Results tagged "Thanksgiving"

Today is Will’s 4th birthday.

And while we spent the better part of the morning analyzing all things associated with the number four, I started to get a little choked up. Because it seems like yesterday that I was in the hospital 2 weeks before my due date thinking, wait — maybe this wasn’t such a good idea, I’VE CHANGED MY MIND. Only to realize that every aspect of my over-controlled life was about to be out of control. Because he’s going to be taller than me tomorrow. Because, every time he says, “Mom, can I tell you something?…” I know that the something is going to be well thought out and packed tight with observations. Because whenever he catches me dancing in the car to The Police he gets mad and insists that he doesn’t need for me to be so silly — as if I need a four year old to set me straight, as I ignore him until he can’t take it anymore – “MOM, STOP IT!!!! I can’t think with you dancing like that! It’s making all of me hurt!” And the knock knock joke begins with “Knock Knock” and ends with “Orange Banana” — which makes no sense but leaves him rolling with laughter… Who cares that the rest of us are only laughing because he’s so cute that I CAN’T STAND IT. While he stands up halfway through Thanksgiving dinner to tell everyone that they only have 2 minutes left and then they have to leave and go home so that he can have some peace and quiet. Because, good GAWD, time goes by too fast.

So here we are! I can just hear you… Gushing with anticipation.

Thanksgiving is upon us. And I know that sounds as heavy as it really is. Heavy — food, family, home, food, friends, relationships, news, football, politics, food. I know, WHATEVER. Almost everyone has that stuff. Or if it isn’t blood relation, its a family of friends — its a group… but most importantly.. its a COMFORT ZONE. I, in particular, have only spent one Thanksgiving really really away from my family. I mean there have been years where I have sat among in-laws and or other additions to my family — my zone-o-comfort, but only once was I really far away — and dudes, it sucked.

Yeah, no. Not going to sugar coat this one. Years upon years ago — another lifetime, even — I spent a college break over Thanksgiving with the family of a boyfriend… the ever DOOMED relationship that every other girl in existence has locked away somewhere… only to pull out for gasps and shrieks of OH MY GOLDEN BAKED BIRD, WHAT WAS I THINKING?!?. But that’s all I can say about that….for now.

I spent this one Thanksgiving among a group of über dysfunctionals, while my own family, displaced for a brief year-long stint in Atlanta, enjoyed in splendor among each other. And whatever — I’m sure it wasn’t awesome — both of my sisters were at great ages in Jr. High & High School… TONS OF FUN, right?!? But had I known what I was in for, I would have driven nonstop from Philly to be there with them… Instead, I went to New Jersey (and I’m not knocking, Jeerz). I’m not going to lie. I couldn’t eat. I didn’t want to — everything was gross to me — AND I was hideously uncomfortable — calling every friend I could think of on the phone… if only to interrupt the fun they were having with their own families. Tears burning behind my eyes, and this had been MY CHOICE. I’m sure there are pictures out there somewhere of me at this affair… my hair standing on end, hives all over my body — shoulders resting at complete tension by my ears. The very brush of another’s arm against mine made me flinch… just forget about the nice hello hugs and cheek kissing… I was completely standoffish and impolite… which, given that GRUNGE was so IN — I was probably way hot.

But that was then, and this is now. Now is when I get so juiced up about Thanksgiving that I run outside and cut dried berries to decorate the front door wreath (above.. — shut it, Martha.)… Imagine if I had allowed more experiences such as the one non-family Thanksgiving into my life… Just think about how balls out freaky I’d be. I allowed myself to think about this over this past weekend while my husband and I celebrated our 6th Wedding Anniversary… I know, SIX is so nothing in the scope of a lifetime… but when you add on another 10+ non-married years, things start to sound a little more permanent. We celebrated by actually GOING OUT TO DINNER, which — if you haven’t heard, is this new trend where you leave the house, sit down in a public establishment and allow someone to wait on you… There are a few bumps in the road… like having to sit near OTHER PEOPLE, but as we giggled our way through the idea of being adults, we were able to drown out the others… that is with the exception of the woman looking for dental floss. Now that was just unforgivable.

In short, the weekend was really nice. We had lovely guests — who were gracious enough to allow us out of the house… I remembered my hideous nightmare of a Thanksgiving on the eve of Thanksgiving… while on our Anniversary — making me beyond grateful for where I am now… and (OMG!) where I most certainly AM NOT. And while it all comes and goes so fast — Christmas is next week, right? — It was so nice to just think about the comfort of  what’s to come this week — even if it equals something… heavy.

