More holiday pictures

Christmas flew in and flew out before we could adjust, just coming back from Milian's christening in Georgia the weekend before. But it was wonderful to see all our children and grandchildren. Christmas even Josh, Lisa, Laszlo, Johanna, Neil, Bob Bob and Nana all went to the Three Sisters for a Vietnamese feast on Christmas eve, then came back to the house, tucked Laszlo in, drank port, ate stilton, and played Apples to Apples. Lisa wanted to know how I was going to cheat at THIS game...bringing up a sore point when last Christmas all my children accused me of being a habitual cheater at games. Just because I won't "let" them win! Neil chilled out. The game took longer than predicted because everyone argued their case on each deal, making the condition of anonymity moot. Anyway, being accused of cheating still hurts...Johanna helped Josh assemble the car while Lisa documented in pictures every frustrating moment. Ah, payback.

Anyway, Laszlo had a great time opening presents Christmas morning, Dancing to the CD player Mommy Siouxz gave him, loved the car Grandma Rose and Grandpa Jon sent (they were in Australia visiting relatives so didn't join us this year). After a lazy morning,
we all headed to Thea Artemis' for Christmas dinner and a visit with the St. John-Davey clans. Artemis and Mike outdid themselves as usual and everyone had a really warm and fuzzy Christmas day. Elaine and Jon had Leah and Dean and Dean's baby girl who looked like the princess infanta in her party dress. Then home to collapse in bed and sleep late. It was a great Christmas.

Popi and I drove down to Jasper for baby Max's christening and to visit with #1 granddaughter Karolina, who now is true gansta fashion, calls me GK. I think she shortened "granny k" to GK because she likes to be efficient and not waste time. She helped me write out some Christmas cards while we were down there and signed it Karolina and GK. Baby Max is a speedster, crawling towards everything and anything that he's NOT supposed to touch. He has the Christmas tree in his sights. Max and Joanna are doing well, truly blessed with a beautiful family. You can't wipe the smile off that baby who will flash you a winning, heartmelting smile while he heads to the nearest exposed electrical wire. Karolina gave several dance demonstrations while we were there and she read from the new Field Guide to Insects I gave her. That's one smart kiddo.


After the Christening the Pauleys, Lindseys and Kearns headed to the Woodbridge for lunch.

New favorite authors

I picked up a copy of About a Boy by Nick Hornby a couple of weeks ago and enjoyed his writing so much I went to the library to get everything else they had with his name on it and devoured them. A straight writer, no long winding paragraphs with deep thoughts. He conveys his characters' messages through razor-sharp dialogue. He know his people. Funny, sad, but ultimately positive. Love him. Last weekend I stared at the fiction and nonfiction aisles trying to read myself out of a blue funk then decided Humor was the genre I was looking for. I discovered, based on the titles of her books, a great southern humorist/columnist: Celia Rivenbark. To give you an idea, her books are: Bless Your Heart, Tramp ; We're Just Like You Only Prettier; and the one I read:
Stop Dressing Your Six-Year-Old Like a Skank. Several belly laughs escaped while reading. Well worth it. She's about as real as it gets. Fast read, quick remedy.

From Lexicons to Lafayette - an education

On the way down to Jasper NPR featured an interview with Gene Owens, columnist and grammarian. He writes a column called Greasepit Grammar and has also written a book comparing Northern and Southern phrases and judging by the excerpts it's pretty d... funny so I'm going to get me a copy of that. Unfortunately, I didn't get to the library before my trip for books on tape which make the 11 hour drive a lot more tolerable. But at least I got to hear Gene and on the way back North I listened to Guy Raz, the little guy who used to jump on my couch in Tokyo. Have to say I really enjoyed his show.

Greasepit Grammar is a column of brief, simple, humor-laced lessons on grammar, usage, syntax and word meanings. Gene Owens’ grammar columns appear three times a week in the Oklahoma City Daily Oklahoman, twice a week in the Mobile Register in Mobile, Ala., and weekly in the Kingsport Times-News in Tennessee. The columns are based on grammar questions submitted by readers. They are from 250 to 260 words long. They revolve around life in Swampscum, a fictitious Southern town, and a gang of good ol’ boys who hang out at Wade’s Dixieco, the local gasoline station, and constitute the Redneck Academy of Linguistics. Bubba is their chief grammarian and Miss Prunella Pincenez, his eighth-grade English teacher, is his source of authority. The format calls for a simple discussion of the grammar question posed, with an anecdote at the end that illustrates the grammatical point.

Anyway, the visit was great as always, and I learned a new Acronym from my in-law Larry when he remembered he'd just missed his friend's annual catfish fry. ROMEO's. That's Retired old men eating out.

