Idiosycratic Life

The conversation around the Thanksgiving dinner table was one of the best "holiday conversations" I've been a part of. Some years, it seems a little awkward, like I don't have a lot to say to my extended family/friends. (What can you really talk about with Larry, after all? This year, he told me all about processing returned shoes for QVC, and how some of the returns have obviously been worn, and even though QVC isn't supposed to accept them, they do. Apparently, they have a department of people who try to scrub toe marks off the inner soles of shoes with toothbrushes. Hmm.)

But this year, the conversation flowed. Ironically, 2003 was a pretty good year for the usual crowd around the table, except for Aunt Bev and Aunt Mamie, who died. That sounds awful, but anyway... Amanda and Tom graduated, passed the bar, got engaged. Greg graduated from F & M, got a great job, started work on his MBA. Kristen and Adam got married. Nanny returned to a firmer state of healt, climbing the stairs instead of riding in a chair.. Kelly and I got our Big Girl Lives at last. But I realized that all of those accomplishments- which seemed to really fall into place in the last 11 months or so- had been a long, long time in coming. It's lovely when the 20/20 view of hindsight shows you passing the places you thought would lead you where you said wanted to go, then finding yourself there.

Alissa, however, offers a beautiful, poignant description of what I actually *did* over the holiday. www.leafygreen.org/alissa

Also? My cat can actually be a pretty cuddly little guy. :)