We left at eight in the morning Christmas day. It was a long two and a half hour drive to my sister's house. As soon as I got in the car, dad tried to hand me two Klonopin.
"I don't want to be drugged for this," I told him, pushing his hand away.
OMG! I passed up feel good drugs! I so surprised myself, but I didn't want to be in a fog as my medications can sometimes impart. I wanted my mind to be clear and bright, and without a slurred voice.
Y'all, I was so nervous, though. My heart was beating a hundred miles per hour on the drive up there and I know my blood pressure had to be high. I about panicked when dad said Eudell and Jan would be there. My sister's in-laws. I hadn't seen them since my sister got married and they are abrasive people. I wanted a close family gathering to feel more comfortable. I wanted things to go smoothly for my nerve's sake.
My sister met us at the door with a glass of merlot in one hand and a baby on her other hip.
"I can't believe you made it!" she said excitedly to me as she gave me a hug. "You never come to family functions."
"Well, I feel mentally able to for the first time in years," I replied. "Merry Christmas."
Dad did all the cooking and brought it with us. He cooked a huge pork loin with his special barbeque sauce, macaroni and cheese casserole which was to die for, yeast rolls, butter beans, and asparagus with a lemon and mayonnaise sauce with boiled eggs on top. It was so delicious. For dessert, dad cooked three cakes. A coconut cake. A red velvet cake. And another lane cake. Mom hungrily ate a piece of all three after our meal which made my father roll his eyes at my sister. Mom does need to lose weight, though. She goes to Weight Watchers after New Year's. She said she was going to eat everything in sight, though, before that.
Good news! Mom wore Depends for our trip. Dad ran by the pharmacy and opened up long enough to get her some.
"You can't even see that I am wearing them," mom said happily as she looked in the bathroom mirror at my sister's house as I brushed my teeth next to her after lunch.
"Any accidents yet?" I asked with a smile.
"NO!" mom said, laughing. "I just can't bend over, though. I will probably blow my Depends off!"
I died laughing and she did too. It is good that we can laugh about it.
My sister got a new job much closer to us. They are selling their home and buying a home on a local lake. She will be head of oncology and hematology at a local hospital. Dad is so excited! He gave my brother-in-law a 14k gold money clip for Christmas, "You are going to need that! Y'all are going to be rolling in money!" My sister will be making five times more money than she did during her training and fellowship.
It was an eight hour day and I was so glad to come home. Charlie had been over and cleaned my house while we were gone. All my dishes were washed and all my laundry was done and I had a pile of it. I was on my last leg mentally by the time I walked through my door, though. Bless Maggie, she had never been so glad to see me in her life. She even jumped up into my lap and that is something she has never, ever done. It warmed my heart and soon we were in the bed, Maggie and I, getting some much needed rest. Merry Christmas to you all!
29 comments:
Thats another hurdle you've crossed Andrew..well done. Your Poor mom..but it is so good you can laugh about these things...bet Maggie was so excited to see you home..i'm off to my daughters later today for a few days..enjoy the rest of the holiday...probably be able to read your blog down there, unless we are out a lot.
Joy, be safe and enjoy the time with your family. Looking forward to your safe return. I do hope you can read the blog while you are gone.
You did great! I am so glad you were able to attend and everything went smoothly. This is a huge step in your life. I am so proud of you.
Also one more huge step, the fact that you are able to interact with us here now. I am so happy about that. Can you believe how far you have come?
It's so good to hear that all went well for you. What is a "lane cake?"
Yes, wondering about the lane cake, myself.
It was really brave of you to not want to be drugged in order to get through the visit. Good for u!
Sounds like a good day for all. Your dad cooked up a storm! Can he cater for me next year?
Lacey, thank you so much. Mom called me around seven yesterday asked if I was still going to go. She was worried about me. "I am determined to go!" I told her defiantly. It was pretty amazing that I went, though, wasn't it? I MADE IT! I am so tired today and couldn't sleep last night. It is going to take a few days to recover.
Summer, a lane cake is an heirloom antique cake my grandmother used to make. It has white cake layers and a coconut, pineapple, raisin, and walnut icing. It really was delicious and dad was so nervous it wasn't going to taste good. He had never tried his mother's recipe before. I hope you had a Merry X-mas!
Lena, it was so hard not to take those two pills. They relax me and can kind of make me out of it at times. It certainly would have been a stress free drive up to my sister's! I just didn't want to feel groggy as they sometimes can impart. Oh, and I am sure dad would love to cook for you one year if you lived closer. He loves the attention and love his good food brings.
