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My favorite part of Christmas as a young person was always going to my grandparents’ house on Christmas Eve.  Now, my grandfather died when I was six, so I don’t have too many memories of him.  But the house is so amazing and full of meaning for me – My sister, cousin Ben, and I really enjoyed introducing Henry to some of those things this past summer (the laundry chute, the pantry with the sliding door where we played elevator, the coffee table that looks like a spaceship… anyway.  Here is a partial list of what is typically present on Christmas Eve at Gram’s:

• chicken soup on the stove
• plastic cups with Peanuts characters on them (these are still in use after about 30 years – we watched, horrified, one time as a newish family member started to throw one out in the yellow garbage can)
• giant shrimp cocktail tray on the kitchen table
• rolls and cookies made by Anna, MaryLiz, and others
• Hershey’s kisses
• snake skins (real, found in Gram’s basement) strung on the tree *shudder*
• The Grinch Who Stole Christmas (in English AND Latin) on the living room table
• sausage made by either my dad or Uncle Richard, sometimes both
• stuffed Mr. & Mrs. Claus, standing watch by the stairs so no snooping kids will wander up to look for presents
• MaryLiz’s chocolate peanut butter balls
• a large box of Russell Stover’s chocolates on the table, picked over and the gross ones left behind
• lots of singing
• many, many laughs

I miss it, a lot.  I’m committing here and now to spend Christmas Eve 2011 enjoying all of the above.  It will be Gram’s 88th Christmas on this earth.

And with that…

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Almost every year I decorate our house for Christmas on the Friday after Thanksgiving.  Well, yesterday my sister-in-law Amy and I went over to church to help decorate over there and then it was raining in the afternoon, so the outdoor lights did not get put up as usual.  I put them up today instead, along with the stockings.  My mom made all our stockings, mine is close to 33 years old.  Timon’s is the biggest, probably because she loves him best.  <grin>

Will someone please leave a list of questions you want answered in the comments, so I’ll have some things to post on the 29th and 30th?  A special guest post is coming tomorrow, but I’ve run out of ideas.

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Scenes from Thanksgiving:

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I love my husband so much.  Do you know that we have been together for over 12 1/2 years now?  Married for 9+ years and two kids later, and he’s still not sick of me.  Even when each of us is acting like a total asshat, even when we’re exhausted and the kids are making us want to run away, we have chosen to stick it out.  Reading TIME magazine’s cover story about marriage got me thinking that if people spent at least the same amount of time planning and preparing for their marriage as they do planning and preparing for their wedding day, many more couples would stay wed.  Marriage is how we learn about selfless love, about how Christ loves us, and about how we are to sacrifice for another to whom we are devoted.  There have been many, many times where I fail to learn these lessons.  Timon has failed sometimes, too.  But when we get it right, when we are quick to apologize with humility, when we swallow our pride and put the other one first, when we are affectionate and demonstrative with our feelings… it’s overwhelmingly awesome.  And I’m writing this down during this season of Thanksgiving so that in the inevitable cold, dark and distant times, I’ll have it to look at to remember what on earth we’re hanging in there for.  Second only to my love for God, Timon is the love of my life.

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I went to renew my drivers license today.  I made the observation that the parking lot of the Tax Collector’s office would be a gold mine for identity thieves, since new regulations require you to bring along every conceivable personal identity document.  I brought my passport (if I hadn’t had one, I would have needed my birth certificate), my social security card, my W2 and voter registration (to prove my address – most people who don’t live in a church-owned home could bring utilities), and my marriage certificate.  I don’t want to give identity thieves ideas or anything, but if they were to hold up people in the parking lot at gunpoint, they’d make off with an entire life’s information on the spot.  Perhaps most importantly, my new picture looks great!  I’m so much more pleased with it than I was with the old one, in which I resembled Michelle Duggar a bit too much. 

The in-laws have arrived, Auntie Amy has arrived, and preparations have begun.  I bought our biggest turkey ever (20lbs!) and can’t wait to get that thing in the brine and into the oven around 11 on Thursday morning.

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Photo shoots for this year seem to have come to an end… I drove out to a beautiful park across the state yesterday right after church to meet up with Barb and family.  They were perfectly adorable and there are some WONDERFUL photos as a result.  I won’t be sharing them here but if you are friends with me on FB, there should be some up there in the next couple of days. 