Happy Thanksgiving my Friends!

We spent yesterday thinking about last year.
All day.
Just thinking.
All day.
All of us.
See – Here’s Bluedog LOST IN THOUGHT.
If only he wasn’t so introverted.

It’s that time of the year.
Enough Said.

Can we just talk, for a minute, about how fast time goes by?
I mean, really.
Why must time, and the lack thereof, feel so chaotic… I mean we know that it is fleeting but does it have to feel so hectic at the same time?

This past weekend we had friends visiting — it was a blast, but the time went way too fast. And now, it’s Monday (yes, posting this on Tuesday–that’s how much time I had… just enough to write but not to actually publish) but then between design projects, this blog, finishing the downstairs bathroom, playing in the endlessly falling leaves with the boy, making sure to record it all as I go, cooking dinner–What would you do with a Spaghetti Squash?–Seeking out a cure for childhood food allergies, blaming it all on politics and the new Southampton Post Office… Ugh, going to the grocery store–Again. Laundry. And the clutter that I can’t seem to crawl out from under..Wow and only ten minutes before my conference call and then off to the doctor again to see if I can’t score a flu shot. Let’s just consider this week over. And then a wedding in the city on Saturday night–I have no idea what I am going to wear (any suggestions?)… Then two weeks of the same combined with our wedding anniversary, Thanksgiving and Will’s birthday.

Okay.. seven minutes until the conference call. How did we manage to pack a lifetime into the month of November? Did we sit down and say – this is the month that we are going to get it ALL DONE. Everything. Lifetime events paired with the necessary holiday traveling and My God – The PACKING! Couldn’t we have spread our lives out a little bit? I mean… we have 11 other months to work with, why do it all in one? And what am I doing here typing this — with everything else that needs to get done? Okay, 3 minutes left….The typing slows…as my mind goes blank and I suddenly find the silence to breathe.

HUGE Yawn, Stretch, blink, blink. It’s Tuesday – most of the nation just celebrated Thanksgiving with a 5 day weekend. Why so sleepy? Was it really that tough? Eating – drinking – eating – drinking… laughing, enjoying… eating, drinking… sitting around, catching up, watching football… eating, drinking… playing with kids, not working, watching the snow fall… riding in the car… heating up leftovers… so sleepy.

In other news, we’ve seen a major flux of traffic here at For the Birds… people from all over are reading our cryptic little nuances – Durango CO, Ashburn VA, Stockholm, Bermuda… and a few other interesting locals… Drop us a note next time your on…

A few months back we posted a note about the lovely speed limit signage that garnish our Hamptons gateways… We even had a little fun with it online… This being said… Wednesday night’s vandals (who we predict, will be caught–unfortunately) made us laugh all the way to Manorville… Then again during drinks on Thanksgiving in CT… Then again during leftovers in Massachusetts… Then again upon our East End return last night.

I find it hard to believe that the SHPD allowed such embarrassment to hang over a holiday weekend – but perhaps they found it endearing that people still cared enough to plan such a feat.

Kudos to the brave that risked their tails in the name of a little dark humor. We look forward to the onslaught…

West Facing

 

East Facing

Breakwater’s Take…

Time is precious. We all know this – it goes way too fast. I mean – it is already 10:45 am! How did that happen? Scheduling events also speeds things up. We were just invited to a wedding on December 5th, so I rushed to book my parents to babysit. This is one week and a day after Thanksgiving. Christmas comes a few short (getting darker) 20 days later. What am I going to wear?

The local retailers – more specifically the dreaded grocery store, has already stocked it’s shelves with Halloween candy and pie crusts for Thanksgiving…. I even spied a Christmas wreath on a top shelf…. A barrage of holidays all piled on top of each other in a very disorderly fashion. I think it may thunderstorm today.

In other news… A film crew has moved into Southampton to shoot a new series pilot called Royal Pains, staring Mark Feuerstein…. Thus adding fuel to the already hugely magnified stereotyping of our community. Apparently, Mark plays an NYC MD down on his luck that goes to a party in the Hamptons and wakes up to  be a fabulous personal physician… or something along those lines. I happen to know that my Hamptons doctor never cleans his fish tank and enjoys throwing em’ back at the Publick House.