“How are we doing? Turkey’s started, cranberries cooling….”
“ Ma! Uncle Burt says he’s coming after all.”
“Okay, we’ll get one more blueberry pie out of the freezer, then.”
“That’s easy. Oh, for…. He’ll have Aunt Alyxxa with him, won’t he?”
“I suppose so. Just remember, when she asks you into the guest bedroom for a quickie, tell her you can’t before dinner.”
“But, Ma, after dinner….”
“Yes, dear, but you know what short attention spans dryads have. After dinner she’ll want to go out in the yard and talk to each tree and each dead leaf individually.”
“But what if I have to sit next to her? She always smells like mulch. And last year she had those squirrels in her hair and they ate all the mixed nuts!”
“I remember that, for sure. And they kept teasing Rover until he….”
“Just got off the phone. Cousin Linda wants to come.”
“Okay, then, go get in that extra chair from the back porch.”
“And she’s still engaged to Prince Ilvesakker.”
“Ma! He’s even worse than Aunt Alyxxa!”
“Listen, honey, you’ve got place cards to make. Let’s sit them next to each other.”
“What? They got in a fight last year about some guy they both knew during the Trojan War, and his spell broke the dining room ceiling light.”
“And her spell gave us squeaking mushrooms in the cookie jar. Remember, Ma?”
“Yes, but they were at opposite ends of the table. I betcha if they sit next to each other, they’ll get that mad at each other that she’ll take HIM to the guest bedroom.”
“Ha! Ten to one, they’ll head out under the spruce tree.”
“Well, it’s not as if the neighbors have any room to talk. They’ve got their own family troubles. Remember when Mrs. Gallant’s brother-in-law….”
“Hey, Ma, maybe that’ll make Uncle Burt and Cousin Linda break up with them so next year they won’t….”
“You don’t read enough otherworldly romances. I hope there’s enough room for the four of ‘em under the spruce tree.”
Blogsy Babbles 