I will hate verra, verra much to pack this lens up and return it to its rightful owners.  The speed, focus, and light you can get with this thing is unreal.  I am going to miss you, AF-S Nikkor 35mm 1.8.  I truly hope I will meet one of you again, sooner than later.

Mimi & Papa are about to arrive literally any minute.  I suppose I should get off the computer then, hmm?

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The winner for my favorite comment of all time was left by the lovely and talented duo of Emily and Chad on this post, and I hope you’ll all click over and read it. 

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I guess I didn’t thoroughly think through using roman numerals for this year’s nablopomo dates.  What kind of interesting blog visitors will I get when it gets to the 30th?  Hmmm…

We enjoyed a semi-lazy morning and then I went to praise band practice.  I came home to find Timon cleaning the bathroom (and doing an excellent job, I might add).  I went to the grocery store, Timon and the kids went to a puppet show at our local library.  The kids got lunch, I swept and mopped the entire house.  Cleaning is so much easier and less annoying when you’re doing it for a visit with company.  Then it was more laziness.  And then it was dinner time.  And now we’re enjoying a movie before bedtime. 

I do love this kind of day.

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After rearranging the kids’ room last week to include the new dresser, I discovered a bag of cold-weather clothing in the back of the closet that I’d meant to take to the consignment store a while ago and never got around to.  I took it today to our favorite place and ended up with a bunch of store credit, and as a result, Maria now needs only a coat and hat/gloves for this “winter.”   She’s got pajamas, tights, pants, long-sleeve shirts, and socks.  Sadly, clothes for 6-year-old boys don’t often survive in saleable condition long enough to make it to the consignment, and there were no deals to be found for Henry.  His jeans are juuuuust a bit too short (I’m still researching why that is, but it may have something to do with the fact that he grew 3 inches in the last 12 months) and I’m trying to decide if he can wait until Christmas for more pants, or should I attempt some online Black Friday sales?  He needs at least 4 pairs of pants (one khaki, the rest can be jeans), 3 long sleeve shirts, and jammies.  I planned ahead last year and bought a coat one size too big that will still fit this year.  If they would just stop growing up, this whole clothing thing would be so much easier. 

I honestly do not have a clue as to what kind of consequence we will hand down to Henry if he comes home with an orange again today.  I’ve got 30 minutes to figure it out. 

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This is one of those afternoons when the thought of adding any more children into this home makes me want to crawl into my bed and put my head under the pillow.  And so I have Henry at the table with his homework and Maria in her room with a book, (neither of these things was achieved without much wailing and gnashing of teeth) and here I sit to post.  Before I began, I decided it was time to listen to Peter, Paul, & Mary’s A Holiday Celebration album.  And then that makes me wish my sister was here to sing along, loudly, and in harmony.  Henry may have gotten a green day at school, but he surely has earned at least a yellow here at home this afternoon.  I probably have earned a red.  When is the principal coming to take me out of this class?  :)

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Well, it came to pass.  Henry got an orange today and was sobbing as he told me about it.  Of course I don’t want to see him sad, but it’s good that the consequence of not being able to attend movie night at church on Friday seems to be a meaningful one.  We had a good talk last night about choosing behavior, one that Timon and I hoped would stick with him today.  I also sent him off to school with some encouraging words.  He told me a little bit ago that he tried to not talk so much today.  I thanked him for being aware of himself and let him know that I was sorry that he would miss movie night because he was looking forward to it.  Poor kid.  Learning self-control is a long battle.  I know I’m still figuring it out!

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Would you all mind heading over here and weighing in on the Great Red Lipstick Debate of 2010?  Thanks.

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My ideal [i.e., completely selfish and indulgent] day:

8:30am: Eyes open, I snuggle back into the covers and go back to sleep.
9:30am: Reawaken to a breakfast served in bed.  Eggs, bacon, toast, OJ, fruit.
10:00am: Shower, dress, have someone fix my hair.
11:00am: Sit on the beach for 2 hours reading and being served Dr. Pepper with pebble ice and Cobb Salad.
1:00pm: Nap on a hammock in a shady spot with a breeze.
2:30pm: Reading books with the kids.
3:30pm: Playing Mexican Train Dominoes with Amy, Katherine, and Anna.
5:00pm: Start watching White Christmas.
6:30pm: Get served a delicious dinner of filet mignon, shrimp, broccoli, and garlic smashed potatoes, with 
        lemon meringue pie for dessert.
8:00pm: Foot rub and neck massage while watching The Black Stallion or The Princess Bride.
10:00pm: In bed with a book [hopefully the newest in the Outlander series].
11:00pm: Sleep.

