The Chit Chat Chit Chat Thread

Songbird76

Well-Known Member
I have the same issue with both my Mom and my MIL. Oy

As some Mom's age they tend to loose their filters and many just unknowingly insert themselves. Still my Dad never did have a filter, he just always said what came to mind. My Mom's favorite go to line though I'm certain she doesn't realize is YOU LIKE THAT? While she doesn't ever say she doesn't approve she makes it perfectly clear she doesn't LIKE THAT? Why else would someone look at something and say YOU LIKE THAT??? as their only comment???

My MIL is a bit more direct in her disapproval though she backdoors it. More, 'she only thinks about herself' as if her son ever cared which he never did lol or the gentle dig of I don't understand why she would do that?' Never directed at me but in front of me, more to try and change my mind by condemning me to others. Me, I dismissed as classless. I actually have had some fun with that over the years, embracing her disapproval. If MIL found something in my home she hinted at in front of others that she disapproved of I'd spotlight that embellishment more as an asset and watch her cringe. Passive aggressive but fun nonetheless. Anything she disapproved of I would outwardly adore. It was fun to see her broil over it all....

My Mom in her day did have a sense of style so lost now. My MIL was always a hodgepodge of conflicting everything so I always viewed her comments as a veil for her own shortcomings. Even her personal style. A very short, thin, tiny woman dangling 2 inch wreath earrings, jingle bell necklace to a funeral type woman. My Mom's comments these days from my wardrobe to furnishings of the home hit harder. Those YOU LIKE THAT??? comments are mean spirited, no way to couch it. I know it is an age thing, I see it, I understand the fading filter of thought to words, it still stings though. Oddly I don't see these 'comments' ever directed at sons or SILs. Seems some families have aging family Matriarchs want to condemn only those who directly follow in their footsteps. Oddly weird. The aging process is unsettling.
Well, my mom was quite a bit older than most moms. She was already almost 40 when she had my brother and I. She was in her 60s when I got married. I don't think it was just a lack of filter with her. But things like...the guy I was dating in college. She was offended by his mother the first time they met. My mom was staunchly Missouri Synod Lutheran and no other denomination was acceptable to her. If we were on vacation and there was no LCMS church, we could go to an ELCA (evangelical Lutheran) or an Episcopal church, but she would not take communion. We could NOT go to a Catholic or Baptist church, etc and I wasn't allowed to set foot in a Mormon church, even if just for an activity and not a service. So my boyfriend's parents were non-denominational, but his mom said she would never allow her children to become Catholic, Lutheran, or Mormon. My mom was with her on the Catholic and Mormon, but was deeply offended by the Lutherans being included in her ban. So she took an immediate dislike to the relationship, which was exacerbated by the fact that I was not happy in the Lutheran church on campus and had stopped going and was looking for another church home. She viewed it as heresy and told me SHE had chosen Lutheran for me, and Lutheran I would remain. I told her my relationship with God was mine and to butt out. She decided it was his influence and she could barely be civil to me. My brother and I lived on the same floor of the same residence hall...just a lobby between us. She came to visit and my brother was working at the coffee shop across the street, so I decided to go there to make it easier on mom...she could find us BOTH there. I left a note on my door telling her where I was when she arrived. My friends and I went over and were sitting there and in walks my mom. She glares and comes and sits down and I said "Oh, good, you got my note." She said "No, I went by your brother's room and when he didn't answer, I figured he was probably here so I just came over. I didn't go to your room." Then she proceeded to pull out a 5 dollar bill, shove it in my friend's face and say "Go get me a coffee." No please, not at all a request, but a command. And this wasn't even my boyfriend...just a random friend, but anyone who was a friend of mine was public enemy #1 in her eyes at that point. He went and got her coffee because he's nice like that (and also, she was scary) and she didn't even thank him. The semester ended on Mother's day and I had invited her out to lunch. I had to move out of one dorm and into another for the Summer, so we were making trips with a luggage cart from one to the one next door...it was only about 15 minutes per trip...load up, walk next door, unload and come back. We were on the last load, I told her I'd be right back and we'd go to lunch. I came back 15 minutes later and no one was there. No note...I thought maybe she was in the bathroom...we waited. 