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| One family: half Beavers, half Ducks. |
Weather: Cold and clear. It was sunny today but chilly. Temperatures at night are below freezing.
Fiasco, part 2: Last year (2022) our family Thanksgiving ended up being a fiasco. If you don't believe me, read this. Though on a much smaller scale, this year started to shape up into another fiasco but never fully developed into one. This time it was again related, in part, to disease, but the house also conspired against us.
- We were set to stay at Mom's house, while my brother and his wife would stay at my sister's house. When Mom came down with bronchitis earlier in the week, we shifted our plans to squeeze in over at my sister's house.
- As we were driving down the freeway we got message from my sister to be prepared -- the upstairs toilet was clogged and there was no time to call a plumber. No big deal they have two toilets downstairs. Just an inconvenience.
- We got in late so everyone was in bed as we prepared for bed, we couldn't get any hot water to wash our hands and face. The next morning we discovered why, the hot water heater was malfunctioning. Not only were showers out but dishes had to be washed by hand, since dishwashers are designed to work with hot water. We had to heat water on the stove to wash the dishes. After our Thanksgiving meal, we started using paper plates to cut down on what needed to be washed.
- Mom did not join us for the holiday meal, nor did my nephew and his family. A meal planned for thirteen was quickly pared down to seven. We had a lovely meal, though, and there was plenty of food, actually way too much.
- The next day was the 'Civil War' football game between University of Oregon and Oregon State University. Our family is split in half. Half Beavers, half Ducks. Mom had planned to feed the football game goers before we headed to the stadium, but she still wasn't feeling up to it, so we dropped in, said hi, and headed to the game. After the game, we all ate pie intended for the Thanksgiving meal. Poor Mom stayed up to see us in and then took herself to bed. Don and I took a shower at her house after the game, taking advantage of her hot water.
- Except for our worry about Mom's health, it was a very wonderful family time together.
- Currently reading:
- Babel by R.F. Kuang. This popular story with the subtitle: An Archaic History of Oxford is part magic, part historical, part sci-fi, and all wonderful. We are listening to this big book. We've pared down the 21 hours to 10 1/2 hours left to go.
- Ruined by Reading by Lynne Sharon Schwartz. It is a short memoir about the author's life in books.
- Recently finished:
- The Ladies of Missalonghi by Colleen McCullough. I've read this short book three or four times. I love it's simple plot. It was a fast read for me.
- The Other Eden by Paul Harding. A fictional account about a true story. Back in the early 1900s families were evicted off a small island off the State of Maine. They were evicted because of their abject poverty and for racist reasons. I felt like crying the whole time I listened to this audiobook, a National Book Award finalist.
- A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat. A graphic memoir about the summer between middle and high school and a trip that changed everything for Dan. This book was the National Book Award winner for Young People's Literature. Wonderful.
- What's Next?
- Huda F. Cares? by Huda Fahmy. Another National Book Award finalist. This is a graphic novel and sequel to Huda F. Are You?
- The Land of Lost Things by John Connolly. I loved the first book in this series, which was published in 2006, so I am really looking forward to this sequel.
Politics: Ha-ha. I actually ignored politics all week. What a refreshing concept.
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