Is Counseling Free On Sundays?

I watched my Sunday morning programs--2--Dr. David Jeremiah and Bobby Schuller, then started to clean up this house.  

I started in the bedroom, as I always do and worked my way toward the front--dusting, vacuuming, mopping the kitchen floor, onto the living room and last of all--this messy room.

I was doing fine in the bedroom and bathroom, vacuuming the kitchen floor to get ready for the mop and there was a knock at my door.  It was Maisey and the guy who walks her--John.

"Did you have a nice Christmas?" I asked.

"No!  My youngest son was there...he lives nearby, but I never see him.  He and his mother got into it and then he got mad at me and so...I left!"

"You were at your ex-wife's for Christmas?"

"Yes--we and the kids always celebrate together."

"But--you are divorced and you said she hates you and you don't much like her.  Why would you go over there?  Especially on Christmas Day?

"Always have.  Even when I was married to Wife Two--we went and she was married to Husband Two.  There's usually a fight about something.  This year, my son had a few beers and got mouthy."

"Hm-mm."

John left after an hour.

I got the kitchen floor mopped and was dusting and vacuuming the living room and in walked Dar.

"Did you have a nice Christmas?" I asked.

"It was awful!  My brother's Mike and Terry were drinking and they got into it and then my sister-in-law Mary said something really snide, so I left and came home."

"Did you say anything before you left, or did you just sneak out?"

"Oh no.  I told them all what I think of them and then I left." 

Then she lapsed into an account of the "really expensive gifts my Daddy got me", and the "very costly oil painting my favorite sister-in-law Pat got me", and...............................

She was here ninety minutes.  Did she ever asked how my Christmas was?  Of course not!

Back to vacuuming and another opening of my door.  It was Merle.  He had been out walking.

"Just stopped in to tell you Happy New Year and get a hug."  
<arggh>

A brief--very brief sideways hug--"Did you hear?  I have Parkinson's.  I got the diagnosis last week."

"Yes, I heard that.  Well, at least you now know and can take pills to manage it."

"Yep."

"How do you feel?"

"Pretty good, but....those pills are ruining my sex life."  and out the door he went.
<arggh>

After that encounter, I felt like taking a shower, but it was four o'clock by then and we have a snow/ice storm coming in tomorrow and I had half a bottle of Diet Pepsi left and one cup milk, so I jumped in the car and ran up to the little store and paid twice as much as I would have at Wal-Mart to get my much needed supplies.  :-)

On the way home, I stopped in at Merle and Pearl's.  He was in the bedroom watching the football game, and didn't come out (thank goodness).

I sat down in the living room with her.

"Did you have a nice Christmas?" I asked.

"It was okay.  I took a pie and only one piece was eaten.  No one sat down and talked with me.  I just sat there and listened and had no conversation.  My son had a few too many beers and he and Merle got into an argument, so we came home early."

"Oh!  I'm sorry"

"How was your Christmas?  You went to Pam's, right?"

"Yes.  It was............ah.........nice."

"No arguments?"

"Nope."

Now--when I got home and as I was thinking while I finished up vacuuming the living room,  what is the common denominator in all three of these people's unpleasant Christmas family get-togethers?

Alcohol!

Of course, there were built-in tensions before any of them got together, but the added alcohol just made people get all mouthy and caused hard(er) feelings. 

So glad my family just drinks coffee, juice or soda.  :-)

Consequently with all my interruptions, I have yet to get this messy den/computer/whatever room dusted and vacuumed and stuff put away.

Oh well--there's always Monday.  :-).
=================
Susan and I on a very warm Christmas Day.  Screen door is open.