Yesterday, I got to have cornbread dressing for Christmas dinner--with turkey, green beans with bacon, Coke Jello*, and pecan pie--pronounced peeeecan pie. Very nice and full of childhood memories, that meal is.
After dinner, my family sat around the room (there were twelve of us), and we passed around a box of cards, each containing a question meant to spark conversation. Each person read the question to the person on their right, but in most cases the questions didn't lead to conversations. We accepted the receiver's answers and moved on. It was interesting to hear each other talk about how we would change our childhood if we could (that was my question, but with my mother in the room...), what we missed about being single (nothing), what our dream job would be, what we would like to be doing in ten years. When you don't see your family except for the two days out of the year, the answers to these questions are often unexpected.
Today, the women in my family did a little shopping and then had buffalo burgers at Ted's. For those unfamiliar with Ted's, it is a chain of buffalo restaurants owned by Ted Turner who owns the largest buffalo herd in the US. I won't bother to confirm that fact, but I'm almost sure.
We have spent the afternoon watching The Bells of St. Mary's and eating cookies and chocolate covered almonds, and then later we'll order pizza. One sister is napping, one sister is practicing a watercolor exercise, Husband is reading, and I am sitting by the fire as Ingrid Bergman finds out she has TB and has to move to a dryer climate, but Mr. Belgardis is about to donate his building to the school.
Overall, a lovely couple of days.
*Coke Jello is a traditional Jello salad my mother makes with cherry Jello, a can of cherries, pecans, and a can of Coke. Say what you will, but it's a holiday staple.
After dinner, my family sat around the room (there were twelve of us), and we passed around a box of cards, each containing a question meant to spark conversation. Each person read the question to the person on their right, but in most cases the questions didn't lead to conversations. We accepted the receiver's answers and moved on. It was interesting to hear each other talk about how we would change our childhood if we could (that was my question, but with my mother in the room...), what we missed about being single (nothing), what our dream job would be, what we would like to be doing in ten years. When you don't see your family except for the two days out of the year, the answers to these questions are often unexpected.
Today, the women in my family did a little shopping and then had buffalo burgers at Ted's. For those unfamiliar with Ted's, it is a chain of buffalo restaurants owned by Ted Turner who owns the largest buffalo herd in the US. I won't bother to confirm that fact, but I'm almost sure.
We have spent the afternoon watching The Bells of St. Mary's and eating cookies and chocolate covered almonds, and then later we'll order pizza. One sister is napping, one sister is practicing a watercolor exercise, Husband is reading, and I am sitting by the fire as Ingrid Bergman finds out she has TB and has to move to a dryer climate, but Mr. Belgardis is about to donate his building to the school.
Overall, a lovely couple of days.
*Coke Jello is a traditional Jello salad my mother makes with cherry Jello, a can of cherries, pecans, and a can of Coke. Say what you will, but it's a holiday staple.
Comments
And listen, every family has their own little holiday staples that other people might consider weird. We have the green cream-cheese-and-walnut jello mold that my grandmother has made since forever.
Those conversation starter cards sound like the basis for a new set of Robyn's tasks?
By the way, now that your mother isn't in the room (or perhaps she is), what would you change about your childhood?
Dive, today is a travel day, but I'll get right on that question when I get home and can give it more thought. I think my sisters were all a little nervous, wondering how I would answer it, but I chose the diplomatic route.
Sounds like a great day and a really great game. Judging from some of the stuff you've written about your childhood, I'd think that you'd want to change quite a bit. Don't you just love having to bite your tongue to keep from disrupting family unity?
Sounds like a good time with the weeeman (as Old "k" would say)of the family. An old fashion Christmas.
best for a New Year Robyn