The sun it did shine, it was a beautiful day
so we went for a drive out along the bay
We drove and we drove, my parents and me
And my aunt and uncle and their other guests, three
The kids visiting from France, my aunt's relatives
got to see just how we Americans live....
With the trees and the breeze and the blue blue sky,
we watched as the butterflies played oh so high.
We watched for awhile but grew tired and parched.
"Time to go" said my dad, back to the cars we all marched.
But on the way home, my sis called in alarm--
it turned out her daughter had broken her arm.
She'd been bouncing and playing and having such fun,
but now she'd need surgery, so my dad had to run
to the hospital ER, to come to their aid.
So he left the house while arrangements were made.
Without Dad or my sister, Mom and I made the best.
We served lunch and entertained our guests.
Then Mom said "it is time to throw all this away.
Crab doesn't keep, not for a third day."
"No, wait!" I cried out. "Not the yummy crab meat!
I will finish it all. I will sit here and eat."
So I ate and I ate. And it was quite a good trick.
(Though I admit afterwards I felt a tiny bit sick.)
We turned on the football, asked our guests to sit.
My mom cooked the turkey, I helped out a bit.
I mashed the potatoes, I mixed up the veggies.
(My mother and I were just a tiny bit edgy.)
"The turkey is ready!" said Mom. "So is the rest.
But wait. Where on earth are all of our guests?"
I turned and I looked-- it was true, they weren't there.
Not on the family room sofa or chair.
Not in the bathroom or bedroom; not in the hall
They were not anywhere to be found-- not at all!
And then something went bump!
How that bump made us jump!
We looked! Then we saw them step in through the door.
We looked! And we saw them! There were Things galore.
Thing One and Thing Two, what a strange sight to see.
And another Thing One, Thing Two, and Thing Three!
These Things in the house eating turkey and pie;
These Things in the house playing games, drinking wine.
These Things in the house when my father was out;
These Things in the house with no children about....
Our Thanksgiving plans had gone a bit awry,
but we had quite a time, the Things, Mom, and I.
Then my sister and family came in late at night.
She said, "How was the dinner? Did it all go all right?"
And really, I did not know what to say.
How could I begin to explain our day?
Would I tell her about it? Now what would I do?
Well... what would you do if your sister asked you?
Happy Thanksgiving!
(<-- affiliate link) all of my stuff is now appropriately binned and labeled. Including my five ornaments. You'll also notice that I veered away from tradition and topped the tree with a bracelet. But I think of ornaments as items that people just sort of accumulate naturally. You get some as gifties, the little ones make them, etc. So I was perfectly happy with leaving the tree as-is (as-was?). And then I went to the Alameda Point Antiques Faire (don't forget the pretentious e at the end) on Sunday and ended up buying a pretty glass canister full of ornaments.
