Dysfunction junction, that is.

We are back from four days of traveling-visiting. First, to see my family.

We have T-giving at my brother's house, so that they can have over my SIL's mother, her mother's nursing home roommate, and whichever of her siblings find themselves at loose ends at the holiday time. (My SIL is one of 15 children in her family--the second youngest at 48. All but two are living.) This year's crowd included her sister,who has developmental disabilities, and her widowed brother. Despite our obvious differences, I really genuiniely like my SIL's family.

This was the conversation I had with her older brother at the table. Him: "So, I know that you all live in Snow Belt State. What do y'all do up there?"

Me:"Well, OEH is a software engineer, and I'm a Protestant Denomination pastor."

Him: "Oh, my God. You are? They didn't tell me that. I wonder why?" Followed by that 'You must be a space alien' stare.

(I should point out that my brother, his wife, and her very, very large German farmer family are very devout Roman Catholics. I am no doubt one of the very few protestants he'd ever met.)

The weekend went downhill from there.

At my husband's childhood home-----

I had one SIL (who thinks I'm going to hell, BTW) keep making her very snide and cruel, but very quiet and out-of-earshot-of-others remarks to me all day Friday.

Another SIL told her 14 year old daughter (when hearing that my daughter has a cell phone to use for emergencies), "Yes, but WG also has two parents who work all the time, and she comes home to an empty house every day. That would be awful." Besides being not true, it was very hurtful. She said it while seated next to me on the couch. Wimp that I am, I just got up and went to the bathroom to cry.

My FIL does not look at me. I don't know why. How wierd is that? I asked him question about the retirement village that he and his wife are exploring this January in Florida. He looked at my husband and my BIL to answer, but not at me, even though I made sure I was seated in direct eye contact from him, and looked him right in the eye when I asked him the questions. I tried several times, just to make sure that this was what he was really doing. OEH thinks I exagerate this claim, but I know that I am right. He did this several times. Very strange.

My FIL's wife (Mrs Cheese Senior #3) made the prediction that my son will some day be very successful--as a drug dealer. You better believe I got up in her face on that one! Insult me, ignore me, trash my way of living, and I'll get over it. Mess with my kids and you'll see what I'm made of!

I'm so glad this holiday is over.

To top it off, nobody served can-shaped cranberry sauce. That's just wrong.