Happy New Year and My Three C's

Brisket on the stove (uncooked)

Happy New Year to those who celebrate! My three C's- Cunninhams, Cohens and Carrs- that is who we spent our holiday, Rosh Hashana with. Our chosen family. We stretched the two day holiday into three dinners so we really felt the love. I have to say, when you have a family of your own making, where you love each and every one of them, and have genuinely warm feelings toward them, holidays are actually something in which you look forward.

For the longest time, I wasn't really interested in holidays. I still feel like they're just days on a calendar. I don't need to celebrate a holiday ON the date everyone else does. If the stars don't align in this busy life, sometimes you have to make concessions. Work, divorce, illness- those can all be factors in why you'd have to make your get-together on a different date, but the main ingredient of importance is the company you keep.

It was also my mom's deathiversary (10-2) and her birthday (yesterday, 10-5), neither of which I really felt like discussing. Not because I was a mess or anything, but it's just a weird thing for me. I'm ok. It's been six years. I miss her. I have questions I'd like to ask her. I just don't feel like any specific day is worse than any other. The death day isn't harder. Her birthday isn't harder. Moments out of the blue are harder. When I need the answer to a question only she or her sister, who is also deceased, could answer- it's harder. So I don't write on social media about the death day or her birthday about her death, or her life- I write about her when something I'm thinking about her pops into my head.

I was happy to have the distraction of my hamster wheel life going on. E worked on a movie in Coney Island, for what felt like endless hours, two days last week. He had an audition in NYC the day after that. There was swim practice in there, and then shopping for and cooking nine pounds of brisket and two kugels for Rosh Hashanah. Then dinner, dinner, dinner. Life in perpetual motion definitely helped get through days that could be hard if left to just think about them. I did chuckle to myself when the sun finally peeked out on Monday because I heard Rita saying- "The sun will come out. The sun always shines for the Jews..." One of my favorite Rita-isms.

We missed seeing Bob & Barbara before the holiday because E was working and we didn't get home until around eight o'clock both Wednesday and Thursday, but they're a huge part of our chosen family too. We finally got to see them and catch up yesterday which was very nice. E and I are very routined so it throws us for a loop when we're off our schedule. He was very excited for their visit.

Dinner at the Cunninghams was fun, yet not as eventful as the many uncooked hens of Passover. Food was all cooked and fabulous. Lots of loudness and laughs. I'm so happy for Jen that she got her dream job but I miss her and her Breck hair popping into my store during the day.

More delightful dishes and fun at the Cohens was dinner number two, and it was awesome to finally catch up. Nicole and I went down my list of topics I'd been keeping since the summer and still didn't cover it all. E had been asking almost daily when we were going to see brother Joe, and we finally did. Unfortunately I didn't think to take any photos.

Impressive line at Zadies

Last but not least was dinner number three, at the Carrs, which technically commenced when the holiday was over, but we're not much for rules. I got to hear about any and all teen goings-ons I've missed over the past few months- my favorite kind of talk.

I'd stood on a line at Zadies like I was waiting for Bon Jovi tickets or like Springsteen was inside the bakery giving away free kisses and kokash. We were all going to be eating cake and round challah till we were ready to explode.

E and I also got to go apple picking with a gaggle of boys over the holiday weekend. That was like a party for E. We drove up to Penning's in Warwick where you can drive up to the trees vs having to be held hostage on a hayride to get to any apples.



We got many apples that will probably go bad before we get to eat them. Considering the ones from last year are still in my garage. But, it's the act of picking and hanging with friends that's the fun of it all! Cider donuts, belly full of apples and great company made the day a success.

And now I'm back at work. It's Thursday and it's my first full day in awhile. In my routine, and as B would say- back on my perch. Drinking my Tall, Iced, Skinny Vanilla Latte with two Splenda. Being shamed by the barista for all my artificial sweetener. B, E and I took a family walk last night down to the football field to see Briana, and her son at football practice. I looked at the pool and realized that summer is really over. Here's looking to May 2017!