh, Yikes! I thought I deleted that code from the comment.
I’m sorry, darn, I wish we could edit comments.
It’s really weird how it didn’t show up at first. Of course, since I always suspect people of gaslighting, it could be that olivia didn’t upload the picture till later just to fake us out 😉
🙂
No… I swear. I uploaded it to my blog a couple days ago (11.19) so that all I would have to do is post the code! When I previewed the comment, I could see the picture! That’s why I wasn’t sure what you guys were talking about. I thought you were talking about the panorama shot… which I haven’t taken yet. So therefore have not uploaded…
It’s been a long yucky week for me, so messing it up is entirely likely!
Either time! What’s with the pictures? I missed Olivia’s last one too. Help!
I don’t get it at all, but to see the photo if you can’t see it, highlight Olivia’s comment, right click and choose view selection source.
There you will see towards the bottom of her comment the img src code. Copy the URL into your address bar & you will see the photo.
Then, when you come back — it’ll be here waiting for you in her comment.
I can’t imagine what the problem is. I wonder if other images have been lost (hey! Lost was on tonight….) this way?
Stupid Internet Explorer….Stupid Microsoft!!! I highlighted Olivia’s comment, clicked on view source and I got the source code for the entire cafe!!!!
Would you post the link here for me? Pretty Thanksgiving Please?
Olivia — I totally stole it from you and uploaded it to my photobucket account.
Puget4, now that I’m a felon, let’s see if this works any better:
Since it seems to work for the person doing the posting, I can’t tell. It worked in preview.
Worth waiting for, for sure!!!! Wow!! What a garden. It makes me miss gardening in a seriously missing kinda way.
Thanks, KatieB, for becoming a felon just for me. Maybe Olivia will send you one of those flowers in jail.
Now I’m going to go see Olivia’s blog and see what else she has there.
Do I get my 4? I could really use something potent tonight.
;^)
I’ll give you a 4 just on general principles and faith but I still want to see it.
Try clicking this link
STUPID IE!!! STUPID, STUPID!! I got a cannot access error, clicked again got a page not available error.
Wahhhhhh!!!
Try this link:
my blog post.
It’s the same picture on my personal blog.
See if that works.
Thanks, Olivia. Now that I saw KatieB’s felonious posting I can now see your photo at it’s original location!!
I went to your blog….very nice. Lots of interesting links there too. Could you recommend a Canadian blog that would not mind a Yank lurking and posting once in a while? I want to learn all I can about your wonderful Canada.
Hi Puget4. Thanks for the kind words. Here are some of the ones that I visit most often:
CathiefromCanada. This is a good one. Cdn and US content. She posts on dKos from time to time.
Peace, order and good government, eh?. Cdn focus mainly, some US.
hairy fish nuts. Snarky, funny.
Canadian Cynic.
Tattered Sleeve Scott in Montreal posts on dKos.
And the progressive group blog Progressive Bloggers. Scott posts here at BT and at dKos.
other than the one I just gave you, but this is potent:
I’ll take them both!
but I can give you a drunk-looking kid
instead.
With me?
you really are way too adorable for me to be seen with — couldn’t you at least drool a bit or have a runny nose.
We should make a playdate with
and throw tapico pudding and baby food all over the cafe floor.
Here’s a link to it at full size. My chin is not only completely covered in drool (it comes to a shiny point at the end of my chinny-chin-chin but the dress is spotted all over with it as well. And my hand is soaked, I think they must have just pulled my hand out of my mouth.
I do admit to it’s cuteness. Something about the ernest look in my eye.
I am about to o.d. on your adorableness.
Here is a photo history of my life.
Yup. That’s right. When I was 2, I was blonde.
What a fun idea! You’re very funny!
Thanks, but it’s really not hard to be funny with such humorous material 🙂
Now I know why I got those yearbook photos taken every year…
If I had broadband, think I could click through the pages really fast si it would look like a speeded-up version of your life?
And you are right — you were an impressive geek at 9. We could have fixed you up with my vacant-stare, cross-eyed mouth breather.
You look like a totally different boy from year to year in some of those photos.
Nice running commentary btw… LOL!
I’ve come to realize that my early years exist solely to provide others with humor 🙂
You know what? It’s a really good example of how insanely quick kids grow up and change, and then that weird, geeky time around puberty when you look like a totally different kid. My youngest son is 15 and I can’t believe he’s the same kid he was a year ago.
