The Aroma of Christmas Fudge

Jean has been cooking up treats for days and the aroma is wafting all the way to Mukilteo -- in my mind.

All for the family breakfast party scheduled for 12/10/11 in beautiful downtown Fort Smith. The gang will be on hand at Nora's for this annual festival of culinary delights, visits, naps, and total enjoyment by all, except for Nora's cat, unless the cat has escaped the reindeer hat. If only the cat could make Nora wear the hat instead. I'll bet Nora's home is dazzling and Fort Smith sparkling. Here is hoping no bad weather interferes. I'm imagining a walk or two, some strolls from hotel to home and back, a view of the river, carolers somewhere. And all the laughter that can be imagined. I'm missing it all the way in Mukilteo -- in my mind.

I remember when Ian was nine or ten years old and he was so conservative it made my teeth hurt, good mother that I was I tried to "save" him and help him break out of his conservative shell and become liberated and liberal like me. One day it dawned on me that I had spent much of my life trying to get people to accept me just as I am, and why the hell was I not according Ian the same courtesy that I had craved. Accepting people just as they are is an important life lesson, I've learned most of my important life lessons from my children. Thankfully before I had done too much damage I backed off, like a good mother, and let him grow in his own conservative way. Ian is still conservative and I'm still liberal but we keep muddling through our lives, through the world, in our own unique fashion.

I pondered this as I was thinking of the family getting together for fellowship; bringing all their different talents, and personalities, and skills, and methodology, and uniqueness, and gifts. What is normal? What is natural? Computer skills, fudge making, hiking new trails? It is a glorious family of glorious gifts that I will be missing Saturday -- in my mind.

Jeff, Julia, Jerry, Jean, Tal, Jane, Cathy, Brittany, Summer, Jonathon, Michael, Andrew and lovely Nora who has opened her home and hotel to the gang, and to all the family not trekking to Arkansas, Merry Christmas -- from my heart.

Other than missing the breakfast, I am actually on the stupid computer looking for toy ideas for Connor, oh the things we do for love. Have you noticed how toy catalogs and advertisements haven't changed that much. Twenty years later the catalogs are full of Monopoly, Barbie, and Batman, albeit electronic Monopoly, Barbie and Batman. The electronic stuff is overwhelming to me so everyone else can keep Connor in those kind of toys, I'll stick to the basics, the classics. I won't make the mistake of baby dolls and pot and pans again though, it will have to be something that crashes for my Connor's full enjoyment!

What I really want to mention is how much I love growing older, especially after I became used to the invisible stage. Thank goodness that surprise at not being seen is over. When you are older, and practically invisible; responsibility is less, love is more, public opinion is less, passion is moderated. I really can disregard public opinion on make-up, clothes, rituals, norms, bras. I love the transcendent quality of life with less guilt, more good feelings, losing the need to go along. Everyone expects me to be slightly off, slightly liberal, slightly faulty, but old age or at least older age is the ultimate liberator -- in my mind and heart.

I keep hearing one of my favorite quotes rattling around in my brain so I'm going to give it to you. "Life is the first gift, love is the second, and understanding is the third."

Nora, please post a blog about the Fort Smith adventure and your exact part in it. Now I think I will go make fudge.