I come from good people

This isn't a cooking blog, just my entry for Xmas. As I sit here, much of the Xmas dinner is done. Soon, new friends, old friends will be coming by. Much of what I've written about will be on the table at some point. I have my fingers crossed about a steamed pudding that didn't come quite right - again. It never has, but I keep on trying. It's good, even if it ain't pretty. Which is sort of what this blog is about.

"I come from good people." The first line of a song that Guy's Chorus sings. I had never thought about that until recently, when I heard it sung, by some of my new friends from this year: the guys of the Uptown Express. You never really think about your "people" until something "bad" happens. About a year and a half ago, while doing what I thought was a good deed, someone referred to me as "white trash with money." Try as I may to laugh about it, to dismiss it, and him, something like that simply does not go away. And it makes me reflect on a few things. One of which is the inevitable: is it true? And when I came to the conclusion that it wasn't, I thought about the people who have directly and indirectly convinced me that I was right.

My "people" weren't perfect. In fact, they were, at times, downright evil. When I recall some of the things mom did to my sisters, less to me (but enough), dad running away, the plan to keep Tati's death hidden from me, and so many other things, I can sit back and say "HUH? Why am I still alive?"

Well, there was Nana, of course, and all of her nurturing, even mixed in with the things that I think she wouldn' thave done, had she thought she had a chance. And also, some of the things that mom, and my aunt Judi did to make sure that I got the books I needed, the chance to do things that weren't "standard" for boys to do.

I come from good people. And more important, I think, as I learned this year, "I AM good people."

So thank you all. And I'm going to forget people here, and forgive me if I do. And tell me. Because I'll edit this. The newbies: Andrew (oh, God, Andrew, if you only knew), Keith (same with you little brother), Matthew (likewise), Peter and Dave, the not always, but frequently dynamic duo, Michael (my huckleberry friend), Laura P and Louie and the not so newbies . Laura (Oh, lady, do I love you, out of my mind I do), Kevin (25 years and it's just getting better and better and better), and his partner Chuck, Craig and Ken (do you guys know you're the wisest people I know?), Tom and Rich (someone looked down from heaven one day and made sure you met each other. You know it, I know it, we all know it. And we are all glad for it). If I didn't mention James and the Uptown gang, it would be a serious gaff on my part. And good people don't make gaffes. I don't think that all of you, collectively, know how happy you made me this year, and how many times you did. So too, with the citrus folks Eric, Sandra, and Kim, KIm KIM!!!! Do I have to tell you you're gorgeous, gorgeous? Frank and Crystal. Crystal, if I didn't love you so much, I'd hate you for stealing Frank from me. You're my little sister, you know. My little sister who knows parts of me that no one else does. August, Robert, Carol, David, Eric - I can't think of you folks separately because you're all so connected to each other in my mind. The upstate gang who I don't see enough: Peg, Susan, Redd, my "have they cooked together for twenty years?" buddy Jim. Watch us in action. You will SWEAR that we prepped in cooking school together. It's telephathy I tell ya. And of course, Guy. 23 years and you still put up with it. You're more than a saint, more than an angel. You're my partner, and with all due respect to everyone, I love you more than all of them combined.

When I close my eyes, I think of all of you and I smile so much it hurts. Thank you for the whole year, thank you for everything before that, and thank you for what's to come.

Blessed holidays to everyone. I am truly blesssed