2 hours later, she comes back with my brother and my roommate...they had gone to lunch...they didn't know how long I would be, so they decided not to wait. They hadn't thought to leave us a note so that we could meet them there....they didn't know yet where they were going to go anyway. So she ditched me for my roommate. Like I said...with my mom, you did not make your own decisions or go against what she wanted. You dressed as SHE wanted you to dress, you went to the church SHE chose, you did what SHE wanted or the consequences were severe. While she loved my husband, we never did quite fix our relationship before she died. There was always distance. She was angry that I wouldn't let her control my life, and I wasn't going to give in to her demands. My brother remained the golden child who could do nothing wrong and she could look past things she disapproved of with him in a way that she couldn't when it came to me. She never treated him coldly like she did with me, and she always sided with him on EVERYTHING. My car was burning transmission fluid and wasn't safe to drive...I was waiting until the mechanic could come pick it up. My brother called and asked if he could borrow my car because he needed to take his clothes to the laundromat. (he hadn't had the money to get his OWN car fixed) I explained that my car was broken down. He begged, I told him no. He called my mom. My mom called and read me the riot act, telling me that I wouldn't even be making it in college if it wasn't for him tutoring me. (UM...he knows NOTHING about Music...he was NOT tutoring me, and also...ouch....you really think I'm so dumb I can't possibly succeed on my own?) and how he had always done everything for me and the LEAST I could do is lend him my car. It wasn't like I was using it. I tried to explain that it was not safe and she wouldn't listen. She reminded me that it was her and my dad who had paid to have a rebuilt transmission put in the car on Thanksgiving weekend when I didn't have the money and needed to get back to school, and that I was now obligated to her and SHE wanted him to be able to use the car. I told her FINE, but if it cratered because HE didn't take care of it, HE was paying for the new transmission. So I called him back, told him he needed to check the transmission fluid EVERY TIME he turned it on...even if it was just to drive to the end of the street. There was fluid in the trunk, add it if it's low, which it will be. He assured me he would, yes, thank you so much, I'll get it back to you ASAP. 10 mins later he calls and says "I can't get the car to move!!" I asked...did you check the transmission fluid? "No...I was just going to the laundromat, I didn't think I needed to!" So I told him to put transmission fluid in and bring it back...he wasn't borrowing it. But my mom didn't care what it cost ME...if HE wanted something, I was supposed to give it, no matter what. He could do no wrong in her eyes, and I could do no right...in her eyes, I was being selfish. To her, I was just a constant disappointment because I didn't do things her way. I just didn't measure up. He was her pride and joy and there just wasn't enough pride and joy to cover me, too. My MIL actually enjoys spending time with me...we do things together by choice, not family obligation. And I appreciate that she loves me like a daughter, even though I'm not blood. She loves me in a way that my mother didn't seem able to. I'm very lucky to have her. As much as I loved my mom, and I DO miss her sometimes, I also know we'd never have had a great relationship. She wouldn't approve of how I'm raising my kids and I wouldn't have let her overrule me, so we would have clashed a lot. It's about respect...my mother's idea of respect was the child has to do what the parents want. My idea of respect goes both ways and doesn't involve either of us sacrificing our own happiness or health to please the other.
 

ajrwdwgirl

Premium Member
Is he really wanting to do that or can you use the broken ankle as an excuse? "Sorry...he can't drive right now and we really need to just take it easy!"

