My Antonia

I can't go to bed tonight because I miss my friends...Antonia, Jim, Lena. If you haven't read this book by Willa Cather you are lucky. Lucky because if you choose to you can drive to the library and get it tomorrow. How about you? Have you read any good books lately? What are your favorite classics?

Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing you a happy day from our house to yours...

Thanksgiving Day Rebels

My sisters 1972

(please note how my mother extended the life of pants in our house.)





My parents have six kids--three girls and three boys. Our dinner table was large, we ate when my Dad got home from work. We weren't a particularly wild bunch but this was more or less a result of genetics...I think underneath our quiet and subdued personalities we each wanted to have a little rebel come out. For some reason this happened every year on Thanksgiving.


It wasn't Thanksgiving unless someone was excused from the table for excessive laughter. It escalated as we grew. Though I never liked seeing either of my parents angry I would be lying if I said it wasn't the most fun in the whole wide world to laugh until you choked on sweet potatoes.


It was at the Thanksgiving table that us younger kids carefully watched the older ones and took note of their careful use of dry humor and sarcasm. How they (I'm really speaking of you, Carl) won over the adults, quickly gaining respect for being so mature, then turn to their captive young audience and inconspicuously drop peas into some one's drink.

Hawaii 1975

future trouble maker sisters K in the white bikini and me with the kitty



Sadly we all grew up. Well, except for two of us. It was about 1988 when my sister and I were banned from sitting next to each other. It was tragic at first but quickly we learned to save our antics for after dinner.

my angelic sister L and me as a baby 1972




This year I won't be in Connecticut, but my heart will be. And please for the love of turkey and stuffing... while Nana is cooking will someone swipe her camera and take a few pictures of the toilet?

a list

A while ago I cut out a subjective list of romantic movies from the staff at Victoria magazine.

When I say "a while ago" it means I have no idea when I did this...it could be a year ago or ten years ago. The list has been sitting in my desk for many moons. Slowly I have been checking off movies I have watched--thank you Netflix. So far I have yet to be disappointed. It's this time of year when I most enjoy classic movies. Something about the cooler temps and the preholiday spirit. Click on the titles for more information.

Classics:

It Happened One Night

My Man Godfrey

History is Made at Night

Gone With the Wind

Waterloo Bridge

The Philadelphia Story

The Shop Around the Corner

The Lady Eve

Now, Voyager

The Palm Beach Story

Casablanca

The Bishop's Wife

The African Queen

Roman Holiday

Sabrina

Summertime (1955)

Funny Face

An Affair to Remember (1957)

Indiscreet

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg

Doctor Zhivago

Summer of '42

The Way we Were

getting back to normal

Sometimes when things are busy I get a bit gruff. I lose myself among the laundry and chaos that comes with having a gaggle of kids. After a time I resurface and feel guilty for letting myself fall prey to negativity. The truth is I love being a mother and wife. I even love the laundry.

After spending three days performing "Summer/Winter Clothing Swap of Fall 2009" I was down to my last pile of clothes that perhaps have been passed through one kid too many when Molly excitedly tried on a well worn pair of red sneakers. It was at this moment I felt profound love for her...for motherhood. I watched her for a few minutes prancing around outside until I grabbed my camera and invaded her imaginative play. Little things make me happy...it's just being able to recognize them that is hard.

******

The other night when Ken was crazy drunk (a joke) he was telling me how nice it was of you to leave such nice words for him. Seriously he did say all this and wishes to send you a big Thank You. I thank you, too.

chocolate milk and Fruit Loops

Last night I ran in the commissary on base for a few things. I found myself on the heels of two young airman as I went through each grocery aisle. Every year these young enlisted guys look younger and younger and truthfully I would have thought they were in high school had I not known they were enlisted.

They were very animated with their choices. "Dude...these are sooo good." I imagined what their mothers would think. It was during this time I realized something mind boggling. I realized my oldest could join the military if she wanted. She could sign on the dotted line and move somewhere far away and ride in armored vehicles and learn how to fire a weapon.

Isn't that exactly what these boys did? What many have done for years and years? It inspires me that so many have made this choice. My heart aches for the guys who didn't have a choice during WWII and Vietnam and other conflicts. I can't imagine what their mothers thought then.

I have had similar thoughts before but never with such intensity. I guess with K just returning and my mind still in that never-leave-me-again mode I want to shout Thank You from every mountainside.

Thank You. Especially to you, Ken.

In my own family thank you Grampy, Dad, Uncle John, Uncle Jim, Uncle Gordon, Uncle Lincoln, Uncle Jack.

I am honored to be related to such selfless people.

Hug a veteran.

living a simple life in a busy way

The weather here deserves a blue ribbon, crystal blue skies and perfect not-too-warm-or-cold sunny days. It parallels my spirits. Can you tell I'm happy? Does it make you nauseous? It feels strange to be happy.

We traveled to San Antonio to watch the trombonist perform. We went to the Alamo. Remember the Alamo? I'm glad I got to see it as you know how I feel about Davy Crockett. We bought Henry a cheesy coonskin cap...it seemed like the right thing to do.

We're home now and Ken has been cleaning the gutters and mowing the grass. I've been sitting in the house watching him out the windows.

It's November and I have many things to be thankful for.

One of which is you...my blog friends. You've made my life even brighter.

Happy Saturday!