Well, I should call home more often. I thought we were going out to a nice restaurant Friday or Saturday in lieu of cooking. Nephews, who my Mom raised from latency age, were counting on being at Mom's for Thanksgiving dinner on Friday, when we normally celebrate it. I thought my married nephew with the very young kids was going to be in Parkersburg at his wife's family. Sis decided she would prepare the meal to save Mom the cooking, since I won't be there until tomorrow afternoon, bring everything she needs with her, and has the menu all planned - Salmon instead of Turkey since one nephew and his family are primarily vegetarian, but will eat fish or seafood occasionally.

Mom couldn't help herself. She is fixing a turkey breast today, has a spiral cut ham she is also going to fix, and is making oyster dressing and deviled eggs for tomorrow to add to Sis's menu at the request of the nephews. Says the Turkey and ham are for us to eat on over the weekend. (How much turkey and ham can three women and one 35 year old nephew eat in 2 days?) Main thing is, she says, she can't break with tradition for the nephews. Means too much to them.

Love.

Having lived away for most of my nephews' lives I tend to mindlessly forget that my Mom is as much Mom to them as she is to me. Realizing it was hard on them last Christmas when Sis and I whisked Mom away for a Christmas in Charleston, SC. The three of us needed a break from tradition to deal with our first Christmas without Dad, but they probably could have used the continuity to help them with their own grief.



Me? I'm just gonna work on gaining back a few of the 60 lbs I've lost over the past 18 months, play with my grandnieces and do the dishes afterward.