A Most Productive Day

Saturday was faux-Thanksgivukkah, and if that isn't clear to you, perhaps this visual will help:

http://tinyurl.com/m8ufdza
Modern Tribe Thanksgivukka Card

So, the first night of Hanukkah coincides with Thanksgiving evening.  The next time this will happen is in 70,000 years.  I'm thinking that's a good thing. Somehow, I'm behind and it's not even December. 

Sigh.

All the kids were here this weekend, so we celebrated Thanksgivukkah on Saturday.  Little Cuter and I cooked up a storm and the five of us gathered around the dining room table, holding hands and feeling lucky, as the sun was setting.  By the time the dishes were done, the first star would have been visible if the cloud cover cooperated, so we lit candles and said the blessings and sang songs and exchanged gifts and collapsed on the couch.  

I went next door to return the pies we hadn't finished to JannyLou's family and friends; we'd been invited but decided that the one full day we were all together should be spent all together.  I hugged CTG's parents and big brother, congratulated the son-in-law on completing the wettest Tour de Tucson in memory, squeezed grand-children, and ran right back to my living room where the family was waiting.  

Games were played, cocktails were consumed, allergies were vilified and treated with fresh air and love, movies were watched, and conversation was had.  Sleep was barely in the picture.

SIR and Little Cuter left this morning at dawn; they were home before we had eaten lunch.  It's not that I was sitting around.  No siree, denizens.  Today was a most productive day.  I kissed the kids goodbye and went back to bed; there was no sense starting the day wanting a nap.  I was showered and in the orange chair reading Billy Collins's latest collection before TBG rolled over on the couch, his driving-to-the-airport-garb-including-sneakers not impeding his nap. Assembling the equipment and materials is noisy; it would have been churlish to disturb him. 

As soon as his eyes were open, I got to work.

I set the chocolate and butter to melting,

grimacing over the new packaging.

Less weight, more cardboard, thinner squares.... 

it wasn't broken; why did they fix it?

After mixing and chopping and baking, I had these 

which, as the afternoon wore on into evening,

became these

Thanksgivukkah is on its way.

I need a nap.