I'm so happy you made it to your sister's for Christmas! Just shows how far you've come. I'm sure she was pleased as punch to see you!
Merry Christmas Andrew!
Thanks Diana, it's not been too many years I've been able to go through all that. She was very pleased to see me and we had a good time. I had to take a few time out breaks, though!
Sounds like a great Christmas! I'm not a fan of the TWilight audio books. I think the person reading them has a weird voice. I borrowed a few from the library for my daughter and they didn't do the series justice! I think that's awesome that you got so many iTunes cards, though. I love those!
Andrew, as you know, my son has autism. And although he enjoys being around people, it is stressful for him. He had a rough time on Christmas eve at my in laws. I wonder if he is bipolar but I have not really worried too much about it as he continues to make great strides.
The food your dad made sounds delicious!
Andrew, I'm so glad you were able to go and spend Christmas with your family! No matter how much I love to spend time with my family, whether here, or at their homes, I always feel automatically anxious. I always feel so good when I go though! Never heard of a lane cake, sounds delicious
Good to see you doing so well.I enjoy hearing about your family.You truly are a beautiful person.
Billie in Mo.
I am so glad you went to your sister's house! What a great hurdle you have crossed! So proud of you! :) I know your sister was soooo glad you came too! The lane cake sounds fabulous! I made a homemade carrot that was delicious too! Sounds like you had a great Christmas! I know Maggie was glad to see you, that was her Christmas present...seeing you after being gone all day!
So, was driving your dad's car a lot of fun?
Have a wonderful day!
L
Congratulations on your Christmas journey!! :~D
Jenn, I've seen the movie Twilight on film and loved it! I couldn't wait to read the books and made wouldn't let me have her copies just yet. The audiobooks were a compromise. I can carry around my iPod all day listening. The little thing is incredible! Yes, it was so awesome to get so many iTunes cards. I have definitely been like a kid at Christmas with them! Just what I wanted as well and I can't buy beer with them unlike the Red Lobster gift cards I was supposed to get last year. LOL!
Kristi, I worry about your son being autistic and the trials and tribulations you must all go through. Being a kid is hard enough and having a handicap makes it so much harder. That's interesting about your thoughts on him being bi-polar. I am diagnosed as being schizo-affective - having both symptoms of schizophrenia and bi-polar as well. I am OCD as well making for a triple whammy. It sure can make like interesting! Thank you for the good thoughts about dad's food. Dad loves to cook and is a natural at it. You know? He never cooked for years until mom came down with schizphrenia in her late forties. Mom did all the cooking. Hard to believe, now, huh? I hope you and family had a Merry Christmas!
Maire, I know! I feel the same way. Dad was so happy I went and so was my sister. Maybe it is the beginnings of me rebuilding the lost relationship between my sister and I. I sure did get anxious as well, though! I would love for you to have some lane cake. I bet you would love it!
Billie, thank you so much! I feel so much better lately and it is amazing! Thank you for the kind words. You warm my heart. Take care and I hope you had a Happy Holidays and a Merry Christmas as well.
Andrew
L, you always were a wonderful cook. I will never forget the Sunday dinner you cooked for me one weekend. It was a casserole and I have a terrible fondness for casseroles. I bet your carrot cake was divine! S must be so spoiled these days. Driving dad's car is incredible. It is like the ultimate driving experience. I love the satelite radio and it is so fast - 346 horsepower I think. Dad can so surprise you about what cars he will buy at times. Now, if we can get him to buy mom something other than a Honda civic. Maybe an Acura? Love you as a friend deeply and I hope you and the kids had a very Merry Christmas!
Andrew
Leon!!!!!!! It was a Christmas present to get a comment from you today! I didn't think you read my blog any longer - long giving up on me and my ramblings. Take care of yourself and I hope you've had a Merry Christmas!
CAramba - you came a long way! That's great. Exhausting and all, but really great.
Thanks mago, I made it! It certainly was a long way and I was so glad to be home yesterday I jumped for joy!
I bet she misses you when you're gone. You guys are so close. I have to ask...what is a lane cake?
Leann, she gets lonely in this house by her self all day and I am rarely gone for more than an hour or two. Read up in the comments of this post and I explained what a lane cake is. Happy Holidays dear friend!
Hope you and yours had a wonderful holiday! :)
We did Jessica! Thanks!
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