It Hath Arrived

Oh, what glorious days. We're up at the cabin in a flurry of activity: cooking, tree setting up, light hanging, music listening, sauce making, salmon smoking, oyster shucking, hot tub taking craziness. I prefer it, as you know, no other way.

This morning I woke up to my dad (Bob) summoning my brother (Rob) to come make us the pancakes he'd promised us the night before. "Pancake man! Where's the pancake man?" Then my mother joins in chorus...then I roll out of bed and want my damn pancakes, too. So, I join in. This, my friends, is what I consider fun.


Mom (Peggy/Margaret) enjoying said whole wheat pancakes; Pancake Man and Dad (bacon man) in the kitchen

The advent of my unemployment brought on the possibility of LOTS of time at the lake (a now mostly frozen lake). Christmas eve here with my folks, mom's sister, dad's brother and his wife, four of their five children, their partners and their children. We have kids, one a year from 14 to 3. Some of them aren't here this year, but the chaos is sure to ensue...Now they've all departed and I'm back with an update: it was a really really pleasant chaos. Last night we all went to dinner together and it kind of served as a rehearsal dinner. We all got to catch up a little, break the ice, remind the kids who I am, cause they really don't see me a lot at all. And today went really smoothly and was really, truly pleasant.


The dinner crowd: 13 adults and 7 kids under 15 years old in a photo I took...I cut off the people on the left (Dad and Michael...oops!)

We eat oyster stew, by my uncle Bill and tonight we had a romaine, spinach and strawberry salad. I don't eat either of these things (please don't tell Uncle Bill!). I eat APPETIZERS. Smoked salmon, shrimp cocktail (which my brother reminds me often the farming of which severly debilitates mangroves in South America), cocktail weiners and meatballs in BBQ sauce, crudites...I think that was it. But it's a LOT. Oh, and Summer Sausage and cheese...we are in Wisconsin after all.


OH! And oysters on the half shell. My cousin Bill(y) shucks them and...eats them :) HUGE Whitlock tradition here, folks. I had my first raw oyster when I was 12. I haven't had many since, but I hope to cultivate a taste for them someday.

Then for dessert, we eat homemade chocolate ice cream. Made by my gourmet dad...


My first cousin once removed, Ethan, son of Bill and Serena (Bill, who's my cuz) sampling the goods. The paddle stirs the chocolate (or strawberries or peaches or whatever Bob wants) and cream into a frozen piece of heaven.


Cleaning oyster shells out of the sink! Susie, cuz Bill, dad Bob, cuz Anne and brother Rob


What dinner really looked like...dim as the sun went down. The "icicle" holiday lights are up cause my mom likes them--actually, we all do.

And now, totally gratuitous cute child moment:

Rob and Reece; Reece with fire gloves on!


Reece with a mini billows (is that the right word? The thing to blow air on the fire for you).


Reece in BIGGER fire gloves giving his "I'm dead serious" look (which inevitably ends in a huge smile and cackle).


Reece totally hamming it up. He's carrying a log in the fire gloves. The gloves go above my dad's elbow and they CONSUME Reece. This child is HILARIOUS.


Reece two years ago at Wildwood.

We have two "gift games" we play with our larger family. The first, which we did tonight, is "self gifts". You buy yourself whatever you want, we all wrap it in the same paper (because my aunt Susan is like a magician with wrapping paper and it's a dead give away) and put the gifts in a pile. We pick numbers and start unwrapping. The fun part is that you have to guess who's bought what for themselves. Uncle Bill, a rain gague; Rob, a bike seat post; Peggy, a book of religious poems; Bob, a really nice chef's pan; Rob White, a plaid (surprise!) shirt; Anne, a table runner, etc. But we have to guess and it's a great window into a) what people want b) who people are. When you buy yourself something it's a great way to explain who you are to your family. It is ALWAYS a lot of fun, tonight was no exception.


Rob, Susie and Anne

Tomorrow night is "Dirty Santa". Everyone buys something under $15 (I splurged a little this year cause I found something I really liked), wraps it and after dinner tomorrow, we'll open them, orderly like. First person opens, then second. If the second person wants what the first person opened, they trade. You're only allowed to trade twice. It gets hilarious. Two years ago Bob Dylan's biography was the hottest ticket by far. Again, a great way to a) cut down on the number of gifts one must buy and b) see what people want.

Tomorrow morning is Santa's arrival with my immediate family, including my aunt Susan (for whom I am named). Then to Wildwood, which is my dad's brother's familys' lake place in Hayward. Then back here til Tuesday when I go to the dentist-back to the cabin Thurs through Sunday and down to Minneapolis for New Year's (probably, have to see what my brother wants to do).

Now, I'm listening to David Bryne, about to go to sleep on the couch upstairs (I was supposed to sleep downstairs but it's cold and I'm afraid of the mice that might be down there-so so lame). Being on the couch affords me a sleeping partner, though, who I don't get anywhere else. Orion. He's stretched across the Wisconsin winter sky, and there's nothing like stars. Especially the ones I've grown up with.

It all makes me think: today was such a great day. One of my most enjoyable family gatherings in years, it feels like. I connected with the kids in a way I haven't before, got to talk to some of my cousins who I haven't in a while...I know I have a home to come back to in Minnesota and as time goes on, I have a harder time thinking I may not come back. I love it here and I love my people here-I love my people everywhere, but my family here is so great.


Sophia "doing" my hair. Sophia is ten and in the fifth grade. One of the most fashionable ten year olds I know! She informed me my hair is "impossible to work with" and that I'm a "very bad client" because I wouldn't stop moving or stop talking! She's awesome.

