THE NEXT WAVE.

The day after Christmas, we celebrated with Ted, Bev, their children, and the grandmas, Eunice and Ruth, who are family members of Kristanne’s boys, Austin and Alec. Las Vegas is a long way to go for a visit and Murphys is much closer for them.


Alec and Austin with cousins Abby and Daniel. (Ted is visible in he background.) The kids are sucking orange juice up through a peppermint stick “straw”.

After dinner, the gift exchange. Grandma Eunice gave Austin what looked like a huge bag of cash. But, hidden inside the bag was a family tradition. This year Austin got “the ugly cup.”


It has been a tradition for several generations In Eunice’s family for someone to pass on the ugly cup at Christmas. It is inscribed with these words: “I had a choice of being rich or good lookin’” Austin will now have to pass it on next year. She gave college-age grandson Alec, a gift-card of gas for his car. What clever gifts!


The boys enjoyed the Guinness Book of World Records Austin received from his cousin Owen, who is in Italy.


Bev and her Mom.


Then, later in the day, Austin in his new pajamas, texting.


Mason, texting.


Alec texting.


Emil texting.

Naturally, boys love to wrestle and/or show off their strength. Alec is a student but he works full-time as a manager of a Golds Gym. So, it isn’t all texting.

Next, is Christmas with my nearby siblings.  I absolutely love the holidays and the extended family get-togethers.

SIMPLIFYING THE HOLIDAYS

I ran into my friend Suki Tutthill at the bank  yesterday. She is hosting 31 people for Thanksgiving dinner. I groaned. Too much work. “No”, she said. “Its a free for all. I’m not even allowed in the kitchen. The women bring stuff and cook. The men do the clean up and I provide the place. Finding the dishes after everyone leaves can be interesting,” she chuckles. Hmmm. Sounds like fun. My simplify Thanksgiving this year is going to my daughter’s house and bringing the cranberries and a salad. We are a games playing family and enjoy the day long into the evening where turkey sandwiches, snacks, cards and loud competitive family stories are as much a part of the day as the dinner.

Our holiday get-to-gethers need simplifying in the future. Welcome holidays “lite”.  No more  wobbling, overloaded  from the table and packing on the  pounds between Thanksgiving and Christmas every year.
My plan is to unsweeten the sweet potatoes, salads that don’t sog,  berry and apple pies without bottom crust. No side dishes and snacks with cream and sour cream. (Rich side dishes can be the centerpiece of another dinner.)

Lighten the work load, too.  Mash the potatoes with the peelings on. Make stuffing on the side ahead of time. Smoke the turkey. Smoked turkey takes one and one-half hours on a kettle barbeque with a drip dish at the bottom and the guys do it,  leaving the kitchen and oven free for other things.  Gravy  made days ahead by roasting a chicken and two turkey thighs. On the big day, just reheat.  Use  paper plates and paper napkins with dinner served buffet style.  Yup! Traditions can and do change.
I used to try and prepare everyone’s favorite dish for Thanksgiving. Pretzel jello for Laurie, sweet potatoes with rum, pineapple, orange juice and banana for Virginia, macaroni shells stuffed with Italian sausage for Kristanne. Ken, Doug, and Rich always concentrated on the potatoes and turkey.
Now, Doug picks blackberries every year for pies at Thanksgiving, Christmas and our July family reunion. Cedric makes walnut and pecan pies to die for. Virginia makes a pear tart that no one will give up. At one time, I  prepared no less than three vegetable side dishes such as corn pudding, creamed baby onions, burgundy carrots, spinach souffle, Harvard beets, marinated mushrooms, artichoke quiche. An embarrassment of riches.

As we give thanks  for our bounty,  suitably lighter,  we  know our table is still overladen compared to 98% of people in the world. It is appropriate that we are thankful, that we share, and that we have the means to help others at this special time of year and still enjoy our celebrated feast.

MARDI GRAS MUSEUM

On the Mardi Gras Museum tour we learned the Mardi Gras parade was started formally in 1837, a single float, through town, by torchlight. Small beginnings net the amazing tradition we see today.

I liked some of the old designs for costumes and float paintings that lined the walls of this working warehouse.

This crown carriage is and old entry when the wooden wagons were pulled by mules.

Here a worker is making an old figure fatter by adding and shaping strips of Styrofoam. Reusing older pieces is a standard practice. This float making company, Blaines, repaints over 700 floats per year.

This bug is made of fiberglass over steel and allows the float maker to shape thin parts that won’t droop if it rains.

These gigantic figures are from the Zulu Krewe’s entry, the first all black Krewe in the parades.

The Muse Krewe has as its theme, Romance. Here are some of the lessons of Romance on their float which is scheduled for tonight’s parade. They are throwing shoes. The rules are you can throw anything from a float that will not hurt anyone. The shoes were all wrapped and decorated and can hurt, so they are actually handed out.

Other interesting things about the parades: The people on the floats pay as much as $650 to ride a float. That doesn’t include the money they pay for throw-aways. They can bring food and drink aboard and most of the floats have toilets on them. Collectively, they fling two billion beads into the crowds every year. The rule I like the best? No ads are allowed on the floats or on the throwaways.

A lot of famous people are represented here, Presidents, Alfred Hitchcock, Marilyn Monroe, Mahatma Gandhi, sports figures, and so on.

We saw a movie about float building, past grand marshals, and historic Mardi Gras. We were served King Cake, another tradition during Mardi Gras. The float figures are a delight.

Floats are built in this city and other cities for numerous celebrations, like Irish days, where they throw cabbage, potatoes and carrots. You can always go home and make soup.

For an interesting, fairly short history on Mard Gras, try the link below:

http://www.novareinna.com/festive/mardi.html

DECEMBER 22, OF ANNIVERSARIES, MEAT PIES AND CHICKENS

This date marks an anniversary of sorts, for Jim. Thirteen years to the day of full time life on the road in an RV. I had never met anyone (in their right mind) who would, could-chose to divest themselves of all material goods and hit the road. He claims stress free living makes you happier and healthier than ever. It works for him. Haven't decided how we'll celebrate yet.
We are making French meat pies for Christmas and I spoke to his cousin Janette from Quebec about the family recipe. And, of course, my own cornish pasty, I already know how to make pasty so meat pies are much the same thing. From my own childhood and Jim's, our families did the same: made meat pies at Christmas to share after midnight mass. We are finding we have a lot in common, not only nationality, but traditions and attitudes; likes and dislikes in concert.
Yesterday, went out for breakfast at an internet cafe; we walked the canal, lazed about and read books, watched a movie, and, in general, treated the day like a weekend off. Stress reduction is definitely my favorite cup of tea right now. Saw these wonderful little banty chickens on the canal.