Getting Ready for Christmas '08

The wreath on the door says, "Grandma's house, Children Spoiled While You Wait".
Doesn't that just say it all?



The nativity scene is on the buffet, so it must be December. Now the Christmas cookie jar must be filled.
Every year, since my children were little, we have decorated a gingerbread house. I used to make my own gingerbread for the house, but I've become lazy and so we buy candy and decorate a pre-made gingerbread house. "Simplify, simplify" I tell myself.

With a simpler Christmas comes the fake tree, that you see on the sideboard in the living room. My wonderful grandsons ask, "Nana, why don't you have a real tree for Christmas?" I admit it, the last few Christmas's I've been tired. In 2005 I spent the week before Christmas in the hospital, getting out only two days before Christmas. In October of 2006 I broke my ankle, yet another excuse not to put up a tree. 2007 was the first Christmas without my mom, but now I have my energy back and I'm thinking it might be nice to have a real tree. I don't want to slip into Scroogedom. I love the way the house feels and smells at Christmas with the scent of pine needles and cookies baking.

The stockings are hung and the sound of Christmas music is in the air. Still, I am going to keep Christmas simple this year. I am not going to go shopping crazy. We don't want to lose the meaning of Christmas in commercialism, even if it was my goal, in previous years, to single handedly keep the economy afloat. Less stress, more fun, that's my moto now.

The Thanksgiving Feast

At the Gauthier house, Thanksgiving is all about the food. We go to great lengths to set the mood for our gluttonous reunion. This year both Brook and Lindsay came home for our Thanksgiving feast. My middle daughter, Brook, brought with her, not only a charming guest named Brian, but also a wonderful recipe for cranberry sauce, a gluten-free pumpkin pie and gluten-free stuffing. With my eldest daughter living in the house right next door, we had no shortage of ovens or refrigerator space.

The table was set the night before, this being a tradition of my own mother when she hosted our Thanksgiving feasts in years long gone.

Amanda has been honing her culinary skills for the last several years. You would never know she was my pickiest eater as a child. She prepared our favorite pecan stuffing, yams, garlic mashed potatoes, sauteed carrots, and the most delicious apple and pumpkin pies from scratch, not to mention the beautiful, moist turkey you see above.

Brook was absolutely thrilled to be home. In fact, she drove in Thanksgiving traffic all the way from Tucson, only to be put to work in the kitchen. Doesn't she look happy?

Brook and Brian were endlessly entertained by Brook's three favorite people, her nephews. There was jumping on the trampoline, playing monsters on the bed and lots running through the house, playing ping pong, and uproarious laughter. At the end of the day there was even a game of Scrabble.

Amanda's husband Scott has forever been the designated green bean cook and even our guest Brian, who claims not to like vegetables, enjoyed Scott's green beans. I have to say my son in-law is tops!

Even Lindsay was put to work in Amanda's kitchen peeling the Jonagold apples for our apple pies. Lindsay spent hours with her beloved nephews playing on the computer, jumping on the trampoline and just entertaining her favorite little people.

The boys are never happier than when their aunties are home to play with them.

Giving Thanks for Family Nov.'08

I am so thankful to have been given the family I have -- that includes the family I came from, the family I married into, the family I created, and all the friends I am blessed to have who feel like family.

Thanksgiving is such a great time to be reminded that no one loves us like our families.

Last night on Boston Legal a group of unlikely cohorts gathered together for a Thanksgiving feast. Everyone celebrating seemed to be estranged from their families of origin, but still the need to have some semblance of family is what they all craved. Everyone had differing opinions; some had issues. Nonetheless, they were all there to share in a family-style meal and comraderie (though, truth be told, there was more chaos than comraderie). Regardless of the chaos and the arguments, no one would leave -- even when the hostess begged a few of them to leave.

No family is perfect. We all have our issues, but Thanksgiving marks a time each year that each of us is reminded to be thankful. Not a bad thing.

The Thanksgivings of my childhood always included people who had no family to be with.
Because my mother's family of origin lived in Germany she always welcomed her friends that had no where to go to celebrate. When I grew up and had my own family we would travel every
Thanksgiving for years to celebrate with Mom. Mom's house was always welcoming, the table always beautifully set. Mom would also invite some of my friends and their children to come to "Omie's" house for the holiday (she was known as Omie, German for Granny, to my children and my friends). There were always special treats at each place setting for the children.

