Three Of Us, Christmas Evening
All the boys and girls were making the rounds of near-by relations, so Christmas Evening was relaxed and unhurried, unappointed. The train stops for another to pass, you've got a nice seat on the diner car, and it doesn't matter how long, let's tell stories. What's new?
Pa always says take off your coat and stay awhile, Johnny.
They left me a present anyway, the Kettle Kids I mean. I wasn't part of the drawing this year, how could it be?? But yes! And it was a great present and coincidental as well. I'd just emailed Pa a copy of Bob Dylan's "John Brown", I'd recently discovered, that was a part of Dylan's MTV Unplugged series in 1994. Brand new to me.
The present was a DVD of Bob Dylan Unplugged! Did you see what I just emailed you, 'gate? Man alive! No , I mean really! Dylan. Live. Man alive. Let's play it now! The guitars, the lyrics, Dylan's voice and phrasing in this is awesome and terrible ( given the subject, which is about a mother sending her son to war.)
____
R.M. was on the cell phone to her family and I remembered my mom had been ringing mine on the way over, so I flopped on the couch and rang her back, where she's visiting my sister in the Volunteer State, where my great great ever so great.... oh, never mind.
"Hiya Mom, is that you? Hahahahaha. Yes of course it is but I'm calling for Alice. Yeah, haha! Tell her it's John. John Jackson, she'll know me. Thanks. Hello, Mom? Hi! (My hand over the phone: "This is my Mom, all right!") Thanks, Merry Christmas to you too! Oh just great, I've had a very memorable Christmas and am over here...yes, yes...No, they're gone, just the three of us, gonna have a feast. What about you, how did yours go?
"You got lost? Wasn't Mr. Toad with you? Oh. Glass eye, right. And dark. Uh, huh. The street has three different names as you go along, eh, yes I remember, I remember. (Hand over the phone: "Nashville has crazy streets") Three miles back eh? (hand over the phone: "A stranger led them back, maybe Jesus.")
"Kids made out like bandits I hear, that right? Ah. Uh, huh. (hand over the phone: "Grandkids are unbelievably darling"). Awww. (hand over the phone: "My one niece, darling girl, not spoiled, acts like the perfect hostess to Mr. Toad").
What. Ew. (hand over the phone: "Oldest one's a teenager now, holy krep"). He's not hanging out with older kids is he? Yeah but you never know. (hand over the phone: "the little rotter is dead to me now, 'til he's 30")...
"Sure, well you could send those pics right now over the computer. (hand over the phone: "Her excitement is wearing me down, Pa, ring the dinner bell will you?")
_____
To know my mom is to love her.
_______
And we did Christmas feast, and my two fosters were going to let me pour maple syrup over my meat and potatoes (but I was joking) and they praised me for cleaning my plate, but I always do there.
R.M. said, "But this time you really filled your plate!"
It felt wonderful too. Usually I don't like being full. Hm.
I think about that food now and feel grateful. Keep thinking about it. Then like an...I don't know, alcoholic ...I think and I start to get very very angry. Why can't I eat like this everyday. Why! Why!
Women's liberation. Started when they began smoking cigarettes in public, back right after the First World War. OH. Not women's liberation. But Traditional Values! Or something. World gone wrong, world gone wrong.
Then I saw the chess set. I haven't played in a year, and last time got my socks blown off.
The size of the pieces made me suddenly very confident. I don't know, maybe thinking that in the end you could just clobber and knock your opponet out cold with the otherwise powerless King.
But my victory was not to be. Because for one, Pa called out from his room "what's your favorite George Harrison song, quick!" And I couldn't think of any. I was about to check mate her then, I swear. Then he started singing with the ukelele "It's A Sunshine Life For Me".
It's sunshine life for me
If I could get away from this cloud over me
Seems to just follow me around
There's a good life had for free
When you're out in the country
That's what I could use
If I could get away there soon
It's a sunshine life for me
If I could get away from this cloud over me
Seems to just follow me around
There's a good life had at sea
If you're not in the Navy
That's the life for you
Sail away Raymond, Sail away
Now most folks just bore me
Always imposing, and I'd rather meet a tree
Somewhere out in the cornfield
And it's a sunshine . . .
