Thanksgiving week highlights:

--Picking Sheri up at the airport.  Always an exciting event!

--Thanksgiving and more food than we could possibly eat (there are still leftovers).

--Oh, Tyler!

--No Limit Blue State Hold ‘Em

--Sheri, the card shark.  Trust me on this.

--Seven people breaking into spontaneous song at various times on Saturday night.

--Brunch.  Oh, I think I’m still full!

--Richmond shopping.  We always say we’re going back when we have more time, but we never do.

--Getting a chunk of Christmas shopping done.  Happy!

--Wine.  Lots o’ wine.

--And champagne.

--Hair dyeing time.  Sheri’s, not mine.

--Laughing.  So much laughter.

--Journey.  Steve Perry.  Tight jeans.  Oh my.

--Planning a roadtrip to… where was that again?  Ottowa??

--Jay buys a truck.  A boy and his truck-- it’s a beautiful thing.

--Nick, the other houseguest.

--Pie.  Piiiiiiieeee.  Use as many syllables as you need.

--Kris the turkey.  Bad Leslee.  Bad.

--Reggie singing “My Way”

--Never enough time with Sheri.

Posted by Kristina in Musings at 01:17 AM Permalink

Thanksgiving weekend has come and gone, and soon Sheri will have come and gone.  Sheri time is unlike real time-- it flies by much faster than I would like.  It makes me sad and wistful, wishing she lived closer so it wouldn’t be so long between visits.  Maybe someday.

This week always makes me grateful for the family I’ve made of my friends.  I’ve been in Virginia for four years (this time around) and I’ve made some very good, very wonderful friends.  These friendships make Virginia feel like home, which is a nice, safe feeling.  It also makes me feel better to know that when I’m alone, as I so often am thanks to the Navy, there are still people looking out for me.  We all need that-- even me, who is more comfortable looking out for others than being looked out for.

Today we celebrated our annual Thanksgiving week tradition (the list seems to grow every year-- soon we’ll need two full weeks of Sheri time to encompass all the traditions) of Sunday brunch at the beautiful Jefferson Hotel in Richmond.  It is one of my favorite experiences, made all the more special because it only happens once a year.  When two elderly women passed by our table and Sheri asked if we’d still be coming to brunch when we were as old as they were, it was easy to say yes.  Somehow, no matter where I go or what friends I make (or lose), I know Sheri will be there.  The longer I live in Virginia, the more I believe there will be other friendships like the one I have with Sheri-- friendships that will become so long-lasting and reliable that I can’t imagine them ever ending.

Posted by Kristina in Musings at 11:34 PM Permalink

I remember when making Thanksgiving dinner felt like the ultimate domestic challenge.  Small kitchen, no real serving spoons, paper napkins, not enough bowls and dishes for everything—not even enough chairs.  It’s all in the timing when it comes to putting a big meal together, and I can remember stressing out on more than one occasion that everything wouldn’t be ready-- and hot-- at the same time.

This was my fifteenth Thanksgiving dinner to prepare and the experience has, for the most part, stopped being stressful.  I have enough of everything (and a big kitchen) and I’ve got the timing down.  With the exception of a brief power outage and a stubborn turkey who didn’t want to cook in the allotted time, this year’s Thanksgiving went off without a hitch.  Now it’s all about the leftovers and getting ready for the next big holiday meal.

I am so not ready for Christmas.  Maybe I’ll just make pizza.

Posted by Kristina in Musings at 11:48 PM Permalink

In no particular order, I’m thankful for:

--Sheri, for always being here, no matter where “here” is.

--The book club and my book club partner.

--Jay, who supports and indulges a moody, possibly insane, free spirit of a wife when he could have married a minivan driving soccer mom.

--A dog who sleeps on the bed and keeps me safe in the night.

--Cats who gather in whatever room I’m in when they could be as aloof as normal cats.

--Susie Bright, for being a kick ass role model.

--Ditto Heather Corinna.

--This guy, for being there through hurricanes, injured dogs, stray cats, snow days, Staff Days, party plans, splinters, new jobs, everything.

--John Kerry, for giving me hope-- if only for a few months.

--Hillary Clinton, for giving me hope that things will get better in four years.

--My Powerbook, because I’ve written more on it in the past three months than I wrote on my desktop in two years.

--Being a student again.

--Editors who buy my work-- especially the ones who ask me to write something for them.

--Lush, especially the one in London because I hope to go back and visit it soon.

--Starbucks, for keeping me going.

--Josh, for being the kind of teenager who makes me wish I had kids.

--Being home for the holidays when a lot of people can’t be.

--NaNoWriMo for motivating me to write a book that’s been in my head for awhile.

--Everyone who reads my little musings here.  Whether you post comments or not (and I wish y’all would, it inspires me to write more), I love that you take the time to read what I write.

--Friends, old and new, close and distant.  They are my wacky, exasperating family.

Happy Thanksgiving.  I hope you have as much to be thankful for as I do.

Posted by Kristina in Life at 09:40 AM Permalink

Sheri is finally here… and as if her presence alone wasn’t enough to make me a happy girl, she also brought me many lovely Lush goodies, including the best lip balm in the world.  Lucky me!

Eight days off from work and Sheri here to keep me company.  I have several reasons to be thankful this week and those are two of them.

Now you’ll have to excuse me while I go make my lips kissably soft.

Posted by Kristina in Musings at 12:33 AM Permalink