Photos, visitation, catholics, walking to school. It's SHORTER!!!

Beth over at Books Etc. suggested an online photo album type thing, and it was the kick in the pants I needed to get going on it, so you will see two new features....the grandparents would murder me, and I think the husband too if I had photos up of the kids and us, we aren't featured. Lots of boats though....The elder daughter thinks too many. I will grant I am more enamoured of them than most of you. I've also put in links to two cruiser's blogs if you want to look at still more boat pics, and Bahamas scenes.

The visitation for my father in law was yesterday, and we heard about it by e-mail. It seems to have gone fairly smoothly, and many people came by. More than they had expected, which is always comforting. They had put up lots of pictures of him and the family, and it all seems to have been as OK as these things can be. The priest who administered the last rights spoke, as did one of my sisters in law. Now the big worry is my Mother in Law who seems to be going downhill faster than before.

My Mom has a theory that guys who were brought up Catholic are simply more caring and thoughtful people. Now this may be because my father was brought up Catholic, my sister's husband was, and so was my husband. All in different nations interestingly. My father maintains that they were just the same as all the other guys, but it was only the protestant girls that you had a hope of getting anywhere with, so you had to one up the protestant guys and put up a nice front. Sounds a little like those you date and those you marry, except in my family they all married them you date.

My brother-in-law sensibly stayed out of the conversation, and my husband wasn't there. There are some interesting things about the lapsed Catholics in my family that provide humour to those of us around them. My father for instance was completely hilarious while walking the halls of my all girl dorm in university. Guys were there all the time, they stayed over night, the whole deal...not a Catholic college, and the fire drills at night were truly hysterical. My Dad however clearly thought that either the mother superior was going to appear and give him the belt, or the hand of GOD was going to come down and scythe him in two, and I don't think he has believed since he was 5. I giggled every time he looked over his shoulder.

My husband admits he was telling our daughters off the other day in town, next door to the main church, in front of the manse in fact. (Where the priest lives) Well there he is, letting the kids have it, in English, when out comes the priest...instantly the husband apologizes, although I am not sure why. Nor is he. He even blushed and looked sheepish when he told the story on himself. Nothing like the sight of the priest in his collar to bring out feelings of guilt in a good Catholic boy. Or an erring one for that matter.

Kids decided that they were going to walk themselves home from school today, and have done so twice. Although I have told them that I want to pick them up some of the time or else I cannot use them to get to know some of the people in this town. Kids must have some purpose, if only as a ticket in to the society. Well, other than being wonderful and delightful and a ton of fun.