Xmas Morning

Nothing major to report, just checking in.

I timed my arrival here in MA pretty well, walking up my mom's walk just as my brother called from the way home from church, reporting a 5 minute ETA. A lovely open house, with the best homemade dumplings ever, was definitely worth missing church. (which was, reportedly, lightly attended and uninspiring)

Mom made lasagna and green beans, and there was a ham, which my brother fawned over. We mostly hung out, reminisced about xmas past, and of course, watched television. My family never changes. I recall years past, when I would come home from college, I'd come into a seemingl empty house except for the television being on. I would turn it off (ecologically minded even then) and minutes later, it would be on again. To my family, television is a background noise - soothing, comforting. So my brother guffawed at "A Christmas Story" and my mother kvetched about how she disliked the show. But the TV stayed on.

Nice to visit with my brothers - #1 is doing better at work, and seems to have found a personal mission in the sex offender's ward - the transfolk in the men's prison have an ally they perhaps did not expect, in terms of treating them with dignity and respect. And #2 seems to be doing well at work - after years of freelance / job shopping, his company (some sort of database management) seems to be growing and financially sound.

This morning, I got up and went downstairs to practice a bit of yoga (no mean feat in my mom's smallish living room further obstacled by a xmas tree), and as I was practicing, the upstairs television came on. Mom had woken, and switched it on.

Pretty low key day - we'll take our time getting moving, then head over to my sister's for gifting. Then I head back to MA.

Still, it's nice to be with family (warts and all) at the holidays.