Musings....

Well.........

I am sitting here this morning sipping on my mandatory cup of morning coffee in my cosy warm bathrobe after my morning workout.

What started off as what I was sure to be a disastrous weekend, I'm contemplating what a lovely weekend it has turned out to actually be.

3M and I somehow got roped into house/dog sitting the mutts again on our long holiday weekend while his parents went off to see their granddaughter some 300 miles away.  Last time, I swore I wouldn't do it again- my back absolutely KILLS me after a visit to their house where the Queen Bee has chosen the most uncomfortable furniture in the entire universe for her house.

The bed isn't bad, tho....nice and soft(mostly due to us buying a memory foam topper for the mattress when we was living there..... even tho it's only a double instead of a king sized....to be expected tho in a guestroom only used occasionally........- so there IS a saving grace to the visit.

Anyway, I had planned to bring my photographic gear with me and do a photo shoot of one of my friends who lives in the area, or even just go and do a bit of street photography, but every single time its called for rain and I brought it, it actually rained, o I didn't bother this time. It wasn't beautiful weather- it rained or sprinkled - but it was nice off and on. Oh well, next time.

3M and I went to town Saturday Morning and we had lunch with my sweet sister Goddess. We talked about work, we talked about friends, we talked about food, we talked about shoes.

That's something that gets me sometimes. Both my Sister Goddess and I are American and both of us have Brit 3Ms. I envisioned us having dinners together out....couples nights in with us playing board or card games with sis and I sharing a bottle of wine and the 3Ms downing their ale/beers as Brits do.

But here's the thing....Our 3Ms- they have the same common interests......both are bona fide geeks....both love gaming, both like beer(my 3M isn't a BIG drinker however- couple times a year out with a group of friends or the occasional beer/ale while he is playing his games on the console is about the extent of it.....oh- and Thanksgiving and Christmas).....both have American Goddesses to contend with......
BUT- altho they like each other- they both would rather have their ME time when Sis and I get together.

And that's fine. It's just that I was hoping for more......ah well......Sis and I deserve some Girl time. And as long as we can all hook up for Thanksgiving Dinner I can live with that.

I can't live with not seeing my sissy, tho. I am going to have to have a girlie day with her more often.

So, yes....we will be making a date to go into Liverpool to have a day of shopping and lunch and girl talk.
I love having a bezzie I can walk arm in arm with as we stroll shopping and talking. She is as much a toucher as I am... I do NOT like being touched by people I don't know very well, but the people I am close to and trust- I love my hugs, and pecks on the cheeks, and random touches. I know they wont lead anywhere I don't want to go.
Yes, I have been hurt. A Lot.

Anyway,......

Traditions. I had a few. I'm trying to incorporate a few of them back into my life here in the UK..... but dang it is HARD!!!

Okay, Like this is a few of them.....

CHILI WEEKEND
.....The first Saturday after the first FROST of Autumn I make a big pot of chili and invited the family over. Everyone knew to expect the Pot of Chili, with Grated Cheese and Frito's Corn Chips. You could have coffee, Sweet Iced Tea, Some Sort of Cola, or Hot Chocolate with it. Over here, I'd probably add Beer to the beverage menu too sine everyone likes it so much. Dessert? .....S'mores or toasted marshmallows over the bonfire that night. Done Deal.
This is one I am READY for this year!!

HALLOWEEN FANCY DRESS
........EVERYONE required to dress up. Only restriction was that you couldn't dress like a slut- Kids were there, keep the coochies and nips covered Ladies.
The house was dressed to the nines, skulls and spiderwebs abounded.....So did jack-o'lanterns. You could bring your own carved pumpkin to the party if you wanted to show off your carving skills. We had Green  or red  punch (Spike your own-again, kiddies there so no spiking the bowl),,,we had creepy cupcakes, and griied Hot dogs and burgers....sometimes it the timing was perfect- we had the Chilli Weekend and the Halloween Party the same weekend...Just added the cupcakes and punch and decorations to the menu for the Chili party. Didnt happen often tho.....

