I had a marvelous Christmas and hope all of you did too. (I can’t believe I said that – like I have an audience – lol!) Moving on….
I thought it might be a bit of a sad Christmas because for the first time ever, my oldest daughter, Chelsea, would not be coming home this year. There is a reason (which I will talk about later) but the bottom line was that she was going to be on her own for the holidays. Back home in Montreal. Now there are people who would wallow in self-pity. And there are those who choose not to. Thankfully, Chelsea falls in the latter group.
A couple of days before Christmas we were chatting online and she decided that she was going to make her first turkey. So the interrogation began. “Mum, how do I make stuffing?”. “Well Chel, this is not like baking. Not an exact science. So I can tell you what I put in, but no measurements. I just eyeball it. And taste.”. That was good enough for her. She picked up what she needed for dinner and was set to go on Christmas day.
Around 11 am on Christmas morning, the phone rings. It’s Chelsea. “Mum – I’ve been pacing around and you need to help me. It has a neck and I’m freaking out. I DON’T want to break it’s neck!”. I explained to her that she did not have to break it’s neck but rather run some cold water in the cavity until it loosened and then pull it out. “Mum – I have a new appreciation for what people go through to put dinner on the table. Especially a turkey!” - “Ok – let me go try this, I’ll talk to you later.”. “ Call me if you need me. I’ll be here.”, I said.
Later on when dinner was done and most had gone to bed for the night, I checked in on my computer. My “Messenger” bar was flashing. Click, click. “Mamadukes?”. “Yes” I typed. “It was awesome! Perfectly browned! Delicious!”.
Mothering goes on for much longer than I ever imagined. But that’s OK. I liked holding her hand. A right of passage I think. And now I have a grand-turkey! Haha! And I don't even have to babysit! I know, I know - I'm silly.
Now I know who I can contact to talk me through making a turkey! I've never ever made one either. You must be so proud of your daughter! I thought about you a couple of days ago, because I know that you have a hard time around the holidays. I've had no desire to blog lately, so I've been neglecting my bloggie friends. I'm really glad to hear that you had a good Christmas!
ReplyDeletexo,
Carol
LOLOL! Thats soooo sweet :)
ReplyDeleteI'm laughing because I ALWAYS need Mom! Your daughter does too. I've never made a turkey and am thankful that being in Texas we like to fry everything...including our turkeys and that's "the man's job." Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteCarol - you can call me any time. We missed you here in blogland. It was so nice of you to think of me - I made out just fine. I dealt with the underlying issues and spent a lot of time digging deep this year and the holiday demons are gone.
ReplyDeleteI am very proud of Chel. She moved to Montreal not long after graduation from high school. She lived with my dad for a little but got her own place in the city when she was about 20 (she is 24 now). (I wish I had had the nerve to do it!)
Tracy - It is sweeeeet. There is no greater satisfaction than knowing you child is "all growed up" and responsible.
Norma Lee - Moms are moms, are moms. That never changes. Turkeys are a man's job? I like that concept.