...quiet, about a lot of things...
Friday, December 08, 2006
Holiday Hysteria
I could blame it on the retailers. The hype,the hoopla. But that's not the case. It's me. My sister is coming out for a ski week right before Christmas. She has never been to my house here in Colorado. It is accepted that I make the journey back to CA for the holidays. But she knew I wasn't coming west this year, and she's fighting with my mom, so she's coming here.
We'll ski for 5 days and then she'll go home for Christmas Eve. She's bringing her two kids, one niece, on neph. My niece never can remember my name. She's ten. I keep reminding her that I am her mom's sister. She looks me up and down, as if I must be mistaken.
My sister owns her own interior design firm. Her clients are wealthy, some famous. Her house is impeccable. She has teams of people who work for her. When she wants something changed, a team comes in and changes it. She has pristine taste. Unlimited funds, and as it is, in the "insiders" world...those that can afford..get comp'd anyway. My sister holds the keys to many a contractors cash box...and they fall over themselves to do her "favors"....that...and the fact that she is a beautiful woman.
So I pecking this bitter, slightly jealous, little sister-ish entry this evening with wood stain under my fingernails, and callouses on my hands. There are two manual laborers in this family... Michael..thank god, and me.
Let's put it this way..I've decided to remodel in nine days. A winter wonderland I want! A winter wonderland I'll get...or die trying.....
Place your bets....odds now are running 50/50.....
Now where did I put that scaffolding????
We'll ski for 5 days and then she'll go home for Christmas Eve. She's bringing her two kids, one niece, on neph. My niece never can remember my name. She's ten. I keep reminding her that I am her mom's sister. She looks me up and down, as if I must be mistaken.
My sister owns her own interior design firm. Her clients are wealthy, some famous. Her house is impeccable. She has teams of people who work for her. When she wants something changed, a team comes in and changes it. She has pristine taste. Unlimited funds, and as it is, in the "insiders" world...those that can afford..get comp'd anyway. My sister holds the keys to many a contractors cash box...and they fall over themselves to do her "favors"....that...and the fact that she is a beautiful woman.
So I pecking this bitter, slightly jealous, little sister-ish entry this evening with wood stain under my fingernails, and callouses on my hands. There are two manual laborers in this family... Michael..thank god, and me.
Let's put it this way..I've decided to remodel in nine days. A winter wonderland I want! A winter wonderland I'll get...or die trying.....
Place your bets....odds now are running 50/50.....
Now where did I put that scaffolding????
11 Comments:
Oh, sisters are so hard sometimes. If we just didn't love them so much...
I hope you get enough done in the house to make YOU happy and are able to let go of the rest. So what if the house isn't perfect? She's coming to see you, not the house. Besides, you've got your hands full teaching your niece your name. :)
Great line: She looks me up and down, as if I must be mistaken.
You're hilarious - I bet your sister wishes she had your life! And I bet my the time she leaves, that niece won't want to go home. Enjoy your visit and the skiing!
I wouldn't worry too much about it, little sister. You don't have to be perfect, or die trying. Just be wendylouwho-you-are. She'll love you just the same. Enjoy!
Don't remodel for her. Let Miss Deep Pockets and Great Taste remodel for you.
Tell her to leave the kids at home and bring her design cronies--or you're tellin mom she won't play fair.
I'm sure you are doing what you need to do. Don't wear yourself out now. Michael sounds like an angel - oh that's right - he is!
I'm sure whatever you do will be lovely. I don't have any perfect siblings, but our cousins (both sides) are always sending us family brag letters, about their wonderful talented children and their endless fabulous trips (skiing, golfing, reef diving). If they came to visit I wouldn't even try to get all Martha Stewart; our house is about as homey and rustic as it can get; they'd just have to deal with it.
Although, considering the whirlwind cleanup we did before my mom came to town this week, I can definitely relate to pre-visit anxiety.
I'm wondering how you're doing with your preparations for your sister's visit?
I've felt the same pressure to get the house very decorated this year because we're actually having Christmas here for the first time. no one is pressuring me, but myself.
I hope you're enjoying the season anyway and like someone else said, your sister probably wishes she had YOUR life.
Enjoy skiing and enjoy family!
You have snow.
Merry Christmas!
Where have you been?! Hope everything's OK with you and you've gotten the wood stain out of those fingernails!
...and not vanished under a snowdrift....
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