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gfrancieFAMBLY!!!
My sister is home which is awesome. Since she arrived close-ish to dinner time, I said, "HEY EVERYONE, come on over for dinner." and so they did. Well they meaning my brother Mike, my Mom, our family friend Kathie, and our cousin Kathleen. (I realized the other day that I know a million women named Kathleen, Kathie/Kathy or Kate. I think I have reached my quota. So if you are named that -you need to change your name if you want to be friends.) Dinner was simple, I made a bolognese that cooked for about ten hours, a simple green salad, and bread. There was also a great deal of wine. Everyone stuffed themselves. Except for my kids. Senor Onion ate a lot of bread and Miss Biscuit was riding high on a cookie from tea time. WEEEEEEEE SUGARRRRRR. I think she could see into the future. It was kind of like the God of Cake Story for her.
But I digress. Everyone else enjoyed dinner.
After dinner there were cookies, the divinity and fudge I made, and Christmas cake ice cream. And some coffee. BECAUSE WHAT IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD ENOUGH TO EAT OH DEAR GOD.
Kathleen brought a number of ornaments that belonged to her mother, the FAMOUS Auntie Fern. (yes, she of the Fern cake and other good things) So my siblings and I went through and divided up stuff. It was great. There are some things that were fifty/sixty years old. They are dear for so many reasons. It will be fantastic to add these to the tree this year. (we are getting ours in the next day or so) a big burst of Fern.
Kathleen also brought up a story that still cracks me up. My Mother was not married when she became pregnant with me. (my parents got married nearly a year after I was born.) Her parents were absolutely horrified. They acted like she was some fourteen year old girl who apparently had ruined her entire life. My Mom was 26 years old when she had me. She wasn't rolling in dough by any stretch of the imagination but she was a capable adult. Once she told them she was having a baby, they stopped speaking to her. Yes. I know. What assholes. I loved my Grandparents but that was an assy thing to do.
Anyhow several months later I was born. Auntie Fern, showed up three days after I was born. She did the dishes, brought a casserole, helped my Mother figure out nursing, and did the Fern thing. Got shit done and said, "you're doin' all right kid."
Now my cousin Kathleen said that she spoke to my Grandma -because Kathleen came to see me and Grandma was totally worried that because my Father was ethnic looking (the dude is mostly Italian/Apache/Mexican... so you know... not Scandinavian looking. My brother Tom and I look a lot like our Father. My father and I share the same nose, chin and cheek bones.) that I would come out looking... how do I put this delicately, considering this day and age? She was worried that I was going to come out black or something. I KNOW. I KNOWWWWWWWWWWWW.
Seriously Grandma. What the fuck.
Mmmmmmhmmmmmmm.
Take a moment.
Why should it even matter? Also hey, this is your first Grandbaby woman. Auntie Fern was totally jonesin' for a grandbaby at the time and here you were being given one and you were complaining about what this baby might look like?
Kathleen said to her, "Theresa has a gorgeous looking baby, no matter what."
Grandma and Grandpa came to see me when I was about three weeks old.
I have to give my Mother points for not hitting them with large sticks. My Grandma had a soft spot for little blonde boys (like her son. Yeah. Uncle Marty, who no one in the family can stand but that is a whole other story) I was the complete opposite of her ideal baby-dom. Dark hair and a girl.
Yet, we still had a lovely relationship. Grandpa was more fun (he handed out pistachios and shirley temples to me) but Grandma had her own fun side too.
Family, it is messy stuff.
We ate, told stories about our family, took care of the kids, and had a pleasant time. It is so good to see my sister. When I picked her up from the train, we immediately started talking a million miles a minute. We talk nearly every day but still, there is something really good about the person to person chatter we do.
Now for a hot bath and sleep.
My sister is home which is awesome. Since she arrived close-ish to dinner time, I said, "HEY EVERYONE, come on over for dinner." and so they did. Well they meaning my brother Mike, my Mom, our family friend Kathie, and our cousin Kathleen. (I realized the other day that I know a million women named Kathleen, Kathie/Kathy or Kate. I think I have reached my quota. So if you are named that -you need to change your name if you want to be friends.) Dinner was simple, I made a bolognese that cooked for about ten hours, a simple green salad, and bread. There was also a great deal of wine. Everyone stuffed themselves. Except for my kids. Senor Onion ate a lot of bread and Miss Biscuit was riding high on a cookie from tea time. WEEEEEEEE SUGARRRRRR. I think she could see into the future. It was kind of like the God of Cake Story for her.
