Oh, Scola. We did an absolutely phony "Keeping it Together" show for my grandma.She's much sicker than I knew, even though I did know she turned 82 today.

What everyone has said, Tom. You are great, you've risen so far above all the hardships of your childhood. And you totes get to take credit for confronting your mom. But on the other hand, it does sound like a crappy Thanksgiving. I think that means you get to make it up throughout the year with random meals of AWESOMENESS and feelings of gratitude.

Good for you saying as much as you did, Scola! That's not easy.

Okay! Back from caroling in the park! Would have been more enjoyable if it was not raining!

I hear it never rains in Albuquerque, and you can Christmas carol in your tank top.

mr. flea leaves for China tomorrow at 7am and I have to think of something to do with the children all weekend, when I've spent 10 hours with them in the car this week already and the weather is going to be crappy. Ugh.

I'm sorry Tom. That sounds like a frustrating and awful day. You, however, are still awesome.

Tom, I'm late on this but I'm sorry it was stressful but I think you did a good job on how you handled it. Little steps.

My mother's grandfather was 100% Comanche, her father was half. I don't know much about my great grandfather expected he owned large amounts of land in Oklahoma and then sold it to buy movie theaters. Right before the Depression. And then he died (oil was found later in the land). My grandfather had an older half sister who married at 14 years old to have some place to go, and a younger sister who was sent off to a Convent school. My grandfather was sent to an "Indian school" where he was mistreated because his mother claimed she couldn't afford them. His sister died in the school either from illness or an illegal abortion (depending on when the story was told).

You can see the Comanche in my Mom and brother but not me. However, we're enough Comanche that we are on the official tribal rolls (my brother got a scholarship to help pay for part of his school).

My mother's maternal grandmother traveled by: covered wagon, boat, automobile, train, and plane at various points in her life.

I did not plan on buying myself so many clothes, but y'all.

ok, first these [link] - in both colors for $6.50 each.

then this [link] at old navy, which seems to be sold out online, but there were several in the store.

and I cannot find either of the things I got at jcp. One being a super cute peter pan collared dress.

I like the pattern mix in the dress, msbelle. I love pattern mixing, as long as someone has does it for me. I'm chronically unable to make a decision as simple as two pieces of an outfit with stripes, no matter how far apart, but if the designer of the clothing has put *anything* together, I'll grab it, and the brighter clearer punchiness of the competing (collaborating!) patterns the more joie it puts into my vivre.

I have started a shared Evernote notebook with my sister in which we are going to put things of interest for each other. So far I've been kind of heavy, so I've got to go find something shallow and/or trite to balance this out.

Hrrmm.

Tom, what everybody has said. You did good. Every step forward is a major achievement. I'm sorry the day wasn't a good one, though.

msbelle, those are purty.

Dana, I think flea has produced tantalizing evidence in favor of ABQ, just saying.

It has rained so much and I have slounged through it to the point I might have to inspect myself for moss.