The Last Night

Many people know me as Camry in several online chat places, and that won't change, but tonight (November 20) is the last night that my Toyota Camry will rest in the garage under my house. Tomorrow she'll be traded in for a brand new 2009 Toyota Prius. At least that's the plan. I haven't yet had the phone call confirming the final details about the Simonize interior and exterior finish, and that makes me a little uneasy, but it'll all work out somehow. When I do finally bring my Prius home, I'll post a picture of it here.

Thanksgiving is coming soon and my family seems to be unsettled over the holiday. Mom called yesterday to ask if it was Thanksgiving yet and would Sis2 be coming to pick her up. Since she'd called about an hour after I'd left for school, I called her back when I came home to find her confused message, and it sounded as though she'd forgotten she called. She explained to me again that she'd be glad to bring something but since her stroke (I don't know that anyone's determined that she's had one), she doesn't dare drive so she has to take the trolley that the retirement community provides to get to the store and back. (I'm relieved that she understands and accepts the fact that her driving days are over. I haven't asked if she's sold her van, not wanting to be the intermediary in that kind of process.) Of course I asked her to bring nothing but herself when she's chauffeured here by Sis2 and her husband.

Sis3 is also stressing about life in general and probably about spending time with Mom, Sis3 being sober for more than two months but living alone (except for her adorable puppy), on changing meds for depression, and on disability income that doesn't quite cover her bills. She always volunteers to make the pies and did this year too about a month ago, but recently she's asked that we not depend on her because of her mood swings, and I suspect her financial situation makes the purchase of ingredients to be a challenge. I've been thinking of checking with her to see if the new meds are working better for her, and if she'd make the pies with my ingredients so she'd have some part in the holiday that's very useful, but that would be 'depending on her' again so I haven't mentioned it. These first weeks and months beyond rehab are delicate times, and I depend on her daughter to guide my interactions with her.

Sis in law Ann is enduring her the holidays without her husband for the first time. She misses him terribly, and we all miss him too, but friends in VT and her college friends have invited her to spend weeks with them as she goes through this transition. Today she started her long and circuitous journey to visit family in the northeast and then to head southwest, eventually landing in Tucson for the winter. This is new territory for her, always having had her husband with whom to share the plans and realities, but most days she does well. This first year will be the worst, but it'll get better.

My husband's bachelor brother couldn't commit himself to coming here for the holiday when he was invited a week or so ago. I guess he's waiting for a more local invitation from one of the sisters so he doesn't have to drive too far. (This is the brother who's lived so frugally all his life that he didn't have to cash paychecks from his employer for months at a time, and who probably has enough cash stored in coffee cans to pay for several lavish trips around the world.) Me? I ordered a 22 pound bird to feed whoever shows up with lots of leftovers for them to take home and plenty for my spouse and me too. I've picked up the standard cranberry jelly, potatoes, frozen veggies, pickles, stuffing bread, potatoes, and festive tablecloths over the past month, so it's a matter of picking up the bird and a fresh apple pie next Wednesday, setting up the tables, thawing the pies that were bought locally and frozen, and preparing The Dip for our pre-dinner pleasure. I'll stuff that bird and slip it into the oven early on Thursday, and I'll enjoy the aroma all morning. I love hosting Thanksgiving!