And the beat goes on.........

Hope you are all surviving the season of our our indulgence. I myself am fried up, toasted oats and shaked, baked, frosted and salted. Done, finis. I am a creature of habit and schedule and all of this craziness and laziness does me in. Firstly, I get myself totally sleep deprived by participating in the hen party my Mom and I hold well into the wee hours and then resuming said party early in the morning. And bloated--can we talk? The food I looked forward to did not disappoint. My brother in law treated us all to a very decadent and delicious Christmas Eve dinner. And I ate the whole thing. Powerhouse Gym awaits me Monday and I plan to knock myself out. Bring it Trainer Tony!! I am including some pics for your giggle. How about that Mickey being a good sport and wearing his cute yet degrading reindeer ears. He totally worked his cuteness and figured out who to pimp for treats--Grampa and Aunt Lisa. Lola spent hours laying under the tree and enjoying the lights and such. The snow up north was incredible as witnessed in the pic of the snow cake, modeled by Carol Merrill. That said, I want to thank all of you, especially my faithful commenter's (xoxoxox!) for your support this past 10 months or so, and also for enduring my lengthy, Christmas memoir post. That thing took on a life of it's own! You have all inspired me by your generosity and humor. Love and Peace to all. xoxo P.S Happy Belated Birthday to my dear bud, Tim!

I'll be home for Christmas......

For the first time in years, my whole family will be together on Christmas. On December 24, along with a few other " blessed " events, the stars will line up and we will gather to celebrate. For me, this means the 229.9 mile trek up to Ossineke on Wednesday afternoon, which is currently in winter wonderland mode. I bore quickly with the ride, but as we approach, I admit to getting quite excited. Isn't the anticipation one of the best things about anything celebratory? We will arrive on Christmas Eve where everything must be EXACTLY as I remember it to be. We will descend like rock stars with family in the window cheering and waving. (What? No holding up of lighters?) We will drop our coats like like kids upon walking in the door. Shoes will be in a giant, snow melting pile for someone surely to trip over. My Mom will probably organize the mess before anyone trips and takes a header. It will smell positively delicious as something good will already be cooking. Various beverages (wine!) will be chilled and waiting. I may have called from Oscoda (40 miles south) to insure this is handled, as surely I will be PARCHED upon arrival. Lots of scurrying about getting glasses, ice, corkscrews etc. will be happening and everyone will be talking at once--which is normal for us. We will then converge (cocktails in hand) to the living room to admire the tree. Some of us will snoop for gifts. Then upon settling in to our usual spots, someone will tell my Dad to turn down the t.v. so we can hear each other without the aid of microphones or megaphones. Various snacks will prevent us from perishing before dinner is served. (Mom, again!) Someone will get us all a second round. Although we all talk often, we still find plenty to catch up on. And we are forced to find new subjects because talking about each other,when we are all there, is impossible. I will tell Mom her hair looks great, (true) and Dad will tell me that it looks as though I have lost weight. (untrue.) My brother will regale us with tales from the Ford auto sales front and my sister will fill us in on the holiday parties that she hosted at her restaurant. My brother in law, the dentist and chef extraordinaire, will have some recipes of interest for me and maybe some dental triumphs. Dane's beloved dog, Mickey will patrol all areas and make sure to hoover up all dropped "floor derves." Soon it will be dinner time and the table will be set with the Christmas dishes and again, we will sit in our usual places. Mom will say grace and we will demolish the wonderful food. Then, finally, the plate of Christmas cookies will be placed on the table. No matter how stuffed we are, the flavors of the past will come flooding back. My Mom had to hide them from us growing up, or they would never have made it to dessert time. We may have peppermint stick or spumoni ice cream. Eventually, in a tradition as old as time, the men will convene to the living room and the women will clean up the kitchen. At last, Mom, my sister, and I can chat without interruption! In our next lives we want to be men and just walk away from all domestic chores. NOT-we are all girly girls and have long since resigned ourselves to the injustice of it all. Later we might crack some champagne and toast to our fabulous selves. Some of my aunts and uncles may stop by and maybe a card game will start up. Or we will just tell our tales. Invariably my uncle or dad will have ran into an old friend of mine but will be unable to remember their name. I will guess until the mystery is solved. Not much else will happen. Maybe the cookie platter will appear again and I will have just one more. Like most holidays, we all sort of drift off. Christmas day comes early and we will commence again. Mom and I will go to early Mass while everyone else consumes massive amounts of coffee. We will pray for their lost souls. I will try not to cry at the beautiful spirituality of the mass as well as the families dressed in their holiday best, worshiping the reason for the season. Growing up, we would go to midnight mass and there would always be big, soft snowflakes coming down as we exited church. There were beautiful light displays on the way, and my favorite was the yard done in all blue lights. But I digress, as long as the little children do not sing "Away in a Manger," I should be okay. My Dad will make his famous "slumgullion" (a bacon, egg, potato, and onion dish) when we get home, and all will be stuffed once again. My brothers 3 boys will arrive and Christmas can officially begin. The kids truly are the whole fun of the day. We have planned a treasure hunt that they must follow to collect their gifts. This sort of drags the whole thing out and fills them with excitement. There will be moments where you will not be able to hear yourself think. Finally the gift segment of the day is over and we can commence to more food and drink-not necessarily in that order. If my Gramma Iola doesn't make it over, we will go and visit her. I treasure every year that we still have her with us. 94 years young and still hangin' tough. Rumor has it, she has made me my favorite, Norwegian cookies--berlinakrauncers. We will probably reminisce about the old days when we had Christmas Eve at her farm. She will marvel at how many details I can still remember. Then back to Mom and Dad's for yet another feed. Everyone will be crashing around the kitchen trying to get samples before dishes hit the table. Repeat last nights routine. Some one will wonder what time we are shoving off the next day, and we will probably decide on that. The weather will be checked to make sure we are not risking life and limb. In the morning, we will pack up and head out hopefully taking the left over cookies--if any are left. 229.9 miles later we will be home and start in on our own family celebration--a much quieter event. Dane will check to see what damage Lola has done to the tree in our absence. As things wind down, I will reflect on what a great holiday it has been. Nothing changes, really, thank the good Lord. Merry Christmas to all. Peace and Love, xoxoxo

