Oh Poop

Ned would be so proud. The thing we talked about more than almost anything else this Cousins Day was poop.

It started on the ride down when we were discussing the new Oprah Winfrey Network. Kathy happened to mention that Dr. Oz said that a normal person should be pooping 6-9 times a day. We were all shocked.

Things went downhill from there.

We talked about the Oprah show that had been devoted to poop, and the pros and cons of colon cleansing. After that pretty much everything somehow all got back to poop.

We sat and chatted when we first arrived, as usual, getting caught up on each other's lives since our last Cousins Days.

My mother had fixed a salad and a huge roll for lunch and then we cleared the table and got down to business. The cards were weird this time, at least weird for me.

Kathy tried to appeal to our pity, pointing out how few games she has won this year but we told her that didn't cut it...65 is a cuthroat game. (I also haven't figured out how to cheat, even if I wanted to).

The language of 65 poured forth. My mother's favorite "oh for crying out soft," and Peach's "things are getting very seri-eye" I don't know that Kathy and I have favorite 65 saying that aren't 4-letter words.

We played two games (my mother won one and I won the other) and then Kathy and I each took a nap. When we woke up, it was time for hors d'oeuvres and drinks while we played more.

Kathy made fantastic stuffed mushrooms (only the sausage could have used a bit more maple flavoring...)

and I made something called an Apple Pie Martini, which blends vanilla liqueur, vodka, apple cider and cinnamon and really does taste something like an apple pie.

After another game (which Peach won), we had Peach's crock pot chicken dinner

There were more games after dinner, the last of which Kathy won. Kathy worked a puzzle while the rest of us watched the pilot espisode of Harry's Law, which, if you didn't see it, was excellent. I recommend it highly. But then I like anything Kathy Bates is in.

This morning over breakfast, Kathy won 2 more games, so I guess maybe the pity was kicking in after all. My mother was not happy that the level of coins in her little coin pot was way down.

We set a date for the February Cousins day, which will come between Kathy's birthday and mine and will include a trip to the Spinnaker restaurant in Sausalito to spend the fund we collect each month for just such a field trip.

Then the 3 cousins headed home into a beautiful sunny day (it had been very foggy on the ride home). When I got here, I found the dogs had found the stuffed dog I had saved for future puppies and had thoroughly enjoyed it.

All in all a very satisfactory Cousins Day (though none of us had 6 bowel movements, I don't believe)...and it was delightful to learn that three of the next generation, who all live in Marin County have decided to have their own cousins day. The torch is being passed!