The Calm Before
Christmas actually went as well as it possibly could have. Which now has me thinking my mother was putting on an act because the Sparrow was there, and that some time later I will hear the comments about how Christmas was "different" or "not how it was supposed to be" and how I've "ruined" her "family".
I do know my sister apparently did not go over to my mother's at all yesterday, from what I saw today. She made sure to post about spending Christmas "alone", along with pictures of my mother's dog they put to sleep a month ago now. Mind-boggling to the mind of a sane, normal, non-dog owning person who understands pets are not children.
She blasts social media with photos of herself practically kissing her own dogs with tongue, as well as taking literal photoshoots with them, and on Mother's Day and other events, blasts social media about having "the best mom" in the world. Yet, oddly enough she does not go visit that very mother on Christmas Day, nor do her dogs she think are children seemingly provide any comfort for her on Christmas Day because she is "so alone". And as to be expected, the comments and "likes" come rolling in from all the enablers.
I simply hate the woman and despise her desperate, constant cries for attention. And yet, I cannot look away. I feel this need to know. Like I want to catch her blaming me directly so I can feel vindicated in all my assumptions. Which I understand is a complete waste of energy. I do understand this.
Our time at the cat cafe was pleasant. We spent about two hours there with the cats. We stopped in there today for lunch and the owner told us our helping out allowed her to focus time on her family and events at her home, when she would have otherwise had to stop in the middle of everything to check on the cats. This made me feel especially good, like we did something really worthwhile with the day. A feeling of goodness and accomplishment like I've never felt on a Christmas before. And the only cost was setting a boundary with my family I likely will hear blowback over... it could be tomorrow, it could be 12 months from now. My mother puts all this stuff into her list, to pull out when it best suits her because she is a manipulator.
Dinner was fine at the BIL and Gayle's. Though it felt rushed. We'd been gone from home since 7:00 in the morning, and unfortunately were quite ready to be home by the time we got there. I dream of a Christmas we can spend at home. When will that day come?
There's work annoyances and other things to talk about, but I am making this brief for now.
I do know my sister apparently did not go over to my mother's at all yesterday, from what I saw today. She made sure to post about spending Christmas "alone", along with pictures of my mother's dog they put to sleep a month ago now. Mind-boggling to the mind of a sane, normal, non-dog owning person who understands pets are not children.
She blasts social media with photos of herself practically kissing her own dogs with tongue, as well as taking literal photoshoots with them, and on Mother's Day and other events, blasts social media about having "the best mom" in the world. Yet, oddly enough she does not go visit that very mother on Christmas Day, nor do her dogs she think are children seemingly provide any comfort for her on Christmas Day because she is "so alone". And as to be expected, the comments and "likes" come rolling in from all the enablers.
I simply hate the woman and despise her desperate, constant cries for attention. And yet, I cannot look away. I feel this need to know. Like I want to catch her blaming me directly so I can feel vindicated in all my assumptions. Which I understand is a complete waste of energy. I do understand this.
Our time at the cat cafe was pleasant. We spent about two hours there with the cats. We stopped in there today for lunch and the owner told us our helping out allowed her to focus time on her family and events at her home, when she would have otherwise had to stop in the middle of everything to check on the cats. This made me feel especially good, like we did something really worthwhile with the day. A feeling of goodness and accomplishment like I've never felt on a Christmas before. And the only cost was setting a boundary with my family I likely will hear blowback over... it could be tomorrow, it could be 12 months from now. My mother puts all this stuff into her list, to pull out when it best suits her because she is a manipulator.
Dinner was fine at the BIL and Gayle's. Though it felt rushed. We'd been gone from home since 7:00 in the morning, and unfortunately were quite ready to be home by the time we got there. I dream of a Christmas we can spend at home. When will that day come?
There's work annoyances and other things to talk about, but I am making this brief for now.