Hanging out, down the street

[JustStunned]

@Barb: Belleau Wood is a WW 1 battlefield. Of the places in this world Marines hold as sacred ground it seems to be the easiest for a common tourist to visit. I might be able to tie this together with business travel negating some of the expense. If I am able to visit western France then I might as well take a couple of days and visit a few other places.

@Ellie: X gets angry and spews at the extended family and our children more often than me. I have maintained relationships with most of the extended family and of course my children. She put much effort into having me shunned. She has not received the response she feels is appropriate so she gets angry and spews. As I take the high road and do not engage or return in kind she only damages herself.

I realize it is through this that X is interfering with my life. Perhaps more importantly her meddling is wearing thin with the children. Taking the long view this causes me to be mindful of how my actions can place my children in an uncomfortable situation with X.

I am attempting to have an adult relationship with the adults in my family. X is attempting to control her relationships. In the end she is only hurting herself.

Journaling: I had a very good weekend. My sister was visiting mom and I took a couple of days off work at the end of the week. (four day weekend) Thursday and Friday we made little shopping trips, and visited mom together. I didn’t make dinner most of the week.

Saturday morning, I sealed the flat roof on the rental SIL lives in. My sister pulled a few weeds from around the foundation while I spread fibrated tar on the roof. Afterward my sister and I discussed how awkward SIL must feel with me as a landlord. (Oh well you’ll have that). I was a little dehydrated and took a break for about an hour after , sipping water in the A/C.

Saturday evening I grilled steaks and we had an impromptu picnic at my house. We got mom out of her house for a few hours. My son and DIL brought GD, ate and visited with us.

Sunday I took my sister to the airport. Mom and I drove home lost in our own thoughts. Mom did note a few changes along the route home. I spent the rest of Sunday cleaning up around the houses. I pulled a shrub XW had planted in an inconvenient location, cleaned the awning on the RV. I managed to get cleaning solution splashed in my eye. Standard first aid, flush the eye and carry on. I looked at the eye in a mirror and my daughter looked it over when she stopped by after work. It is still a little irritated today, but otherwise unaffected.