We had a lovely time:

Though I see my parents every few weeks, I had not visited their home in almost a year. I needed a dose of cozy, and I got it. If you'd like to head over to Flickr, there is a large set of photos of the house in which I was raised. My parents gave me my appreciation for the old, and the ornate.

We sat down to our traditional vegetarian Thanksgiving dinner, which is my favorite meal of the year. As a matter of fact, we all love it so much that we repeat it for our Christmas dinner. Although we have a large gathering with all branches of my husband's extended family at the holidays, my parents and I have promised each other to always have a separate meal that maintains our own traditions a few days afterward. You see, there are only three of us on my side, and it is easy for our celebrations to fall away over time, or to be overshadowed, and squeezed by holiday schedules. Especially given how they differ from the rest of the family's. This feels really important to us, and we will always return to it. It is always the same.

When I returned home this year I was really struck by the warmth and glow inside. My mother makes a real effort to surround herself with meaningful art and decorations. Most of them are religious and medieval. "You've gotta tank-up on beauty" she says. My father's work is evident in every corner of the house as well. Church music, early music and classic literature are his world. Both of my folks are highly creative, and I must say that they sort of create their own reality. Their house is like a museum, and I appreciate that they exposed me to so much history as a child. I too tend to live in the past, and ignore present day intrusions whenever possible.

So I felt really lucky to be there, and I am grateful to them for keeping our history warm for me.