Holiday cheer

For all that the family on my mom's have dysfunctional elements (kids born out of wedlock, deaths to drug addiction/AIDS, racist uncles) Christmas is always a warm and happy celebration.  My mom and her sisters and brothers shared stories of the past year, while my dad watched football, I painted (sneaking a glance at the game here and there) and my little cousins Tristan and Aiden (what great names!) played Clone Wars Monopoly.  There were amazing shrimp appetizers, a buttery cheese of extreme awesomeness, and a stand out dinner with pork tenderloiin, rotissery chicken, sweet potatoes, and green beans with almonds.  I talked about the elections with my aunts and uncles, then chatted about current events, teaching, and photography with my cousins.  The demands of the holiday season caught up with me (I had to be at work the next day), so I said my goodbyes and piled back in the car to Boston.  It held together, and will go into the shop tomorrow morning.  It was a sad parting, as it always is, but the sadness recedes into the night the closer I get to Boston, so by the time I'm turning onto I84, the sadness is absorbed into the happy memories, and the thoughts of what lies ahead push to the front of my brain.

An especially awful dream gave me a sour start to the week.  Let's try to temper that with a recap of my Christmas haul this year.

An awesome bed lamp from my roommate.
Some Christmas and belated birthday cash from my aunt.
Two new shirts, two cookbooks, and a crockpot from my parents,
( And... )