Oh my God, you really did look like a young Stephen Hawking! I’m sitting here cracking up at your narrative. I think my daughter thinks I’m insane. I’ll have to show her so she knows what I’m laughing about.
that my photos and commentary have nothing to do with your daughter thinking you are insane 😉
However, I would take it as a huge compliment if they did.
You guys are SO cute. And SO funny. And those pics/avatars are better than 4s … even potent 4s.
Of course — I’m sorry I was so slow!
Drink up!
That goes well with e’s Everclear!
Thanks!
Okay, I give up!!! Now the photo is there. Are the blog spirits playing games tonight?
It’s weird, that’s for sure. I really have never heard of the problem before.
It can’t be a caching issue, because we’d be missing the whole comment (and other comments).
I just don’t know.
Sorry, I am rather late to this party and I did promise myself that I wouldn’t post, but couldn’t resist the quiz.
Results follow:
You scored as Hermione Granger.
You’re one intelligent witch, but you have a hard time believing it and require constant reassurance. You are a very supportive friend who would do anything and everything to help her friends out.
Hermione Granger 95%
Severus Snape 80%
Sirius Black 80%
Remus Lupin 80%
Harry Potter 70%
Ginny Weasley 70%
Ron Weasley 60%
Albus Dumbledore 55%
Draco Malfoy 55%
Lord Voldemort 45%
Not quite what i though of as my mental image! hmmmm…..
That is an interesting list.
I’m remembering a CD I got with my first Computer CD player in 1992 or 93. It was a movie database and if a person entered 3 titles it would list 3 movies that you might like.
The list always included “Silence of the Lambs” no matter what other titles you put in.
You asked in the other thread what I am? I’m 85% Harry, then Remus, then Dumbledore. At the bottom I’m 10% Voldemort.
I couldn’t resist either. Here’s my score. What fun!
I scored as Albus Dumbledore.
Strong and powerful you admirably defend your world and your charges against those who would seek to harm them. However sometimes you can fail to do what you must because you care too much to cause suffering.
Albus Dumbledore 80%
Hermione Granger 80%
Harry Potter 70%
Remus Lupin 70%
Draco Malfoy 60%
Sirius Black 45%
Ron Weasley 40%
Severus Snape 40%
Ginny Weasley 35%
Lord Voldemort 0%
Puget4! I’m glad to see you — I’m so happy about your weight loss. It’s so nice to have someone else working on the same project as me.
(I’m not telling anyone how much I’ve lost — I don’t want any of those with bottomless memories adding it all up when I’m done. It’ll be way more than I intend on admitting to)
I’m never admitting to remembering anything in the cafe again.
Now, who are you?
mumble, mumble. . . .turning my head aside. Sighing. I just want to forget how fat I was (and actually still am). When you say certain things out loud or type them they get burned in the brain. That’s all I meant. And I’d worry.
Well, it’s been a very uneventful day around the Nature household. Daughter arrived home from college with large mesh bag containing many items to be laundered. Good thing I stocked up on Tide and Downy for her visit.
Mrs. Chubbsworthy spent the better part of the day lolling about on the kitchen table…yes I said on the kitchen table and I know how gross that is, but you try to move her.
Good job hosting today, Andi…I think it’s safe to say you will never be able to bow out gracefully now that we all know what a gracious hostess you are.
my doing anything gracefully is a bigger fantasy than harry potter, so I’ll be able to bow out with my usually klutzy lack of aplomb.
does a very good “you talking to me, bitch?” look. You could take her along to your court meetings for moral support.
so does my daughter. 🙂
did you see the cdc flu shot side effects I posted upthread?
Yes, but it depressed me so I didn’t say anything. I’m trapped. It’s too late and there isn’t any such thing as a do-over.
I just wanted you to know you had a legit reason to be suspicious.
Anyway, reaction or not, the shot will still work and the reaction won’t be as bad as the flu would be.
Pollyanna lives!
I love her dearly. But between the two of us there is just way too much estrogen flowing sometimes. Boys are so much easier! Now I sound like my mother with her 7 feisty daughters and her one good and obedient son.
had a sweet-but-I-am-my-mothers-daughter-and-will-take-no-shit look.
I agree, there is strength and determination in that look.
She definitely has lots of both. She’s so delicate and fragile looking that I have always wanted to protect her from the world, but in reality she’s tough as nails and has more grace and tenacity than I can ever hope to possess.
Well now that I’ve already posted and proved that I have no resistance to temptation, i do wanna say that i am very thankful to AndiF for posting this third diary with photogs to drool over and for making this evening so much fun.
