The birthday was wonderful! Thanks to everyone who stopped by and spared a kind thought, even if you did not post a comment.

There was dim sum, big cocktail rings, hoisin sauce, pix, awesome gifts (go, Netflix!), sushi, hugs, tear-worthy cards, delish dessert, sake, more hugs, more pix, and lots of non-stress. A good day.

The only thing missing was Clive on my doorstep, but pursuing your dreams is what makes you push forward in life, right?

Today looks to be good as well, with some writing planned. Actually planned!

Yay!

(Yes. It does feel weird for me to be so content. My brain is looking for some potential area of stress. Whatever. It’s all good).

Okay, so I look kinda odd (I am NOT drunk here!), but the rest of the fam looks fabulous–the two ladies are my two aunts. The dark-haired one is the total kick-ass survivor sister of my mom (she has lupus, and has had other big deals in the course of her life), and the blonde is my dad’s youngest sister, who is finishing her degree after getting all of her kids through school. I love both these women, and they are both inspirations. The Spouse Scott is on the left, my paternal aunt’s husband is the older gentleman, while the guy on the right is my cousin, her son, who just graduated college. And in the middle, of course, is the hammy child.

My uncle David Rowan Campbell is a decorative artist who does amazing, fantastic work that you can see at his internet home, here.

He advised us when we were choosing colors for our house, and his suggestions were dead-on (”You can’t go wrong with Atrium.”) Plus he calls Benjamin Moore ‘Ben Moore,’ and I appreciate that familiarity.

Scott, the Son and I will be seeing him and my aunt when we go to San Francisco. Yay!

Today is my first full day in Brooklyn; very glad to be back, although sad not to be in the Land o’ the Lakes.

Some pix:

The Nine-Year Old with my cousin.

The Spouse (otherwise known as Scott), the Nine Year-Old and my aunt Mary.

It was a fantastic visit, I am happy to be back for a bit before heading to SF.

Liz Maverick brought up one of my perennial conversation-stopper topics recently, only hers was a different take on the problem. Namely, pantslessness. The pantsless thing has long been of concern to me. Why do cartoon characters wear jackets but no pants? Porky Pig, I’m talking to you.

(That doesn’t even BEGIN to go into how I feel about Mickey Mouse. I have a vendetta against him, I think I’m unhinged. It bothers me so much–he’s not funny. He’s not likeable. He wears gloves. Why, in the name of all that’s holy, does he exist?!?)

And I was talking about this to my cousin, the gorgeous, totally together 22 year-old with whom I was shopping yesterday (yeah, how’s THAT for a confidence booster? “Hi, Megan’s insecurities, meet someone who’s literally half your age, blond, smart, savvy, with boobs, who looks good in everything she tries on.”). And Lisa followed up the pantsless question with why Daffy–or Donald, I’m not sure which–Duck* wears a towel after he gets out of the shower. . . when he’s about not to put on any pants! What’s he hiding?

We do know ducks are one of the few birds with penises (is that penii?). Is that it? Is Daffy/Donald hiding the goods, only to expose them when he’s dry?

But really–why can’t cartoon characters have pants? It wouldn’t bother me nearly as much if they weren’t wearing jackets. Consistency, people, consistency! If your anthropomorphic animals wear clothes, make sure they’re fully dressed!

That’s all.

Megan

*Oh, I just googled “Donald Duck shower” and found a quote from Friends about Donald and his showering ways. A flaw in the otherwise perfect cousin? She watched Friends? Megan’s insecurities feel a wee bit of triumph right around now.

The Son and his class did a study of Ghana this year (as well as the Inuit, and the Amazon, I think). Anyway. We have a CD called London Is The Place For Me, which is a compilation of Trinidadian calypso in London, and includes the song “Birth of Ghana” by Lord Kitchener. The Spouse burned it onto a disc for our son to take into school and wow his classmates.

Does it make up for the fact that between the two of his parents, we can find a song that relates to almost any topic, and will sing it loudly even though the Son begs us to stop?

Probably not.

But still.

(Scott also included the Wylde Bunch “Last Day of School.” Beats Alice Cooper’s “School’s Out For Summer” anyday).

This is me (the white chick on the left), my cousin, my aunt, and another cousin. We’re sitting in front of ‘my’ section at my dad’s house, which is why there are so many empty spaces–I took a lot of books home. I’m still amazed and beyond grateful that my entire family has come together, no discord at all. Plenty of concord, in fact.