He is torn, he gets annoyed with his sisters but doesn't want to disappoint them. He is a people pleaser and would feel guilty not going. He talked to them on Thanksgiving and planted the seed of us not coming. His oldest sister was appalled and couldn't believe we would even think of not coming. She of course also didn't think his break was a big deal because he has a boot not a cast, even though he can't put any weight on it. And never in a million years would she offer to visit here, she complained about how far it was for our wedding. It will work out somehow.
 

DryerLintFan

Premium Member
He is torn, he gets annoyed with his sisters but doesn't want to disappoint them. He is a people pleaser and would feel guilty not going. He talked to them on Thanksgiving and planted the seed of us not coming. His oldest sister was appalled and couldn't believe we would even think of not coming. She of course also didn't think his break was a big deal because he has a boot not a cast, even though he can't put any weight on it. And never in a million years would she offer to visit here, she complained about how far it was for our wedding. It will work out somehow.

My sisters in law are the same way. We mentioned that we're going to be in Disney World this year for Christmas and one of them got so angry that she walked away and didn't talk to us for over an hour.
 

Pixieish

Well-Known Member
Well, my mom was quite a bit older than most moms. She was already almost 40 when she had my brother and I. She was in her 60s when I got married. I don't think it was just a lack of filter with her. But things like...the guy I was dating in college. She was offended by his mother the first time they met. My mom was staunchly Missouri Synod Lutheran and no other denomination was acceptable to her. If we were on vacation and there was no LCMS church, we could go to an ELCA (evangelical Lutheran) or an Episcopal church, but she would not take communion. We could NOT go to a Catholic or Baptist church, etc and I wasn't allowed to set foot in a Mormon church, even if just for an activity and not a service. So my boyfriend's parents were non-denominational, but his mom said she would never allow her children to become Catholic, Lutheran, or Mormon. My mom was with her on the Catholic and Mormon, but was deeply offended by the Lutherans being included in her ban. So she took an immediate dislike to the relationship, which was exacerbated by the fact that I was not happy in the Lutheran church on campus and had stopped going and was looking for another church home. She viewed it as heresy and told me SHE had chosen Lutheran for me, and Lutheran I would remain. I told her my relationship with God was mine and to butt out. She decided it was his influence and she could barely be civil to me. My brother and I lived on the same floor of the same residence hall...just a lobby between us. She came to visit and my brother was working at the coffee shop across the street, so I decided to go there to make it easier on mom...she could find us BOTH there. I left a note on my door telling her where I was when she arrived. My friends and I went over and were sitting there and in walks my mom. She glares and comes and sits down and I said "Oh, good, you got my note." She said "No, I went by your brother's room and when he didn't answer, I figured he was probably here so I just came over. I didn't go to your room." Then she proceeded to pull out a 5 dollar bill, shove it in my friend's face and say "Go get me a coffee." No please, not at all a request, but a command. And this wasn't even my boyfriend...just a random friend, but anyone who was a friend of mine was public enemy #1 in her eyes at that point. He went and got her coffee because he's nice like that (and also, she was scary) and she didn't even thank him. The semester ended on Mother's day and I had invited her out to lunch. I had to move out of one dorm and into another for the Summer, so we were making trips with a luggage cart from one to the one next door...it was only about 15 minutes per trip...load up, walk next door, unload and come back. We were on the last load, I told her I'd be right back and we'd go to lunch. I came back 15 minutes later and no one was there. No note...I thought maybe she was in the bathroom...we waited. 