Christmas Time is Here

As soon as we grabbed a cart for some night before Thanksgiving groceries, I thought of my previous post predicting the Freeman household festive day. It wasn't until we got to the back of the store that it made me laugh. I can't believe it took me a month away from home and a short year since our last Thanksgiving to remember that nothing is ever as expected, and that in itself should be expected.

1. Threat of no turkey on Thanksgiving

Mom quickly found the frozen turkey section, but we wanted fresh turkey. Not to worry though, there is always plenty of fresh turkey upon request. I began weaving quickly between browsing, chatting, space prohibiting bodies as I tried to keep sight of the dark-haired woman in a wool sweater on a mission for turkey. When I caught up my mother was hollering hello to a young man behind the meat counter. I got there just in time to see him shake his head in response to her question. No more fresh turkeys.

2. Back-up breakfast

Moving on toward breakfast items, we threw orange rolls in the cart, which are often our holiday treat. Mmm I couldn't wait to wake up and watch the parade while sipping coffee and enjoying a warm roll. Of course I woke up rather to the sounds of Mom's "oh dear..Bruce come look at this". I came downstairs to a scene imagined. I was offered coffee and breakfast was in the oven. But, as we deeply inhaled, the smell of goodness was missing. The expiration date: 2010.

3. 12 delectable rolls..of all shapes and sizes

My time in the kitchen had arrived as I helped my dear mother make rolls. Yet to put on her apron we wore flour instead(and as I later discovered, some dough in my hair). Reaching over each other we used the dough as our clay for craftsmanship.

4. finely chopped celery and onions for the stuffing.

I was then put in charge of chopping celery. Of course I immediately chopped my finger instead, which is when I called in back-up. Dad stood to my left holding my pinky wrapped in towels repeating how crucial it is to apply pressure. His phone rang and he left my side, leaving me with one hand in the air and the other fearlessly chopping, while tears ran down my face caused by staring into the depths of an onion.

5. "I'm thankful for Kathryn because...umm..."

Since our table seated so few this year, we initiated a new tradition. While dads may carve the turkey, moms are in charge of all the Thanksgiving goodness. So my mother stepped up once more and went around the table and said why she was thankful for all of us. She started with me.

In the end, Mom found us turkey, offered cranberry bread for breakfast, remembered the rolls in the oven in the knick of time, took the knife away from me, and kindly fought to find words to describe me. My day began in jeans, transitioned to elastic/stretch, and ended with oversized flannel pants. This indicates that the Freemans pulled off another deliciously traditional Thanksgiving, in a typical untraditional manner.

Christmas Time is (almost) Here

It's starting to get chilly and all of the cafes and bakeries are playing Michael Bublé's holiday specials. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and in my household that officially kicks off the Christmas spirit. The music will resonate through the living room cupboard, Willie Mac will roam the outdoors for thrown out turkey scraps and Teena will follow the perimeter of the counters for the same sort of fallen extras. Mom will undoubtedly slip into Grandma's elegant flower apron while Dad sits on the kitchen floor reading the paper. I'm sure Gramma will still be putting the finishing touches on her pumpkin pies. This year I have been invited into the kitchen. I too will wear an apron and smell for the perfection of the sweet potatoes and stuffing. Happy Thanksgiving.

A Place to Dream

It feels so great to light my candles, get swallowed by the soft glow of lamps, and curl up at my desk. I see blurred outlines in my peripheral, but the clear image in front of me promises to patiently remain a pure white page with one blinking cursor until I decide to fill it with the black letters that are swimming around my mind. For a long time I've wondered why it is that so often when I open my journal or place my fingers on the keyboard I automatically purge feelings about relationships, or truthfully, Chris. For awhile I resented that he filled so many of my recorded memories, but I realized that this sliver of time is when i allow myself to ignore the real world and be true. The real me is a girl that dreams past the stars and the truth is I don't desire reality, because there's always the greatness of what is beyond our realms of comprehension. For awhile Chris was part of my dream. Our future was something that was so close to my finger tips that it made me stand really tall so I could try and reach it. Now, keeping him away forever is a thought that brings the same type of hope. I guess I don't need to apologize for all of this time spent on that single subject. It isn't that I'm caught up in one short breath of time at all, it's that I'm giving myself these few moments to reach for so many more.