Playing at Happy Families....

In which the Labrador's name is Jack Daniels and the cat is called Chaos

Christmas was always a fraught time in my childhood household. In spite of the cringy Christmas cards that were sent out like clockwork every April, there were high expectations that were virtually never met. My mother’s disappointment was made clear to all, and in the end, no one wanted to spend the holidays with her.

In early December of 1990, my father died in Connecticut while I was living in Spain. I was there in a heartbeat; three days later my English then-husband turned up, too.

Excerpt from Rottenkid: A Succulent Story of Survival:

Joffrey stayed for a week and then returned to Spain. I stayed another ten days and then planned to join him for the Christmas holiday.

This caused a Cat 5 hurricane from the woman scorned, my mother, who had just thrown her back out.

“It’s almost Christmas, why can’t you come to Los Angeles? You’ve just spent almost three weeks with your father’s family! Why wouldn’t you want to come to Los Angeles and spend Christmas with Your Mother? You’re already halfway here!”

“Because, Mom, my home is in Spain with my husband, and I want to spend Christmas with him.”

She was mortally wounded, as if by a spear of silver launched into a vampire’s heart. After all, she needed me, and Joffrey would understand. Or so her logic went. I examined my knowledge of her marital and maternal histories and called British Airways.

I returned to Spain, suddenly resolved to cling to my husband like an encircling vine. My plans to leave him were abandoned, forgotten; I had been remiss—I had accepted and adopted my dad’s negative opinion because I loved and respected him. But I had been wrong. Right? Right?

There was nothing wrong with a settled and relatively comfortable life. Many people would kill for my life in Spain. I had jumped to judgment based on someone else’s opinion, not my own. Joffrey was the only man left standing in my life. I clung to him with an almost religious fervor. I will make this thing work because it is all I have left.

Four Tidbits For The Week of Month Dates, 202#

Brigit’s What I’m

DOING NOW ➡️ Making a plan to eventually organize my office
CURRENTLY LOVING ➡️ The addictive novel "Bitterroot," by my sister author Suzy Vitello
THINKING ABOUT ➡️ Whether or not I have time to make a cassoulet for the Oscars
LISTENING TO ➡️ Stories in Slow Italian