Hi everyone.
Well, the mother's day thing is finally over and done with for this year, thank goodness. I had good news and bad news yesterday. First the bad news: my mother has disowned me and probably will never speak to me for the rest of her life. I'm not kidding.
She had a falling out with my DS's husband. They all live in the same town. My DS has been married to her DH for over 30 years and they have 3 kids, all grown. For that entire 30+ years my mother never had any of them over to eat, or even to really visit in her home. She never attended any soccer or ball games, or anything, for her grandsons. Her dislike or disapproval of her son-in-law was pretty evident to everyone, even though he has always treated her with kindness, always willing to do anything to help her out. He is the one who got the bad brain cancer. One evening about 2.5 months ago she was over at their house, eating dinner over there, and he said something rather rude, (who knows why, maybe he was in pain, as he is all the time now) and she got upset and left in tears. She decided that she would never have anything to do with him again. So she told my DS that she would never be coming over again, and took it to such an extreme that she won't even call over there because he might answer and she would have to speak with him. (She tries to call my DS on my DS's cell phone, but my DS won't answer it when she sees it's my mom trying to avoid calling her at home.) When my DS takes her out to lunch my mom never even mentions his name, or enquires about how he is doing with his cancer, etc. All this time I have been writing my mom telling her that she must go ahead and forgive him, explaining what the Bible teaches about forgiveness, and how forgiveness or unforgiveness not only reveals one's character, but it destroys relationships with those who love her. I was pretty clear in what I said and didn't beat around the bush because I didn't want her to think that unforgiveness was not too bad if I couched my words in flowery prose. My sister also wrote her a letter telling her that when she rejected her husband she was also rejecting her. We both sent her gifts for MD, but my DS said my mom would be so mad that she would disown us. So---when I called yesterday to wish her a happy day, she did not answer. She has an answering machine which she uses to screen all her calls. If she doesnt want to talk to whoever is calling, she just won't pick up when you start to leave a message on the answering machine. Well, she never picked up, and I called twice. I know she was not anywhere else, so the message to me was that I probably will never hear from her again in her lifetime. She definitely is a woman who carries serious grudges. She got mad at her own brother over a stupid issue of who was gonna get stuff (furniture and knick-nacks) from my great-aunt's estate. He got to the house first and took some of the goodies my mom wanted. So, she got mad at him and just wrote him out of her life. She never ever spoke one word again to her brother, her only sibling. Isn't that just the saddest thing you've ever heard. She says she is a Christian, but with absolutely mean behavior like that, she is one nominally, and I fear for her soul. My sister e-mailed me that my mom thinks I'm a religious nut. It is all just so sad. I'm relieved that my happiness does not depend on her approval. I guess my sister and I will have to stay in contact with her maid to make sure that she has not died. The thing is for my mom is that she has nothing to do with her life. She does nothing. She is not active in any volunteer work or a church or ANYTHING. A major part of her day would be to go to the grocery store to pick up a few things. Or she will spend her week getting ready to go to the doctor's the following week for her check-up. She does not want to use a computer, she has no DVR, or anything besides her little TV, that she watches at night. She has "no life" and now she has cut off the only family she has left, so here is a picture of a very pathetic and sad situation.
The good news: My DD and new son in law went to church with us and then came over for lunch (tuna sandwiches). Then we went over to their place for a grill-out supper (shrimp, scallops and chicken pieces with veggies as kabobs on the grill) Fresh SWEET sweet corn

and salad. It was gooooood. My DSon and his "family" came over and we actually all had a nice time. Amazing. Mother's day is one holiday that I could do without, however. Mom's and daughters can get their feelings hurt easily because it is a holiday that sets us up for that. It's a big set-up for kids too, because if they don't "perform" on this particular day, then mom's get sad or their feelings hurt. Tony Randall said once that if you only showed love to your mother on Mother's day, then you don't love your mother. Interesting quote.
I did not walk yet and may not get to do so today. The workers were here early, as usual, and we had so much to discuss with them that I was barely able to leave in time for my eye appt. Then I did go and lift the weights, and finally had lunch with my DH. I picked up the tiles this afternoon, and will send a pix to Monet.
Gotta go. Hope everyone has a great day and a great week.