Thanksgiving

Hi all! Sorry I haven't posted anything about Vern -- quite a cliffhanger, isn't it??? But I am tied to a chair working on grad school applications due Dec 1st.  The circus is definitely in town.

Just wanted to wish everybody a Happy Thanksgiving.  The New York Times did a fantastic piece a week ago about the craziness of family around Thanksgiving. Thought everyone would enjoy the laugh. Here's an excerpt:

It gets rude in there. Just how rude is exemplified by the story of a teacher from the Midwest who was pregnant with her first child when she attended a large Thanksgiving celebration at the home of her husband’s parents. 

For months, the teacher’s mother-in-law had been saying that she wanted to be in the waiting room when the teacher went into labor, and the teacher, who recounted her story on the Mothers-in-Law Anonymous section of Grandparents.com, had been politely rebuffing her. 

So at Thanksgiving dinner, with the family gathered around the table, the mother-in-law (referred to on this site as “MIL”) took the matter into her own hands. 

“MIL announced to me and the entire family the following,” the teacher wrote. “ ‘I WILL be in the waiting room while DIL is in labor, and all of you are welcome to come too. MY SON will come and give me updates every hour on the hour.’ ” 

The teacher told this reporter, “I wanted to scream: ‘Are you serious? I’ve told you that I don’t want anyone there and you invite the entire family! Who do you think you are, taking over my first birthing experience?’ But what could I say and remain tactful?” 

Her violent impulse is not uncommon at family holiday gatherings. Indeed, there are those who claim that there exists, in the archives of The Saturday Evening Post, a Norman Rockwell painting that is entitled “Throttling Granny,” in which a New England farmer has one calloused hand on the throat of a gray-haired lady whose grandchildren cheer him on.

 Click here for the full article.

Starting Dec 3rd, I'm going to try and post a short spiritual reflection every day during Advent.  I know, I know, can he do it -- actually post two days in a row! I'm going to try.

Gobble gobble.