Tradition straddler...

Being a Gemini has it's upsides...yep.
Well, there's the versatile and communicative, the witty and the liveliness, the curious, charming and creativeness...
Ahem.
Notice consistency, follow through and decisiveness didn't quite make the cut :\
I can 100% decide what I'm going to do...the way I feel about something because of my innermost morals and values and I can defend it to the core and then the wind will blow and I can be convinced (or just change my mind) and I totally go in the opposite direction.  This probably seems so strange to non fence straddlers.  
I understand.  
I don't like this quality either, but it is who I am, and try to play defense most of the time just to counteract my impulses for change.  
You can imagine how this personality deficit affected me during the recent elections.  Sheesh.  
This is NOT about the country's leaders however...nope...this is WAY MORE IMPORTANT...
this is about whether to display and/or partake in any Christmas decorating before Thanksgiving.
There.
I said it.
I have these morals that tell me I should wait to turn on Jingle Bells and start making peanut butter balls...party mix...fudge.  Crap.  I don't have morals concerning food.  
Let me try again.
I have tried very hard to make it a tradition at Casa Griffith to wait until the evening of Thanksgiving or the Friday after (depending on what DaddiO is working) to put up the glorious Arbol de Navidad (that's Christmas tree for my non espanol amigos.  Some years I make it, some years I don't.  Sometimes yes, sometimes no.  That drives me BONKERS.  Traditions are supposed to be the SAME, year after year.  Hence the word tradition!  Will my children grow up and say...well...sometimes we put the tree up on November 18...sometimes Thanksgiving night, one year not until December 1.  What kind of horrible mother am I anyway??

Well, I'm a mom that thinks I can feel strongly about relishing one season for the amount of time that feels right and then moving to the next.  And maybe that's not the same every year.  
When first born was in 1st grade, he developed a scary rash and inflamed knee and after rushing to UVA Hospital, a failed attempt to drain non-existent fluid from his knee in the ER, and about a dozen different opinions, the doctor of infectious disease finally identifies as Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP) Click here for description and visual (scary, right?)

We were supposed to have Thanksgiving at Momaw & Papaw Griffy's that year, but it didn't happen that way.  Sometimes life doesn't happen according our idea of tradition even though we give it our all.  Sometimes we just have to play the field and adjust our traditions to what life throws our way.  We decorated the tree downstairs that year with Riley on the sofa with his leg propped up.

I have felt rage over the last week or two at the sight of Christmas decorations filling the stores and hearing some of my friends speak of putting trees up and Christmas shopping.  

While I can't defend Walmart because I think they are mostly motivated by dollar signs and not the holidays in their hearts, I will stop judging the rest of you all and say, by all means, if you have Christmas in your heart on Oct. 14 and want to cocoon yourself in the warm and glow of Christmas, then by all means, do so.  What does it hurt?  Furthermore, I came home from work today to an empty house and thought I'd clean a little.  I turned on the music channel and landed on Holidays & Happenings and Christmas Music was playing.  I started to turn it but thought...What the heck...
Then I realized I hadn't had lunch and I decided to have an orange.  I peeled the orange and it reminded me of Christmas Eves past at Church when I was a little girl...candlelight services and then over in the fellowship hall for oranges and candy canes and Santa would stop by.  
Now I want my tree up.  
Tradition straddler.  

'Twas the Week Before Thanksving...2006

What an incredibly fast year this has been!  I can remember as I child how my dad and my grandparents would tell me how the time went by so much faster as you got older.  Of course I thought they were full of baloney…once again, I realize how right they are.

In eleven short days, it will be Thanksgiving.  Thanksgiving is so very special to me.  Thanksgiving represents family and thankfulness and tradition—being an only child, I yearned for a Thanksgiving like many folks had—a table set for 20, an actual turkey instead of a just a small turkey breast for three, laughter and silliness, homemade placemats and maybe even Pilgrim and Indian hats. 

People wonder why I go nuts over all sorts of things—birthdays, holidays—you name it.  Well I guess it’s because I finally have a family which is larger than the average one.  I remember back several years…we had my husbands’ parents and his brother and sister-in-law and our nephews and we had my mom and step dad—my 1,000 sq. ft. house runneth over.  I sent out homemade invitations that included the following poem:

‘Twas the week before Thanksgiving

And all across the state

Were Kevin and Amanda saying

“Don’t be Late!”

The table will be set

Especially for you

In hopes that you will come

And join our zoo.

The children will be nestled

In front of the big screen

As Macy’s Thanksgiving Day

Parade is seen.

Perhaps to our wondering

Eyes will appear

One of the Griffiths

Dragging home an 8 point deer.

“Now Perry now Thelma

Now Barry and Mildred!”

On Roger on Angie!

Come and get fed!”

Down Route 18

Down I-64

Now dash away, dash away!

Right to our door!

So spring to your sleigh

Give your team a whistle

And put the pedal to the metal

And sore like a missle!

You will hear us exclaim

‘Ere you pull in the drive

“Happy turkey day to all

And to all a high-five!”

I went down to the church and borrowed a couple of banquet tables.  I put all of my living room furniture against the wall and we had a huge table down the center of my living room and dining room.  Hands-down it was, my favorite Thanksgiving to date.  I love having a houseful of people.  I love the stress and the chaos and all of the bad that goes with the absolute fantastic memories J

I have no idea what we will have in store this Thanksgiving.  I look forward to whatever memories we will make!

Happy Thanksgiving! 

The thankful receiver bears a plentiful harvest.~William Blake