2 hours later, she comes back with my brother and my roommate...they had gone to lunch...they didn't know how long I would be, so they decided not to wait. They hadn't thought to leave us a note so that we could meet them there....they didn't know yet where they were going to go anyway. So she ditched me for my roommate. Like I said...with my mom, you did not make your own decisions or go against what she wanted. You dressed as SHE wanted you to dress, you went to the church SHE chose, you did what SHE wanted or the consequences were severe. While she loved my husband, we never did quite fix our relationship before she died. There was always distance. She was angry that I wouldn't let her control my life, and I wasn't going to give in to her demands. My brother remained the golden child who could do nothing wrong and she could look past things she disapproved of with him in a way that she couldn't when it came to me. She never treated him coldly like she did with me, and she always sided with him on EVERYTHING. My car was burning transmission fluid and wasn't safe to drive...I was waiting until the mechanic could come pick it up. My brother called and asked if he could borrow my car because he needed to take his clothes to the laundromat. (he hadn't had the money to get his OWN car fixed) I explained that my car was broken down. He begged, I told him no. He called my mom. My mom called and read me the riot act, telling me that I wouldn't even be making it in college if it wasn't for him tutoring me. (UM...he knows NOTHING about Music...he was NOT tutoring me, and also...ouch....you really think I'm so dumb I can't possibly succeed on my own?) and how he had always done everything for me and the LEAST I could do is lend him my car. It wasn't like I was using it. I tried to explain that it was not safe and she wouldn't listen. She reminded me that it was her and my dad who had paid to have a rebuilt transmission put in the car on Thanksgiving weekend when I didn't have the money and needed to get back to school, and that I was now obligated to her and SHE wanted him to be able to use the car. I told her FINE, but if it cratered because HE didn't take care of it, HE was paying for the new transmission. So I called him back, told him he needed to check the transmission fluid EVERY TIME he turned it on...even if it was just to drive to the end of the street. There was fluid in the trunk, add it if it's low, which it will be. He assured me he would, yes, thank you so much, I'll get it back to you ASAP. 10 mins later he calls and says "I can't get the car to move!!" I asked...did you check the transmission fluid? "No...I was just going to the laundromat, I didn't think I needed to!" So I told him to put transmission fluid in and bring it back...he wasn't borrowing it. But my mom didn't care what it cost ME...if HE wanted something, I was supposed to give it, no matter what. He could do no wrong in her eyes, and I could do no right...in her eyes, I was being selfish. To her, I was just a constant disappointment because I didn't do things her way. I just didn't measure up. He was her pride and joy and there just wasn't enough pride and joy to cover me, too. My MIL actually enjoys spending time with me...we do things together by choice, not family obligation. And I appreciate that she loves me like a daughter, even though I'm not blood. She loves me in a way that my mother didn't seem able to. I'm very lucky to have her. As much as I loved my mom, and I DO miss her sometimes, I also know we'd never have had a great relationship. She wouldn't approve of how I'm raising my kids and I wouldn't have let her overrule me, so we would have clashed a lot. It's about respect...my mother's idea of respect was the child has to do what the parents want. My idea of respect goes both ways and doesn't involve either of us sacrificing our own happiness or health to please the other.
It's amazing how cruel people can be to those they're supposed to love. I'm sorry you went through that with your mom. Mine likes to throw me under the bus for my sister's sake and has since we were kids, so I get it. :cry:
 

