Reading: José Saramagao, Baltazar and Blimunda

Moving: ha!

Garden: none of that either

Watching: nope

Eating: ay yi yi

28 November 2002: Thanksgiving

RDC had warned me. When the ravioli emerged, I did not assume that this was the main course. It was only the first of many. Many hours later, he guessed that we probably would not have eaten as well at the German Shepherd's. Well, no. Also the entire party would not have stayed around the table talking and laughing and eating and drinking all day. I don't know about the German Shepherd family but I suspect as well that in my family, over that much time, a fight would have simmered and probably boiled over.

RDC's regular aunt and uncle hosted us and dinner happened at his other uncle and aunt's, with them, their three children and their significant others, and those cousins' maternal grandmother, and us. What a completely different family experience to mine. Demonstrative, tight-knit, without underlying tension that an outsider could perceive. A lot of Elvis, black white and chrome, and a zebra-striped candle: I've never been in a house like it. Also a lot of ready, raucous, welcoming conversation; wonderful food, everything homemade except two bakery pies (one was pear and raspberry, yum!); and a really good feeling overall.