Home Sweet Home

My Trip to Bountiful -- Long Beach to reconnect with relatives, went well, but I’m glad to be back in my little unit.

I came back with 198 photos in my cellphone, which is going to be a bear to sort through and prepare for scrapbooking.

I also captured two new Pokémon not found in my area, filled my Pokéball backpack to overflowing, attended granddaughter’s soccer game, and walked so much that I completed both of the two Turkey Trots I’d regretted committing to.

Inasmuch as the view from my window, waking up in the mornings in the hotel room, was the Queen, I had no complaints about accommodations and will request that room from now on.

Queen Mary

That is, if I ever make that drive again because the drive was horrible – three different freeways, an accident on each, drive time extended by two hours.

The drive to the church the following morning, in Los Angeles traffic, was just as bad. I did not follow the procession to the place of burial, but the drive out of Los Angeles back to the hotel took me three hours longer than it should have and an incident on the freeway, with a speeding car crossing lanes heading towards me as it entered the freeway, nearly made me No. 3 in the family to die this month as I swerved out of his way and my car almost rolled over.

THAT was when I heard myself say to myself, “I can’t do this anymore … this is my last time driving to the Long Beach/Los Angeles area”, which means I won’t be driving down next weekend for the funeral of deceased sister’s youngest son.

My name will probably be mud with his sister, and a certain family troublemaker (deceased brother’s evil widow) will be sure to interject herself and make a big deal of it, because that’s how she is, that’s the kind of mess she’s always done, the thing that kept me away from that side of the family for so long but oh well. I got to see my brother’s remaining sons all grown up, which was the main thing I’d wanted to do. I have no interest in their children and children’s children, many of whom I learned despise their grandmother, which pretty much says how awful a human being she is, so that chapter in my book of life is done and closed.

The funeral for evil window’s son -- deceased brother’s eldest, was both sad and joyous.

Sad because his mom (the evil one), his sister, two brothers and twelve children were, of course, emotional and inconsolable. Worried I’d empath their emotions, I’d steeled myself before heading down to Long Beach that “I will not empath” and, at the funeral, I kept focusing on not picking up other people’s emotions and, when I felt myself slipping, I’d think of something outside the situation so I could gain control and not also fall apart.

Joyous because he’d done well with the latter part of his 49 years. Turned his life completely around and had helped many others to do the same. His father, would have been proud of the man he’d become, and that is what I wrote in his memorial book.

Thanksgiving with estranged daughter went so well that I can no longer refer to her as “estranged”. She’s evolved, gotten herself together, is large and in charge at her job in the medical profession, is involved in several programs that feed the homeless, has lots of friends, and her children LOVE her. She and her twin are once again close. The girls talk all the time, visit each other and plan on spending their 50th birthday together out-of-town next month.

Granddaughter has mostly always been in my life, but I’d not seen the grandsons in ages. They’re all so tall now, and have gentlemanly ways -- don’t wear their pants sagging the awful way I see young men dress, are polite, loving, intelligent.

Daughter cooked enough food to feed an army, and with her big sons, plus girlfriends, neighbors, people visiting the neighbors and friends of granddaughter popping in, she pretty much did feed an army -- had not only her oven going, but one of her neighbors left his door unlocked so she could also use his. 

Her menu consisted of:

·       Two Turkeys

·       Fried Chicken

·       Mac and Cheese

·       Dressing

·       Mashed Potatoes and Dressing

·       Potato Salad

·       Candied Yams

·       Greens with Smoked Turkey

·       Green Beans with Potato and Smoked Turkey

·       Cranberry Sauce

·       Cornbread

·       Rolls

·       Sweet Potato Pie

·       Banana Pudding

·       Peach Dump Cake

I kid you not.

I seem to have crossed a threshold on this clean eating thing so as not to set off a gut episode. I wasn’t even tempted. I ate a little turkey, had her bake a potato for me, put some olive oil on it and was satisfied.

Inasmuch as I can’t do that drive again, I don’t expect to see us all together again until one of the boys or granddaughter gets married.

Myself sandwich in-between twin daughters, surrounded by granddaughter and grandsons

Daughter I expect to hear from fairly soon as she so loved that gluttee wrap I made her that she wanted to order more from the gluttee wrap website. Since I do a better job, I told her to send me fabric and I’ll make for her. All her friends at the gym want as well -- I figured they would, so I told her to refer them to the gluttee wrap website. They won’t be happy with the quality, but oh well.