Songbird76

Well-Known Member
This morning was rough. The only way I was able to get my kid to school on time was allowing her to wear her princess dress. Hope everyone else is having an easier back to work day than we are.

All my holiday shopping is done and everything is wrapped. So I'm going to be trying really hard to stay away from Cyber Monday deals all day at work, LOL
Awwww....I wouldn't worry about the princess dress. We've all had those days. My DS wore a princess dress to preschool a couple of times. And for a while he wouldn't leave the house without glitter hair clips. He wanted the attention his sister got, I think. We just went with it. Hope today goes better for you.
We didn't have a holiday weekend, but yesterday was a tough day for DS. He got in trouble at school...his teacher asked him to redo an assignment because it wasn't legible, and then they were doing a Sudoku on the board and he had figured out where a 1 went, but the teacher didn't believe him, and he started screaming at the teacher. It was just too much for him. I'm going to chalk if up to Monday.
 

Songbird76

Well-Known Member
First world problem averted. Toys R Us near dh’s office had the Nintendo in stock. Had 6 left. He had some time and was able to snag one at the very nice retail and not double marked up on Ebay price. Hooray!! :)I was then able to get 20% back on the Lego purchased through ebay. Funny thing was the seller was actuallyTarget.:D So now my shopping is done. The stress is now over and done with for this year. :cool::)
Congratulations! That's quite an accomplishment. I'm still having issues acquiring what I want to get. *sigh* Glad you got your shopping done!
 

Songbird76

Well-Known Member
Continuing The Trip Report:

The Spanish Side...

Going around the Mining shaft as seen from my last post: https://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/the-chit-chat-chit-chat-thread.892190/page-6649#post-7971009

View attachment 246791

There is water everywhere as there are waterfalls and drops moving in. And these walls are pretty ancient.

All these parts used to be 100% covered and illuminated with oil lamps and before that... with spanish style candles

View attachment 246792
In these areas, Storage and transfer of the materials happened. There are a few tunnels that lead to enclosed rooms and then to the nearby river.

All these parts are supposedly haunted.

View attachment 246793

Multiple arches, storage areas and spaces to make the mining industry work.

View attachment 246794
The ancient spanish "chimneys" where the minerals were melted.
A lot of the walls and above the chimneys contains sacred writings to psychologically control the workers and slaves.
Most of them had ideals such as "Christ is watching you" and symbols. All to deter the thief and escape.

This area was indeed a torture to work for, they worked more than 12 hours in pitch darkness under candle and under the high temps the fires needed to melt the ore.

View attachment 246795

There was a small "molino" where people and animals smashed the ore in a rotating stone.

View attachment 246796

This area is also heavily haunted... The guide said a few times how in random photographers, you could see random apparitions.. including one behind our guide himself. Looking like a normal person of the date... sans eyes.


There are multiple rooms in this area, including another that appeared in the EL ZORRO movie.
There are also pools, very creepy ones. The guide told us that sometimes the bubbles that come out of the pool (which was used for torture and other things, had deadly chemicals) would randomly form full detailed faces in disfigured pain and horror.
0Cqz1KL.jpg


Then a very small kinda hidden door (the whole place is sort of built like a labyrinth of hallways, some going back to the same place after a turn.
You would get to this water bridge ( moves water for the shafts)
The river is below. The entire thing is built on a ton of basaltic stones (see the lower left area, they are all horizontal) Giving the place huge stability.

TUOzxQ7.jpg




View attachment 246797

View attachment 246798
There is also a VERY old tree in the courtyard infront of the hotel.

View attachment 246799

The church again.
View attachment 246800

Aaand thats all folks.. back to the entrance again of the administrative offices and hotel entrance.


Check later for part 6.
Is it just me, or does anyone else think that some of these pictures look like they could be theming for the queue of a Disney attraction?
 

Songbird76

Well-Known Member
Yep, nothin' but the real thing when it comes to s'mores...!!! :hungry:
Our DDs sold GS cookies for a combined decade. They didn't have a s'mores offering back then. Oh, the cookie booth momories...! ;)
Oldest DD once sold over 1500 boxes, youngest DD over 1200. :confused:
Payed for camp, and then some, every summer...! :)
We lived in a tiny town, so selling cookies was always hard. I was always the top seller in my troop though. I usually mad it to about 450 boxes and that was usually more than the rest of the troop combined. Nope, no s'mores then...they've changed some of the names I guess. I still call them samoas, but they are now "Caramel delights" and I say "Tagalongs" but they are now "Peanut butter patties" not to be confused with the former Do-si-dos which are peanut butter sandwich cookies. There are some other new ones, too, but I'm a classic kind of girl. I like the old favorites.
 

Songbird76

Well-Known Member
Wow! Just Wow! It is beyond beautiful in its own right until you read the history of all that and it becomes overwhelmingly sad. History does repeat itself from land to land and that is an emotional journey. I'm on the edge with ghosts and haunting. I don't discount it, I've never experienced it so there is that.

