Angelina Jolie Lips and Family Reunions..

I went to our family reunion yesterday.

Now, my moms side of the family can cook like nobody's business, and yesterday was no exception.
Kudos to everyone who actually BROUGHT something to the table.

(Just hold onto your horses-I'll get to Angelina's lips in a few minutes- they're not that interesting anyway.)

Our family reunion is a huge affair, usually from a hundred to a hundred and fifty usually show up.
Well, we all understand that sometimes a few have to work and just don't have time to make anything, or a few are short on funds and can't make anything- we take those with a grain of salt, so to speak, and we say come anyway- there's usually plenty.
But in the past few years, more and more have just not brought a dad-gum thing so now it's a precious half dozen people providing for the entire group. And it's the SAME group every. single. time.

Next year we'll be sending out invitations to bring a dish and a reminder of the day, time and place altho we've been having it the Sunday after Mother's Day for over a dozen years now and you'd think everyone would KNOW when it is by now. If almost every family just brings one dish, there will be MORE than enough food to feed the entire family.

See, I had to work this weekend, but I still managed to bring a chocolate cake, Fried chicken(not from a 'to go' place either- but we don't turn our noses up to bought food either) and a gallon of sweet tea.
My sister -who ALSO not only worked worked this weekend and is in charge of renting the place to have the reunion as well as sending out notices and invitations and coordinating the entire event, but also had to stop cooking to go to the hospital when her DIL went into labor so Tee didn't get back home and finish cooking til 4AM- also cooked and brought...Mac & cheese pies, baked beans, green beans, black-eye peas, yeast rolls(from scratch), poundcake, fried chicken, meatloaf, hamburger casserole, peach cobbler, potatoe salad, and broccoli casserole.Oh- and a half dozen 2 ltr sodas.

Three others brought a couple of dishes as well, but everyone else came empty handed and empty stomached as well.

Anyway, I just felt the need to say something in behalf of my sister. Next year I'll be off and be able to do more like I did last year, but the other family slackers need to get off their asses at least every other effing year and bring a freaking bucket of KFC or some ice or cookies or SOMETHING, for God's sake.

And a HUGE THANK YOU to the ones who helped out either bringing stuff or helping clean up after.

Now, that being said, We all had a lovely visit together. This year seemed to be the core group that comes every year with a few new additions. Every year we have a few who only come about once every 3 or 4 years...and this year was no exception.
There were also all the newborns born in the last year....I think everyone of them was a little girl this year so I had a passel of baby girls to cuddle and kiss, much to the chagrin of little Green eyed monster, My grandson Nicholas, who decided he had had enough and insisted on sitting next to me, and then eye'd with irritation every baby girl who was handed to me. Don't worry- I gave Nicholas PLENTY of attention as well, but he's used to being my center of attention when we're together.
There was no drama(but I'm sure if any of them read this there will be plenty for me down the road), and the new place Tee picked out was a wonderful upgrade from last years grounds.It was conveniently located- a central location for all the local family which was a blessing, with plenty of shade and places for the kids to play and grownups to congregate and have a chat catching up.

All in all, it was a lovely day, with good food, great weather, and a grand time had by all.
So....................................................................

Now back to Angelina's Lips.
Krista, one of the girls that came with my baby sister, Nina, made a couple of lemon pies. I mean that girl squeezed fresh lemons to get the juice for these pies and not knowing it had fresh lemon juice in it, I ate a slice of one of them and enjoyed the heck out of it.
Then I started getting a strange tingling in my lips as I finished the last bite of it and then someone told me the pie had FRESH Lemon Juice in it. Uh-Oh.
I am mildly to seriously allergic to citric acid. Well, when I got to work I had to take a Benadryl capsule because my lips were swelling.
This afternoon my lips are still slightly swollen and the inside of my mouth-especially inside my lips are raw from the citric acid allergy.

Yeah, I have Angelina Jolie Lips.
I hope they go away soon......

I TOLD you it wasn't that interesting.