The Long Christmas

I've had an extended Christmas this year. Mom got into town Thursday, we shopped on the way home from the airport, and then Friday I was out with the rest of the town's procrastinators getting the last few things, as well as groceries. Friday night we went way up north to a wine country town to be treated to a very fancy restaurant dinner by D's mom and stepdad, and then we went back to their place to open presents and have some Buche de Noel. D. and my mom won the bet that it would be a late night.

I stayed up until 2am Christmas eve wrapping & cleaning & prepping a little for the next day's cooking, and then was up at around 7am Christmas morning reminding the girls to be excited about Christmas quietly so that Grandma could sleep in a little.

My sister and her new boyfriend got here not long after 8am. They'd been staying in the city at the home of one of my sister's many friends. We had brunch: popovers, bacon, turkey sausage, fruit, coffee, scrambled eggs (with or without feta), and champagne. D's dad came and then his sister arrived not long after that. D's mom played a common card and called and kept him on the phone for about an hour just as his dad and sister were arriving - and yes, it was because she knew that they would be there. That's just how it is.

Everyone got along famously here, however, and spent the morning catching up or getting to know one another and opening presents and exclaiming over them. I stayed in the kitchen - first making brunch, then cleaning up after it, then making dinner. So I'm a little fuzzy on who gave my kids which fantastic presents. I've already started the motherly interrogation process with them. "And what did Aunt T. give you, honey? Sweetie, who gave you the a-bomb kit? And where did this shark egg come from?" That kind of thing. But fortunately, they're very clear on what's what on this score.

Although we didn't have our Writer's meeting Thursday due to S's cold and my over-committed, non-writing self bowing out, I've felt a growing desire to get back to blogging and finishing stories and doing writerly things. The New Year helps. It may be an artificial starting point - just a date, after all - but it's a convenient time to re-commit to being more who I am , really, and less who I think other people think I should probably be.

It helped to have Suzanne asking where my blogs had gone, and Julia doing the same & also encouraging me to WRITE. And then last night, when we were at Clare's house, having her say that she looks at my blog when she first gets online was also a great motivator. I so appreciate the support.

Today, my brother and his family may again stop by. But I'll have to write about that later, because I've already stolen as much time from the girls and mom as I can get away with. I hear the natives getting very restless in the other room....