Yes, Toto...we're in Kansas again

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So...it's hard to imagine that visiting your HOME might be considered travelling by some, but there have been several requests for coverage of my Christmas in Kansas. And since I have some very handsome pictures of the family, I'm happy to oblige.

The vacation undeniably got off to a rough start. A missed connection in New York left me stranded in Brooklyn for 2 days, not a bad place to be...but when you find out via e-mail that your Great Grandmother just passed away, you kind of want to get home as soon as possible.

To an outsider, Kansas might seem like the kind of mellow place where time moves slowly and people sit around in rocking chairs sipping coffee. That may be the reality for some, but not for my family! There was no time to lose this Christmas season. We grabbed my luggage from the carousel, bought a bottle of water for the road and we were off for a Christmas Eve party at Andrea & Jon's (Warren's niece & her husband).

Have you ever heard of Martha Stewart? Well, she's got nothing on my cousin Andrea. The head of the high school science department and the mother of one cute, curious toddler, nothing can stop this domestic goddess at Christmas. There were trees in every corner of the house- the silver 1950's tree in the hall, the tall skinny fake pines forming a forest on the dining room table, and then the REAL tree in living room (a concession to Jon who has childhood memories of the smell of a Christmas tree). And the food...hand-dipped marshmallows in chocolate, tiny sandwiches, egg nog, jalapeno dips...I'm still full just thinking about it.

With so many families and gatherings to attend, I can't keep the dates straight. (Christmas is more a state of mind than a specific day for us.) Warren's family went with the theme "Just graze" this year. Yes...like cows. And graze we did. We grazed our way right through a table full of tapas and more hearty midwestern fare. August (Andrea & Jon's little girl) took quite the liking to my Idiazabal Spanish goat cheese. She may be small, but her sophisticated taste buds are growing strong!

Then mom's family went with a Spanish-themed meal. Paella, olives, cheeses, turron (Spanish almond-flavored treat) and wine. We're so big (in size and personality) that our energy just couldn't be contained in one room. You can see from the pictures, it was a cozy affair.

After all the celebrating was done, mom & I tried something a little out of the ordinary: we went shopping. Now you might think I'm joking, but shopping just isn't typically at the top of our list, and certainly not the day after Christmas. Never ones to scoff at a challenge, we drove the hour to Hutchinson and spent the ENTIRE day at the mall looking for bargains. Eight hours later, I'd bought one pair of pants. Success? I'm not sure, but we did have some excellent Mexican food for lunch.

While funerals aren't something I often look forward to, I must say that the day of Great Grandma's funeral was better than I'd expected. I don't remember the last time ALL the family was together. Playing cards with Trey, Michael, Brenna, Alex, Addison and my brother Zak while our parents laughed in the other room...it felt like old times. I may never choose to settle down in Kansas, but it sure is a nice place to visit.

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