Day 27 - Christ Is Risen!!!

Dear Reader, 

He is risen indeed!  

I love this antiphonal declaration of the Resurrection!  I played the organ for a Catholic Church for many years in my teens, and this is one of my favorite things I came away from that with.  I am so glad to see it spreading out further into the Protestant arena.  

Christ is risen ... even if this was a miserable day! 

I haven't gotten much sleep, this weekend because of tension.  We had planned on going to church with my mother since both of my brothers are here and my sister-in-law.  But, then I found out that she goes to church at 8:30!  So that didn't happen!  Instead our daughter met us at the church we have been going to for their 11:00 service.  We came home and I started making a big Sunday lunch for everyone.   I'm sure I've already complained a out how bad my kitchen is for cooking in, so I won't go into that.  But I was racing and getting dinner ready very quickly with lots and lots of walking  in the kitchen and back and forth to the formal dining room.  My brother texts asking if he can bring his poodle and I said I would rather he didn't because my dogs would go crazy.  He said ok, and to let him know when I wanted them to come for lunch.  So I texted back and said why don't y'all come one now.  So I'm still cooking and racing around and I don't get any response.  So I texted my mother.  No response.  So after a few more minutes, I text my other brother and he texts back and says they'll be coming "shortly"!  Well, I'm hot and tired and frazzled and had expected some help from the, , so I text back and say that were eating in ten minutes, with the implied message of "with or without you!"  Our son was sitting at the kitchen table sketching and he reached out and patted my back and says, "Mom, you're so close to,having made it!  If you can just hold out for,twenty more minutes without freaking out!"  So, that made me laugh. But when they got here, my sister-in-law wasn't with them because she had stayed at the house to be with their DOG because they had already been away from her for,three hours and she doesn't do good when they're away!!!  No, in all fairness, the dog had a surgery about a week ago and is still not feeling very well.  But, come on!!!!  I could,probably be described as "blowing a gasket". I said ... well, let's just move on, shall we! But I told my brother to tell her to get herself here now, we weren't going to have Easter lunch without her!  He starts saying no, that she didn't want to leave the dog alone and she was fine.  Mom interceded before I took his head off and told him to GO GET HER!  So he said okay, and then started to leave, but turned around to continue a conversation he was having with my other brother! I was really mad by then and told him to GO!  He said, well, just let him finish telling him about this ..." And I went ballistic!  I think you could probably describe my voice as "yelling" but hopefully not, "shrieking"!  I said, "NO!!!  GO GET HER NOW!!  I HAVE A HOT DINNER ON THE TABLE!!!!"

So, he goes gets her and she carries the dog in and I say tell her there is a dog bed in the study, and that she can't come in the dining room, I don't let my dogs in the dining room.  S she put her in the study and out a doggie gate up and went to sit down and eat.  The dog started whining so I went and talked to her for a minute and then shut the door.  So,the rest of our meal was accompanied by the sound of her scratching on the study door non-stop!  After a while my mother got to feeling very tired and asked to go home, so they left and no one helped me to clean up.  

So, it was just a lovely time!  

She sent me a text apologizing this evening and saying it had been a very bad call on her part.  But the thing is, I think it all started with my brother saying HE was going to stay home with the dog because HE didn't want to leave her alone, and my sister-in-law said that he had to go be with his family, so she would stay.  My mom was super annoyed with both of them over it.  My other brother just stays cool over things like this.  It's hard to ruffle his feathers, although our brother can make him madder than anyone, faster than anyone!  When they have some reason to travel together, the rest of us literally PRAY for them, that they won't have disowned each other bynthentime they get where they're going!  

That was my Easter family story!  I sincerely hope that you have suitably harrowing family holidays you could,tell me about and it's not just my family!  I told my kids that that was the last time I was the one who fixed the family holiday dinner, to which they both said, "You say that every year!"

Our daughter the went to,her boyfriend's family for their Easter dinner.  My son and I sat outside and talked for a good while and had a really nice visit. Then I went to bed and slept for probably two or three hours.  

But, Christ is risen!  Let the earth be glad!

Tomorrow is,fresh start number, gee ... I don't remember which number at this point ... Four?  Let's say four.  The only thing I have to do during the day is get a manicure and plan clothes for,the trip to New York, by which I mean, find out what clothes I can squeeze into,without ripping some seams!  And get a manicure.  Other than that I do NOTHING but work in my study!!  Oh, and I have a dinner and speech I have to go to in the evening, but that's all.  If I can get packed, too, that would be great.  Urgent question now is ... do I wear my hair up or down for,the photos?  Oh, darn.  I have to go see my brothers tomorrow,,too.  They came down to see me before I leave, so I,guess it's mandatory.  We'll see. 

Here's to dysfunctional families, and the God who loved them enough to send His only begotten Son for their salvation!

Cheers!

Lisa