But I digress. Everyone else enjoyed dinner.
After dinner there were cookies, the divinity and fudge I made, and Christmas cake ice cream. And some coffee. BECAUSE WHAT IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD ENOUGH TO EAT OH DEAR GOD.
Kathleen brought a number of ornaments that belonged to her mother, the FAMOUS Auntie Fern. (yes, she of the Fern cake and other good things) So my siblings and I went through and divided up stuff. It was great. There are some things that were fifty/sixty years old. They are dear for so many reasons. It will be fantastic to add these to the tree this year. (we are getting ours in the next day or so) a big burst of Fern.
Kathleen also brought up a story that still cracks me up. My Mother was not married when she became pregnant with me. (my parents got married nearly a year after I was born.) Her parents were absolutely horrified. They acted like she was some fourteen year old girl who apparently had ruined her entire life. My Mom was 26 years old when she had me. She wasn't rolling in dough by any stretch of the imagination but she was a capable adult. Once she told them she was having a baby, they stopped speaking to her. Yes. I know. What assholes. I loved my Grandparents but that was an assy thing to do.
Anyhow several months later I was born. Auntie Fern, showed up three days after I was born. She did the dishes, brought a casserole, helped my Mother figure out nursing, and did the Fern thing. Got shit done and said, "you're doin' all right kid."
Now my cousin Kathleen said that she spoke to my Grandma -because Kathleen came to see me and Grandma was totally worried that because my Father was ethnic looking (the dude is mostly Italian/Apache/Mexican... so you know... not Scandinavian looking. My brother Tom and I look a lot like our Father. My father and I share the same nose, chin and cheek bones.) that I would come out looking... how do I put this delicately, considering this day and age? She was worried that I was going to come out black or something. I KNOW. I KNOWWWWWWWWWWWW.
Seriously Grandma. What the fuck.
Mmmmmmhmmmmmmm.
Take a moment.
Why should it even matter? Also hey, this is your first Grandbaby woman. Auntie Fern was totally jonesin' for a grandbaby at the time and here you were being given one and you were complaining about what this baby might look like?
Kathleen said to her, "Theresa has a gorgeous looking baby, no matter what."
Grandma and Grandpa came to see me when I was about three weeks old.
I have to give my Mother points for not hitting them with large sticks. My Grandma had a soft spot for little blonde boys (like her son. Yeah. Uncle Marty, who no one in the family can stand but that is a whole other story) I was the complete opposite of her ideal baby-dom. Dark hair and a girl.
Yet, we still had a lovely relationship. Grandpa was more fun (he handed out pistachios and shirley temples to me) but Grandma had her own fun side too.
Family, it is messy stuff.
We ate, told stories about our family, took care of the kids, and had a pleasant time. It is so good to see my sister. When I picked her up from the train, we immediately started talking a million miles a minute. We talk nearly every day but still, there is something really good about the person to person chatter we do.
Now for a hot bath and sleep.
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no subject
Date: 2011-12-15 07:45 am (UTC)Damn, must've been a generational thing!
no subject
Date: 2011-12-15 03:44 pm (UTC)I'm glad to say that said daughter and her descendents have been accepted into/feel ready to be part of (I don't pretend to understand the minutiae) the family, but it's only in the last ten years or so that that has happened. You know, thirty years after my grandmother's death.
no subject
Date: 2011-12-15 06:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-12-15 06:12 pm (UTC)The thing is my grandparents got more liberal as they got older. But I suppose there are some things that stick
no subject
Date: 2011-12-15 03:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-12-15 06:13 pm (UTC)Family.
no subject
Date: 2011-12-16 04:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-12-20 03:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-12-20 03:08 am (UTC)It's okay. You are Kathleen.
See I have two cousins named Kathleen on either side of the family. In addition to assorted family friends.
But you are always Kathleen.