Irishgoddess’s Weblog

Just the four of us in the car. It was about 62 degrees cool outside, a bit rainy, and the feel of fall in the air. We had been in the car a while, felt hungry, and spontaneously stopped at a Chinese buffet we’d never been to.

We ate – GMan at sushi (3 helpings), Lucy and I ate our usual safety/comfort Chinese foods, and we all ate too many bought-at-Costco desserts. As we tried to let the food settle, we spent what seemed like hours going over the Chinese Zodiac, figuring out who was what, who was compatible with whom. The kids kept saying “Do you know anyone born in 1980? When was Dylan born? When was Uncle Terry born? Who was born in 1993?” so they could classify everyone they know.

I felt madly, wonderfully happy. I worry so much (too much) about GMan, and here he is, showing me up with how expanded his tastes are, how willing he is to try new things. YEAH!!! And Lucy, being so sweet as always, laughing, reading, willing to listen to anything any of us talks about. It was a routine, even dull, but absolutely perfect moment in our family’s life.

I have this group of friends – the main two are MM and MMac. We try to meet at least twice a month at a regular place and time – the three of us are always present, and others come and go.
We call it the “Triple M” club.

Recently MMac’s sister, AM has started joining us more frequently. We love her so much that we have renamed it the MMM-A Club. (Idiotic, yes, but it makes us giggle. Giggling seems to be one of our main functions.) We also have started grilling out once a week, usually just the four of us. It allows a very different sort of intimacy to exist when we’re sitting at a table, breaking bread and drinking wine. (We really do that – we like garlic bread and cheap red wine.) We’ve shared some deep and dark secrets, and never before have I felt so unconditionally loved. I mean, to be fair – they don’t have to be married to me – but that’s probably what makes it easier for them to love me.

Anyway, all four of us also happen to be recovering/ex-Catholics and the last time we met it was the Feast of the Assumption. We decided that it is now a necessity to also always meet on all Holy Days of Obligation. We are obligated to each other.