Enjoy A Certain Amount Of Company

Hello Everyone:

A very happy holiday to you.  I indulged a little today by sleeping in.  It was really nice sleeping in until about 7:30 this morning.  Tomorrow it's back to the same old same old.  I did manage to get some blogging done.  I opted to go with a nice, lightweight instead of finishing up a post on historic preservation and climate change.  I deleted the draft and decided to start over in the new year.  Otherwise, it's been a very quiet day.  Even mum was reasonably well behaved.  The Brit BF shared with me what a great time he had at his brother's Christmas dinner.  I thought to myself, wow I miss having a great time at a family meal, ideally without the ritual.  That's what usually spoils it for me because once something gets so mired in ritual, it wrecks any pleasure that might be derived from the meal.  i like his family and I'm guessing they all had a great time being together.  I'll bet it didn't feel forced like it often does in my family.  I'm sure that even the food was great.  That's the thing about his family, they seem to enjoy each others' company without it feeling like an obligation.  I wish that were true here.  My aunt in New York spent the day with her non-Jewish in-laws, something mum disapproves of.  My aunt's late husband's sister (?) converted to Catholicism along time ago prior to marriage, something that did not sit well with her family.  Anyway, my aunt stayed in touch and gets together with them on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas.  Mum disapproves because they are not Jewish and don't serve kosher food.  I reckon my aunt doesn't want to be alone and likes the company.  Nothing wrong with that.  I'm not a naturally social creature myself but I do enjoy a certain amount of conviviality that I just don't get at home.  Speaking of meals, it's past dinner time.