A post in which it is still Christmas*

I woke up this morning with still more Christmas ahead.  Frankly, I was glad it was going to be over today.  I love Christmas, I've just had a bellyful of it at this point. 

I got up and made the pickles.  I decided I had time for a quick buddy visit, and ran into a friend online, so he came over for a bit. 

After he left, I started getting ready to go.  I was just about to step into the shower when I got a text.  Ava was still throwing up.  So I was put on hold.  We were going to try for later in the day. 

Well that took me from eating another part day of vacation, to pretty much eating a whole day.  But there was little I could do about it.  I watched some telly, played online, and waited.  And waited.

After a couple of hours, I got a message that they were planning to leave in an hour.  After two hours, they actually left.  I headed on over to Dad and Eve's.  I had an Ava present for Eve to wrap, and wanted to be sure I got there in plenty of time for her to do it.  I knew she had been holding dinner for hours, and figured she would be fit to be tied, but she was actually pretty calm when I came in.  Dad was in the bed, and she was in the kitchen getting things done.

Lisa and the kids came in, and we prepared to eat. 

Christmas this year was - well odd. 

1)  Eve had made at least a pound of lump crab meat into crab imperial.  Then she covered the top of it with potato chips?  I don't know either.  I mean I can see that for a tuna noodle bake or something, but crab?  Really?  When I walked in, she asked me to look at it 'to see if it was done'.  It was nearly incinerated.  I mean the chips were on the verge of burning.  I took it out of the oven.

2) As part of the balm for Cindy and Paul hurting her feelings (yet again) over the whole picture thing (grrrrr) Dad had taken her to an auction.  Where she had purchased a set of Christmas china.  Now I've always thought Christmas china was stupid, but to each his own.  But she served Christmas dinner on plastic plates??  And plastic serving dishes?  With at least three sets of dishes in the cabinets, and a new set of Christmas dishes.  I don't get it.  This is the woman who taught me an appreciation of the finer things, and an appreciation for using finer things. 

3) One of the things I asked for for Christmas was a gift card to Fresh Market.  I LOVE to go to the Fresh Market.  It's like a treat for me.  Well I did get the card.  It was for $10.  I don't mean to sound ungrateful or anything, but $10?  At the Fresh Market, that's a couple of loaves of bread.

4) Eve knows that I collect Depression Glass.  They both know my pattern, because they bought me several pieces for my matched set a couple of years ago.  She also knows that I collect her mother's china pattern.  Despite that, she gave me a plain white fancy lidded asparagus dish.  It goes with nothing I own.  It is of no use to me (prior to this I didn't even know there was such as an asparagus dish). So I don't get it.  But of course I was gracious.  I just don't get it. 

I did get some nice stuff.  I got a hoodie I wanted that is very pretty.  I got some Aveda foot cream that I really needed.  I got some nice things.  I guess it sounds ungrateful to complain.  It's just some of the things I got were so.  Odd. 

We had hors d'oeuvres for Christmas dinner, which I love.  In addition to the crab, there were many other yummy things.  The table, despite the plastic plates, was set nicely with a tablecloth and place cards.  Despite the late start, when Ava got to Dad and Eve's she was fine - ready and raring to go.

It was a nice Christmas, just an odd one.  I enjoyed it, but I'm glad it's done, and that I can get on with my vacation now.