As the years passed, it became more difficult to always get to Mom's, so she began coming
to our house for Thanksgiving. Of course, she had to help me with the turkey, and she did so happily. It wasn't long before I had more confidence in my own culinary skills. I miss her terribly, but especially, at Thanksgiving.

This Thanksgiving, our daughter Amanda will be making the feast. And since she lives right next door, she will cart the food to my house and I will set the table and do the dishes. It's a fair trade Thanksgiving in my mind. Her Omie would be so proud! This year it is Amanda's sisters who will travel miles to come home for Thanksgiving. Ah, the circle of life.

Showered with Blessings

Jan & her daughter in-law Valerie

Me on the left, Jan & Deanne

Becky led our Bible study all those years ago.

When I was a young woman and about to have my first baby, I was given the most wonderful shower to welcome my first born daughter into the world. The Bible study ladies didn't know me very well, and yet they blessed me with all the darling baby things a new mother could want. Eventually, I had two more daughters and three grandsons.

Recently, I was invited to a shower by the woman who opened her home and heart to me so many years ago. Now, Jan's daughter in-law is due to have a baby boy. Where has the time gone? We have come full circle. It was such an honor to celebrate at the baby shower for Valerie and James' first born and Jan's first grandson.

Visiting with family

November traditionally brings families together, whether for Thanksgiving, or in my case, my husband's birthday. This year was special because to help celebrate my husband's birthday my brother in-law from Oregon flew down to celebrate with us.

We had a big family gathering at our house and altogether there were 19 of us for dinner. Here's Richard (second from left) with his brother Dave, mom Kathy, sister Sherree and brother Jay.

With the recent election having just passed, I told my husband to please make politics off limits at his birthday dinner. Our family was pretty much split down the middle with half for McCain and half for Obama. We pretty much canceled each other's votes out.

My husband agreed to the ban on both politics and religion at dinner. I was relieved, but then what do we talk about? I suggested talking about our childhood memories. L.O.L. I wish I'd had a video camera on because my memory is so terrible and everyone wanted in on the action. No lack of lively conversation, that's for sure. It was so lively in fact that I completely forgot to take photos, but my daughter did.

Anyway, my brother in-law who flew such a long distance to be with us was scheduled to leave via the Fresno airport, so I volunteered to drive him to Fresno for his departure. I have family that live in Fresno and thought it the perfect opportunity to reconnect. To my delight my cousin Jill was available and said my Uncle would like to come to lunch and bring his new wife Susan.

It was such a pleasure to meet Uncle Dick's lovely wife Susan and to see him happy. My cousin Robin also wanted to join us and she brought her daughter Brook and we enjoyed a lovely Mexican lunch. My cousin Jill surprised me with a dvd of home movies when I was a little girl. There's just such comfort in connecting with people that have watched you grow up and are still excited to see you every time you visit.

Here I am, on the right, with my cousin Robin and her daughter Brook.

Sunday November 16, 2008

It's suppose to be 80 degrees today but it's still cold in the house and it feels like fall to me.
The weather somehow always affects my mood. I love fall with it's myriad of colorful leaves on the ground carpeting the porch as I enter my house. Life slows down a bit for me in the fall and I
have more time to reflect on my life. Maybe it's partly the stage of life I'm in now that urges me to live in the present moment and appreciate all that I've been given.
This month I received news that my friend's husband has been in the hospital since the end of August suffering from blood poisening that threatened to take his life. He's on the mend now, but for a while, the threat that hovered over him caused everyone who loves him to appreciate every moment as it comes. He is 83 years old and has lived an incredibly creative life. He is due to go home on November 24 and he can hardly wait. On September 11 he almost died, so his homecoming is going to be such a welcome relief.
This last week I received news of another friend who's daughter also contracted septa-semia.
She was only 39 years old and has two beautiful sons and a husband and family that love her dearly. Unfortunately, she was not so lucky and died in just five short days. She had enough light in her to illuminate a room with only her smile. Her energy and love of people will be sorely missed. It's very difficult to understand why one so young is taken when her life has barely begun.
When we are young we think our lives will go on forever and we have plenty of time to show the people we love how much we care, but the truth is, life is fragile and all we really have is the present.
Fall is the time of letting go. My goal is to let go of fear, anger, hurt, pride, & ego and open my heart to love, each and every moment.