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I'm tired but we had a really nice holiday. This is going to be long so for holiday details My parents and sister made in to our house Wed. night even though they drove through the huge snow storm. Denis even got out of work early, because of the weather the restaurant was dead (although one man did give him a $40 tip on his $20 bill and then left before Denis had a chance to thank him, Merry Christmas to whoever he was).
My mom went a little nuts on the presents this year, but I didn't get anything that I would have rather just had the money that was spent on it (no irritating knickknacks). I got a lot of stuff for Europe: long underwear, gloves, sweaters, some money (they wrapped up different bills in all these different packages so it was $5 here $20 there, they put some of them in envelopes with letters that I had to unscramble to figure out what the money was for-U C L H N). Denis got tools (I thought that was funny) and books and shirts but tragically no X-box. The nicest thing was that my mom bought us a big king-sized comforter for our bed and sewed us a cover-thing for it. (The quilt I made for Denis three years ago that's on our bed now is starting to wear.) She chose a beautiful pattern, it must have taken forever. She's been big into the quilting this year, on Sat. every household got a different quilt-patterend tree-skirt. Ours is blue and gold with red poinsettas. Too bad the tree is coming down soon, but it will be good for next year. Wed. night we watched Spirit: Stallion of the Cimaron (that animated horse movie). Melissa got it as a gift, Denis had given me Hedwig, but that would have been a hard sell to my family. Spirit was a bit much. I'm not a big horse fan but at least the animals didn't sing.
Thursday and Friday were great because I got to spend a lot of time with my sister. My dad went skiing in the mornings and my mom was sewing (she still had to finish the comforter cover) so I spent some time with them, but they left Friday afternoon and Melissa stayed the night. Denis was mostly working. Melissa and I hung out in our new comfy clothes (we both got sweatpants) and ate junk food, played MystIII (a present from Denis) we beat it in three days with help from the internet and occasionally Denis (who is irritatingly good at computer games.) Friday night we cooked together. We made bakleva from Denis's mother's recipe (which came out really well) and she made a bunch of things for Saturday.
Sat. we got up at 5:30 and drove to the Upper Valley. It was great to see everyone, it the first time in a few years that all of my cousins have been back for Christmas. We had a really nice time, there were more presents, and different family food (my aunt makes these great meatballs) and board and card games afterwards. The bakleva went over well so I think that Denis and I have established what will be our traditional thing to bring to family gatherings.
Trends in presents tended to be a lot of hobby themed things for the men: special drill bits for one cousin, mountain biking stuff for another, kyack accessories for my dad, and hardcover Heinlein books for Denis. My mom also got all the guys Hathaway dress-shirts because the company went out of business. It's odd to think that Denis now has similar shirts to all the men in my family. For the women it was often collectible junk-shop or crafty things, my mom collects old flour-sifters and my grandmother old graters and one aunt different rulers and measuring devices (like wierd scales). Some of the stuff was odd, but then I wouldn't get excited over drill-bits and no one seemed interested in this cool art-historical-theory book that I got. Denis got Clue, that was nifty, and a Dartmouth hat among other things. I got several things I had asked for (including an Ani Difranco CD, Denis also gave me one), a couple of ornaments, and gift certificates for the GAP. We drove back late last night because Denis is working today. We were so tired and very very full.
I really had a good time. It was nice to participate in the family rituals and to see everyone together and catch up with my cousins. I think Denis enjoyed himself too and really feels like part of the family now. I do kind of wish that I had gone to church on Christmas Eve. I stayed home to spend time with Denis and I didn't really want to go alone (plus I haven't been to the church in North Adams), but I did miss it. The carols and lights services were always my favorite. There wasn't really any family pressure, my sister said that she went with my dad in Maine, but my mom didn't go. It would have been nice to be in Maine and go to my childhood church, but oh well.
Now back to the library to work on my report for Europe. I'm leaving in less then a week!
My mom went a little nuts on the presents this year, but I didn't get anything that I would have rather just had the money that was spent on it (no irritating knickknacks). I got a lot of stuff for Europe: long underwear, gloves, sweaters, some money (they wrapped up different bills in all these different packages so it was $5 here $20 there, they put some of them in envelopes with letters that I had to unscramble to figure out what the money was for-U C L H N). Denis got tools (I thought that was funny) and books and shirts but tragically no X-box. The nicest thing was that my mom bought us a big king-sized comforter for our bed and sewed us a cover-thing for it. (The quilt I made for Denis three years ago that's on our bed now is starting to wear.) She chose a beautiful pattern, it must have taken forever. She's been big into the quilting this year, on Sat. every household got a different quilt-patterend tree-skirt. Ours is blue and gold with red poinsettas. Too bad the tree is coming down soon, but it will be good for next year. Wed. night we watched Spirit: Stallion of the Cimaron (that animated horse movie). Melissa got it as a gift, Denis had given me Hedwig, but that would have been a hard sell to my family. Spirit was a bit much. I'm not a big horse fan but at least the animals didn't sing.
Thursday and Friday were great because I got to spend a lot of time with my sister. My dad went skiing in the mornings and my mom was sewing (she still had to finish the comforter cover) so I spent some time with them, but they left Friday afternoon and Melissa stayed the night. Denis was mostly working. Melissa and I hung out in our new comfy clothes (we both got sweatpants) and ate junk food, played MystIII (a present from Denis) we beat it in three days with help from the internet and occasionally Denis (who is irritatingly good at computer games.) Friday night we cooked together. We made bakleva from Denis's mother's recipe (which came out really well) and she made a bunch of things for Saturday.
Sat. we got up at 5:30 and drove to the Upper Valley. It was great to see everyone, it the first time in a few years that all of my cousins have been back for Christmas. We had a really nice time, there were more presents, and different family food (my aunt makes these great meatballs) and board and card games afterwards. The bakleva went over well so I think that Denis and I have established what will be our traditional thing to bring to family gatherings.
Trends in presents tended to be a lot of hobby themed things for the men: special drill bits for one cousin, mountain biking stuff for another, kyack accessories for my dad, and hardcover Heinlein books for Denis. My mom also got all the guys Hathaway dress-shirts because the company went out of business. It's odd to think that Denis now has similar shirts to all the men in my family. For the women it was often collectible junk-shop or crafty things, my mom collects old flour-sifters and my grandmother old graters and one aunt different rulers and measuring devices (like wierd scales). Some of the stuff was odd, but then I wouldn't get excited over drill-bits and no one seemed interested in this cool art-historical-theory book that I got. Denis got Clue, that was nifty, and a Dartmouth hat among other things. I got several things I had asked for (including an Ani Difranco CD, Denis also gave me one), a couple of ornaments, and gift certificates for the GAP. We drove back late last night because Denis is working today. We were so tired and very very full.
I really had a good time. It was nice to participate in the family rituals and to see everyone together and catch up with my cousins. I think Denis enjoyed himself too and really feels like part of the family now. I do kind of wish that I had gone to church on Christmas Eve. I stayed home to spend time with Denis and I didn't really want to go alone (plus I haven't been to the church in North Adams), but I did miss it. The carols and lights services were always my favorite. There wasn't really any family pressure, my sister said that she went with my dad in Maine, but my mom didn't go. It would have been nice to be in Maine and go to my childhood church, but oh well.
Now back to the library to work on my report for Europe. I'm leaving in less then a week!
