Music for a snowy Friday

Winter has taken its time getting to NE Ohio/Western PA and I'm completely ok with that. Temps dropped over night and the rain turned to ice and snow. I'm sitting in my bedroom looking at the snow blowing horizontal and contemplating a walk up to the main building in a little while.

A few weeks ago was the Kennedy Center Honors (2011). This was a huge deal in my family because Neil Diamond was honored and, in our house, Neil Diamond is on the same playing field as God. His music was the first I remember listening to as a kid. I actually don't remember being exposed to that many other artists. For me, though, I was more excited about Yo-Yo Ma and Meryl Streep. It was like a melding of my favorite artists in one television show. During the concert, James Taylor (and others) took the stage to sing "Here Comes the Sun." I cried watching it that night. I think it's amazing and I'm glad that someone finally put it up on youtube.

Home for Christmas

"That's what Christmas is all about Charlie Brown." -Linus

Christmas break began Wednesday afternoon. This year, I'll be home with my family for about 2.5 weeks...significantly longer than last year. This also means that I have watched more Lifetime Christmas movies in the last 36ish hours than I care to admit. I've also watched both A League of their Own and the Charlie Brown Christmas Special twice, Love Actually.

When my brother and I were little, he'd camp out in my room on Christmas Eve and we'd fall asleep watching the Flintstones Christmas special. Once the Flintstones came on tv, we weren't allowed out of my room so Santa could come. It's one of my favorite Christmas memories.

Merry Christmas & Happy Chanukah.

Naming of squirrels and birds

When I was little, my cousin Sarah and I gathered and Gram and Papa's house most weekends for sleep-overs to get away from our pesky little brothers. Gram would pamper us and Papa would sneak us an extra bowl of breyers' vanilla bean ice cream. We'd sit in the kitchen overlooking that opened up to this porch and make up stories about Sam the Squirrel. Sam the Squirrel always made it to the porch first for the nuts Gram set out. We also created a place at the table for him - a chair with books stacked high so he could reach the table. Unfortunately, he never made it inside despite the fact that I often opened the door for him.

{l}

Like Sam the Squirrel, Lester the Flying Crow was another friend that hung out on Gram and Papa's porch. He often stole the nuts Gram put out for Sam and his friends. Lester had his own song, which went:

Lester the flying crow

Who he is

We don't know

He swoops down into our yard

Maybe he's meeting friends or playing cards.

Gram, I always thought, was much more partial to Lester than she was to Sam. I loved Sam because I was convinced that he read books like I did. He always wore awesome Ben Franklin spectacles. Lester played cards and the only games I liked as a kid were Old Maid, Go Fish, and Crazy Eights. 

I still sing about Lester when I see a crow flying about. Last week there was one outside my bedroom window. I wonder if Lester (or Lester's ancestor) made a trip up north to check in on me.

travels home

A few highlights from my Christmas trip back home. It went by entirely too fast and I find myself missing the comfort of Ohio while I'm here. In 6 months I'll be back.

Celebrating Christmas at St. Pat's with this Charlie Brown tree.

cousins on Christmas discussing the merits of something or another.

guy cousins sporting snazzy jackets from Gram.

scrabble games (that I won)

because we're awesome

New Year's Eve lunch with these lovely ladies.

brother and his dog, buddy.

We are saying Thank You

A much belated Thanksgiving update. Thanksgiving is the holiday in my family. Everyone gathers at Gram and Papa's to celebrate the day. This year was different without Papa, but we managed to have fun. I told the people up here that it was more important for me to go home for Thanksgiving that it was for Christmas.

This year I am thankful for:

Time with the brother.

meeting up with part of the alphabet.

Southwest airlines.

Gram and this little guy (Colin Daniel, my baby cousin)

these lovely ladies

Gram and Papa. <3

Missing

Ignorance

Caveat: My family eats fish for dinner every Friday. During Lent, we usually go out for fish. Last night took us to Das Dutch Haus, a family style restaurant about 15 minutes from my house. Last night, we were seated furthest corner of the back room – behind a table of a family with 2 children approx. 4 and 4 yrs. old and next to a lady (who looked to be in her late 40s) and her husband. The younger of the 2 kids was a boy, and was obviously adopted – probably from Latin America. The 2 children were behaving like children – annoying each other, growing restless while waiting for dinner, over sitting in their seats, etc. At one point, the little girl was pulling on a tapestry that was hanging on the wall and teasing her little brother while their mother was trying to get them to sit down.

40 yr old woman (talking loudly): All some people do is bitch at their kids.

[at this point you could hear a pin drop in the back room]

mother of 2 kids: Excuse me?

woman: Why don’t you try loving your kids. All you do is bitch at them.

mother: I love my kids. You have no idea what you’re talking about. You should mind your own business.

woman: I’ve raised my kids and have done a better job than you have. At least I’m grateful for my kids. You’re not grateful for your kids.

[picture me sitting there with my mouth open ready to tackle the obnoxious woman]

mother: You have no idea how grateful I am for my children.

There was a long pause in the restaurant. A woman from another table came over to give the mother a hug and tell her that her kids were beautiful and that she’s doing a great job with them. The obnoxious lady promptly picks up the phone and calls who we are to assume is one of her kids and talks loudly to the person about what she should be doing and how she should be watching her brother, etc. At the end of the conversation, she loudly says, “I love you.” All show, I believe. By now, this woman’s just staying to make people mad. She finished eating and had her check. She started up again – even louder than the first time.

“You know, you can always tell when kids are adopted because they never behave. They’re just brats and should stay in the countries where they belong. We don’t want no one different here.”
“She’s just abusing her kids. You can tell. She’s abusive and doesn’t love her kids.”
“Maybe if that kid wasn’t different he’d behave. She’s abusive.”

On and on it went. Her running commentary and complete ignorance was ruining my dinner. At one point, I said rather loudly, “You know, some people just don’t know love when they see it.” She just glared at me.

The obnoxious woman and her husband finally left. She muttered something to the woman and her family as they passed the table. As soon as she left the room, the mother burst into tears. Her kids rushed to give her big hugs. People from all over the room kept going up to the table to encourage her, show her love, etc.

As we left, my aunt and I both stopped by the table to let her know that her kids were adorable and that she shouldn’t listen to the ignorance of one person. She thanked us through her tears.

I was raging mad when we left the restaurant.

I can’t believe the ignorance of some people. I know that racism still exists where I live. It’s the first time in recent memory that I’ve witnessed someone act that vile. Parents discipline their kids as they see fit. Now, my dad would have dragged me out of the restaurant if I was running around and given me a talking to in the parking lot, but that’s just my dad. All kids deserve love. My kudos to those parents for opening their arms to a child through adoption and loving their kids. They certainly weren’t lacking in love.

And to the ignorant woman: I can’t believe you. Where do you get off thinking that you’re the authority on parenting? Don’t pass judgment on ANYONE. It’s not becoming. Open your eyes and mind to the world. Don’t be racist. I hope you regret what you said to that mother.