What?!  It might happen.

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I have an addendum to the 2010 Book Recommendations.  I just read Room by Emma Donoghue and am simply floored.  It is so heartbreaking and original.  It’s the story of a boy and his Ma, in the 5 year old boy’s voice, who’ve been held captive for seven years in a shed.  The boy was fathered by Ma’s kidnapper and rapist.  I know this sounds like a real happy story right off the bat, doesn’t it?  I’m telling you though that it is one of the sweetest stories I have ever read.  I have never read anything like it and I recommend it very highly.  This might be the best book I’ve read in a few years.

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Today is gorgeous here in Florida.  It’s only about 60° and sunny.  The kids are napping, Timon is watching The Magnificent Seven, and I’m trying to get some blog posts together while listening to a book on CD.  I slept poorly last night so I am for SURE looking forward to the extra hour we get tonight.  While I was awake from 2:30-5:00am, I read my cousin’s blog post and wept like a baby.  I miss my extended family a lot around the holidays and as the season gets closer, it feels more acute every day.  I think next year is the year to be in Connecticut for Christmas.  We’d better start saving now.

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Today is Election Day.  We had some pretty important races here in Florida – Governor, Senate, to name just a couple.  Timon and I received our ballots in the mail fairly early, and if anything, it has increased the campaign phone calls we get.  My favorites have been from the celebrities/former politicians who are asking for our votes for the candidate they’ve endorsed.  So far we’ve heard from Pres. Bill Clinton, Star Jones, and Gov. Jeb Bush.  Another candidate’s mother called us.  It’s annoying.  But we vote anyway.

Why should we vote?

• To speak your mind
• To make politicians listen
• For your children
• For your community
• For yourself
• To honor history
• To control your future
• To stop something
• To start something
• To win

…Because we can.

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It’s that time of year again, NaBloPoMo, or National Blog Posting Month.  Would you believe that a busy lady like me is going to commit to post daily in not one, but TWO internet places each day in November?  We’ll see! 

One thing that may make this a smidge easier is that I’ll continue my regular daily photo posting over at the photo blog, and in this space I’ll share some interesting tidbits I like.  For today:  a poem.  I know, POETRY, how pretentious.  But this poem is so very wonderful.  I hope you enjoy it.

It Happens Like This

by James Tate

     I was outside St. Cecelia's Rectory
smoking a cigarette when a goat appeared beside me.
It was mostly black and white, with a little reddish
brown here and there. When I started to walk away,
it followed. I was amused and delighted, but wondered
what the laws were on this kind of thing. There's
a leash law for dogs, but what about goats? People
smiled at me and admired the goat. "It's not my goat,"
I explained. "It's the town's goat. I'm just taking
my turn caring for it." "I didn't know we had a goat,"
one of them said. "I wonder when my turn is." "Soon,"
I said. "Be patient. Your time is coming." The goat
stayed by my side. It stopped when I stopped. It looked
up at me and I stared into its eyes. I felt he knew
everything essential about me. We walked on. A police-
man on his beat looked us over. "That's a mighty
fine goat you got there," he said, stopping to admire.
"It's the town's goat," I said. "His family goes back
three-hundred years with us," I said, "from the beginning."
The officer leaned forward to touch him, then stopped
and looked up at me. "Mind if I pat him?" he asked.
"Touching this goat will change your life," I said.
"It's your decision." He thought real hard for a minute,
and then stood up and said, "What's his name?" "He's
called the Prince of Peace," I said. "God! This town
is like a fairy tale. Everywhere you turn there's mystery 
and wonder. And I'm just a child playing cops and robbers
forever. Please forgive me if I cry." "We forgive you,
Officer," I said. "And we understand why you, more than
anybody, should never touch the Prince." The goat and
I walked on. It was getting dark and we were beginning
to wonder where we would spend the night.

From Lost River by James Tate, published by Sarabande Books, Inc. Copyright © 2003 by James Tate.