Hullo, loves, I'm back!

[shiredancer]

My "holiday" started Wednesday evening and ended last night. It included two Thanksgiving dinners at two mothers' houses, with two gatherings of relatives, plus one Hannukah celebration. Yow, I'm beat. I had four glasses of sherry whilst stirring the gravy this year, and that was about three glasses too many. But it was really, really good gravy. Let's hear it for one-armed cookery.

Still to come: latkes all this week along with the Menorah and our own Hannukah celebration on Wednesday. Then we can focus on Christmas, which I try to make a really lovely time for us. Living so close to my mom, I've never yet had my own Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, so when my daughter was born I declared December 23 our very own family Christmas Eve, and hold it sacrosanct: Christmas carols on the CD player, a yummy dinner, and every candle in the house lit. Don't laugh at me when I say this, but I have a weakness for Christmas music. And candles. And holiday food. So, it will be good.

Work, on the other hand, will suck this month -- our graduate application deadline is December 15. Valar help me. And that's just the warm-up for the whole admissions process that goes through April. If I'm a bit quieter here for awhile, you now know why.

I've missed you all, and have caught up as best I can. I noticed linaelyn and anneheart really held down the holiday fort here! And daisy_gamgee, where are you? I really miss you!

*SMOOCH*

Comments

[chrystimd.livejournal.com]

I miss you more, and more and more! I'm glad you'll be enjoying the holidays. You deserve it. You rock. See me when you can, okay? *mwah* (((((((sally)))))))

Re:

[shiredancer.livejournal.com]

Mwah and (((Chrysti)))! Missed you too. We'll see how the rest of the holidays go... as long as That Movie is in the middle of it, I can bear it. I think.

Wheeeee!

[indigo-moon.livejournal.com]

She's back! She's back!

Missed you, babe.

Re: Wheeeee!

[shiredancer.livejournal.com]

Missed you too, love! *Smooch*

**Hugs**

[linaelyn.livejournal.com]

..And sorry to have filled your friends' page with so much spammage over the weekend. ;-)

I was chained to my computer room here far too much this weekend, getting this silly Literary Magazine thingie printed out. But also had some good time with the family. Glad you had such a festive Holiday-Go-Round. I missed you, and Daisy, and everyone else, but hey, Glad everyone is enjoying the time for family. We had our latkes tonight, though there is no known Jewish heritage anywhere in our ancestry. We just like latkes! *yum*

Estel's Parents staked out "Christmas-Eve-Eve" as their special Family Gathering back before Estel was born, so I can vouch for that tradition being one that lasts and lasts! Our time for just the four of us, held sacrosanct, is Christmas Eve through Christmas Morning. Nobody else allowed until Noon, which is saying something, given that the entire clans on Both Sides live in the area.

*smooch* back at you, dear. Oh! Almost forgot! I've misplaced your snail-addy, and I'm sending out postcards next week. (I never did get the Halloween ones sent) Send it to linaelyn@livejournal.com, if you want a little something sent your way *\^_^/*

Re: **Hugs**

[shiredancer.livejournal.com]

Oh, I enjoyed the spammage, as always Lin! Sorry the Lit Mag thing turned out to be such an endurance event. Is it done now?

Yeah, nothing like a bunch of non-Jews for falling in love with latkes (I'm a shiksa, so I know). My parents love to come up for our Hannukah celebration, just for those potato pancakes (although not this year, so soon after Thanksgiving. We dined alone.) My secret: the hallowed Maneshevitz boxed mix, for both the latkes and the matzo ball soup. And that's a family tradition right from my 100% Jewish mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law. It has the seal of approval, all right. As Grandma Hattie said, "If it tastes so good, why make it from scratch?!" Hee.

Oh, and I'll send the addy. Thanks, and *smooch*.

Welcome back!

[who-took.livejournal.com]

And glad you had such a wonderful holiday!

You're generous; we've staked out the entire holiday as our own. ;-)

Re: Welcome back!

[shiredancer.livejournal.com]

Thank you, Who! Yeah, it was a pretty good holiday, after all. Lots more to come, too. My family is actually very close, so it's not so bad giving in to the parental wishes. Plus, they're the only ones with a house big enough for all of us.

I hope your holiday was good too.