Ah, the quiet and solitude of my house. All I hear is the reverse osmosis dripping, dripping, dripping, as it always does, and the air conditioner humming away. Other than that, no voices, other than Neco’s occasional outburst of barking when he sees the cat on the porch. The kids are all with Mammy and Cari today, swimming. I’m at home, staring at the screen of this ridiculous machine. When you really think about it, we are surrounded by beauty and wonder, and plenty of work, and we sit and stare into this screen. For hours upon hours, we gaze at the shiny, animate screen. I will admit that it’s better than t.v., because we are either searching for, or inputting information, but still! To what does it really amount? Even after this monologue, I will sit, staring into this screen… so, I may as well move on. It made me feel better to acknowledge the absurdity of it, anyway!
On the other side of that coin, I have been trying to spend more time outside, either on the porch, or on the swing. (Not working, mind you. Too hot for that!) The mornings are cool enough, and I have to go outside with Neco, anyway, so I have been taking my coffee, my Bible, and my prayer list. What a wonderful time of day that is! I can think, reflect, study, and pray without interruption, and give my day a good start. If my swing or covered porch were on the back of the house, I would be able to sit and watch Bambi and his mother grazing, but they aren’t. I still get to look at trees, the car, and the neighbor’s house, which are not as nice as deer and the woods, but still better than 12 other houses. If I wanted to, I COULD just move the swing to the back yard, but that’s a lot of work, so I think I’ll leave it where it is. Besides, if I went outside, I would scare the deer, and I’d have to look at the garden, which would remind me that it needed watering, pruning, and picking, and that wouldn’t be as relaxing, now would it? (Is it me, or do I get side-tracked with over-analysis? This is how I make EVERY decision – back and forth, back and forth. Drives Craig crazy.) Yesterday, I had the rare pleasure of sitting on the porch while it rained. It’s definitely been a while since I did that! It was very nice.
Tomorrow, Jake and I leave for Houston for the homeschooling convention, so I’ll be off-line for a few days. Levi and Luke will be with Buddy & Gloria, then with Craig until we get back on Sunday. While I’m looking forward to the workshops and getting to visit with family in Houston, I’m not looking forward to the people, shopping (that’s right – curriculum shopping is NOT as fun as clothes shopping), or the driving. Especially tomorrow, as it will be in the afternoon, and we’ll get to Houston at about 5 pm. Why would I plan to arrive at that time, you ask? Well, by the time we leave piano and drop off the other boys, that’s what time we’ll get there. I could stall, and stop along the way, but we’d like to make it for dinner at Paul & Lisa’s, so we’ll just brave the traffic. It’s worth it for a meal that doesn’t come from a drive-thru, and Jake will be eager to see his cousins. Plus, if we stop, I’ll just spend money. Somehow, some way, I will.
Last night, since we were alone, Craig and I had a date night. We had planned to go to a little uppity restaurant in Blanco (yes, in Blanco), but dinner at home and a couple of movies on the couch sounded so much better, and cheaper, that we opted for that. Craig grilled two delicious t-bones, that, although they caught on fire from my over-zealous seasoning, were still perfectly cooked with a delectably charred exterior. We also had steamed okra fresh from the garden and steamed green beans. We watched a couple of cute romantic comedies and had a very nice, relaxing date. Dating your spouse is so important when you have kids. If it weren’t for the hour we spend at bedtime talking and giving each other our undivided attention, and our date nights, we wouldn’t have the intimate emotional relationship we do. I am sometimes tempted to stay up after Craig goes to bed to work on school, or whatever else it is that I can’t get to during the day, but he likes me to be in bed with him for our unwinding and talk time. We share how our day went, the problems we are having at work and with the kids, and just goof around. Sometimes, if we get there early enough, we’ll play a game like Scrabble or Rummikub, just because we like to compete. Most nights, though, we just lie there and talk, and it helps us both decompress from the day. Such an important time, and so often neglected in marriages!
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