THANKSGIVING DINNER
.......when the kids were little- we would all go to my Aunt and Uncles house- very formal-china dinnerware, silver, crystal stemware....big HUGE table seating about 20- the kids table in the kitchen(big huge greatroom so everyone was still in the same room technically)...but as the kids grew up- we started doing dinner at my moms house- and then after my dad passed away- I took it over at our house even tho it was quite small. Dinner was always, at all the places,The hostess made the Turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and rolls....everyone else brought a couple of dishes that the womenfolk worked out amongst themselves- and every family had their favorite dessert which they brought.
When it got to me taking over, I had daughters in law who didnt have a clue how to cook, so I ended up making almost all of it myself. I didnt mind- the kids usually brought the plates, napkins and such as that to keep me from having to clean up and as the years went by- and they learned a few dishes, they began bringing dishes themselves. My Adaughter had Thanksgiving Dinner at hers the year I left for the UK......
We have always had a policy that if you know someone who is displaced for the holiday- you are more than welcome to ask them along. There isnt a Thanksgiving I can remember that we havent had extra people come to dinner. And we have always had more than enough food to share- and send home with everyone.

I always bought my Christmas tree the day before Thanksgiving...I set it up in the "bucket" stand the night before to let it "fall out". Thanksgiving morning I would put the turkey in the oven, then get to work putting the lights and garland on the tree. I always put first the multi-colored lights on it.........Then I added the white lights.......always twice as many white lights. That way, if I wanted an "adult Tree" I plugged in only the white lights. But if I was in the mood for a playful tree or the kids were there, I plugged them all in. The white lights really made the colored lights dazzle!!!

So then, after Thanksgiving Dinner, everyone decorated the tree with their ornaments and drank eggnog.  Yes- Just like Alice on Day of Our Lives, I had special ornaments for each member of the family.
 While dinner was going on- we always had the Christmas Yule Log on the TV....... and afterwards, we would put on a Christmas Movie for the "kid"s to watch.
I would spend the next couple of weeks changing the placements here and there so it was just perfect- but I tried very hard to leave the special ornaments where they had been placed.
Done Deal.

CHRISTMAS EVE/DAY
........This was always a toughie..... If we did Christmas Eve-which was rare- everyone came over, we had a very light meal...turkey or ham sammiches, chips(crisps), sodas, eggnog, cookies and cakes......snacky-finger foods. The kids opened gifts then everyone left early cause NO ONE wanted to miss Santa or rather have Santa not stop at their house cause they wasnt in bed!!! YIKES!!!!!

........Christmas Morning, I got up early, turned on the tree lights, then set about making brunch. I would always have Biscuits, or rolls, with bacon or ham, scrambled Eggs,  fresh sliced tomatoes, Sawmill gravey, southern fried potatoes and Orange Danish Rolls. The kids would arrive, we would exchange gifts or eat breekkie and then exchange gifts. And then everyone left pretty early after because the kiddies wanted to play with their gifts back home.

The kids always got three big gifts when they were growing up....One they WANTED/ASKED Santa for, One they needed, and one Surprise.Then I always gave them a book and a couple of other really small gifts too. Sometimes I would give one or the other of them a KERPLUNK gift. Thats a smaller gift, wrapped and placed in a bigger box and wrapped, and repeated at least four or five times. ....Our record is 13 boxes. Hahahaha!!

Did you ever have something that just made it FEEL like it was Christmas? And if you didnt get it- it seemed like kind of a let-down?
Mine was three things.........Thin Mint Chocolates(sort of like Andes Mints or After 8's after dinner mints- or mini Peppermint Patties),.......Chocolate covered Cherries- the really INEXPENSIVE ones, not the liquor center ones- altho those are what I get now)...and Christmas Socks.

Anyway.......That are the traditions I cherish......the Autumn Winter ones.

This post just kinda totally got away from me. Not what I sat down to type out. But sometimes that happens. You just gotta go where they mind takes you.

Much Love,
Elena xxx