[rto] ghosts of seasons' past

sbb say holiday traditions are recipes, not commandments. adjust as your tastes change.

Like the oyster stew we always had on christmas eve, which sounds all nostalgic and wonderful, until I remembered that I hated it. Legendary Little Ms. Oysters Rockefeller hated creamy seafood soups. I still prefer seafood in a tomato base, but, that's illegal in New England. (Probably my favorite Christmas Day Meal ever was when we got snowed in and couldn't get to Nana's. We had almost no non-sugared food in the house. Mom had bought matzo ball mix on a lark, made soup and tried to explain how the Silvermans celebrated Christmas, completely leaving out the part about Chinese food. I wouldn't really sort that all out until I went to college and dealt with Jews who not only didn't have holiday trees, but were offended by their presence.)

remember (and record) specifics from christmasses past that made the season worth all the stress. excavate and create a blueprint for a holiday you'll actually enjoy.

I remember my aunt's economy-sized poodle going berzerker every time we sang The First Noel, since her name was Noel. Which, of course, was why we sang it in the first place.

I kinda miss how nuts my family was.

Even if it could result in my cousin emitting loud, reverbating farts on thanksgiving and then shouting out "great dinner, mom!" (And fragant enough to clear everyone away from the big TV in the living room to the little one in the study, interrupting my holiday tradition of reading my uncle's copy The Joy of Sex while they all watched football.)

Or my brother mooning the camera precisely out of view of the older generation, posed in front of him. (Remember, back before the days of photoshop being quite so convenient? This sort of thing was a hassle then. "Well, at least we got his good side.")

The best family photo ever was the one where my sister and I picked out a strap-on nose for everyone in the family, as little stocking gifts (although, I'm not sure we used the stockings much by then, at least, not territorially. If you wanted candy, you raided any stocking, or you ate one of the candy canes off the tree, at which point mom and I would point out that we hadn't bought new candy canes in years). The next best photo is when my (other) cousin brought copies of masks made by his printing company.

::

another intriguing birthday conjunct today:miss_chance and meatpie. (I usually don't remark about birthdays because, well, I post enough already... ) But, for those of you who know both of them, which may just be me, (fangirl715 lives in line of sight from chez chance... so maybe not), well, it works, in a weird way. At the risk of exposing myself as a carrier of GSB4, we should get these two together sometime.

[rto] ghosts of seasons' past

sbb say holiday traditions are recipes, not commandments. adjust as your tastes change.

Like the oyster stew we always had on christmas eve, which sounds all nostalgic and wonderful, until I remembered that I hated it. Legendary Little Ms. Oysters Rockefeller hated creamy seafood soups. I still prefer seafood in a tomato base, but, that's illegal in New England. (Probably my favorite Christmas Day Meal ever was when we got snowed in and couldn't get to Nana's. We had almost no non-sugared food in the house. Mom had bought matzo ball mix on a lark, made soup and tried to explain how the Silvermans celebrated Christmas, completely leaving out the part about Chinese food. I wouldn't really sort that all out until I went to college and dealt with Jews who not only didn't have holiday trees, but were offended by their presence.)

remember (and record) specifics from christmasses past that made the season worth all the stress. excavate and create a blueprint for a holiday you'll actually enjoy.

I remember my aunt's economy-sized poodle going berzerker every time we sang The First Noel, since her name was Noel. Which, of course, was why we sang it in the first place.

I kinda miss how nuts my family was.

Even if it could result in my cousin emitting loud, reverbating farts on thanksgiving and then shouting out "great dinner, mom!" (And fragant enough to clear everyone away from the big TV in the living room to the little one in the study, interrupting my holiday tradition of reading my uncle's copy The Joy of Sex while they all watched football.)

Or my brother mooning the camera precisely out of view of the older generation, posed in front of him. (Remember, back before the days of photoshop being quite so convenient? This sort of thing was a hassle then. "Well, at least we got his good side.")

The best family photo ever was the one where my sister and I picked out a strap-on nose for everyone in the family, as little stocking gifts (although, I'm not sure we used the stockings much by then, at least, not territorially. If you wanted candy, you raided any stocking, or you ate one of the candy canes off the tree, at which point mom and I would point out that we hadn't bought new candy canes in years). The next best photo is when my (other) cousin brought copies of masks made by his printing company.

::

another intriguing birthday conjunct today:miss_chance and meatpie. (I usually don't remark about birthdays because, well, I post enough already... ) But, for those of you who know both of them, which may just be me, (fangirl715 lives in line of sight from chez chance... so maybe not), well, it works, in a weird way. At the risk of exposing myself as a carrier of GSB4, we should get these two together sometime.