Over the river and through the woods ...

Thanksgiving was, I think, a resounding success. My very first "on my own" turkey turned out quite well ... even though I spaced it and left the giblets pack inside the tail end. Tony even warned me that I might do it ... and of course, in true Jason fashion, I did. But that faux pas aside, it really was a juicy and flavorful bird. Yay me! :-)

Had a truly lovely time with T, Angela, Cheryl, and Matty. It's always so comforting to be around friends that you adore ... easy, painless, effortless, and sweet. I'm truly lucky to have the great friends that I do. I wish I was able to spend more time with those that live far away, but I'm sure most people have others in their lives that they wish were geographically closer. Ang kepy saying that we were all family -- and she was so right. We really are. One of my favorite things about my life is the family I've forged out of the people that matter to me. I treasure them more than any material possession.

Speaking of family -- I received a lovely email from my niece Ana this morning. She lives in France (she's been in France for at least 7 years), so our correspondence is a bit more limited than I'd like it to be. I haven't seen her in person for maybe 5 years ... but she's always been a special person to me. She's grown into a truly beautiful young woman, inside and out. She was always a strikingly attractive youngster, but she's damn stunning now. There's a bit of American Indian blood in our line via my mother, and it seems to have manifested in Ana. She looks nothing like the rest of us in the family. She's very dark-skinned and exotic ... gorgeous black hair, and legs up to her neck. The rest of us look like Krauts and potato eaters. As white as white can be. She's supposed to be back in the States after the holidays to spend some time with her mother in Missouri. Come hell or high water, I'll be seeing her while she's here. We used to have such fun as kids ... sneaking cigarettes behind the pool house, shopping for hours and hours, laughing about silly teenage stuff, and ogling boys. She was one of the first in the family that knew I was gay ... and she was like "Well, duh, Jason." In fact, the big reveal made us closer ... and she's been my most vocal cheerleader ever since. Her email this morning brightened my day. I can't wait to see her again.

BTW -- It's too cold outside.
Have a lovely day! :-)