Chatter Between Sisters

I was chatting with my sister for a couple of minutes this morning. That's her, above, with one of my nieces.

Anyway, she found out she had inadvertently been making double payments on her student loan and was paid out through July 2011. I thought this was great. She did not think it was so great. She then told me about her laundry list of chores that need to be done in the next week in preparation for a party she is throwing. The following piece of conversation ensued...

Tracy: It sounds like you need a treat.

Grace: I don't need a treat. My ass is one big treat.

Tracy: **Laughing** Grace, Really.

Grace: Yes. My ass is one big treat. It is all of the treats I have been having. I don't need to add one more treat.

Tracy: O.k. Well, you have a better day. I've got to get back to work.

Grace: **Chuckling** O.k. Goodbye.

Tracy: I love you. See you.

I love my sister.

Two Turkeys and a Ham

Thanksgiving = My favorite holiday of the year.

I love family.
I love friends.
I love life.
I love to entertain.

My people bring me so much joy and delight and they enrich my life in so many different ways.
Even though there are logistics to be maneuvered and stress to be tamed, planning a feast is something I love to do.

This year did not disappoint. My entire family came into town for Thanksgiving this year. This is the first time every single one of us, kids included, has been together for a major holiday since my brother Andy's wedding almost 10 years ago. We have come together at different times for different reasons, and have had all of the siblings together, but not always with spouses and children. This was a huge event and worth all of the planning.

Everyone came into town on Sunday and we have been spending all of the time together that we can manage. It is so unusual and yet feels so fantastic to be able to drop by my Mom's and any number of my siblings are there. It is incredible to have my doorbell ring and there on my doorstep are people that I don't get to see very often, but that I love like crazy.

We celebrated our usual Pie Night on Wednesday, Thanksgiving Eve. This is year number 12 of this happy tradition and our home pulsed with the humanity contained within. We had a plethora of pies, a table heavy laden with savory items to balance out the sweet, and a couple of tasty soups. We had 30 people filling our home with conversation and laughter this time around. It was definitely a packed house late into the night.

Today, for Thanksgiving, we collected en masse at my sister's church hall for our happy feast. The tables fairly groaned with the weight of their contents and children ran scattered, maniacal and happy round and round. We had a chance to break bread together, to talk and laugh, to relish each others company and to clean and pack it all up together. After dinner was done and cleaned up and all of our belongings and howling children were packed up into our cars we mosied over to my mom's house for desserts and games. Though we slowly tapered off into the night with families, pies and left overs en tow, some of us lingered longer and continued our visit late into the night. What an absolutely wonderful Thanksgiving...I didn't want the day to end, but home I went into the icy starlit night and here I am, hoping to catch it briefly, between yawns.

Despite the difficulties in the world today, despite the distance and the differences, in the end none of it matters when you have the people you were blessed to be joined with as a family during this mortal probation. Family is what we make it. Family is what we define it. Family is who we include in our personal definition of that word. It may be clannish to voice it in such a way, but I don't care. I love who I love and that's just how it goes.

To my people, whether you are attached to me by blood, marriage or friendship, God bless you and keep you during these tousled times. I love you. Thank you for being part of my life and for everything you bring to it. You are beautiful--remember that.

Kisses & Too Many Squeezes...
T.