Good Visit

I don't know if my family is normal, abnormal, dysfunctional or what. I do know that we have our ups and downs, that eccentricities run rampant amongst us all (myself included), and that communication has always been a major issue.

That said, I am glad and relieved that the unexpected visit from my mom and brother over the past few days turned out to be really quite nice! It started with my husband receiving the news of their visit well which is pretty much a miracle considering our home is his office and he really likes/demands quiet and orderliness, neither of which are strong traits in my family.

My brother, who almost always comes here in "quiet" mode and generally doesn't eat or respond to any of us, spent much of the time communicating with us through writing or talking which was a relief. Although he needed to be told to come to the table when it was mealtime, he always complied and cooked his own food, also a relief. I have to say that my brother, who has been employed by restaurants in the past and can cook up a storm, makes himself some really healthy meals using a combination of kelp, tofu, eggs, noodles and whatever vegetables he feels like using.

We had a good day visiting the Self Realization Fellowship (SRF) meditation gardens in Encinitas. I loved those gardens - it probably inspired me to get to work on mine over the weekend. We had a very healthy but delicious meal at a cafe across the way called, of all things, Swami's. Then, we drove up to Carlsbad to supposedly visit places that grow flowers but ended up shopping at Costco. Don't even ask!

The next day, we went to buy plants at a nearby nursery. What fun! I love to shop...for plants. My brother, who got an art degree and is incredibly creative and innovative, surprised me by spending much of the day relocating existing plants, digging holes for new ones and helping to arrange a really beautiful color pallette of flowers and shrubs. I am so delighted with the final result! My mom was equally helpful helping to shape up the bonsai junipers that had lost their forms. We were all sunburnt, sweaty and tired but it was a really good tired.

So now, I'm alone in this house with my dog and computer. My mom still can't be home with my brother lest he interfere with the cleanup effort going on there so she took off for my sister's house in the Bay area. She's going to be so exhausted upon her arrival late tonight. I feel so bad for them both. It's not the life I could've predicted nor wished for either. But I'm glad we had a really good visit, a feeling my brother echoed when I called him earlier this evening.