On Saturday, I got to see Karolina in her cheerleading mode. Miss K announced she isn't going to cheerlead next year, she'd rather PLAY football. I told her she needed to do lacrosse - she'd get to hit a lot of people with a stick. Max says not much lacrosse around Jasper. Football, though, is a very big deal in the South and the Jasper Dragons gave it a valiant effort but fell short. The Bulldogs on the other hand opened a big old can of whoopa** against University of Louisiana at Lafayette, beating them 55 to 7. Max says this opening season opponent very likely got a check big enough to pay for their road trips for the rest of the season from UGA. Didn't know that's how it works. For those of you who have never been to UGA, one of the biggest free standing buildings on campus for many years was its Trophy building. Some people have trophy cases. UGA gives them a building (alum assn). Football was introduced to UGA by a professor who had studied at Yale. Hence the Bulldog mascot. First game was against Yale and even then they thoroughly trounced the Eli's. You can read all about it in the trophy building. When I first brought Max to Georgia as a freshman, I dreaded having to go through long registration lines and was dismayed to see one line stretch for about a mile. However, 5 guys (not the hamburgers) stripped our car in 10 minutes and Max told me s'long. I asked one of the boys about the line... it was for football tickets. That's when I told Max the time he partied at school could equal but not exceed the time he studied. And then I said goodbye to my baby once and for all-- lost him to the South and never got him back. Can't blame him.

I also discussed my pizza blog with Max who suggested I try Big Pie in the Sky, a pizza place where one slice is 'bout the size of half a regular pizza. He's never tried it but says I should give it a shout out in my pizza blog. Might do that if my editor (Neil) allows it.

See, I come back an educated woman. Of course, the purpose of this visit is to see my kids and grandkids and that is always worth the 22 hours of driving for a 24 hr visit. Got some cheerleading videos and videos of cousin Sophie trying to make friends with baby Max who was only interested in separating Sophie from her pacifier.

Mini Max isn't so mini but he's a sweet baby with lots of smiles. Doesn't give his parents much time to sleep, though, and he's absolutely fascinated with big sister Karolina who is very very good to him.

I kept these videos short so they'd load up.

Greer's Engagement Party

Andrew, Holly and Greer. Robert was "busy."

Mark, Kris, Johanna and Jackie

Cecily, Kim and Alex

Johanna and Kris

Hollen and Adam's Mom, Susan



Below, right, Jeffrey, Dean and Gale.

The Messier girls are back in town!

Although this was strictly a family affair - an engagement party get to know the family for Greer and Andrew and Andrew's son Robert, 10 and daughter Holly, 5 -- and not a restaurant, there are few foodie events that can outdo a good old-fashioned lobster bake. It definitely wasn't bangers and mash.

The Messier sisters, Suzie and Rene, secured cousin Richie, a local chef, to provide the food and it was outstanding. First course was a New England clam chowder full of taste and not at all the thick gloppy chowder some people try to pass off as NE style. Hocha raved about the chowder for two days and, by the way, had 3 helpings. In fact, he raved about the whole spread, decor, people etc for days. Very unlike him. Oh- and even the corn on the cob was perfection. Then the steamers, mussels and clams. Enough said. Finally, the lobsters. Each was cooked to perfection, tender and succulent. Gale ordered desserts from, I think, Madeleine's - four butter cream frosted cakes and I'll only vouch for the oneI had - a white cake with raspberry filling that melted in your mouth.

Cousins got a rare visit with each other but Lisa, Josh, Max, Joanna, and babies Laszlo, Karolina and Max were sorely missed as were Tenley (in Africa), and Meredith, Doug, Jemma and Jordan (at another family reunion on the Cape).

Unfortunately, Robert was busy running around being Prince Charming in his new Red Sox baseball cap (which didn't impress Holly) totally wrapping his new great-grandmother around his little finger, so I seemed to have missed getting him any pictures. Uncle Mark was impressed with Robert's baseball skill and we were all thrilled that Holly enjoyed the water slide. Both kids did remarkably well, given they'd just got off a transatlantic flight 18 hours earlier. I would have been passed out. Good luck on the rest of the trip Croxfords. You gave us a great excuse for a party!

Okay, I'm deeply offended. They say 60 is the new fifty but now I've learned that size 10 is the new size 20. Bah humbug. Onthis morning's Today show a model, Crystal (right there you have to be suspect), was morally and psychologically assaulted by a photographer who touched up her photo TO MAKE HER LOOK SKINNIER!!!

It seems that Crystal, a recovering anorexic, is a plus-size model and proud of it. Kudos, I thought to myself, she's a big girl and she flaunts it. Then it turns out that this plus-sized model is a size TEN. Yes, ten. Having become ---in post baby excess and truth be told food excess --a size 16 and carrying it around for oh, say 20 years afterwards, I worked hard to downsize after seeing pictures of me at my son's wedding. AGGGHHH I said to myself. So, with proper diet (read: no food) and exercise (after scare tactics by my doctor were employed) I have gotten down to a size 10. I felt good about that. But now I'm told I'm really still in the "plus" category.

I know I'll never get back into my wedding dress. In fact, I use that dress as a kitchen tea towel now, marveling from time to time that a human being actually once fit into that dress. But I can live with 10- and even 12 if necessary. There are other things I have a harder time adjusting to (see blog on Nora Ephron's Neck) but size 10? No problem.

Laszlo's getting bigger

Well, we hit up Tyson's playground again as the heatwave continues. The playground is chaotic but Laz loves it and he loves wandering around Tyson's popping into stores. While Mom and Dad shopped Nana K and Laz hit Dairy Queen. Then home to Nana K's for a bath and playing with new wagon. Once again my video clips are too big and won't upload. I'll learn eventually. Ya think?

April and July before and after

These kids grow fast . Thought the before and after shot would be fun.

More pictures of the Georgia Kearns'

After listening to complaints from great-grandmother Suzie, I am now posting more pics of baby Max et al.