Chrisner Family Thanksgiving (A Poem)

"It's Turkey Day!" she exclaimed, as I opened my eyes.
"We get to see Grandma and eat lots of pies!
And, I can watch the parade on TV with you guys!"
Said six year old Rachael, like it was a surprise.

"MILK!" Screeched the Gremlin. "Chocolate Milk, I said.
And, I'm cold and want blankey…Mmmmoooooomy! Get out of bed!"

I was snuggled so warmly in bed…
But the screeching Gremlin was hurting my head.
Off came the covers, and on went the robe.
I stumbled to the kitchen of our humble abode.
I started the coffee, and fixed ITS milk….
I gave it to him, with his blankey of silk.

After calming the Gremlin, the princess came down...
There she was, dressed and ready, in a ball gown.
"Let's go to Grandmas" she said, with a smile!
"Not yet, Rachael… we're not going for quite a while.
Now change your clothes, get out of that dress,
And do it right now before you make it a mess."

Then the Princess, she pouted… and she did so all day.
You'd think with so many toys she'd have something to play.
But no, she just bugged us… all the day through
Patience is not her strongest virtue .

It drove me crazy, so I left them with Dad
I went to the gym, and I didn't even feel bad.
An hour of cardio, and an hour of weights
All the while dreaming of all of the plates
Of turkey and potatoes and yummies galore
That I'd be eating soon… thanks to my saviour.

And my mother in law, too… as she is the cook
Thank God for her… and her cook books!

I returned home, to the same scene as before
It didn't stop, I caught the encore
One minute a screech, the next a whine
But soon it would be time to dine!

Into the bath, the two of them went
I felt kind of bad, my poor hubby was spent.
Then was my turn, I jumped in the shower,
Oh, boy! We'd be eating in less than an hour!

It was time to go, we got into the van
Mitch in his suit, Dev dressed as spiderman
Rach in her ballgown, Dad and I in our jeans
This is our family – and we're quite a scene

But then we were there… we had finally arrived
Those poor hungry children would no longer be deprived

At Grandmas, it was like a fairy tale,
The children were good, not a single wail
The golden bird and had such a great taste
Not a morsel of food would go to waste!

MMMMMM… the food was so yummie,
It filled ALL our tummies…
Then we got sleepy from the tryptophan
It was time to leave, so we got in the van

Home, ahh, sweet home…. And now all relaxed
We all climbed in our beds, and lay on our backs.
Our tummies were too full to lay any other way,
So that's how we slept, till the very next day.

To all of my friends, I wish you a good night.
Tomorrow's Black Friday… in all of its fright.

What's In Virginia?

When I was 16, my dad sent me with a friend on summer vacation to California. We did just about everything there. We went to the theme parks and stayed in Anahiem; we went to Long Beach and stayed just blocks from the beach; we visited Hearst Castle with it's tiles made of 14k gold; we took the Yaht to Catalina - despite the storms; we saw and experienced fast paced LA; we even stayed on a houseboat overnight with my friend's uncle - he lives on the boat and had a girl in every port. I really think we did it all. It was an amazing trip and I was in awe. But, it had to be the camping trip to Yosemite that made the biggest impact on me.

Four members of our party simply didn't fit in the RV we had, so we were ousted to find refuge in a rented TeePee. I was one of the four. At night, the park had a huge bonfire among the teepees, and downed Redwoods were positioned around the fire for seating. We'd bring hot dogs and marshmallows to roast, gather round and sip our hot chocolate; chatting with people from all over the world.

One night, there were about 20 strangers gathered round the fire, and we were going around the circle, each saying where we were from. It seemed everyone was from some wonderful place that I could only dream of seeing. When it came my turn, I said I was from Virginia. "What's In Virginia?" came a voice from the crowd. At 16, I wasn't sure how to answer. It had been a long trip at this point, and I admit to being a bit homesick. "My dad" was all I could really think of; but I knew that's not what he was looking for.

Luckily, another voice from the crowd came. This one announced that she once had to drive through the state of Virginia. She said the whole time she drove through, she kept thinking she must be in a National Park, because it was so beautiful.

Beauty is what is in Virginia. I thought that was a good answer.

On that trip, I met people who'd never seen a live Panda Bear; never swam in the ocean; never watched fireworks with the backdrop of the Washington Monument. I met people who had lived many places, and mostly, that was because they had to move - to find work. I learned about wild fires, mud slides and tornadoes regularly threatening to take people's homes. I learned I was very blessed, and very privileged, just because of where I live.

That night, when I laid down to sleep I had a new thing to be thankful for. I was thankful for my home sweet home. I live here in Northern Virginia; in the shadows of perhaps the most powerful city in the world. I get to experience all 4 seasons to their fullest; visit the Smithsonians, the National Zoo anytime I wish, see the National Monuments, and experience history everywhere I turn. I can see the mountains from my home, and I can get to the beach in just a couple hours. And never, not once, have I ever had to leave to find work, or worry that a natural disaster would take my home. Life here is good.

But, I have to say, even to this day when I hear "What's in Virginia?" My first thought is "My dad."