What’s the deal with resisting the temptation to post? We love your comments and how can we tell your here if you don’t speak up?
Oh I dunno, I always feel I am gonna make a complete ass of myself and either become a byword and hissing, or, which is much more likely, go to bed beating up on myself for being so stupid.
Though gotta admit I did manage to post a number of totally vapid comments on the orange for Operation Yellow Feather diary–just to keep the comment list moving upward.
I remember doing that! You’ll never do that again if you hang out here. Really, no one is looking to put anyone down here.
(we might ask what you mean — see Andi’s question to me up above. But it will be very nicely put. Usually.)
Why thank you katiebird. Of course, the other great draw of the cafe are those incredibly potent 4s that you serve. I start tripping over my feet and slurring my vowels just by looking at that vivid green color.
They’re great, aren’t they?
you may have noticed that making an ass of oneself is considered a matter of high honor. Special bonus brownie points are awarded if doing so causes excessive snortage.
Hey! Acting like a complete ass is my job. You can’t have it ;o)
You just keep posting!
Agreed?
Dammit! I’m always too late to apply for the best jobs!
You are quite welcome. Besides, knowing that I have led someone astray makes me very happy.
It’s the Voldemort in you.
It’s the me in me.
is the funniest thing I’ve read in a long time 🙂
My mother would probably argue that point, poor thing.
Thank you Andi for a wonderful Cafe. Very home-y :o)
I wish the very bestest Thanksgiving to all my frog friends. I’m thankful for each of you :o)
for all the wise ones hanging out tonight.
What do you do when you get a splinter that you just can’t get out (it’s under a fingernail). I’ve tried tweezers, pins, and needlenose pliers. It’s already pushed too far in beyond the entrance wound, and there’s no lateral access.
At this point, I am assuming that I should just put some disinfectant on it, and kill the pain with some whiskey.
Then I will absorb the splinter into my body, slowly becoming as one with it; when I eventually have kids they will be able to check the ‘other’ ethnicity box on college applications and claim that their father was part kitchen cabinet, thereby qualifying for numerous grants and financial aid.
But if anyone has any other suggestions, I’m all ears. Thanks.
Hilarious! I would opt for soaking it in hot water for a while and then just forgetting about it if you can and your body will hopefully force it out in a couple of days.
Sounds like a plan 🙂
Thanks for posting the pictures, what a great looking family ( I showed up late tonight, so I’m making up for it ). Your cat looks like one bad mo-fo, and your daughter sounds like an amazing person (and she’s very pretty too 🙂
Well first…..do you own hedge clippers?
I don’t think it’ll be absorbed by your body. It’ll come out on it’s own eventually but is likely to become infected first. The only thing I can think of would be to soak it for a long time in something with a softening quality to it. Something other than acid ;o) Then maybe it’ll be easier to get at it.
Sorry dude. Don’t really know. In fact, disregard this entire comment. I’m being an ass again :o)
Doesn’t ‘being an ass again‘ imply that the behavior stopped for at least a little while? 😉 JOKING!!! JUST JOKING!!
I don’t think it will become infected…I’ve taken all the necessary precautions, hopefully.
I am kind of disappointed that I can’t just absorb it though. When it gets rejected, I’m going to feel like some small part of me has been lost. 🙁
It only appears to stop for a little while when I’m offline.
This is so sad. And there go the kids’ scholarships, too. Maybe you ought to push the thing in deeper.
I think I’ve succeeded in that endeavor…I tried again with the tweezers.
The scholarships are intact, for the time being. 😀
Okay, I know its the height of rudeness to laugh at somebody’s pain, but i can’t stop the giggles.
But then again…I could be just feeling happy at your kids’ good fortune.
if it really hurt THAT bad, I wouldn’t be typing.
Come to think of it, typing probably isn’t helping the situation…hmmm…
I’m grateful for so much this Thanksgiving. You guys are the best and make me feel a part of the bunch. I have my own home for the first time in my life. A safe car. Health insurance. A man who loves me even though I am a raving bitch-goddess sometimes.
Most of all I’m thankful every day for these guys. Talk about finding the meaning in your life early on. I became a mother when I was 21 and had to grow up fast, but it has held far more joy for me than I ever thought I deserved. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
Wishing you all a wonderful, yummy Thanksgiving.
Also, if you’re ever looking for something fun to do during the cold, cold northern winter…you can bet I’ll be there.
