thanksgiving

a link you can click on to take you to a wonderful thanksgiving message from nieniedialogues.

holiday cheer

are you up for more holiday cheer?!
obviously this is the place!

you're clicking on "this" or "the place" for a link aren't you?

ha-ha.. no, this blog is the place..

and no, i have not been drinking---yet.

okay, maybe this blog is not the holiday-y cheerful place, unless you are eeyore (if so, luxuriate once more).

actually, i did lift my ban on in-the-house-or-car-or-my-vicinity christmas humming/singing until christmas eve-ning and christmas day. mostly because nate can make anything fit into the tune of 12 days of christmas (used to be jingle bells) and make it rhyme and everything. she is our own regular 'weird al'. i should have her listen to some bob dylan and see what she can do with that; have been humming some of his songs all day (we watched scorsese's documentary on dylan last night in class--the 2nd part of the film--it was good.)

oh, right, but thanksgiving comes first. and are there "thanksgiving-y caroles"?
i do so not like to overlook this particular holiday in the rush to get to christmas.
okay, usually i do.
mostly because if i can speed through this holiday, natalya is home once again. and those papers and books are written and read...ah, finals week!

nate gets on the plane tomorrow (yeah, she misses a day of school this year (not to be blamed on me).) i am trying to get her packed today, and she doesn't want to be bothered by helping... she has other things she'd rather do. am looking for her most hideous outfits (and not going to give her one set of matching socks); not really, because i want her to appear as what she is, a well cared for growing girl (even if she refuses to brush her hair)... sigh.

in related news:
this year, sean and i will be taking friends up on the invite over for dinner on thursday. aren't you proud? yeah, i know.
this was before sean was laid-off so this pre-determination to not act on my depressive state while nate is in albuquerque is perfect because really, it doesn't do to have too low a level of sadness in the house at one time.

though it could be just the right conditions to get in some good writing.
course, i may want to abstain from writing anything for little sister's blog... though that could be really interesting--hee-hee.

see? holiday cheer.

leslie is...

...cooking dinner.
...sipping chai with its hint of bailey's.
...looking forward to fall feast; fondue again this year.
...listening to nate and sean play simpson's road rage on the playstation.
...contemplating which of her reading she will do tonight.
...developing an addiction to etsy.com.
...
...

mini-vans

since we have already notified the next of kin:

sean was laid-off yesterday.

when i got out of class, he called and had me come by the office, and we packed his desk and took a zip-car home...yes, it was somewhat humiliating, the zip-car was a mini-van, ugh...(there are no excuses for those things).

there is a reason for the lay-offs (these are not the first for his firm in recent months, nor was he the only one yesterday to pack his desk)...and, then other firms are having a hard time of it as well. no one is hiring and hundreds will be vying for those few new jobs anticipated (whispered about) after the new year (thank you for supporting those bond measures that will build new schools)

the inner-industry network* has proven to be very supportive and are trying to comfort each other and be positive with each other. this has been really helpful as morale is low.

*the architects, who are not principles of their firm or a*#h%^$s** who don't do their work but keep their jobs anyway.
**always wanted to astrix it out, & my parents read my blog

This post is merely an f.y.i. and hopefully another thing for you to add to your prayer lists.

i am not looking for comments today, so please do not leave any.

a contributor

i wasn't contributing to a minor (as if i ever would) so here's something you may (or may not) get a kick out of... course, i might still put up a pic from my wedding when posting over there (like me trying unsuccessfully not to cry during the toasts, you'll note the appropriateness of choosing that particular photo)--another reason for a photo op: then--i was a smoking hot bride.. really, it was pretty warm day, outdoor wedding, full sun, clear blue sky, corset suffocating me, the layers of underskirts. an advertisement for aveda products--they do not melt, in or on the face of anything or one.

anyway.. go ahead and comment on little sister's blog post: your own experiences with the subject matter, a relevant memory, or a "hey you should have this contributor back often, she's brilliant"--you know..

anywho, if you actually did think it went alright, you can leave that comment here. can you tell i sound a bit nervous.. you'll see, i felt a need to modulate my voice a bit...mine and little sister's styles differ..but i think they could compliment each other.

3T

we've a few thanksgiving traditions in our little family of three.

one is a tree:
branches poked out of a tall vase with construction paper leaves littering them. we'll re-hang those kept from last year and add new ones as we find thankful-things to write on them. (we started the tree last year)
sean set it up the other day. it looks really good on my new credenza!
really, this tree is a step forward as i'm sure you'll be shocked to find that i do not decorate much for holidays; which adds to the difficulty of shopping for me..amazingly so.

two is a 'fall feast':
nate will be out of town, again, of course, on thanksgiving day so we'll have a 'fall feast'. we thought to try something different, but we're back to the fondue book. we did decide to try a different cheese, you'll be shocked to discover it titled "thanksgiving fondue". we decided we might want to think about a menu, finally, because of course time is skating away from us.

a third is publishing the christmas lists:
for relatives (cause they all live away from us) to have time to buy/make and mail gifts. do you have your lists made by now?

****
traditions mark a holiday; they give it substance.
i find myself needing just enough to note the occasion, but not so much as to increase the anxiety they can potentially cause.

*****
hmmm...this didn't sound like a cheery-holiday-anticipation-post did it?
partly i am tired, and partly distracted, but wanted to post something, hopefully to warm-up for all the writing i need to do in coming hours...and also to get myself excited for an otherwise really good-intentioned holiday to celebrate.

i bet i'll do better with christmas.

and maybe i'll try again on this kind of post next week.

...

yikes..
has that rant been up for more than a few days?
oops..

i guess i have busy since; distracted by other concerns.

***

looking for a good laugh, head over to randy wray's blog.

a little rest for the weary

a little rest for the weary.. and i stress weary as opposed to wary... i am not the least wary, today, or yesterday afternoon... actually i am feeling a bit explosive.. which is dangerous, because---- maybe i am wary, of my self.

really, i am a bit tired. my tongue is sore from biting it back; and my middle finger tired (from hitting the backspace and delete keys on the computer); and my eyes feel a bit bored by the commentary...i would probably speed read past this if i were not the one writing it.

restraint is an act of compassion on my part. yes, go ahead and saint me. i am good to not overburden you and add to that raging white noise we are at present surrounded by.

i believe i have the right to express my opinions, and the complete option to not. and this being my blog--surely i can post in this space calmly and in an orderly fashion. however, with you, i will be considerate... i have a bottle of baileys, a husband who listens (or looks convincing enough to pass), and a hard wall to beat my head against (not unlike most conversations to be held of late). i'll be right as rain in no time...after all, mccain did lose the election .

not monday, but close

did you vote?

*

in other depressing news:

have you read Maus I & II by art spiegelman?

**