DRAMA QUEENS All Hallows. My favorite holiday possibly because my mother said I was due that day but was stubborn enough to wait an extra eight days...for an ice storm to add to the drama. Apparently, Dad had to use boiling water on the door handle to get my grandmother out of the car to take care of the other two kids and then he missed the hospital driveway and bumped across the frozen tundra to the emergency room door. Ladies know they like you to walk to speed up the birthing process, so he accomplished that in spades. I arrived shortly thereafter. At least I think that was the story. I was very young at the time.
Supposedly my big sister's arrival was also dramatic. Though experiencing labor pains all day, Mom waited as it was Dad's bowling night and she did not want him to resent the intrusion. We make some dumb assumptions when we are young. At 11 pm or so when he got home she was waiting on the porch (I guess) totally regretting her decision. I believe my sister was born shortly before midnight. Mom was known for her dramatic births. When my youngest sister was born (in September) Mom called Dad at work to say she was in labor and when he tried to drag her out of the house, after an agonizing pause, everybody jumped out to yell "Surprise, Happy Birthday". That his birthday was in July and my sister was due in September apparently did not set off any alarm bells. No doubt due to her history, he was not taking any chances.
I enjoy this month as it starts with Halloween, then my birthday, and ends with Thanksgiving. There used to be a week in there for deer hunting as long as my father-in-law was able, and his two sons joined him. Somebody has to haul the deer out. I was invited/insisted I go one time. They parked me against a tree and said don't move for three hours-big whoop. After a lunch break and a 1/2 pint of schnapps I dozed against that tree all afternoon. Obviously, I didn't care to repeat the annual ritual. Which may have been the plan because after that they constructed comfy hunting shacks with propane heaters. I'm surprised anyone stayed awake long enough to bag their Fall trophies.
Thanksgiving was usually at the in-laws, but the story changed over the years. First, as dinks (dual income no kids). Then changing with the addition of the daughter which eventually and inevitably, followed with the boyfriend in tow, the will they or won't they years when the kids had to go to the "other side". Then the final years with the little grandson/great grandson in residence. Finally ending our annual northern trek when my mother-in-law passed. Fortunately, the OH is a good cook and I perform my sous chef duties, so sometimes here, sometimes at the younger generation's abode, sometimes alone. But at some point, turkey and cranberries are involved. Which means I'm over it by Christmas. Fortunately, the kids have hosted the December festivities the last couple of years and served homemade lasagna.
HOLD THE PUMPKIN...SPICE We always pass out treats for Halloween at the lake as it's a big nothing burger in our part of Grand Ledge. No streetlights or sidewalks probably puts kids off, though our girl braved our neighborhood in her day. We did a lot of walking. Which is why I offer Butter Shot schnapps to the weary parents who are dragging the wagon, literally. I'm not quite 50-50 on number of candy bars vs. number of shots, but we're getting there. At a certain point I lose count anyway. I sprang for the big candy bars, about a buck apiece, but oddly enough the only ones left were the Milky Ways. My daughter explained "milky ways" are gross. Well now I know-more for us.
We got our share of little dinosaurs, devils, princesses, a walking Jeopardy game board and others who wore their shirts backwards and called it a day. The big surprise towards the end were the seven "older kids" who showed up in fluorescent vests and hard hats. The stuff looked well-used, and the "boys" looked old enough for the schnapps, but I played it safe. They actually appeared as if they had worked all day and needed that sugar shot. We serve all who come until the stuff runs out. Finished off by walking across the street to the neighbors, who accompanied their goodies with massive speakers playing spooky music throughout, and toasted with the last of the Schnapps.
One trick that almost caused catastrophe was finding a pair of girl's glasses in the street which the OH promptly placed on our spinning pumpkin head in hopes they might come back looking. As strong as those suckers were, I'm surprised she could navigate the streets. I popped a quick notice in our neighborhood "Next Door Digest" and her brother caught it. Her father was more than grateful to get them back intact. "She's pretty much blind without them" he said. So back to my first thought how did she get around the neighborhood as I don't remember any kids with a cane and seeing eye dog/cat. Never underestimate a child's determination to snag chocolate.
CAN'T RESIST I find it hard to imagine the renovation at the expense of the east wing is for beautification when you fire the commission that oversees these things. Besides how many times do you think "the people" are going to be invited to dine there? Marmie says it to impress foreign visitors who live in palaces. Yes, because they are monarchies, so our tacky Versailles-maralogo inspired gold conference center is built to impress. He thinks it's his summer palace apparently, not a rental.
In the never-ending distractions to avoid releasing the Epstein tapes, King Chaos has us at war with Venezuela and Nigeria apparently, we are breaking a 30-year ban on testing nuclear weapons, our chief wandered off aimlessly during an official Japanese visit and told the US Navy that they should go back to steam-powered catapults, we ended up with the exact same situation with China that we had before our fearless hero started the "trade war", forty-one million people will not receive their supplemental food supplies, etc. etc. One has to admire the energy twisting with every breeze, rumor, satire or outright fake news. Peace out/stay strong/release the tapes...💚 💙💛
My understanding of Lady M's decoration of the white? house below:
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