And to All a Good Night....

Otherwise known as... Keeping the Peace

This morning began as any other day off from work.  Five a.m... Aiko-chan on my head.  I pushed her off the bed, and slept until 7:15, at which time I sat up with a start.  It's Christmas!  I've got to get up and get going!  My plan was to get my morning run in before heading over to Mom and Dad's for breakfast, presents, and the whole Christmas experience, really.  I was supposed to be there by 9.  

I didn't get to My Small Town Lakefront until 7:50, so I cut my run down from four to three miles.  Tomorrow I am taking my distance run-- a whopping twelve miles-- so I didn't think that one mile either way was going to make much of a difference today.  Yesterday I had three big meals-- Chick-fil-e for breakfast on my way to Miami with GDA as I brought him to the airport en route to Buenos Aires, Chili's at Miami Int'l Airport for lunch, and then lasagne with my family for dinner. 

That's a lot of food for me, especially the day before Christmas.  I needed to run, and so to the trail I went.  After my easy three miles, I drove home, stretched, showered, dressed, and ran out the door again, ingredients to my yummy stuffing in the basket used for my traveling gourmet excursions. 

I needn't have worried.  I didn't get to my parents' place until 9:45, and breakfast was just getting underway.  I made scrambled eggs under my cousin Michael's excellent tutelage. 

Those who know me well, know that I am an exceptional cook, but I had never made scrambled eggs in my adult life.  Can you believe that? 

While I was making the eggs, my mother brought out her favorite peppermint mocha creamer.  I think you should put this in the eggs for a change.

You want PEPPERMINT eggs?

Yeah!  It's Chrismas-- I think it will be good.

Ummmm... no.  Some other time you can make your own scrambled eggs and try them with peppermint creamer, but not for our Christmas breakfast.

Oh.  She was deflated.  I felt a little bit bad, but come on!  Peppermint eggs?  Peppermint ice cream, yes please.  Peppermint eggs.... absolutely not.  Sometimes you have to put your foot down for the good of the order.  Today was one of those days.

In addition to the non-pepperminted eggs, we also had my favorite-- cinnamon rolls.  I just LOVE them.  A fresh pot of coffee rounded out the meal and we were good to go.  No-- it wasn't a fancy breakfast casserole but for this Christmas, it was good enough. 

I'm learning that good enough is... enough.

(It's a difficult lesson for my inner overachiever to take, but we're making it slowly but surely.)

Not long after breakfast, the home care nurse arrived to dress my father's wound.  I greeted her at the door, told her what an important visitor she was, and thanked her for working on Christmas.  She was with my dad for about an hour.  After she left, we opened our gifts.  My mother gave me several Bath and Body Works products, as did my sister.

Are you guys trying to tell me something?

No, we just know that you like to smell good.

I am now set for at least the next two years.  If I am in your vicinity and you are overtaken with the scent of vanilla, you can blame my family, who knows that I like to smell good.  

After opening the gifts, we set about getting Christmas dinner on the table.  This year we had Cornish game hens because Dad wanted something other than the ordinary turkey.  While he was in the hospital I talked him out of ordering a Christmas goose. 

Does anyone outside of Dickensian tales have goose at Christmas?

I made the sausage, apple, and craisin stuffing that I've been making for the past eight years, as well as a gingered cranberry sauce complimented with Gran Marnier.  Mom made the hens with my sister's help, yeast rolls, green beans, and a salad.  We ate well, and drank well too.

After dinner, cousin Michael brought out his homemade apple pie (which I will most likely write about tomorrow) and we had another family visitor drop in as well.  The pie was delicious, especially with ice cream, and my mother's personal stash of Barnie's Santa's White Christmas coffee.

We sat around and talked for a little bit longer, and a bit later I was ready to go home and retreat to the peace that is my bedroom, my yoga pants, and my purring, sleepy cat.  I had been told to be on my best behavior today as my sister brought her boyfriend over to my parents' house.  He's not my favorite person-- I have no problem admitting that-- but today I kept my big mouth shut.  Because sometimes it's more important to keep the peace for a day than it is to be righteous and make everybody uncomfortable. 

I'd rather be peaceful.  That's what Christmas should be all about.