How We Do Holidays

I got out of bed pretty late this morning, but since Thanksgiving this year involved only many vegetables and much olive oil and not, say, a turkey that needed to be put in an oven, there was plenty of time to read the paper and drink tea before making the apple crisp. My mom had done both kinds of potatoes last night while I was at a high school alumni thing so really all there was to do before my sister and her boyfriend came over was to finish caramelizing the onions for crostini. While I was toasting the bread Mom came in, all smiles, and went “ I am so glad that we don’t have twenty strangers coming over here to eat dinner and judge us.”

Becca and Mike rolled up bearing flowers and dressed very nicely because they had other family obligations later in the evening (me and Mom were barefoot, as usual). We set the table nicely and put all the food on the kitchen counter for a buffet and had eaten everything before I even thought to take a picture of our handiwork. (“Take a picture if my belly instead,” said my sister.) We talked about crazy families, vegetarianism, lactose intolerance, various holiday traditions, Potato the little baby kitty, and crafting. I don’t mean to brag but we all agreed that the Brussels sprouts were the hit of the afternoon.

After dessert we went for a little walk around the block before half of us had to go to Kendall for the other half of Thanksgiving and the other half us had to lay around reading books and sampling various chocolate bars we happened to have around the house. I’m writing this with a very sleepy baby kitty purring on my lap, drinking tea and attempting to sync my iPod and working on my visa application and debating whether to get started on my new embroidery project or to watch a DVD. It’s been a nice day.

And that’s how we do holidays, around here. There isn’t the same sense of anticipation and excitement that comes with bigger and more complicated events, but there also isn’t any sense of pressure or drama whatsoever; for me it all evens out. Today my family had a nice chat over a nice lunch, doing exactly what we pleased and enjoying each others’ company in a relaxed, funny, gentle way. I know I won’t be having the chance to do that very much in the next wee while, so you can imagine how grateful I’ve been, all day.