Mountain Roads versus white sand.

On Sunday evening I made the customary call to my grandmother in Pennsylvania to wish her a happy Easter. During our brief but pleasant conversation I learned that ALL my cousins were able to make it " home"  for the annual Family Easter Dinner. Grandma said that the family is all well.

My parental units are out-of-the-country, so no Easter Feast was had at their house.

Holidays can really " suck" when one is thousands of miles away from kith & kin. I had a wonderful Easter Morning with my parish family at church but when one grows up in a HUGE Irish-Roman Catholic family--holidays meant face-time with the aunts. uncles & cousins & the god family in Ohio.

I've made my own life here on the Florida Gulf Coast & * most* of the time I am content to be here & truly am " blooming where planted" But major holidays always leave me with a sense of sadness, as it is financially impossible for me to travel North to see my family on such days. Due to the increase of airline tickets, I can only afford to make one trip up north per calendar year.

Best Dude was working a 2-8 shift on Easter Sunday, so I ended up spending the afternoon of the Feast Of The Resurrection alone. My excitement was catching up on my newest TV addiction, "Duck Dynasty" and trying to forget how much I miss my extended family every major holiday. :O(

If I had access to a windfall of money, I'd plan trips up North for Best Dude & me to visit my " people" every Christmas & Easter week. But since I do not have said money , I am " stuck" in Florida for all major Christian & secular holidays.

Money controls the world.

Yuck.