Here’s a picture of my team last year (note the palm trees, sun, and fun being had by all 🙂
This sure beats indoor, hard walls (to crash into when running full out), fake grass/astroturf, rubber bits that get inside clothing, and stale air Ultimate:
That’s a good-looking team ya got there e! ;o)
I guess I should probably post a pic of the beach where we play too 🙂
Also, I created a video (warning: large file [~42 MB]) of some of the fun down there.
I play indoor here in the winter here too…it’s ok, but nothing beats getting down there for some fun in the sun 😀
That’s beautiful.
I’ve never played on sand… How do you find it? Is it hard on the ankles?
That pic is so nice, especially when it’s supposed to snow all day tomorrow!
(I’ll have to check out your vid tomorrow at work – on dial-up right now!)
I have bad ankles too. I was concerned, but it actually isn’t bad at all.
The only thing is, that down there it gets really hot. So sometimes you have to wear socks in the sand, which is just weird.
But it works!
Now wait a minute? Something fun to do in long cold winters? Palm trees in the background. Email addy at Umich? Something doesn’t add up. It gets mighty cold in Michigan. You can’t fool an old Ohioan (who loves Univ of Mich BTW)
all of the fun takes place in Acapulco 🙂
Much, much warmer than Michigan, and full of tropical plants, animals, and alcoholic beverages.
Check it out y’all!
http://joe-lebensrauman.dailykos.com/story/2005/11/23/204020/18
I’m going to be in a few and I’m not opening a new cafe so take good care of the cafe because this one is going to have to last till kansas opens up the T’day one tomorrow morning.
AAAAcccckkkkk! I guess that happens when the host wakes up at 5 in the morning.
Does everyone know how to collapse the comments? If things bog down that can help a lot.
Andi, it was a great day. I had a blast. Will we see you tomorrow?
My fav way to collapse the comments is what I learned that night when ManE was teaching us.
I put the number 40 in the “Nested up to” box and I put a plus sign in the “Dynamic Threaded Up to” box. I like that way because it shows the entire first comment in every thread and only collapses the rest of them.
That’s a good idea. But, I think I’m collapsing my self right now.
(rest up — tomorrow, it’s your day!)
Glad you had a good day. And yup, I’ll be around tomorrow.
Make sure you find a soft place to land before you let go. We’ll see you tomorrow. Sweet dreams to you!
Thanks Olivia. If I fall before the bed, it would probably be over the malamutt who likes to follow me everywhere, so it will very soft.
You were FABulous, dahling!
Oh my dear, you are simply too, too kind.
And a host is only as good as her guests.
Late to the party. I was busy preparing for tomorrow. (baking) Happy Thanksgiving to all! I am simply thankful to have my family and sufficient means to meet our needs. And of course to all here, especially BooMan for providing to us this place to meet daily.
We are in the process of looking for the Cherry Coke Jell-O Salad recipe and haven’t found it yet. When my copy of Square Meals (one of the most fun cookbooks ever) surfaces I’ll post it.
In the meantime here’s a thumbnail sketch: Take a can or two of dark sweet Bing cherries and boil them in their juice for about a minute. Add black cherry Jell-O and stir, making sure the Jell-O is dissolved. Use cold Coca-Cola instead of the cold water to finish making the salad (make sure it’s thicker than you would make for a regular dessert Jell-O). Stir in some chopped pecans. Turn the whole thing into a greased Jell-O mold and let it chill until set.
I’ll be back with proportions and a proper recipe after I find one.
Is anyone else lurking about? I think JanetS was right, I still feel icky, but my nose isn’t stuffy, so I do seem to be on a two-day track (wouldn’t that be great!).
Hello?
Somebody is here and she
wants to play but I told her you need to save your strength for your family gathering.
Glad you are feeling better.
Are those buckles on your outfit? I keep thinking they are tiny little fists waving at us.
We don’t have family around on Thanksgiving. It’s always just mister and me. The kids have never spent a holiday or birthday with us, their mom would through too powerful a rage for any of the kids to attempt not spending it with her.
At this point we’re pretty set in our ways. We’ll start working on the prep in an hour or so and get the turkey in sometime. And put the side-stuff together through the day.
It’s nice to do it at our own pace.
What about the stepdaughter – did she go home? And your son and the kidlets? Are they not in the area. OTOH, I’m rather jealous of your t’day celebration — I wish I had that choice.
They are buckles.
EVERYONE is in town. All parents, siblings, children, nieces, nephews, cousins, in-laws, x-wives.
