Family Togetherness. Who needs it?

So here are a few strange things that happened this weekend while visiting family. Thanksgiving my 2 sons and I went with my brother and his wife to her sisters house. DH was working at the hospital so he could not come with us. We arrived at the appointed time of 3pm. Right when we got there the man of the house (my SIL's BIL) says lets eat. It kind of felt like we were late or something but OK let's eat. So we sit down to eat and there is plenty of food except for the main item, turkey. I saw the bird before it was cut and thought it looked kind of small for 13 people. The platter had a little bit of white meat and then all the drum sticks, thighs, wings and even the back etc. I just thought that the bird was too small for the 13 of us. Both my sons and I were hungry on the drive home and ate something when we got home. I couldn't even make a plate for DH because there was no turkey. Well yesterday my SIL tells me that there was plenty of turkey but that her BIL was hiding it in the kitchen. During dinner he went in the kitchen and got some of the prime white meat slices for himself and his 13yo son. So basically he was saving the good meat for later and gave the company the stuff he doesn't like. I couldn't believe it when she told me that. It is one thing to mistakenly not make enough and a whole other thing to greedily hide the good meat from the guests. Why invite people over? I was just shocked. I am thankful they invited us and I did have a nice time and the little bit of food I ate was tasty, but I do not think we will go back. Yesterday was a surprise party for my step-Moms 70th birthday. It was held at the local Kiwanis club and the In n' Out Burger truck came and made burgers. It was lots of fun. Lots of people had not seen me since my surgery so I was getting lots of compliments about my smaller size. My brothers wife (not the SIL in the above story but another one) comes up to me and says "You look old now". Now I have to say she is from a foreign country and is really hard to understand even though she have lived in the US for over 30 years. I could not believe she said that. For one I know it is not true because everyone else keeps telling me I look much younger now. Secondly This was how she greeted me. No hello or anthing. Just I look old. I just walked away with a look of disgust on my face. This SIL has had a major fight with almost everyone in my family. So I am not really too worried about what she says. Everyone else was on my side. As the party was ending and we were leaving DH and I were saying goodbye to one of my step-sisters. A little back story is needed here. 4 of the 5 kids in my family do not like our step-sisters because they are snooty and not that friendly to us. They are totally nice to one of my brothers (The one with the foreign wife) but not the rest of us. Even my Aunt who is a nun does not care for them. Anyway I was holding one of the plants that was used for center pieces. My step-sister said she was not taking one because she would kill it. Then I said I would too but I will give it to DH to take care of. She then says to me "It could be a symbol of your love and your love will die when the plant dies". Now this is coming from a woman who is divorced 3 times. I have only ever been married to my DH. So what the heck was that supposed to mean? Sheesh some people are so strange. Of course I had lots of nice compliments this weekend and people telling me how proud they are of me etc. Thats was great. The point of this note is to point out how strange people act sometimes. I choose to laugh it off and not get upset. What stange family encounters did you have this holiday????? MichiGirl

Ahhhh.... families. And even worse - in-laws! I won't get into my crazy SIL (my DH's brother's wife), or my crazy MIL for that matter, I'll just send you a {{{{HUG}}}}. My weird reaction I got this weekend was borrowing my mom's dress for Thanksgiving (pictures on my profile!) and when I stripped down to my bra and undies she gasped. I said "Yeah, I know the skin is pretty bad" and she said "No, I'm just shocked by how SKINNY you are!" This coming from the woman who has been on my case about my weight since the first time I put on 10lbs in HS! Carolyn

It's good to know we all have weird families. We had T-giving at my mother's house. We ate at 1:00 and the minute we were finished, everybody except my family and our neighbor got up and left! Didn't even say thank you, offer to clean up, or stay for conversations. HOW RUDE! My mom goes, "Must be their mothers didn't raise them right." Now, this is funny because my brother and his family were the main culprits. I felt bad for my mother. She did a lot of work to get ready for the holiday and everyone was so ungracious and ungrateful! Traci