Merry Kwanza, Happy Christmas......

Our house guests left last night to go back to TX where Stinky has found an obscenely high paying job and I called my mother to let her know and to thank her for sending me money for Christmas (because money is the only truly good gift at my house).

I put Lauren on the phone to talk to her, chitty chat with grandma for a bit......

"Grandma, I got my ears pierced for Christmas and they're shaped like flowers and they are real crystal and the petals are all different colors and Mom says they're beautiful and that they look magnificent on me."

Grandma responds with the appropriate oooo's and aaaaaaah's and asks her if we have our Christmas tree up.

"Yes ma'am. We put it up a long time ago and we even have some presents under the tree already. Do you have presents under your tree Grandma?"

Grandma responds with - No honey we don't have tree.

This didn't surprise me, my mother doesn't put up a tree and hasn't for years - not since my brother and I moved out of the house....of course, Lauren had something to say about that.

"Why don't people in New Mexico celebrate Christmas Grandma? Do you celebrate Kwanza and Hanukkah instead?"

I think I need to talk to this child....you know, clue her in that we are not African American Jews and we don't celebrate Kwanukkah.