Holiday Recap

My 2010 Holiday season involved...

A fat cat sneaking under the covers, curling up soft next to my stomach and purring so loud I could hear it through my pillow.

Quality time with one of my favorite people, my momma.

All day Christmas eve cooking - homemade pierogies from my great-grandma's recipie, attempted from scratch for the very first time since she made them.

Giving up on pierogi dough & resorting to wonton wrappers with homemade filling. Still delicious.

Waking up on Christmas morning, looking out the window, and saying "aw it didn't sno-- IT'S SNOWING!!" and watching it flurry for a few hours without sticking.  The closest I've ever gotten to a white Christmas.

Sufjan Stevens & Manheim Steamroller & George Winston & Harry Connick, Jr. carols.

Relaxed laughter with family and a Christmas dinner that involved snoring dogs, bra ornaments, snacking for hours, and everyone feeling happy, thankful and loved.

Lots of movies.

Eleven hours driving down the east coast in snow, slush & ice the day after Christmas.

Singing loud to mom's old-school CDs - Barenaked Ladies & Counting Crows - to keep us from going insane stuck in the car.

Emotional upheaval (but ultimately, in a good way).

My brother dancing with my dad's dog in front of a crackling fire.

Re-exploring the town I grew up in and visiting our old house with new tenants, piecing together our family after big changes, thinking about the future and the past.  Bittersweet but calm.

Tons of sweet tea, cookies, pie, wine, specialty beers, and a homemade salad dressing that involved lots and lots of bacon fat.  Mmmmm...

Gathering around the kitchen to watch my brother's awesome knife skills & cooking talent.  Beautiful food.  Needing to audibly groan with every bite, it's that delicious.

Anticipation & disappointment (people, not things), tears, full-on honesty, acceptance, letting go, moving forward from here.  A resolution of communication.  A fittingly big ending on the last day of the year.

Balloons covering the ceiling, streamers covering the floor, vintage covering me.  Champagne, dirty martinis and the people that always make everything better.

Staying in PJs for hours under blankets, watching the Rose Bowl Parade and playing a ridiculous giggle & fake vomit -inducing game of "would you rather."

Delicious, nutritious & charmed Hoppin' John and wassail for 2011 luck.

"The Office" Clue game,  old-school Monopoly, "Fantastic Mr. Fox," rocky road ice cream and staying up too late, sleeping in too long.

Rainy day laziness, holding hands, free lunch and new friends (including a puppy!) on an almost-24-hour-long date.

All in all, it was an appropriate ending to 2010 and a really wonderful beginning of 2011.  I hope y'all had the same.

I'm back, and I promise that not only will I be writing more often, I also have a big announcement up my sleeve this month, so stay tuned...

Today I am so grateful & happy for:
~ spending time with people I love on both coasts
~ beginnings
~ silliness & laughter

xo!  n.