This family Christmas made me very nervous because our tiny townhouse was full of hungry people, people with very different personalities, backgrounds and families who were now brought together as one family, my family. They were all counting on my mom to present them with a feast that was just as appealing to the eye as it was to the pallet. I did not think that I would make it through this! .
My Mother and I fought the whole day over how to cook things. Of course being a Mom, she thought she knew best, but this was my dinner and my turn to cook my way. My Grandma, who had cooked for my mom on several occasions including holidays, was observing, almost like she was waiting for me to make a mistake. I like this gray haired, somewhat slouched but spry elderly lady. She tried very hard to cook great meals and I have had much worse, but I began to understand why my dad likes my mom's cooking better. He rediscovered dishes like chicken "n" dumplings, stuffed peppers, and country fried steak, only to make sure he stated, "Please don't tell my Mom that I ate that," He said! Now I wondered if she would secretly talk about what a bad cook my mom was.
My Aunt Debbie, was cute, nice, slim and smart, she arrived with her Mom. Although very different from her brother, they shared a close but yet distant relationship. I always wondered if she even liked my mom. My dad best friend/ex-partner, showed up eventually. He usually showed up late and was always in a hurry. He was in he early fifties bachelor, and thought of himself as somewhat of a ladies man. He was a smooth talking retired police officer who loved his toys so much he had to work full time as an off duty police officer, plus his pension to pay for them. I think that he also used the uniform as a babe magnet. I also think that my Mom was taken with his sometimes-perverted quick wit. I had no doubt that he would enjoy my food.
My sister, who was 12, was enjoying this day full of loving family and friends, but did not enjoy the spat between our grandma and our mom.
