It’s supposed to snow on Saturday. I am praying that it does. I would love to walk the sidewalks in my black pea coat, a scarf wrapped around my neck, and mittens holding a cup of hot cocoa. I would love to wake up in the middle of the night and look out my window to see the city quiet and covered in a blanket of white snow. I would like to snuggle under the covers until my nose is hot and then spend the rest of the day in my pajamas, painting and listening to Christmas carols. It would be magical. Everything is magical when it snows.
On a less dreamy note, I am extremely nervous about taking my roommate home for Thanksgiving. I have no doubts that it is the right thing to do, since she would otherwise be all alone, thousands of miles from her family in Japan. And she is super nice. But I am nervous because it will be five days of her having to deal with my family. My family is… Loud. I love them to death. I would not trade them for anything, but they are not everyone’s cup of tea. This I know. Sometimes they aren’t even my cup of tea. But this I deal with. But my roommate is a tiny, Japanese girl that is not used to the loud American stereotypes, which my family is. Hopefully she survives.
Thanksgiving in my family only rivals Christmas and Easter. Every year we eat a feast of Turkey and mashed potatoes and corn, and drink too much cider. Then we clean off the table and play poker and blackjack and rummy until late at night, and the women pull out their newspapers and plot their Black Friday shopping Marathon. We drink more, then in the evening when we are still full from lunch we go to the movies as a family and see the latest in commercial comedy. It is a wonderful affair.
I think that my roommate will enjoy Black Friday. This will be her first one. I have explained to her that it is the biggest sales day of the year, and most stores up at 4 or 5 in the morning and that one year a lady died from the stampede. Yes, I think she will enjoy it. We will get up early and go shopping and when our legs are too tired they just can’t carry us anymore we shall return home to eat leftover turkey sandwiches and sleep the day away.
After our naps, we will help my dad get down the Christmas lights and begin to set up the decorations. In the evening mom will call us in for dinner and hot chocolate and we will sit on the couch to watch either The Santa Claus with Tim Allen or Chevy Chase’s Christmas Vacation. On Saturday I will let her sleep in late, which is a rarity in my family but I am sure she will still be exhausted from Friday’s shopping and activities. I will go to coffee with Sage and we shall chat about our lives (her new job, and trip to France, etc.) and then we shall eat and get dressed for Portland. I really want to show my roommate the Portland Christmas tree and the Zoo lights. I think I shall invite some friends should join us and make it a real outing. Then we shall do some more shopping at Pioneer square, where I sure we will spend too much money. A trip to Buffalo exchange maybe in order as well.
Sunday we will pack up all of our things. My family might drag Aoi to church or she will sleep whilst I go with them and run into people I haven’t seen in a while. And then we will come home and pack our stuff and I will call Kelsey, who will be running late. And we shall drive back with Kelsey and I chatting about kids from high school, and trips, and Christmas break.
These are my traditions for Thanksgiving. They may seem like regular boring tasks but to me they are so much more. They start the Christmas season, which is my favorite time of year. I don't like the presents or the commericalization of it. But I love the get-togethers and lights and music. I am an old soul, but I deal.
I think it will be a grand weekend. I can’t wait!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Merci mon amie!