Northridge Ice Cream’s Neighborhood

The most decadent looking cake ever.

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• 18:27 No fair, Dance Party (on KOFY)! What's with swapping Lady Gaga in for whatever they were dancing to back then? #

One of the best parts of being in Ohio is that we have reconnected with Ben's (huge) clan of family. I've known them for over 14 years, but from a distance. I was a bit slow on getting all the names right and the spouses and the kids. When I saw one kid I'd known as a little kid (now late teens) I did not recognize him to everyone's amusement.

How could I not know Hunter?

The clan has been together in the same area of Ohio forever. The 14 years Bens been with me in Californa never really took him out of the family loop. Now that he's back here, it's almost like he never left. I have to say I love being part of the "clan".

Today Ben's aunt Bobbie (Barb) had everyone to her home in Mansfield for "pigs in a blanket." (pork and ground beef balls with rice wrapped in cabbage in a soup of tomato and spices and sauerkraut. Thick chunks of bread and butter  and mashed potatoes finished the meal. All served straight from the kitchen to whoever showed up, whenever they showed up. The pot had been cooking for over 10 hours - started the day before and then reheated today so the flavors blended and mellowed. It was so unbelievably good and satisfying. We all ate wherever we could find a spot  while the tv played one of many football games. Ben helped this cousins set up his mom's new speaker system to go with her new tv. Ben and his cousin Lonnie worked together on the project - joking and teasing each other. Honestly they are as different as night and day, but underneath the "types" the connection - the family tie - is obvious. Ben- his tight black jeans, pink and black sneakers, red and black flannel topped with a black biker jacket, tatted and pierced, blue hair, goofy humor - in the snow, Ben makes snow men. In the snow, Lonnie waits for hours with a gun or bow for his prey to pass close enough for a clean kill. Lonnie with his home full of stuffed and mounted animals, deer watch his tv from behind his chair - the black bear comes out of the wall behind the tv. The turkeys and peasants are flattened into wall hangings. Lonnie - in his camo pants and loose muddy boots - hair trimmed short  - buff  - while Ben is a computer whiz who does art for a living. Lonnie works at a correctional facility. He is big and tough. I'm sure on one messes with Lonnie. Different. Wildly different. And yet I've watched them getting closer with each gathering.

Ben's family accepts each other 100%, Can't say they accept everyone - or every type - but once someone is in the family "clan" everyone has their back.

Every time we are with Ben's family - I feel - like I am a part of something.
It's wonderful to feel this much love - from them all and for them all.
 
And Ben.

- sent via E72 -

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"I challenge you to make the most of your life in 2010, leave the fear and tears behind - Think and Grow Rich!"

--Zak Klemmer

• 02:50 And do you want to find / Something worth saving. The change would do me right / Cause I've been just waiting /... ♫ blip.fm/~ij1ws #
• 14:19 Making a note to myself not to forget to wear red underwear tonight. It had almost slipped my mind. Thanks for the reminder, Anna! #
• 14:39 @JessHampson: Wearing red underwear is supposed to bring you luck in love in the new year. It's definitely brought me some in the past! #
• 15:06 I entered a contest to win topatoi: The Great Tree Story for your PS3, visit www.ps3trophies.com/story/314 #PS3 #
• 15:38 Picking up some barbeque. Nom! (@ Barney's Barbeque & Grill) 4sq.com/5KlU2a #
• 17:08 If you can accidentally text your grandma on New Year's Eve, what else can go wrong? Don't forget the birth control! bit.ly/8PCUDe #
• 21:11 New photo on Flickr: Happy New Year! bit.ly/8oppK1 #
• 21:45 At Segon's for the first New Year's Eve stop. bit.ly/4YEd81 #
• 22:46 Just howled at the blue moon with @m_shel. bit.ly/6e4TnJ #
• 00:08 At Brian's for the next party. Happy New Year, my lovlies! bit.ly/8zkXQ9 #

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Today in the Twitterverse:

• 15:59 not really thinking of anything clever to say about #10yearsago except that life is much better now #
• 20:29 my New Year's Eve becomes more exciting as my sister sends a end-of-year retrospective video about Marrit - awww, what a cutie! #

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• 21:33 What a wonderfully personal direct message! I love my new best pal! flic.kr/p/7rQKEY #
• 12:39 Ditching @sfappeal for Avatar. If the apocalypse comes, beep me! #