What an interesting trip you and your family had. I'm going to have to learn your smiley face re-work of photos. Me and my family are no more comfortable than you guys are with posting our family images yet so many great photo's have us in them. It is a solution.
I'm on the fence, too, though we did have one creepy experience when DD was 2. It was like 9pm and she was supposed to be in bed and she had this toy kitchen and when you turned the knobs on the stove, they clicked. I could hear her turning the knobs even though she was supposed to be in bed. I whispered to DH that I could hear her. Just as I said that, she cried out and I could hear her run back to her bed. There's NO way she could have heard me because we were in our room, across the hall and her bedroom door was closed and I was whispering. So I went in to check on her and she said "The Lady" scared her. I asked what lady and she said there was a lady standing by her dresser. She had long brown hair and was wearing a brown dress and pants under the dress, and the lady told her she was supposed to be sleeping, not playing. So I told her that the lady was right...she WAS supposed to be sleeping, but it wasn't very kind of the lady to scare her and I told the lady that I appreciated that she wanted DD to follow the rules, I would handle it from now on, thank you. Nothing ever happened again. And my best friend said when her daughter was 2 or 3, she wanted to leave a bag of clothes for the little girl who always came at night, because the girl always wore the same clothes and she thought the little girl must not have any others. Who knows if it's just imaginations or if it's real.
 

MySmallWorldof4

Well-Known Member
Congratulations! That's quite an accomplishment. I'm still having issues acquiring what I want to get. *sigh* Glad you got your shopping done!
Thanks. Don’t know what I would have done prior to online shopping. It does make comparing prices easier and finding things in a snap. I do feel bad for physical stores though. A little bit of guilt there. :oops:
 

Mr Ferret 75

Thank you sir. You were an inspiration.
Premium Member
"The Christmas shopping"...as in...please don't tell me she had to buy her own gift from you!! You DID get her something, right?
Nope ... We are not doing adult presents this year in either side of the family. As for the two of us our present this year is tickets to a production of "wizard of Oz" by the same theater group we watched in the summer (romeo and Juliet)
Here is a teaser of what we saw

No tree or decorations going up this year either
index.jpeg
 

DryerLintFan

Premium Member
I'm on the fence, too, though we did have one creepy experience when DD was 2. It was like 9pm and she was supposed to be in bed and she had this toy kitchen and when you turned the knobs on the stove, they clicked. I could hear her turning the knobs even though she was supposed to be in bed. I whispered to DH that I could hear her. Just as I said that, she cried out and I could hear her run back to her bed. There's NO way she could have heard me because we were in our room, across the hall and her bedroom door was closed and I was whispering. So I went in to check on her and she said "The Lady" scared her. I asked what lady and she said there was a lady standing by her dresser. She had long brown hair and was wearing a brown dress and pants under the dress, and the lady told her she was supposed to be sleeping, not playing. So I told her that the lady was right...she WAS supposed to be sleeping, but it wasn't very kind of the lady to scare her and I told the lady that I appreciated that she wanted DD to follow the rules, I would handle it from now on, thank you. Nothing ever happened again. And my best friend said when her daughter was 2 or 3, she wanted to leave a bag of clothes for the little girl who always came at night, because the girl always wore the same clothes and she thought the little girl must not have any others. Who knows if it's just imaginations or if it's real.

My friend used to live in this really old mansion. I never believed in ghosts, but weird things happened in that house. The phone would come off the hook, cupboard doors would open, and sometimes you'd see what looked like a little boy crying on the staircase in the corner of your eye. I still don't believe in ghosts, but I do believe this kind of weird stuff is common. I think weak spots between ours and alternate dimensions in the multi-verse is a more likely scenario, but I just figure I'm not really smart enough to understand it.

It creeps me out every time my daughter (2.75) says "who's that" and points to a corner or a doorway with nobody in it.
 

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