It's Raining Men........

My dear blogfriend, "the walking man" has inspired me to write about gay rights. Regarding "calling in gay", in which WM's post explains rather logically and eloquently why it is not really up to us to judge, but rather accept all choices as a matter of human rights. By calling in gay, we could see how much and how very equal ALL people are. We would miss having our favorite bankers, actors, store clerks, real estate reps. etc. to make our days run smoothly. Please read his writing on this subject. It is right on and inspiring. Now, for a more emotional plea. Why, in God's name, could anyone have issue with gay marriage or gay rights? It's human marriage and human rights. All of my life, I have attracted and been attracted to friendships that could be considered on the fringe. I have been called a bleeding heart, underdog champion as well as that trendy, but insulting term--fag hag. Rather than labeling my friends as anything but friends was more the way I viewed it. I treasure these friends not for the exotic birds they may be, but as the unique, individuals that understand and are comfortable in their own skin. It makes for such a rich relationship when those layers can be peeled back and you can get to the good stuff. Kinda like a fresh, steamed, artichoke heart--understanding the thing lets you get to the heart of the matter with a hot butter bonus. A treasured friend has explained to me that he is not my "gay friend", but my friend who is gay. He doesn't wish to be identified by his sexuality any more than I do. The same friend also answered my question as to why I seem to attract such a varied group. His answer was that my acceptance of all people radiates from me and draws in people like a moth to a flame. I am trusting and trusted. It was probably the biggest compliment I have ever received. I have a uncle and his partner that have been in our lives since I was a child, and they are accepted as a loyal and loving couple. In fact, they have lasted longer than most hetero unions I know. Growing up, it was accepted as different, but okay. I was the "best woman" in a marriage of two of the most in love people I have ever met. The ceremony was touching and reverent and the day was joyous. All vestiges of "normal" nuptials were present--just with better decorations and music. The trials of everyday marriage seem to effect us all, across the board--but the genuine love and respect is evident. Two of my friends that married in San Fransisco have adopted a child born of a very disadvantaged mother, and have given her a loving, stable home. I used to babysit my friend when HE was adopted by my neighbors and now he has done the same for his daughter. How could anyone deem that this couple are not fit to parent this baby that would otherwise end up in the inadequate foster system? They love her wholly and I could not be more proud of them. (Check out his blog at The Daddies' Chronicles.) What cracks me up is the blockheads who think that the everyday banker, gym trainer, or landscaper is not gay or worse? Uh, HELLO. One in nine is the stat used for numbers on this reality. And who ever cares? I have heard a crude but true little ditty that says on this regard, "it's your mouth and I don't care if you haul coal with it." the quoted person means it--he truly doesn't care. Or how about the fools that somehow associate pedophilia with being gay. Totally unrelated. But as usual, ignorance breeds hatred. My mom would probably break the whole thing down to this simple thought, "if you can't say anything nice, than shut your mouth." I usually would agree to that but in this case I would prefer a different tactic. Please express your support as often as you can. We are One Human Family--a Key West motto. And as an old hippy, I maintain, all we need is love. xoxo P.S. A get well shout out to my darling Michelle (Michelle's Spell) who had an unfortunate surgery. Her creative and inspiring writing is missed as well as her lovely photos. Get feelin' better luv, we miss u. xoxoxoxo Dane says, "hopefully they gave you morphine." Damn kid! xoxo

