Madame Defarge. For the 21st Century.
That's me.
Although my motives aren't nearly as nefarious as hers. Promise. And I was doing needlepoint rather than knitting. But I did sit in a corner yesterday and sew like my life depended on it.
Just to keep my sanity. As we spent the day amongst my maternal in-laws.
A duller day I've never had. Even Will got bored -- and there was a piano at his disposal.
It was a classic "visit" with family, which involved us basically sitting around, staring at one another and making small talk. Which is really not bad -- in small doses. And 10 hours of such activity doesn't constitute a small dose -- at least not in my world.
Thank goodness I had enough sense to bring along my needlework. It was a great thing to have something to focus on while I nodded and issued appropriate "I'm paying attention" comments like "Mmm hmm," "Really?" and "Exactly." We talked a lot about Florida -- and I do mean a lot. I'm a bit of a novelty in their world, coming from the Sunshine State and the Land of Tourists. The weather, alligators, the weather, the things that lurk just below the surface in the ocean, the weather, seafood, the weather, tropical plants and yes, the weather were primary topics of conversation with me. The fact that I didn't see snow until I was 35 was a much-discussed tidbit. As was their shared belief that global warming really doesn't exist and that alcohol is of the devil and that the president is doing a wonderful job and that the church...
You get the idea.
They're very nice ladies, actually. We just have extremely little in common. Extremely little. My tongue is raw from all the biting it endured.
And so I sewed to pass the time. Stopped to pick up a six-pack of Shiner Bock on our way back to the hotel. And some Cheerios Snack Mix to help with my overwhelming need to Stress Eat. Talk about an emotional trigger -- four days with in-laws is something even my firm NutriResolve couldn't handle. Back on the diet wagon today. At least until lunch, when we hit a great little Italian restaurant in Gatlinburg.
We're going to take a grand leisurely drive through the Great Smokey Mountain National Park -- let Will experience the fun of driving on mountain roads. Take his picture sitting on the sign at the entrance to the park -- just like I did when I was his age. All on our way to visit with our dear friends in NC. Whew. The light at the end of the tunnel.
It was indeed the best of times... I'm ixnaying the talk of the worst of times.
Bad mojo, you know.
2 comments:
Knitting needles in your hands and no republicans got stabbed?
I'm very proud of your will power.
Rock on-
Jeff
Oh man, hope no crucial taste buds were damaged from all the tongue-biting.
I am lucky that when we visit certain dull relatives here in Italy, I can just pretend not to understand a single word!
Otherwise, I tend to use my camera to entertain myself. When I'm having the most fun, I forget to take photos, but boy do I ever chronicle the dull days!
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