Thankfully Surviving Thanksgiving.

Here I am, the last day of November, 2008. I remember reading the book, "1984" and thinking, "we still have time".

I survived Thanksgiving with nary a scratch. Two days before I was ready to flee. By the day before, I was contemplating the advantages of suffering a debilitating accident. The day of, I resigned myself to endure and was desperately seeking for positive imagery to focus on. As the guests started to arrive, I practiced deep breathing, but after a 5 minute conversation with my much appreciated sister-in-law, Married-into-the-family, or Mitf for short, I knew I would make it. And, I did.

Nana was even more charming and pleasant than last year, MomMom completely coherent. My brother's wife, Hypochondria, couldn't make it so that insured a pleasant time for him and his adult daughter, and therefore, the rest of us. The nieces and nephews are getting older, so there's not the constant need for attention. And, my grandsons were, as always, perfect little angels.

The meal is traditionally scheduled for 1pm. A couple of guests arrived a wee bit late, but that worked to my advantage. The potatoes refused to get done! They were doing a little, "nah, nah, nah" dance in the humongous aluminum cooking pot, that I only use for the mass feedings at holidays, and perhaps someday, for funerals. I had thought that I had added enough liquid, but as the late arrivals came in through the door, they greeted us with, "What's burning?", "Is something burning?" , so I should have had a clue.

PhD and Master's came later. Master's has a complicated family situation that requires much traveling around burdened by massive quantities of angst. Master's handles it so well. Maybe she's used to it, maybe she's just a tough little bird. She looks wonderful. She has legs that won't quit and an ample bosom. She's lost a little weight (not that she ever needed to) in anticipation of an upcoming cruise with her mother. PhD looks good, too. They seem happy and content. A mother can't ask for more. They did, however, forget my Internet liquor order that I had to have delivered to their home due to the inane liquor laws in our state. Lucky for them I possess a degree of maternal instinct, and lots of leftovers...I feel no need to kill and eat my young.

And, in just over two weeks, I'm flying out to see PhD during the aforementioned cruise. We'll drive back east to pick up Master's and then PhD and Master's will drive back home. I haven't seen their new apartment, PhD and I will probably try one of the Greek restaurants in the area the night I'm there. And...I....will NOT forget the Amber!