EMMMM Turkey

Traditions:
Beliefs or customs taught by one generation to the next, often orally. For example, we can speak of the tradition of sending birth announcements.
A set of customs or practices. For example, we can speak of Thanksgiving traditions.

I love this time of year…..The weather is turning and it becomes that time of year when traditions are replayed. I came from a family with no traditions, sad but true. But, what that did for me, was make me so aware that families are woven into traditions. My husband’s family is very traditional, and it wasn’t until his grandmother Mamaw, became unable to host Thanksgiving that I was woven into the tradition. Other life changes have moved me tighter into the weave. Our home is now the gathering place for the family. I love that family comes here, to break bread and eat a mountain of turkey, with those we just had dinner with 2 weeks ago. They’ll be here, later in the week to have turkey enchiladas from the leftovers. Thanksgiving has always been Gary’s favorite holiday…Everyone is here, and having a good time. He doesn’t see the work that goes into it, or the work after the meal, but that’s okay, it’s a guy thing. The traditional purple Jell-O salad that was Beverly’s favorite will be on the table, Mamaws red pickle dish with bread and butter pickles, my mom’s crystal bowl will have the vegetables in it, and there will be olives in the stuffing from my grandmother’s recipe. This year our families a little smaller around the table, with a little more elbow room. Our son has chosen to start his own tradition, with Thanksgiving at his house, with his family. He has always been a good cook when it came to a bar-be -cue, but a bird he’s never tackled, or all the other goodies. I guess his traditions will start this year with on the job training, I hope he knows to defrost his turkey in the refrigerator, to pull out the neck & the giblets. But then what is Thanksgiving with out a few surprises?

Christmas the all consuming day

I have made up my mind, what little there is left of my mind, that this Christmas will be no fuss no muss. HA HA HA
I have been working all morning on Christmas gifts, I can't tell you what they are becasue some people actually read my blog. And that no fuss no muss, again I say HA, that just isn't panning out for me.
I can't exactly say what is going on, because things are still in the works and I don't want to screw that up. But this year I am thinking CASH. Yup, that green folding stuff that makes the world go round. Some people like to say that they don't need money to be happy, well just try taking that to the grocery store. When you put things into perspective, your health has to be the most important thing. As my brother always says " People in the graveyard would love to bitch about health care." And he's right. Money can buy a lot of things, groceries and health care. But, I digress.... Money doesn't make memories, but I'll tell you what, memories made with money aren't any sweeter. We've all been there, didn't have a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out of, yet we can remember buying our child that special gift for Christmas, because we knew it would make their Christmas memory.
For me I think that special gift was our first dog.
Ginger, our dachshund was born at the end of October, making her the perfect Christmas gift for our children, who had been begging for a pet able pet. They had previously owned fish and turtles, and you know you just can't snuggle up to a fish while watching cartoons... Ginger was named for the Gary Larson Far Side comic strip. The panel shows a dachshund being talked to by her owner, The owner says "Sit Ginger, Good girl Ginger, Stay Ginger" The next panel shows what dogs hear, "Blah Ginger, Blah blah Ginger, Blah Ginger", So we had a name for our new pet. I was lucky the breeder had let me make payments during the weaning of the puppies. We took delivery of the puppy Christmas eve. Part of the children's gifts had been $10.00 to spend on the puppy for the puppy's Christmas gifts. Then we had to go purchase all the andas. And she needed a bed, and a set of bowls, and a few toys, those were the cheap things. AND it was the vet and vet services that caught me by surprise. Yes, it was a tight Christmas for us, but we lived through it. Ginger continued to give us memories, continued to cost us for vet bills, and yes she still got Christmas gifts from everyone under the tree.
So, cash will be wrapped with a bow, to pay for a memory yet to come.

Damned if you do......

Well, it’s that time of year again. It's the middle of October, So that means the stores are full of Halloween decorations, and that is a good thing. The summer is on its way out and fall is here. I know this because as a child when picking out my costume it had to be warm. Regardless that it was 90 degrees during the day, come dark the temp would drop and I'd be freezing. As a child I had a constant runny nose, constant cold, constant cough. I must have driven my mother mad. Any costume I had had to cover my long johns, I believe if footed pajamas were made for 3rd graders I'd have been made to wear them. But I digress.....
I don't know who moved stocking and selling Christmas items to right after "Back to School sales...I generally curse this marketing move and whom ever first thought of it. Damn them for not letting us enjoy Halloween. Damn them for not letting us enjoy Thanksgiving without thinking of the next day sales! But not so today.
I have finished my last Christmas stocking. I have made it a point to cross-stitch a Christmas stocking for each person in the family. So today I went on a shopping trip. I needed a Christmas tree skirt, because this stocking that I just finished I have also made a matching winter scene to sew to a tree skirt... I was able to find just about anything I needed in the way of Halloween, Thanksgiving, or fall. I was hoping to get this finished BEFORE the holiday rush. The 0nly place I could find a tree skirt was Lowes Hardware, and they didn't exactly have a huge selection. I guess it's simply too soon to finish my Christmas projects in October.

The road map to the mind I lost...

I've heard getting older is hard on the body, but I think its even harder on my mind. There is that saying " Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most." Things I use to remember with ease, are now lost forever. It wouldn't be so bad, if I weren't cognizant, of those things. How great would it be to wake up each morning, jump out of bed, and get on with the day? These days I roll out of bed, (anyone whose had abdominal surgery is familiar with this,) and as I do its like listening to a symphony of my joints warming up for a Christmas concert. I remember that I'm married to my highschool sweetheart, and in my mind he is still that 17 year old guy, not the man with grey in his beard, and arthritic knees.Things I'd like to have forgotten, also seem to have gone hazy, or perhaps they aren't as life changing as they once were. I never bought into that saying, " The minute you hold your baby you forget the pain of childbirth."But perhaps the loosing of your memory, is lifes way of keeping you in the moment of today.