wow! hard to believe i am back in europe, after spending TWO WHOLE WEEKS with you! let me start off by saying that i already miss you. i'm sure the Kindle i received is the only one ever to be given with a spiritual note attached and printed on authentic amazon.com stationary. though Kindle is a worldwide product, there's only one 'sacred literary bond of blessings' between us!
also, i want to thank you for buying all those 'crazy vegetarian things' for me, even if they weren't used perhaps as you had imagined. "is that... my olive oil? my GOOD OLIVE OIL you're spreading all over your face, gina elizabeth? i could BRAIN you!"
being back with the family was full of action -- actually, it was as charged as a cage-fight! but a verbal one, only. we're a family of story-tellers. maybe this comes from our Irish roots, for which you of course are to bl -- thank.
it usually happens like this: someone brings up an embarrassing anecdote about X, who objects with a wounded 'HEYYY!' but alas, poor X, it's too late. everyone's already gotten really excited. they're cutting in with impressions, embellishments and voice-overs. don't look now. i said don't -- why'd ya hafta look! they're STANDING UP and staggering around, pretending to be you that time you got so drunk you drank the mossy pool water. everyone is slapping the table like it's a collective knee! and then one of the animals gets spooked and starts running around the room in circles.
i noticed this happened a lot this christmas. i admit that i, in the usual endearing fashion, began by saying, "hey everyone! remember when Julie had that weird condition and used to sit in a cardboard box all day?" soon, however, it was YOU who began doing actual physical impressions of her flopping over. "she was the cutest little thing!", i distinctly remember you saying as you raised your arms and let them hang first to the left, then the right, head lolling like the dog when you've forgotten to give him his medicine. (note: you remember the medicine 'almost everyday' now and that's great!)
but everyone had their turn. our family is nothing if not democratic. and we obviously get our flare for the dramatic from you... gifts don't always come with amazon.com stationary, but that doesn't make them any less precious.
enjoy the tea and cookies!
love always and till next time,
gina
