3:29 p.m. - November 22, 2006
Off to Seattle for Thanksgiving
Leaving for Seattle as soon as Aundrea gets here. This year's Thanksgiving is especially poignant for me because it's the last time we will gather around grandma's table. She has sold her house and the land, and purchased a small condo, and the table will stay behind with the new owners.
Never mind that my sister flipped and then I did, too, because that table is one hell of an antique. Grandma's response: A large family should have it to enjoy and (ahem) none of my grandchildren have married or sired the next generation.
Her logic made me laugh but I am disappointed this table is leaving our family.
I am excited to see grandma, see Seattle, see my brother and sister, and everybody else. I will be a minor celebrity, grandma says, because it turns out my book is the textbook used in a course a cousin is taking, therefore proving to grandma that my book is real and not self-published. (!!!) This means I get the seat of honor (long story beginning with my great-grandparents and which takes too much time than I have now to relate - if I get a chance, I'll write it tomorrow) and get to say the blessing. My sister has already called twice to implore me not to make it a Christian prayer and to be brief out of consideration for her God-is-for-fools,idiots,Republicans,the intellectually weak,and peoplewhomustclingtobeliefbecausetheycannothandlethisworld sensibilities.
No joke, but I have prepared a section from Jonathan Edwards' sermon, Sinners in the Hands of An Angry God. This will make my grandma giggle, my brother snicker, and my sister will have to laugh. I have been blocked for several years from giving the prayer but this Thanksgiving I have the seat and will have fun with it.
I love the small allowances of power.
Must go now. Aundrea is officially 1 minute late.
P.S. to email authors: I have received your email and will respond.
