Saturday, November 27, 2004

How many of you even know what a persimmon IS?

The last of the family left for their homes this morning, and I went back to bed. I don't think I'd slept more than three hours since last Wednesday, and even for someone with night-owl syndrome as severe as mine, I was exhausted.

It was a wonderful holiday. I packed off most of the leftovers with the relatives, and my refrigerator looks really bare with the two huge turkeys gone. Nothing was left of turkey1 at all, and I kept only a freezer bag of leftover turkey2 and sent the rest home with the relatives who had kids, along with some pie and the rest of the persimmon pudding.

Speaking of those same kids, they are the coolest kids ever. I love them dearly. I mean, I absolutely and truly love those kids. I also love their parents and grandparents, but they never seem to want to come visit me for a week at a time and be spoiled rotten in the process, like those kids do. Too busy being grown up or something. What a drag THAT is.

As for my own kids, let me just tell the world that they are the best people on the face of the earth. Every time I think of them, my heart melts with love for them. They are not perfect, but I fear they got that from me. I'm sorry, rest-of-planet, but the prize for Most Wonderful Offspring will have to go to mine, no recount necessary. You may all hold your own elections; each household will have a different winner. Unless you know mine personally, of course, in which case you will have to vote for mine without a backward glance.

My family is the greatest family on the planet. They sing, they play, they laugh, they talk, they eat, they bolster, they advise, they love. They even love me. I find that incredible.

I wish they would visit every week.

Now, I think I've got holiday letdown syndrome. Sigh. I love my house best when it is full of people.

It's been a traumatic year, full of disillusionment and betrayal and backstabbing, and I think I really, really needed the therapy of family, even more than usual. I had lost a good deal of the dangerously naive trust I once had. After grooving with the family a while, I think I'll be fine now. Never the same, but eventually fine.

This new community of Blog Explosion has also made me feel better about the world. Thank you all, new friends, for sharing your lives with me, and for showing interest in mine. It's true that "it takes a village to raise a child," but it is also true that adults need that village input just as much. We not only need the village, we ARE the village. And to properly care for our children, we must also properly care for each other. Thank you all for helping take care of me. God knows I needed a keeper.

I was too tired tonight to go out with my husband and eat steak. Now that's pathetic. My poor hubby had to go eat steak all alone. (You notice he didn't stay home and watch me doze. Well, why should he? Would you?)

As for the gaps in the 'fridge interior, I suppose I should go to the grocery store and do something about them. Maybe next week some time. I never shop in the few days after Thanksgiving because I have never wanted or even needed anything badly enough to risk being trampled by hordes of rampant bargain-seeking early-risers for it.

My house smells like the bacon I fixed for the guests this morning. I'd spray, but I like it when the house smells like bacon.

It smells good, and it's also proof that I got up this morning and cooked for people.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday, and I hope your Christmas will be joyful as well. And if you don't celebrate either, then just have a joyful general existence during these times.

Happy times to you all.