The Happy News thread

[blacknblue]

Hot dang! My married daughter is coming home for Christmas this year! She and her husband went to Denver year before last to visit her in-laws, and stayed home last year. So this is the first year in three that the whole bunch will be together under one roof. Her little brother is overjoyed, anticipating major spoilage

Me too

Don't even ask what her mother is looking like.

[TPoptarts]

Y'all are so lucky.

[CX]

I'm headed home too, though it isn't as happy for me. This could actually go in the whine thread, but since my aunt isn't going down to Bismark/Mandan (or wherever the Kraft side of my family is holding their Thanksgiving), we're going to be going to the Royal Fork instead of me getting to stay home with Mom and Dad, and having our traditionally modified meal of potatoes and meatloaf (since Dad and I don't care for turkey). Now on a good day, the Royal Fork is busy. On Thanksgiving, it's insane. It gets better, they want to see Beowulf in the theater. Normally I'd think that was awesome, but again, it's Thanksgiving, so it'll be insane pretty much everywhere in Minot, because apparently spending the holidays at home with the family is a novelty from ye olde tymes.

[TPoptarts]

Hey. At least you have a family to celebrate the holidays with.

[Asso]

It's true, absolutely: family is all. And when festivities are coming, that's is true twice.

[CX]

Hey. At least you have a family to celebrate the holidays with.

Seems to me that you have family too, but that you don't get along.

[blacknblue]

It's true, absolutely: family is all.

This deserves to be inscribed in platinum over the doorway of every home, and every government building, on the face of the Earth.

The ultimate purpose of every living thing is to survive long enough to reproduce effectively. By effectively I mean, reproduce and get the next generation up to a point where they are able to take care of themselves. Everything else is designed to facilitate that primary objective. Intelligence evolved as a tool to expedite that primary objective. Human culture, civilization, philosophy, law... they are all merely window dressing that we developed for the purpose of expediting the primal objective of surviving long enough to reproduce effectively- keeping the children alive long enough to grow up.

Anything that fails to actively promote that basic goal is pure waste, and should be tossed out. Anything that acts contrary to that goal is contra-survival and suicidal by definition, and needs to be ditched *immediately*. Nothing about our civilization, careers, culture, religion, social structures, economic systems, or anything else we do is worth keeping if it interferes with our primary mission.

"Family is all."

Pure wisdom. Forget platinum. It should be carved in diamond.

[Linda]

Speaking of carving. I have passed the cooking of the Thanksgiving turkey (and carving of same) on to the next generation. And the making of the potato dish. And my son-in-law has become a specialist in the green bean dish. My husband (definitely a non-cook) won't let anyone touch his cranberry sauce ingredients. So I only have to make a squash or sweet potato dish, a salad, and clean the house before everyone arrives bearing their contributions. The ten-month old specializes in activities which keep the vacuum cleaner employed and the pets interested in hovering around under her chair. The rest of the family specializes in consuming the contributions. Even my pet parrot - he eats turkey too. The pet rabbit will eat salad. Yeah, its all about family.

This contributing does not mean that the next generation has learned to completely take care of themselves, but the goal is visible off in the far distance.

[justTripn]

Black 'n Blue, your impassioned speech about our evolutionary purpose brough tears to my eyes . . . yes, YES! it's all about bringing up the babies! Enjoy your family time.

Sorry CX, you have to go to the Royal Fork. I doubt they will have meatloaf there.



We have a strange tradition too. When I cook Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, there is always a side dish of phat Thai (Thai noodle dish). We also need a so-called pretzel salad (that notoriously delicious jello dessert with all the pretzels on the bottom. This year, we are going to my sister's, with everyone bringing something, and my kids are already worrying aloud that Gradma's mashed potatoes won't be like mine.

T'Poptart, you got us! For whatever that's worth.

[evcake]

It's true, absolutely: family is all.

This deserves to be inscribed in platinum over the doorway of every home, and every government building, on the face of the Earth.

The ultimate purpose of every living thing is to survive long enough to reproduce effectively. By effectively I mean, reproduce and get the next generation up to a point where they are able to take care of themselves. Everything else is designed to facilitate that primary objective. Intelligence evolved as a tool to expedite that primary objective. Human culture, civilization, philosophy, law... they are all merely window dressing that we developed for the purpose of expediting the primal objective of surviving long enough to reproduce effectively- keeping the children alive long enough to grow up.

