Dry as a Bone

No, not the weather.  In fact around here we've been stuck in a true spring pattern: rain, rain, rain, sun, clouds, rain, rain sun, rain, clouds, rain, sun.  It's my brain and my thoughts that are dry.  Life in Helen-land has just been clicking on in the same old same old monotonous pattern as usual.  I honestly can't think of too much to write/say. I was thinking about this over the weekend and remembering that each time I'd start a diary (the old fashioned kind with paper and key), I 'd never fill it because I would run out of things to write and I got tired of writing, "I can't stand my mother!"  So, blogging has been and will continue to be sparse for a bit, I'd say.

I did enjoy the long weekend I just had.  Mr. Helen was glad I had that extra day off too - because while he was working on Friday, I cleaned the entire house and did the grocery shopping which left me with two free-ish days but left his entire three day weekend intact to do whatever he wanted to.

Good Friday night, heathens that we are, we went out for about an hour and half to watch our good friend sing and play with his band.  This band plays "our" music - you know the oldies and goodies from the late 1960's to the early 1980s.  We weren't the only heathens out there because the place was packed.

Saturday we decided to go see a matinee and chose Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family.  It was a good choice.  Even though there were some parts that made me cry (because I'm a big baby menopausal, hormonal mess) mostly it was a movie that made you laugh out loud.  As Mr. Helen said, "Wow, laughter really is good for the soul, isn't it?"  It definitely helped lighten our mood in the midst of the monsoon we were experiencing. 

Of course, the ultimate thrill for him was when we got home and I told him we'd have a homemade pizza party and he could pick whatever he wanted.  As I've said before pizza is one of his five food groups so he was indeed a happy camper.

Mr. Helen's pick: Onion, Green Pepper and Black Olive

(very unusual for him as he usually wants a meat extravaganza)

My pick: Chicken, Garlic and Gorgonzola



Two 14" pizzas are, of course, way too much food for just the two of us so there are plenty of leftovers to have thoughout the week.

Easter Sunday it was supposed to rain and indeed when I got up the fog was so thick you couldn't see a quarter mile ahead of you.   Eventually the fog burned off and the sun came out, turning the skies brilliant blue for a bit before the rain did move in during the early evening. 

Our Easter meal was spent with Mr. Helen's family.  My mother was bitterly disappointed but honestly, we're the only couple amongst both sides that has everyone pulling and tugging.  I decided some years ago, after trying to be all things to all people that for the most part we would not do that and would choose one or the other.  Right now, Mr. Helen is in the mode that every single holiday meal will probably the "the last" before his mother is either gone, or gone into a nursing home.  While I would like to have some meals with my own side, at this point it's either going to mean an argument or us splitting up and going to our own family of origin. So, like most married people, I'm choosing my battles.

There was entirely too much food planned:  A turkey breast, leg of lamb and full spiral ham, salad, broccoli, asparagus, rice, potatoes, rolls plus desserts.  I was sort of dreading it and as it turned out, there almost wasn't enough.  What was supposed to be 9 people ended up being 30!  I'm not kidding when I tell you there were two exes (1 ex husband, 1 ex wife), a niece, great nephew and his family, and other assorted misfits people who ended up coming.  That's the way Mr. Helen's family always has been and after being part of this family for so many years you'd think I wouldn't be surprised.  With all the hubbub, my MIL didn't even come downstairs to eat with the rest of the family because it was too overwhelming for her.  I know how she feels.  In any case, I did not even feel tempted to overeat because it became a case of making sure there was enough food to go around.  In the end it was a great example of how food does NOT have to be the focus of any occasion.

For me, it's back to the same old same old today.  Mr. Helen has one more day off then he's back into his routine as well.  We are taking Mama Helen out for dinner tonight as tomorrow is her 72nd birthday and since we didn't spend time with her yesterday, we wanted to celebrate that. It will be nice to have just the 3 of us to sit and have a meal and adult conversation.

Life goes on.