Shoobeedo.....

Most of you probably don't know this about me, but I will let you in on my little secret. I am an inventor. A very frustrated one. Well, actually, it's no real secret and I have been professing such a thing for years-- to anyone who would listen. Time after time, I have thought of so many practical things, only to have dragged my feet and let someone beat me to the punch. Sometimes it's only tweaking the products already out there--always improving on a tired idea. Only sometimes has necessity been my motivator, with frustration being my "mother of invention". Let me share. Now this is a good one. How about a loaf of bread that is half white and half whole grain for us multi-manna challenged families? I buy both types and we don't finish either before it's a medicinal green. That way instead of throwing out some of each at the end of the week, consumption would work out more timely. Or a crystal-like soap granule that you throw on your car WHEN it rains, that would lather, rinse and maybe repeat. No more cursing rain on your clean car--quite the opposite. Our licence plates could have a code number that we could use to call other drivers, immediately letting them know that maybe it's time brush up on their driving skills. "Hey, butthead, you just cut me off!", I could say to the offender. Or, how about, "all right, high-on, my grammas slow, but she's 94!"--for all of those that insist on 45 mph in the far left lane OF 94. Still workin' on that one and the road rage that would inevitably flare up. And the idiots who would just have to make comments totally unrelated to my (poor) driving. Oh, could there be Christmas lights that really hold up to their "guarantee"? 5 years, my ass. Those things go out--or half out within, say, the 2 weeks you have 'em up, and you never keep the reciept. It's enough to drain my already limited patience and make me hit the eggnog--HARD! AT TEN IN THE MORNING!! Can we put soles on my Nike cross trainers that hold up like Ruby Dee's tires? After 4 months said tennies wear thin, and they don't nearly traverse the miles she does. At 90 bucks a pop--it's a total racket. When you get half blind like me, I think it would be helpful if our money was really a different color. Kinda like Monopoly money. How about a hot pink one dollar bill and a purple fiver and an orange fifty? So simple, and it may prevent me from wildly over tipping after a few cocktails. It is silly to think that a child adopted from our own United States could be more affordable and accessible than a child from, say, China or Russia? I know. That's an observation rather than an invention. Could all my hair appliances have retractable cords--or better yet be cordless? The drawer of cords seems so unnecessary and slow up an already tedious process. How about photo i.d. on all credit cards? Wouldn't that make it harder to use the stolen cards? No more ciggies and tennies on my dollar, dude. Or just a thumbprint i.d.'er for everything, including Kroger, Rite Aid, and others requiring you to lug around those dumb store discount cards. My key chain is too cute for those things and my wallet can't hold 'em all. Problem solved. Most of my mornings start with my coffee carafe spilling a few drops each time I pour a cup-no matter how careful I am. Grr.r.r.r.r. It's not a good idea to stress me out when I am fiendin' for my morning fix. From Mr. Coffee to Krupp's, the problem is the same. Or maybe it's just me bein' all shaky and impatient in my gottahavecoffee frenzy--but still. Fix that thing! I'm thinkin' a pay channel package where I only pay for the channels I watch. I have 1000 plus channels currently, but only watch around maybe 30 of 'em. We could choose and pay for just the ones we want. Kinda like ordering off an ala carte menu. I have no use for cartoon networks, home shopping networks and PTL's, but I have to pay for around 40 of 'em just to get the channels I DO want. And how about me getting routinely checked at airport security. Xray'in my purse and shoes! You'd need to run a scan of my brain to see if I am really crazy enough to enact anything terrorist related. I could use my 2 oz. hairspray to blind the pilot if I was so inclined. As if the airport isn't terror enough. Besides, I'm usually all spaced out on Dramamine and yes, a few cocktails to pull off any sudden moves. And can I just grocery shop online and have a cute little dude show up promptly at my driveway, lug it all in, AND put it away. Maybe tie on an apron and whip up a little somethin'somethin' tasty for me while he's at it. If I had a dime for all the times I have gone Krogering, I could easily pay for this "invention." Debbie Meyer came up with Green Bags that allow my organic produce to last for more than 2 days. Hurrah! My hero. Now how hard was that? If she can do it, I can do it too. Please feel free to let me know if you think I am on the right track here. And be inventive about it, will ya? xoxo

