My dad has brothers and sisters in the double digits, and I have full confidence that if I called any one of them at 3AM and needed a bed for the night, it would be no problem.

When I was living in the States ten or so years ago, my second cousins in Boston had me to stay for the weekend and showed me around the city, even though I'd never met them before. It's what I most love about big Irish families. (Hmm. I wonder if my Australian-Irish cousins would be up for a visit from UK family.)

Facebook told me I needed to reconnect with my HUSBAND.

It told me I don't talk to my father enough. Facebook: a better Irish mother than my actual Irish mother.

As I have said more than once to my therapist, I may have problems, but at least I have a functional family on which not to blame them.

They might launch in five minutes. But the clouds might move over by then.

I have enough extended family that I can stand to lose one or two. I don't think blood's a good reason to tolerate someone being an asshole. We range far and wide. I regret it jams me up with her son, because I refuse to discuss it with him, and I avoid family events she attends, but it's not like I get out much anyway. The best was my mother randomly bumping into her in NY and cutting her down with a stare and curt dismissive words. I love my mother. She's hard core.

J.s are constantly not doing the not-speaking thing, and they do it to me too. Good times. I mean, it makes some things easier, as Grandma is a Palin fan, but I wish it could have been different.

I love my mother. She's hard core.

I think that I would be simultaneously enthralled and terrified by your mother. She raises awesome kids, regardless :)

Oh well. No launch today. The wind is about one knot too high, and the clouds are moving over the flight path at the last minute or so.

My extended family is so huge (my paternal grandmother was the oldest of fifteen kids), I have cousins I've never met, and others I couldn't pick out of a lineup.

If you were getting a thank you gift for something professional, would you rather get flowers or something else, like chocolate?

Ah, my life. I have fabric softener sheets in my purse, but no kleenex.

I have cousins I've never met, and others I couldn't pick out of a lineup.

I have finally met all my first cousins, but that didn't happen until I was 39. I have a few I couldn't pick from a line-up. But, even so, I'm pretty sure if I contacted any of them requesting help, they would do what they could.

Well, I'm not sure if that includes the one cousin who I used to be closest to who doesn't talk to me anymore. I talked with her once when my mom was in hospice. Never heard from her after mom passed away. Her daughter just had a baby - never heard a word about it from her family, just through the grapevine.

What gets me about her, is that she is married to a pastor and I feel like I've been written off cause I don't go to church. Ummm, that first grandchild of hers was born out of wedlock. Not even sure if the mom knows who the dad is. But she is living with them. Eh, whatever.