The kids mother always insisted on having the kids for holidays and birthdays. We would have had to go to court to overcome it. And we probably would have had to go to court every year. She would have punished the kids with her rage (which she did anyway, but at least we were never responsible). And now that the kids are old enough to do what they want, they’ve got their traditions and we’ve got ours. I don’t think we’d know what to do with each other if they spent a holiday here. I did tell our daughter that if things disintegrate too far today, she should just walk out of the house without saying anything and come here. She said, “I’ve done it before!” So, she might be here.
On my side of the family there is just too much holiday angst. One year my sister punched me in the jaw (not as children — she was almost 30). My mom hates holidays and is always wheezing. People drink a little too much and cry. Or bring up ancient depressing stories (that I don’t always think happened at all – or at least not quite the way described). There’s a lot of fun, good stuff also, but our family gets together every year for one reason or other anyway (this time a wedding on 12/10) so it’s not like I won’t see the whole crew at all.
And mister has a pretty strong touch of social anxiety disorder. He hasn’t been to any family gathering (in his family or mine) in over 10 years. So, he wouldn’t consider going anywhere today.
And since we took control of our holidays, we’ve really enjoyed them. They actually feel like holidays.
Are you having family at your house, or are you going somewhere?
(It was such a revelation to realize those were buckles, not little fists on your picture. But, I wish they were fists, what a cute pose that would have been!)
Now I’m really jealous — you are in proximity of your family and you still don’t have to go. There’s no way I could pull that off — if I was dead, Jim would just have to drag the corpse along.
But I never have to have family gatherings at my place — it’s completely unsuitable since 1) it’s in the middle of nowhere with a long drive that scares people particularly if there is any possibility of snow, 2) it’s not very big and the entire downstairs is one big room, and 3) somehow or other I seem to have neglected to ever get enough plates, glasses, sliverware, chairs, etc to have a large crowd over.
Give how small those buckles are, if those were fists you really should be giving me sympathy for my strange deformity.
Well, it took my sister socking me in the jaw before I could pull it off. And even then there was some heavy pressure (really heavy pressure) for a couple of years. But that was nearly 20 years ago or so. My first independent Thanksgiving, I spent totally by myself with a stack of videos and snack food. And that was really fun in a bizarre way. I’m glad I did that because the next year I was with mister, so that was my only chance.
(and honey, those tiny deformed fists are the reason I’ve been so nice to you lately.)
I see kansas has today’s cafe open so we can continue talking over there.
And here I thought you liked me for my charm and sparkling repartee.
Oh, I like you for your harm and sparkling repartee. But I was nice to you from pity for your poor deformed fists.
Now that can stop.
I thought they were fists too. Good morning you two, glad to see someone else is up for a visit here in the cafe.
We have a weird step-family kind of thing here too. My husband’s kids and ex-wife live here but they hate us. Both of his kids have extensive criminal histories and are in and out of jail. bOth of them have pending court cases, the 19 yo boy with breaking and entering and credit card fraud, and the 21 yo girl with assaulting an officer. The boy is a classic sociopath, he grooms people only to victimize them later. He has no conscience.
My family is all back in Ohio, so it will be just my husband and me and my kids. I resent my husband horribly for talking me into moving down here instead of him moving up north. At least we would be surrounded by a loving, if somewhat dysfunctional family on Thanksgiving.
I will definitely enjoy it, though it’s quieter than usual. Mostly I just miss my oldest son to death. He lives in Cleveland and is not much of a communicator. He’ll be eating dinner at his wife’s mothers house, then going to work in the evening.
My step family wasn’t very functional either and the other spouses were both dead so I can’t blame divorce. I don’t know why so few of them seem to work — I think that’s why I enjoy hearing SallyCat talk about her stepkids — a happy story for a change.
I think you really, really, really need to plan a trip to Cleveland for Thanksgiving next year. It sounds to me like it would be worth the inconvenience.
I don’t want to give the wrong idea, the kids love us and spend lots of time with us. In fact the middle child just moved out of our house — he’s 27. And he still comes over 3 times a week to watch TV with us & do his laundry, and eat dinner, and work on his car.
It’s just that their mother is both needy and crazy and no one wants to send her over the edge.
SN, I know the loneliness of moving away from extended family. We moved from the county where ALL my relatives lived to a strange state 1500 miles away when I was 13. Thanksgiving & Christmas with only 10 people seemed very quiet and lonely to us.
And losing the ability to run back and forth between each-others houses.
One of our kids is a trouble-boy. We’re very lucky with the other two. But the one boy, has caused us a lot of grief.