Happy December

Over a month since my last post, ack!

Part of my procrastination was to get some distance from Thanksgiving, which I've been describing as "annoying." Which in itself is something to be thankful for, I've come to realize. It could have been so much worse than annoying.  

The Annoying

That cry you heard reverberating up and down the Mendocino coast on Thanksgiving Day? As M was putting the turkey on the Weber grill, one of the tripod legs gave way and the contraption collapsed, spewing coals, a buttered 20-pound bird, and gravy-makings onto the patio. So you can imagine. From the kitchen, the sound put me in mind of those movie shots, the ones where the camera pans out from the tonsils and up, up, past the mouth, the eyes bulging, and off into the atmosphere as frustration and anger echo on the soundtrack. Luckily, most of our small crew were walking on the beach at the time, so JeriLu and I helped M recreate cooking conditions in the kitchen and reconfigure plans for the oven baking schedule.

I know the turkey dump didn't have anything to do with M's physical situation, but he had been feeling a little under the weather and it started to really rage that day. As he retired early to the sofa to regroup after the turkey incident, the beach crew returned short a few members: Roxy and Mom. Apparently our canine daughter made like James Earl Jones in "Field of Dreams" and melted off into the dunes, deaf to calls from her humans. M heaved off the couch to take a turn looking for her; when Mom returned, I drove down to pick him up, hoping by then she would have emerged from her camouflage. Sure enough, as I neared the end of the Sea Dune trail, I saw them trudging up from the beach, hallelujah. However, Roxy had some sort of close encounter she shouldn't have had and her eyes became infected. It did not affect her appetite, however.

The Thanksgiving menu survived and we had a lovely meal, with so much to be thankful for.

The Gratitude

I love being with family and it was a bittersweet milestone that my dear niece, in addition to her just continuing to be an adult and not reverting to the child I think she ought to be, brought her boyfriend along for the holiday. The weather was gorgeous--we had several good walks on the beach during my time there, once when thick foam fringed the edges of where the waves had infiltrated, and another when the sand embellishment was jellyfish, their gelatinous carcasses gleaming in scalloped lines for miles. Don and I looked for mushrooms one day. They seem to be more extroverted this year.  I'm grateful for our good rains so far this season and they've inspired me to knit a few neck-wear items these last few weeks.

Note that Roxy is on a leash in this photo.

We returned on Saturday and M consulted a variety of medical professionals, only to discover that it was a raging case of…mono. It was a relief in many ways, but it hit him pretty hard and he was laid low for weeks. I'm really, truly, immensely grateful that it wasn't something serious. Roxy's eyes cleared up after a couple of days, too, so there you go.

It's been pretty productive at work on the diversity front. I helped to organize an event to encourage women to speak at technical conferences and was on the discussion panel. I wasn't even too nervous! I had a follow-up article published in Women 2.0 as well. I've crafted a plan around this effort for 2013 and that feels really great, like I'm actually making a small difference on the equality front.

Life continues to be pleasant and very not-annoying. We've been decorating the house for Christmas and the gay lights are keeping the short, dark days cheerful. Julia, one of my friends from writers group, had her perseverance pay off and her first novel, Ice Will Reveal was published! I went to her book release party, and it was joyful and inspiring.

This weekend we went to the de Young to see a couple of exhibits: Modern masterpieces from William Paley's collection (can you imagine having iconic works by Picasso, Manet, Matisse, Rodin, Gauguin, etc., etc., hanging in your apartment?), Indian poetry, and weaving by Melissa Cody. The museum wasn't overly crowded for once (people must have been off shopping) and it was so wonderful being able to take everything in in our own time.

One more week of work and then I'm off until the day after New Year's Day. It's a delicious anticipation.