Suburb of Heaven

Getting into work today was a bit touchy - a thin layer of snow over some ice, and things were rather slick, although not dismally so. I crunched my way up the sidewalk into our building, thinking of all the things I have to do today to get ready to leave bright and early tomorrow, got settled at my desk, and opened up my email...

to discover a mystery flister has decided to be Santa, and has sent me and Bemo Amazon gift certificates to spend on something frivolous and happy-making.

I am having to hide a teary, idiotic grin from my officemate, not to mention the snuffling sound I'm making.

Thank you, thank you, a thousand times, thank you, mystery friend, for being so generous and making my day so happy.

Although that sounds more like something to do with the Easter Bunny, not turkey day.

Anyway. We have returned, bearing gifts for the office (bourbon balls - we were in Kentucky for the holiday), a gift for my lovely catsitter (macadamia nut pancake mix from World Market - one of the few stores I love that was here when we moved, and then closed up shop, much to my chagrin), presents I will not reveal here for my sister, and a load of presents for me. Bemo's stepmother has historically had an antagonistic relationship with her step-kids, but honestly, the past five or seven years or so have really worked a mellowing change on her, and I should probably stop referring to her as "my uptight Southern stepmom-in-law." And, despite the story of shopping I am about to recount, it's not because she has spent big cash on me...but on the really touching fact that she got teary and hugged me after I thanked her, and then I got kinda teary and hugged her back, and where the heck did this new relationship come from? Was it the same that worked its magic on my brother-in-law, who had up until this holiday maintained his half of an old feud between him and Bemo, but which vanished like the morning dew? There was hugging. And joking. And no sulking. I am amazed. Bemo was amazed and thrilled and so happy. Bemo's mom nearly cried at the news. How did this end up such a perfect holiday?

So, the shoes thing. Please keep in mind that because my feet are so very wide, it limits my options very much, so new shoes are a marvelous wonderment to me. Last year, Step-MIL took pity on my wide-footed plight, and bought me some nice New Balances, which I have worn faithfully over the past year, and which may have been the best shoes I have ever worn. This year, she indicated, would be the same - yay for new shoes! So we went out and got me some new tennies, and she then hauls me over to the store's other branch where, after a dizzying sequence of events, I find myself outfitted in a new pair of Uggs. These Uggs. Reader, I have historically scorned Uggs as the bastion of idiot starlets who wear them in July, with miniskirts. I am now a changed woman. I never want to take them off. I am looking at other Uggs boots, although with my calf width, I probably won't be able to fit into the equestrian boots I covet - actually, I may go with my sister to a tack shop back in VA and buy a pair off the rack, if possible.

Have also returned with Toriani syrups for my work coffees, and old photos and battered copies of a farm journal, which I will be scanning in bits and posting. It has been an orgy of holidaying around here, I tell you what. Enough to make up for the brutal 14 hours on the road in either direction - we did the drive in two days on the way back. It's one of those drives you can do in one day, but you don't really want to.

Things weren't utterly perfect - Bemo had some difficult moments, particularly when we got home and hit that our-revels-are-now-ended,-back-to-the-real-world,-what-do-you-mean-nothing's-changed? moment. Things were a little rocky, but they're better now.