Because I Said So!!! Mom Knows Best!

Date: 11/24/2009


Stress Level: Mild


New Grey hairs added: 1





I am starting to feel the Holiday crunch.
I spent the better part of the day today getting
ready for the big meal. When I say big I mean big
too. I have this tendency to go overboard but I just
want the Holidays to be perfect.


When I was a child I remember the excitement of
a Holiday, the family time, the comfort level. I
thrived in those situations and could not wait until
I was old enough to help me Grandmother in the
Kitchen, The one of those years was my Grandfathers
last and we all knew it. He had terminal Cancer and
it wasn't his run with it so this time he said no more
and came home to die. He passed the First week
of February so that gives you a clue on how sick
he was on Christmas and by that time he already couldn't
get out of bed and everyone was so heart broken that
they couldn't bear to eat in the bedroom with him.
I did. I had to! He was my world and as a younger
person I still had hope.


After that Christmas I gave up for years. I just ignored
it and hoped it would go away then I had my son.There
is nothing like a child's wonder and joy to get even the
stodgiest Baa hum bugger back into the spirit.

My Grandmother was too old to cook her famous
dinners so I took over. My son loved the meals so
much that every year he added something else
he needed to have because so and so down the
street eats that. I encouraged him. Our dinner is
now eaten in the living room for my dinning room table
is over loaded with food as is every inch of counter
space. I start with about 8 appetizers that fill the table
then move on to the main coarse. Now that consists of
a Turkey, a Ham, a Prime Rib Roast, Sausage and sauerkraut,
Taco Salad and sweet and sour meatballs. I won't even
bore you with the sides for that list goes on and on.
Just think every side imaginable.


Dessert this year is a treat tray with Rice Crispy
treats, Brownies and various cookies. Then 4 differant
pies, Bread pudding Cheesecake and a cake. Huge I
know. crazy for there are only 4 members in my
family so over the years we have grown to include
friends and In laws and people you would never
expect. I have even went so far as to invite a bus
boy at a place I ran years ago. The strange part
is it is my family now and my family when my
son was little. My mother, my sons fathers
mother, my sons Father and his roommate and
son and more friends. I feel so good about
myself when I send some of these guys home
with trays of food for I know it is the only
home cooked food they get all year. The
really funny part is everyone gets along,


Who would have thunk!


It takes me 3 days to cook all this food
and utilize every part of my kitchen. If anyone
lives around Detroit you are welcome to come.
At Christmas there is even more food. John, as
did Andrew's Dad years ago throws a fit on the
amount I cook but what he doesn't understand
is it truly makes me happy and fulfilled.
The cleaning for the Holidays is the part
I hate. For every three steps forward I make
getting the house just so my son and AHEM
John push me back 4. One of these years I am
going to talk one of them into a maid for me
so I can just do the cooking. This year is
Rowans first and she is right at the age where
she can gum certain foods. I can't wait for
that Kodak moment. She is a doll.

My friend came over today as I was cooking
to visit the baby. She is going to be Rowans
God Mother and hasn't been able to see her
in a while so they had a blast. In fact
Rowan was kept so busy I think she might
sleep through the night. YEAH!

I did manage to get everything I need cept
for three items that John is grabbing tomorrow
and I might just has to poke him in the eye when
he gets back from that trip. AS you know he has
a habit of calling me every 32.5 seconds when I
send him somewhere and I just have to much to
do to handle that tomorrow! If we make the news
you will know I lost it and he is sleepen with
the fishes!


The Pooch already knows something
big is up for she hovers by me when every I am near
the Kitchen looking for a oopsie I dropped it!
I am sure on the day of she will get more then a
few. She also feels she needs a seat at the table
for dinners and I don't know how I am going to
explain to her that there just isn't enough seats
without her getting snippy.. OH, yeah that dog
gets snippy. Holds a grudge too!


If you upset her she will storm off and hide
and then an hour or so later she will run up
to you and bite your foot. She has went so far
to wait a whole day for revenge before. People
never believe it but this summer we went out
of town and Andrews Dad babysat the pooch,
( She would die in a kennel) and they have a
cat. Well the first thing this cat did was scratch
her nose and drew blood. Boo freaked. A day later
the guys were holding them next to each other
so they could befriend each other and Boo
appeared to be into it. She was kiss-en the cat,
snuggling and getting all close and the cat was
loving it and them BAM! She bit the cat on the
ear so hard it left a lifelong hole. Needless
to say they are not friends.

Please if you ever meet my dog let her
know she is a pretty princess and she will
allow you to become her thrall. If you don't,
well people can still function with 8 or 9 toes
so you should be alright!


Moral of the Day: Keep a map on your refrigerator

of countries that eat dogs just in case she gets a

little too big for her collar!