The Holidays were never the same after cousin Stevie shot the Christmas Tree Man

And it's true. My cousin. He held up the owner of the Christmas Tree lot where everyone in the county came to find and then cut their trees. He went one night after closing, with a shotgun and robbed and shot the Christmas Tree Man. This is the same cousin that dyed his hair red, but still kept his black beard, and then robbed a quik-e-mart with his former cellmate. They took off in a stole Corvette with vanity plates and led the cops on an interstate chase. All for beer and cigarettes.

So my mom sent me a clipping from our local paper, and it featured a boy who used to be my neighbor, a boy i used to ride bikes with and play barbie dolls with! He had logged almost four years in prison for burglary and drug use.

I have another cousin who was in military prison, now on parole. And then the most popular girl in my high school is back there as a teacher.

I haven't gone to any reunions, but also, I haven't been invited.

Today i made 7 batches of cookie dough, cooked two of them. yum! xmas cookies galore!


Books:

The Bad Mother's Handbook: it was going great, no one was getting the funny cancer, or the poignant and temporary break-ups, the mysterious benefactor....but it turned on me in the last chapter by revealing the hidden fortune and the wise dementia sufferer. bastard of a book!

Willful Creatures: I think this is one of the best books i have read, ever.

The Unicorn Tapestries: bit of non-fiction for a change. Big old coffee table sized book full of mostly black and white images, so disappointing on that count. But otherwise marvelous.

Flights: extreme fantasy compilation: Bought mostly because of a short story by neil gaiman, called 'the trouble with susan'. About CS lewis' dislike for girls over a certain age. funny, but not nearly long enough.