To give is to receive

This holiday I had high expectations for the time spent with my family. I devoted the entirety of my long week-end to being with my parents, eschewing friends for staying at home to play games, go out to Manchester to run errands with my mom, and eat dinner when my dad finally got home from work. He's working 12 hours a day six days a week this winter due to the already heavy snows (he delivers propane gas to people for Energy North...I think I've mentioned this...so if you use natural gas, do shovel or plow your driveway and tank so he can safely navigate!) But alas, when expectations and hopes arise, they have so far to plunge.

There was stress going around in buckets for my poor mum, I'll say that in her behalf, to which my brothers and I seem to have added. At one point when she told me "My own kids don't make my life easier for me!" I thought I might die inside. Out of all three of us, I have striven to be my mother's advocate in all situations against the evil testosterone of three males. This week-end I have to admit, I was not. Somehow her stress + my sensitivity = a big can of ugly all.week-end.long. There were some moments of tranquility and communion between us - when we played some board games, went out to eat breakfast (Chez Vachon style), and decorated the house for Christmas. But peppered amongst all the love was more anger than usual.

I'll be posting more on my family history that I was able to dig up with my parents' help soon, as well as new, NEVER BEFORE SEEN photographs of my family including both sets of grandparents, my parents, and most of my aunts and uncles. There's even going to be some pictures of me from my younger days. I wish I could show the real photos to you, some tiny, black and white squares so fragile they are cracking in the centers. Others printed on thick cardboard, the faces captured stoic and unsmiling. My lover-of-old-things heart was ready to burst and steal each photo, regardless of ownership or lack thereof. I sadly put them all back in the heart shaped candy box my memere always kept them in. After she died, my Uncle Danny (one of my mother's brothers) put her wallet photos in there and it was so touching to see she had each one of my brothers and I in there, as well as a family portrait. Where my dad's parents failed, my memere made up for them.

On a good and proper note to end a last Christmas season blog on - my most favorite present of all was a NEW digital camera from my one and only Jason. He was spot on with his choice of gifts this year, hence my new and overwhelming picture spree I will host on this site from now on. Pictures of this and my other gifts will follow. He unfortunately took his lap top with him, so I have to wait to put my photos into Picasso when he gets home. What was your favorite gift this year? What was your favorite gift to give? Mine was the $120 gift certificate we gave my parents for ballroom dancing lessons. My mom was really excited about it, my dad...not so much. His exact words were "Why do I have to go learn how to dance? I like just going out there doing my own thing.." Oh dad. Just shut up and dance already!

My favorite new game to play - BUZZ WORD! My unsolicited advice - if you haven't got it, go out and get it. My high school friends and I got together last night for a potluck and game night. I am guilty in admitting it was the first time all week-end I felt able to relax. We ate, we laughed, we played a game. There was barely any drinking! People have commented on how rare it is that I have more than 5 friends from high school I talk to and see every year - approximately 12 people I'll say, still talk and meet up in this one group. I still talk to some others too, but that's a separate group. This was the first time we all cooked for each other and we were all delighted to learn, "Wow, we can cook!" In ten years of knowing each other, this was the first time we cooked. At one point there was talk of IRAs and savings plan, and suddenly as I rambled on about green investing versus non-green investing, I realized we've all grown up, reached that "next stage in life" and we're all in one piece...together.

Happy holidays to all. I hope you've all made it out to the other side of Christmas unscathed, or barely scathed, as I have. Now, on to NEW YEARS!