...and it's a grand slam home run for the Ethereal Highway!

The mother was here. The husband and the kids were not at home. I let her in because I was not afraid of her. She left gifts for the kids. She said she would have gotten me a gift too, but she knows I am 'too big for that sort of thing' now. (She's just now figuring that out when I'm 44? Really?) I also took the opportunity to remind her that I do not observe Christian holidays to begin with. I did not need to tell her to never come back. I guess what I needed was to show her who is in charge here. She started talking and told me how she left her own church because the 91 year-old grandmother told her that she only wants one thing before she dies and that is for all of her children to return to the Catholic church. And so the mother did just that. I told her that she needs to take adult responsibility for herself and her own beliefs and that her beliefs are none of the grandmother's business. (And can you guess who taught her how to be manipulative?) I told her that I would NEVER go to any church just to please my mother and that I wouldn't give one good goddamn how old she was. Then I gave her some of my special tea. She seemed to like it and asked me if I would make her a batch and bring it to her house. I offered to give her the recipe instead. She asked if my ten year-old daughter can come to her house for dinner tomorrow. I told her no. She commented that she was very surprised to find me awake when she came to the door. I told her that I don't sleep in the daytime anymore, I sleep at night. At which point she began with the whole 'praise the lord' bullshit and claimed that her prayers had been answered. I interrupted and told her that no god did that for me and I had done it myself. Since she caught me when I was eating lunch, I just kept eating while she watched and asked me questions like, 'how can you eat so much food and stay thin?' and 'do you always eat like that?' I said yes, I do. I always eat lean meat, low-fat organic milk and bowls of fresh produce. And that is precisely why I can eat so much food and still be thin. I advised her to give up the cookies, cakes, pies, candies, ice cream and soda in exchange for real food. All in all, it was a success. She will never budge me. I run this here joint. Period and end of discussion. I will not be moved.

Edited to add:

I feel so good about what happened today that I am compelled to share this video. It totally rocks and completely explains how I feel. Rock on, Rambo. Rock on... ME. Yeah, I/ he did the events of the day without having to forget them and everyone has the info. And he didn't even push me down so he could curse her out or anything like that. Folks... I think this is beginning to smack of an integration. And maybe such things start with an UPRISING. Any of you who are still oppressed by abusers in real time, listen and RISE UP!! You have the right to be very close to ALL of you and to love and respect yourself and stand up for your rights and beliefs. You really do. Rock on, YOU!!