Tonight is the first time in a good, long while
that I have had the chance to linger
by myself, outside, enjoying a light dinner...
The boys are out of town,
whooping it up at camp
or negotiating deals,
leaving us girls to fend for ourselves...
Not that we are complaining...
It is quiet...
The house is neater...
Laundry is not reproducing at a fast and stinky rate...
I can actually hear myself think with the absence of bickering...
So, I collected ten observations made recently...
1. It's Okay to Enjoy the Fact
that Kids are Away...
Sure, I miss Jack plenty,
but I know he is not really missing me,
his home or his Call of Duty that much
when he is wearing his skinny ass out
boating, riding horses, hiking,
eating piles of s'mores
and playing flashlight tag until the moon is out...
This break from each other is healing in a way...
It will be wonderful to see his grimy, tanned face
on Sunday and I will hug him
until he begs me to stop...
2. It's Okay to Let the Remaining Kid
Veg in Front of the TV,
Watching "Despicable Me"...
First of all, the movie is hilarious
and secondly, she needs a little down time
after a full day of zoo camp...
It's exhausting to pet penguins,
I'll have you know...
I have some Mom/Kate plans
for the rest of the week,
like hitting the beach post camp,
dinner out
and perhaps a painting session
at sunset with brand new watercolors...
I'll redeem my parent points then...
3. It's Okay to Doubt your Spouse
and Then to Be Pleasantly Surprised...
The Pearl Jam concert ran until two am
this past Friday night
and Tom was supposed to catch the seven am Amtrak
to meet us at our friends' Michigan cabin the next morning...
Honestly, I gave him about a twenty percent chance
of showing up if the concert ended at eleven,
much less in the wee hours of the morning...
True to his word, T$ was hanging out with the local color,
outside of Union Station,
before it opened at five am
and he made that train...
He gets bonus husband points for making a big effort...
4. It's Okay to Call Your New Lenses "Progressives"
Even Though We all Know
they are Called Tri-Focals!
Getting older is hell...
I hate that my eyes don't work well anymore...
I am annoyed that I have to
tip my chin skyward to see the computer screen clearly...
Well, I guess my neck looks better at that angle,
so maybe it's not all bad...
5. It's Okay to Jump Out of Your Spiritual Box
and to Believe in Something New...
I am not Catholic...
We Lutherans like to call ourselves,
"Catholic Lite",
as we do the communion thing,
and we pray in similar ways,
but Lutherans don't focus on Mary,
the saints
or all that Catholic guilt stuff...
Well, a good, Catholic friend of mine
has always extolled the virtues of the novena,
specifically to the Infant of Prague
and St. Anthony,
Patron Saint of Finance and Lost Things, respectively...
Apparently, her mother has a statue of the Infant
in a shrine-like setting...
She routinely slips dollars under the statue
and dresses the Infant in seasonal costumes,
not unlike the similarly festooned concrete ducks
you see gracing the front porches
across our great nation...
She added that the Infant and St. Anthony are buddies,
so to speak, and to pray to both of them
for the nine days of the novena
can produce miraculous results,
whether you are trying to improve your fiscal situation
or to find those damn keys you lost last week...
So I figured I had nothing to lose...
I don't think God really cares if I am Catholic,
Lutheran or a Jehovah's Witness, for that matter...
If I pray with an open heart,
things might fall into place...
So T$ and I did just that,
for nine days, and by gum,
on the tenth day good things happened...
Believe and you just never know...
I've Noticed a Few Things Recently...
6. I've Noticed That:
Gnats, Fruit Flies, or whatever those nasty little bugs are called,
like to sit, poolside, on my ramekin of wine,
AKA; "Insect Trap of Death" to taunt me...
They are supposed to take a sip of my cheap rose',
fall in and die...
A whole platoon of bugs
rode along a recent banana purchase
and they are driving me crazy...
7. I've Noticed That:
Farm stands may be a great venue
to broaden kids' culinary horizons...
Kate tasted her first apricot
in the fresh country air the other day
and now she is begging me to buy more...
Maybe I will drag her to more farmer's market outings...
8. I've Noticed That:
Your good days are up to you...
Negative, extraneous crap will fly at you
from all directions, in valiant attempts to ruin your day,
but you must fight it off
like a successful game of "Space Invaders",
shooting those Debbie Downers out of the sky!
You don't need to be an irritating Pollyanna,
but jeez, fight for your own happy...
9. I've Noticed That:
Good friends and a bottle of delicious, cheap wine
are a perfect combination...
I have been leaning heavily on my friends
for my sanity lately
and am grateful for their support...
But again, all Dr. Depresso
does not a good friend make from my end, either...
It's good to just forget reality
and to laugh while sipping Pinot Grigio, too...
10. I've Noticed That: Summer is half over
and I want to savor every last humid drop...
I want to remember this quiet evening on the back porch;
the church bell tolling six o'clock,
the AC units humming in unison,
the water feature next door gurgling
and the slight breeze blowing over my shoulder...
It is peaceful and good and right at this moment, all is well...
As my mother once said,
"It's been a good day; nobody's throwed up yet!"
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