The things it makes me think about: love, decisions I have to make and how I'm going to make them, the stars, the packed white snow. It makes me think of Ryan Robinson, Tom Johnstone. It makes me think of my grandfather; it makes me hope for better things for the world; the best things for my friends. It makes me remember how much I love living and how much I appreciate the blessings the universe has so so graciously showered me with. I feel so fortunate to feel such joy and fulfillment in my life.

I hope that your holy days are amazing, filled with family and provide room for you to relax, reflect and nurture yourself and the loves of your lives.

Happy Happy, Merry Merry.

And remember, Jesus is not the reason for the season ;)

My Evening Thus Far

My evening thus far has been almost perfect. Let me tell you a little about it. (I told my brother Rob that I couldn't tell him about it because I was afraid I'd lose my juice to write...so this had better be good. Rob , I'll call you back in a bit :)

So, I was at work. I had a great email exchange with a very new, very favorite, friend of mine and also a great IM conversation with my friend Jake in LA. In the midst of all of this, I broke it off with a guy who I've been seeing for about two and a half months. I was never inspired to introduce him to my friends or really even make time for him...Plus in the aftermath of spending time with people who I love, and by whom I feel loved, it was clear he was not going to make the cut. Nice guy; not for me. So, that was liberating.

I'd received an email from Planned Parenthood New York about a training they do about once a month called "Talking About Abortion and Other Tricky Things". I looked at it once a while back and glossed over it. They sent a reminder email and I decided I should go. I'm so glad I did. I was a half hour late because my work is...work and they were cool. I can't explain to you---well, I don't have to because I know you're each passionate people about many different things---what it's like to be doing something that means so much to me. I loved it. It was just a training for "we the people," you know, simple stuff. But it felt so good to be doing it. I should be an educator or a therapist. My job mismatches are getting silly.

In high school I was part of the inagural group of kids at Planned Parenthood Minnesota who comprised a program called Reach One Teach One. My fabulous and amazing high school counselor (who put more than her share of time into me-I can't even begin to tell you how much I appreciate her and love her) put me onto it and it probably shaped my life more than I give it credit for...I'm feeling inspired in a million different ways and it feels really damn amazing.

It's been a while.

Moving on: my plan after the training was go see Michelle Collins who writes for MTV's Best Week Ever and also maintains, perhaps the funniest blog on the internet, You Can't Make It Up. I didn't go because my aforementioned new friend decided to stay home and put together his cat's (the sweetest cat ever-Boots, don't get me wrong, you'll always be my number one; Pandora my number two) new liter box. A noble and necessary activity, even though it put me on the subway home a couple hours ahead of schedule. Which was probably ultimately good for me, too.

I waited momentarily (I have incredible subway luck) for the train and she rolled in like a monster, as per usual. I started to get on one car and heard a saxaphone playing and wasn't really in the mood, so went up to the next car. Big mistake. Apparently my luck with trains only goes so far. We were blessed with an amature preacher. Oy God. I was trying to wish the man's trap shut (I'll listen to people about God any day-he just wasn't polished enough for New York subways. We have great performers. Gotta clean that up.) when the sax from the former train came in.

Much to my unbridled glee, he was a silly sax player. He had antennae - gold paper circles affixed to two springy things coming from his hippie hat. He put his sax to his lips and blew. Shut the preacher right up. The whole train was in on the hilarity, no jeering or anything, just a classic New York moment (that's why I stay, right?). After a short number, our friendly sax player informed us that, "my spaceship has CRASHED. I'm gonna need some of your earthling currency to get the parts I need to fix my spaceship. And when I fix my spaceship, I'm going to go back to my galaxy. And take George Bush with me." To that he got a more-than-audible "Get that mother fucker out of here!" from yours truly (of course). And of course I gave him a dollar. I may have even qualified for "cheap" considering the glee he bequeathed.

And when you have a performance that good, you're going to get money from me. I don't care what I have to pay for when I get street-side. If you have a good show, deliver it well, I will pay you for your troubles. Because panhandeling, like everything else, is an art unto itself. I am honored and sometimes annoyed my their skill :) The concept of "the hook" I am grateful to Utah Phillips for. He's inspired more parts of my life than I can probably count (one of my favorite inspirations from him: constant fun). I highly recommend Fellow Workers and, especially, The Past Didn't Go Anywhere. Thanks to cousin Nate for giving me the latter for a birthday (I believe it was part of a group of things: a dragonfly rubber stamp; beatles postcard; socks maybe? all wrapped in a black garbage bag). Where would I be...without you and Rob?

When I got home Cassie and her dude Gwyther (The Gwyth) were cooking dinner--quiche and salad. YUM. I came home on a good night!

Now I'm a sleepy cat ready for her nap. In my new red sheets, from my mama's loving arms. I'm a lucky girl, and you can see, why I'm so damn glad to be a part of this wee world.

In keeping with an activity my mother suggests to me often, I'm going to go ahead and list 5 things I'm grateful for. So the universe, and you as active participants in it, know what I'm loving on right now. I make gratefulness a part of my daily practice. It makes my life so much better.

What The Sooz (yup, that's my 3rd person persona's name) is grateful for tonight:

1) A heathly family
2) My new red (pink? salmon?) sheets (no, not satin, Madonna)
3) Time to myself
4) Remembering my history, past and how I got where I am
5) Love
6) People who listen
7) Fun strangers
8) Strangers who become friends
9) Trust
10) Friendship
11) Airplanes

Crap. I see where this is going...shutting my travel-bug-ridden eyes. Wishing the best for you and yours. And thinking of you.

Alls the love in the world for everyone!


This post is dedicated to my one and only bro. You are the bomb!