Anything that fails to actively promote that basic goal is pure waste, and should be tossed out. Anything that acts contrary to that goal is contra-survival and suicidal by definition, and needs to be ditched *immediately*. Nothing about our civilization, careers, culture, religion, social structures, economic systems, or anything else we do is worth keeping if it interferes with our primary mission.

"Family is all."

Pure wisdom. Forget platinum. It should be carved in diamond.

Hmmm...fortunately nowadays not everybody has to reproduce (all hail and more power to the ones who do, don't get me wrong.)

I am a career auntie myself. The one who gives you books for Christmas.

My sis has her inlaws in for the turkey dinner, my brother is cooking one for those in his dojo who aren't going elsewhere, and my Mom is doing something with friends. We're kind of spead out over the state. So a friend of mine and I are getting together to cook a turkey breast and drink Korbel.

Happy Thanksgiving, all.

Jello with pretzels?

[CX]

I make pretty good mashed potatoes myself - no lumps, but mom usually has to help me remember what all goes in it before I turn the beaters on.

Even my pet parrot - he eats turkey too.

That's just wrong on so many levels. Ok, not quite as bad as a pig eating bacon, but still.

[krn]

My husbands family is here in town, but mine is 2.5 hours south. So, several years back we instituted that if everyone wanted to see us on Thanksgiving, they'll have to come to our house. Somehow the moms didn't argue with that ("gee, you mean we don't have to cook?" )

So we'll have ten in the house tomorrow. I do get everyone to bring a side dish. Mom is making that pretzel desert thingy. Sounds interesting.

we'll be frying up a turkey and having all the usual trimmings.

As for parrot's eating turkey - that's just not right. I'm reminded of the M&M's commercial where the M&Ms are eating each others candies.

[evcake]

I make pretty good mashed potatoes myself - no lumps, but mom usually has to help me remember what all goes in it before I turn the beaters on.

Sour cream - that's the secret of my mashed potatoes.

[justTripn]

It's true, absolutely: family is all.

This deserves to be inscribed in platinum over the doorway of every home, and every government building, on the face of the Earth.

The ultimate purpose of every living thing is to survive long enough to reproduce effectively. By effectively I mean, reproduce and get the next generation up to a point where they are able to take care of themselves. Everything else is designed to facilitate that primary objective. Intelligence evolved as a tool to expedite that primary objective. Human culture, civilization, philosophy, law... they are all merely window dressing that we developed for the purpose of expediting the primal objective of surviving long enough to reproduce effectively- keeping the children alive long enough to grow up.

Anything that fails to actively promote that basic goal is pure waste, and should be tossed out. Anything that acts contrary to that goal is contra-survival and suicidal by definition, and needs to be ditched *immediately*. Nothing about our civilization, careers, culture, religion, social structures, economic systems, or anything else we do is worth keeping if it interferes with our primary mission.

"Family is all."

Pure wisdom. Forget platinum. It should be carved in diamond.

Hmmm...fortunately nowadays not everybody has to reproduce (all hail and more power to the ones who do, don't get me wrong.)

I am a career auntie myself. The one who gives you books for Christmas.

My sis has her inlaws in for the turkey dinner, my brother is cooking one for those in his dojo who aren't going elsewhere, and my Mom is doing something with friends. We're kind of spead out over the state. So a friend of mine and I are getting together to cook a turkey breast and drink Korbel.

Happy Thanksgiving, all.

Jello with pretzels?

Whoops sorry. I hasten to add there is a corrolary about the importance of aunts and uncles. In evolutionary theory it is (Hamilton's rule)--about the willingness to sacrifice for a close relative, someone with large portion of your genes.

There is also the grandmother hypothesis, which explains why women experience menopause rather than just continuing to have children till they die: because they contribute even more to the perpetuation of their genes by helping out with the grandchildren. (That's the one I now put my hopes in!)

Didn't mean to leave anyone out. And we're all somebody's baby right? And it's all about the babies.

[evcake]

Yeah...and the Korbel.

Seriously - some of your family is the one you're born in, and some you get to choose, if you're lucky. I am fortunate on both counts, and very grateful.

Not feeling left out, just glad to live in a time of more choices.