Danke shoen.....

A belated Happy Thanksgiving to y'all. The holiday surely held all the best for us. My Mom and Dad joined us for the traditional feast--and I even cooked, with Mom's help. It was a success and we were all sufficiently thankful and sufficiently bloated. The triptophan did it's job, combined with the wine to make a sleepy, quiet evening. We watched "Waitress", and one by one, clunked out. Earlier in the day, my Mom (who was also celebrating her 70Th. birthday), helped me wallpaper my laundry room and my Dad and I engaged in (soft) political discussions. Normal. Just like I like it. Now comes a concept a little harder for me to consider "normal". Black Friday. Ya gotta be kiddin' me. Getting up at 2:30 AY EM to shop? Not a chance. Even I, who like a sale as much as the next nut ball, draw a line at such nonsense. Firstly, NOTHING, barring urination or an early flight to some exotic locale, could possibly lure me out of my white, down, cloud like, nest of a bed. Big deal on the sale items. Did I mention that you can't find a parking spot, and wait hours in line to check out? Like a bunch of lemmings lookin' all sleep deprived and glassey eyed and ready to drink the kool aid. I heard there was an actual death by trampling event, for real, at a Wally World in New York. The store closed for awhile, but then opened again at 1:00 p.m. for business as usual. God forbid that Sam Walton lose a few sales. Pitiful. So ya get 50 or 60 percent off. That shit would have to be free, and even then, I don't think I could launch myself into that fresh hell! Next week it'll be 40 percent off, with no lines and such. Also you can point and click for the same bargains with free shipping (mostly) and no tax on your order. I have to think my time has some value and I don't even have to THINK that my snooze time is more important. So in an event more suited to my lazy, slug self, I have chosen to participate in "Buy Nothing Day" and help do my part in the greening of the Earth by being less of a consumer. Cool. Noble cause easily accomplished by sleeping and buying nothing. I don't even need to run to Kroger, what with the vats of leftovers chillin' in the fridge. Beyond coolness. I am not even purchasing gas or running Ruby Dee today to further "green" and avoid possibly bruising Ruby with a shopping cart or a body. So what to do with a day all open and to myself? Pack off Mom and Dad, and get a shower. Contemplate the possibilities. Maybe a long, nap with Lola, followed by some reading. Then daytime t.v. followed by say, some cold stuffing. Possibly some extended musing. Chocolate will be necessary. Read till my eyes get tired. Doze again. Watch a movie. Break out the turkey. Snooze again till the Pistons. Have a glass of wine. Reflect on my near perfect day. And be thankful...xoxo