Christmas and I am bitchy.

The day has arrived. My parents, my brother and his wife, and my nephew and his girlfriend are all coming over at 3ish for the taste bonanza. I am making my shrimp thing that has sauted tomatoes, onions, garlic, red pepper flakes and giant shrimp. Eaten with crusty bread it is a serious flavor buzz. I am also making cheese fondue and assorted dips. I am also having mousse truffle pate. Everyone is bringing their favorite food buzz. Or is supposed to be. My brother informed me yesterday he is making curry......antelope curry. Although it sounds like spiced gristle, it will probably be delicious-he is a very good cook. Which is fortunate since his wife prides herself on the fact that she doesn't cook. This is tatamount to saying "I don't read" as far as I can see. You read the directions, and follow them. Big whoop.

I woke up this morning to 6 inches of snow and it is still coming down. It is a blizzard and the weathermen will probably name it. My nephew called me and informed me that he is bringing a tomato salad. And that is it. A caprese salad, wow, genius. He also told me that he didn't get home until 5 am (he is a bartender) and made $700 last night. Could he not put that towards a better dish? There is only 10 years difference in our ages and since his mother, my sister, passed away 4 years ago, I am his chief nagger.

I had the wild urge to sing Carols this year and that means going to a church. I was raised Episcopal, baptised and confirmed and have taken communion about twice since then. I have my own religion of just try and be a good person. I just can't get behind the Jesus thing. I believe he existed as a person but the rest just doesn't work for me, hence my getting kicked out of Sunday school 8 times for arguing with my teachers. "Ok, I get the Father and the Son but who is the Holy Ghost?" "Where do the dinosaurs come in?" I was prepard to enter the solemn cathedral of Saint John's and suck it up just to belt out some songs. I love the atmosphere and it kind of makes me cry. But as soon as the priest starts talking, I tune out. Luckily, a friend phoned last night and said she is singing with a choir this year and that they were singing at 6:30 pm for 1 hour at The Church Of Scientific Thought. She said it is a mix of all religions and there is no dogma, you can pray to the light if you want. Sounded good. The first speaker gave me the indication that this church was actually The Church of Women Who Used to be Men. I think I went to a transvestitie church. It was excellent people watching. They turned out all the lights and we lit candles and all held them up and they lit the church. And then we sang. It was cool and I was home by 8:00.

They spoke about how whatever God is, it is within you. I couldn't stop thinking: This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine. So I called my other sister , that I rarely speak with for a million reasons, and wished her Merry Christmas and that I wished she were here with us. I am going to be Buddhist ish no matter how hard it is, Forgiveness, forgiveness, forgiveness.

Now it itime for Harry Belafonte, Vince Gauraldi, and Billie Holiday. Merry Merry.