Unexpected Thanksgiving...(which I'm not sure I'm actually thankful for...)
Point 1.
I have not lived in the US for close to 15 years, and though we occasionally have a little family time to celebrate we don't usually make a big deal out of it as it isn't a holiday here and I work on Thursdays...sometimes we have french friends over for my dad's chili...more to celebrate my parents' anniversary which is the 25th than anything.
Point 2.
While I am an anti-social hermit in most cases, my parent are NOT. Ever since I was a kid, my parents (especially my mother) have had adopted stray foreigners and acted as a surrogate family for them. While we were in the US, most of them were foreign university students that spoke french (usually not French, just francophone). We were used to Thanksgiving and Christmas and Easter dinner with (practically) total strangers.
Since we have been in France, these are usually stray americans.
Point 3.
About 13 years ago, one of my mother's former acquintences from Colorado let her know that his stepdaughter had married a young French man she met at university who was doing an MBA in the US and that they had relocated to a town not far from here. I have never in my life met a young educated (she has a BA in chemistry for heavens sake) person of near my age that was so lost in a new culture and dead set on being the ultimate housewife. Her husband is very nice and we like him a lot. She is whiny and constantly unsure of herself. She speaks french quite fluently now but her accent is ATROCIOUS. It is just nerve wracking. And did I mention whiny?
As well as a desire to be the ultimate housewife is a desire to be the ultimate mother. 13 years later she has 3 kids. Maternal is obviously her middle name. I have rarely met a person who so clearly epitomized the expression 'MOTHER HEN" (and not necessarily in a positive way either). She gushes over them and lets them get away with anything at home and then is surprised when they don't behave in public or at our house. She is quite lucky that the older two girls are generally speaking quiet natured and sweet. The last one though is a BOY. This is an excuse for him to do anything and everything and be a brat. 'Oh, he's such a boy' is her excuse. I DON'T agree! Grrrrrrr!!!!!
Point 4.
She has invaded our house today with her husband and kids and enough food for 4 times more people than are present because she doesn't have an oven and her kids need to experience Thanksgiving....
Point 5.
I am grumpy. Sad pirate icon makes a comeback.