Late November

Every time I think about writing something here, I stop because all that enters my mind is the same exact thing I say after every Thanksgiving, every year.  I can happily say that once again it was a very good time. And once again, it was 92 degrees…….on November 23.  Again. Thanksgiving, wearing shorts again. jeeze……altho instead of complaining all the time, I should probably move to another state. Or stop seeing movies/tv where Thanksgiving is chilly, w/leaves on the ground. Or reading all the books that make you want a Fall-Type Thanksgiving. I guess I complain because I like the idea of the picturesque Norman Rockwell kind of holiday…….and as long as I stay in my native Southern California, I’ll rarely see that. But I have seen it a couple times and I loved it…..so I remain hopeful each November.  Somehow I translate that into Family Being Together. Something more than the everyday kind of seeing each other, busy doing Our Busy Stuff that we do every single day.

We had a very good Thanksgiving and it was also my daughter’s birthday…….which doesn’t thrill her at all. And it was the Perfect Family Being Together that I always want. I’m happy just to look at these special faces around the table…..and listen to them talk, with a little bit of deja vu, reminding me of my life, being a mom. I heard some extremely special and heart-warming words this year from family members which made my heart deeply happy. Nothing pleases a mom as much as knowing her child/children/grandchildren are happy and life is good. It’s also nice to know that my opinion of a certain family member was correct. Not because I want to be “Right and All Knowing”…….but because from the beginning I thought this person was Good, Decent, Kind, with a Loving Heart To Many……something I would want in anyone close to me…….but how wonderfully fortunate to have as Family.

On Sunday, after Thanksgiving, my granddaughter and I worked very hard in the kitchen, making her mother a birthday cake. She had requested an Earl Grey cake with Chocolate Lavender icing.  She has quirky taste.  I actually found a recipe for that. Since my granddaughter is only 4 years old, I had my work cut out for me. But I had everything prepared, like those cooking shows on tv with all the ingredients measured/set out. Granddaughter prefers to just dump things in, stir, crack eggs, etc…….measuring is not in her vocabulary.  Although I did all the clean-up, she is a great little helper. And besides, who cares? It’s more about The Making of The Cake than The Cake Itself. We had the best time and a lot of laughing…..and who else has the patience to put all those candles on the cake in her own special order.

My husband, aka Grandpa, kept the grandson (6 yrs old) busy, doing Guy-Stuff. Grandson loves “working in the garage” with Grandpa.  So they spent a lot of time, hammering nails, removing nails, etc. Soon he had both kids hammering away (while the cake cooled). We’re so damn old now that we’re exhausted by the time the parents pick up the grandkids…….but what great times and memories we have with them. And I’m constantly amazed at how much patience I have with the kids.  I love the sound of their constant chatter and gazillion questions…….just wish I had all that when I was a mom. But guess we all get a second chance at doing it right. Of course, not being with them 24/7 helps a lot. We love seeing them come and we sure do love saying goodbye when they leave 🙂 Being with grandchildren as much as I have, has been one of the best things I’ve ever done in my life…..something to be Thankful for.