Tradition

We all have memories from when we were small that conjure up those good feelings of the holidays. As much as my mother was a bit of a nut, she gave us so many things to hold onto and I've treasured that. My brother and I have to have sweet and sour red cabbage on Thanksgiving and Christmas and most people think that that is a little weird. My in-laws and out-laws need to have the cabbage now and as a matter of fact, I made a recipe book for every one a few Christmases back with that included.

I feel surprisingly good, but know the drug is sucking the moisture out of my body, and I can't drink enough water. I wish I could stay away from the good whiskey but that probably won't happen, and I am really looking forward to overeating today. I've been kicking some butt with the workouts but the doctor said it will take a while to straighten out the war raging inside my belly.

I am doing all the cooking this morning for fifteen people and I am as cool as a Taoist monk. Everyone talks about the stress but I've never been that way, and knowing that these years are precious makes me kind of relaxed about it all. It is 6 am and I am ready to go downstairs, have some coffee (another moisture leech) and make my stuffing. I had to tell my mother-in-law to stay out of the kitchen because her traditions are not so in sync with my own. I'm not sure Caesar salad (her suggestion) is what I'm going for today and I'm afraid she might bring some kind of Thai appetizer or garlicky Italian side dish. Americana is definitely not something she understands, but she is one of the biggest cheerleaders of my life. Velma was always in the front row when I was singing in the band and cried when she saw the book. I'm sure she will be clapping furiously when I go to trapeze school in Austria next year and audition for the circus. Ah, the joy of the Big Top...

I'm sure people laugh at me behind my back but when they bury me, they can't say I was bored.