Why do you assume it would have been all White women?

Many African American families have their family reunions on plantations, actually. Pretending that they don't exist seems not to be helpful either... For many Black Americans that is where their family tree "begins" so they spend all or part of their family reunion at the plantation their family members worked on.

I am positive it will escalate to a big dog bark. As an owner of a bratty German Shepherd, often he starts with puppy-ish whines and barks, and when I ignore his pleas, goes into big dog mode.

Our long national nightmare is over.

I'm glad to see you here today, Burt. You are a breath of fresh air.

I live for gift cards. No one but my close family and friends know what to buy me besides gift cards. I have an Aunt who buys me clothes every year and I love her, I do, but it's like she keeps thinking 'this is the year she will choose to not live in jeans and tees whenever possible and acceptable and wear girly…

I got a gift card to a liquor store. It was the best gift ever for a booze snob like me.

This shit comes from a truly disturbed mind. And I SO fucking approve of it!

Ugh. Who's next, Leann and Eddie? Does true love even exist anymore?

That is really tough :( You and my mother are about the same age. My family is rather emotionally reserved bunch in a lot of ways so we're not traditionally 'close.' But I try to be open and share with her and try to open more doors. I'm hoping if we can keep that going we can become closer and more actively friendly…

My Mom was born during the Depression, and is always giving "practical" gifts. Socks, underwear, etc. Once she gave my now deceased MIL a pair of Hanes pantyhose. The MIL looked at her and said "Are these for me? Did they get put in this bag by mistake?" Hurt her feelings terribly.

.

Um, that sounds amazing.

Could you imagine if human names worked like screennames and they all had to be unique?

If you've seen The September Issue, there's a cute little segment with Anna and her daughter and her daughter seems very well adjusted and not at all concerned with the more trivial things. Perhaps it was an act, but it felt quite genuine.

I understand her completely.

Great post. My mother (pre-Prozac) was a neurotic, anal, unhappy, cleaning neat freak. Think the husband in Sleeping With The Enemy (only not quite as crazy). She literally would pin the towels in thirds to keep them in shape. Now that I'm in my 30s and she's in a better mental space, we can talk about her obsessive…

"CLASSMATE PUT A ROCK IN EAR, HAS PIECE OF PAPER IN OTHER EAR"

I defiantly agree!