It's a sunshine life for me
If I could get away from this cloud over me
Seems to just follow me around
___
Then the phone rang and it was the pooka, probably sensing I was kidding myself about my chances in this game.
We called it a draw. But I think....I say I think R.M. was relieved.
Eh, maybe because at just that moment she'd turned it all around and got my whorish queen, who had trolloped all the way down to the other end of the board. ....
_____
Very blessed to have friends. And just the friends I'd choose too, wouldn't have any others! Thank you two. You know how to get a man to take his coat off and stay awhile.
And a happy new year to all!
Thanks for visiting, everyone, and share any similiar stories in the comments.
posted by Jackson @ 8:26 PM
16 Comments:
That was so nice!
And you know John, we can teach you to cook. If you have a big pot or if Flora has a big pot, I can teach you a killer beef stew that you would love.
But vegetables might be better.
Or a wife who cooks.
Beef stew yummmmmm, I have been looking for a good beef stew recipe.
Now if I could just get someone to come over to cook for....
ya'll know i appreciate commments but i'd like to know who's posting. Choose "other" instead of "anonymous" unless you really want to be anonymous.
We will never tell who is who!
Hahahhahahahhahahaha. I am the first anonymous. I don't get this sign in thing. They are making the letters smaller and smaller and sometimes I cannot tell a l from an i.
Hmph!
you know what? i think that other anonymous was ____how are you mr. wilson?
Yeah, a nice big stock pot, some quality soup guts, and the culinary world is your oyster!
But Pat is right...get a wife who cooks.
Mimi,,can't you find John a nice wife who will cook for him?
substitute "nice" with "hubba hubba", will you?
g'wan, I'm involved. What, do you think I just made the Pooka up?
The hubba hubba factor is a problem. Good wives are not necessarily hubba hubba especially if they cook well.
Good wives can cook, balance the check book, know domestic arts such as making a bed with hospital corners, know what vitamins everyone needs, know the value of an IRA, the prevailing mortgage rates and the inclinations of the current fed.
Hubba hubba generally does not make a good wife JOhn.
THat is what we have to convince you off. Hubba hubba is extra but not a requirement.
Yeah, no doubt! At the same time, Pat, Jackson's view of "hubba hubba" isn't the same as most men, but that doesn't make him peculiar. I want to make that clear.
What is his view of Hubba Hubba?
My generation called it "hot to trot" but maybe that has changed.
People should be more businesslike in picking spouses. I get flak for saying that. But it is true.
There should be an MBA in Spousal Acquisition or a Department of Spousal Studies and not in psychology.
Your are so right! Marriage is a business arrangement, so it helps to have qualified staff. The endorphins go away and what are you left with? Someone who is just as flawed as you. So, you go forward with your business plan and mission statement and remind yourself that those couples who act all lovey-dovey in public are the Bickersons behind closed doors. Ugh, makes me think of Streisand and Brolin; what a pair of pukes.
Excuse me ladies, may I roll in here like a ton of bricks and declare this subject illegal? Thank you.
Madam Doctor, "hot to trot" means "easy". Now hubba hubba is almost an onomatopoeia. Could hardly be more clear. chickaboom chickaboom. You're right, though, it's not important. Not in the least!
Mimi , who's side are you on in this 'is jackson peculiar' debate? Because you might clear it up for me which side i'm on...
Careful Mimi, that is a very loaded question!
Back to wifely shopping. Endorphins are fine but one has to look past them to examine the merchandise from the perspective of the business plan.
John just goes off half cocked {haha} and follows his endorphins which is a very risky thing. But R did it too and married me not knowing my business plan included him and that I am good wifely material.
No telling what John will end up if left to his own devices.
But he is not peculiar, just a bit Jewish which is a very good thing.
Hey, I've loved Jackson since he was under me (so to speak) at the bookstore 12 years ago. He is a dear friend and completely peculiar in the most delightful way!
I think I'm leaving both of you.
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