  Romance/Love
This week: Edited by: Fyn-elf  
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Families are like fudge - mostly sweet with a few nuts. ~Author Unknown
If you don't believe in ghosts, you've never been to a family reunion. ~Ashleigh Brilliant
We all grow up with the weight of history on us. Our ancestors dwell in the attics of our brains as they do in the spiraling chains of knowledge hidden in every cell of our bodies. ~Shirley Abbott
When our relatives are at home, we have to think of all their good points or it would be impossible to endure them. ~George Bernard Shaw
Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one. ~Jane Howard
In a houseful of toddlers and pets, you can start out having a bad day, but you keep getting detoured. ~Robert Brault
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Ah . . the family gathering. As my husband and I are still relatively newly wed, there haven't been that many opportunities to gather folks from both sides together. This Easter holiday, he and I are moving our (my) youngest daughter, C and her boyfriend into their new townhouse. Last week was my hubby's 58th birthday. So this weekend past, we had a combination belated birthday/early Easter get together dinner.
Ever the gluttons for punishment (?) we were up at the crack of dawn cleaning, decorating, cooking, baking and hiding eggs that never ended up getting hunted for. As it turned out, the grand daughter had just come from an Easter Egg Hunt and wasn't interested in 'another' one. (Side note: Always count the number of eggs hidden-saves time when Grandma has to find 'em later!)
The newly minted stepsisters are still just getting to know each other. My youngest is now aunt to eight new kids. We are new step-dad or step-mom to the combined tribe. Not all of the combined clan was there, but it still added up to many people all talking at once, carrying on several different conversations. In laws, grandchildren, Easter bunnies and lots of chocolate! Plus birthday presents, an angel food birthday cake and the sounds of a new hunting game on the Wii shooting out of the living room. Add a small dog running around while being chased by the youngest grandchild with candy in hand. People arrived early. Others arrived late enough to have me freaking over food being cold. My third and fourth eyes watching over breakables, curious little fingers and a chocolate loving puppy. In other words, sheer maddening, crazy, loving, noisy chaos!
I'm from the east coast, New England to be specific. Easter dinner means leg of lamb, mint jelly and all the rest of the fixings. I'm in Michigan. Ham. ('nuff said there.)
This year, I decided to serve (as what I envisioned would be a total treat) the Yankee lamb. Except that the majority had never had lamb, nor had they heard of mint jelly. Lamp chops were familiar, as in similar to pork, ended up being the consensus of what they, then, expected. Ah, but the leg is red meat, similar to beef.
They were hungry. They tried it. They ate some. I discovered that while the corn, mashed potatoes and rolls were a hit, that no one except me likes beets. I have LOTS of leftovers. (Yea for me!) The taste (and it came out just fine, thank you) was unfamiliar to them. The jelly invoked that involuntary shiver of an unspoken 'eeeewwwwww.' I think everyone filled up on angel-food cake and ice cream. As mentioned earlier, my much planned for egg hunt never happened. (At least I found the eggs that had the money in them!)
The silence afterward (when most of the clan had departed) was blissful as I cleaned up the kitchen, washed way too many dishes, and got chocolate out of my new living room carpet. Alone in the kitchen I ruminated on spending the small fortune for the under-appreciated lamb, on people arriving after the time they'd been told dinner would be served and decided that I was feeling a bit strange about the whole day.
No, I was angry. Quietly, inside-of-me, the' world would never know it' angry. I was angry with no outlet because I really couldn't jump on my hubby about his (our?) adult kid being what I considered rude and inconsiderate. It was an Easter celebration. I should just get over it. But I couldn't. I felt like crying.
Then my sister-in-law came into the kitchen with her hands full of yet more glasses she'd retrieved from around the house. She gave me a hug, suggested I keep the idea of lamb for when my hubby goes hunting and that next time, if folks are late, not to hold the meal and to go ahead and serve the people that showed up on time. She then said that families come in three parts-the good, the bad and the down right ugly. She said I was a good part. She then hipped me away from the sink and started washing the glasses. Her words, her hug, and her love worked like magic.
Ah . . the family gathering. I'm good until summer. The family cook-out. The one where they all bring something they like, hubby cooks on the grill and I get to chill out with a Long Island Iced Tea. Works for me! *grin*
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SkyHawk - Into The Music  writes in:Speaking as one of your multi-thousand paramours, I have to agree that noticing the details and being an observer of life and everything around you is a key to good writing. Then comes an even harder (I feel) task -- organizing and choosing among those details as to what to use. Sometimes you see a great detail or set of details... only t later realize you can't use them in your current story for some reason. So you have to make sure you don't throw them away. Notebooks, computer files, etc, all are helpful in keeping stuff for the future. After all, one unused detail here could lead to a whole new story over there!
True, so absolutely true.
Coolhand says:It was a touching newsletter concerning your love affair--it warmed my heart. Writing is the most introspective of all vocations. If we truly write, we can't help but to grow. Growth makes us happy.
Warm is good!
Joy  writes: Happy 5th, Fyn.
Thanks for a great newsletter. What you give us of yourself is much better help than what may be called useful, because you make us get in touch with our human sides. Please, do keep it up.
Thanks, Joy. I shall! *grin*
Adriana Noir adds: Great newsletter, Fyn! I'm so glad you found WDC and look forward to another five wonderful years with you!
and
SantaBee  says:Congrats on 5 Years, Fyn! You rock
Thanking you, my friends. WDC is the greatest place to learn and make friends and most of all write!
cackalacky writes: I am so very glad to "meet" you and know a little of your story! What an honor to be included in your favorites! Thanks so very much! Smiles and hugs to you!
You are most welcome!
monty31802 adds: A fine newsletter Fyn, well worth the reading.
Thank you. That means a lot to me.
pinklacebows says: I find your personal insights to be so useful. I must say, when you write Yet writers can't afford to close themselves off. They need to be aware so that they can then file these observations away until it is time to pull them out and make a character have life and breath or a scene be one the reader can feel and smell and, yes, touch. These are the things that help make words jump off a page and into a reader's soul.; it is so true. It is a way to engage all of the senses. Thank you for such an inspiring newsletter.
No, Thank YOU!
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Romance/Love: March 31, 2010 Issue [#3645]
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