ode to silence...

 Back when I was knee deep in small children, beneath the surface of taking care of them....the listening and talking and teaching and washing and cooking and driving and playing, there was a longing...for five minutes of peace and quiet.  (I remember thinking At least Paul gets the drive to and from work...). Sometimes I stayed up far into the night, to get that peace and quiet, and paid dearly in fatigue, I never seemed to catch up on sleep, but ha, that's a different story for a different day.

The tape recorder which is my life has fast-forwarded, into a place where silence is now the rule.  The two kids who still live at home are out and about this fine evening, and Paul is in his new office playing his guitar.  Orange Guy kept me company on the arm of my chair, now it's Miss Kettler, Old Kitty.  The whole-house fan is on, like huge loud white noise, and it's quiet except for his music and strumming of his guitar.  

I am not tired of the quiet yet.  I am still in awe of the novelty of it.  I do not get bored.  I finished a book, The Hunter, by Tana French, and really liked it.  

My day was wonderful.  Camille and I headed out bright and early to get her to her state equivalency test.  I dropped her off, and stayed there in the parking lot with my window down, listening to the construction across the street, while reading some of my book.  I had my dr. appointment to go to, didn't want to be too early.  

The appointment was very uneventful.  My arm is so much better now, diagnosis:  carpal tunnel and tendonitis.  I'm to call if it gets really bad again, use pain killers, arthritis cream, ect.  Not really worth going to, but whatever.  I told the dr. I didn't sleep for over a week, then as soon as I called, it got seriously better.  

(Now I just have to call about my knees...)

Next, I went to the local coffee place, just down the road from the prison.  I had ordered two pounds of coffee, he roasts it fresh when you order it, and it was ready for pick up.  Freshly roasted coffee in the car, a heavenly aroma.

After that, I went to Kohl's, 50% off the clearance.  I hobbled around and found a few nice things, a Yankee Candle for Suzanne's shower gift basket, some Pokemon pajamas for one of the grandkids, a book, and two cute pumpkin bowls.  

I really wanted a coffee, an iced Americano, to read my book with while I waited for Cam to finish, I was in the Starbucks drive through when she texted and said she was done....oops, she had to wait a bit.  (She passed both parts she took today, btw!)

Home...ahh, home...Sonja was here getting some sun...we went in the pool for a bit, then she had to go to work.  Camille and I made dinner together, she had vodka pasta, I had hot sausages with fresh tomatoes, basil from the basil plant, and chopped onions, on some fresh spaghetti squash.  (I made some for Paul too)

The camping list is out on the counter, and several things are checked off.  I've made some trips down the deck steps and am getting it packed.  It's hooked up to the electric, so the refrigerator is running, we'll switch it to propane when we leave on Thursday.  

I asked Paul:  Are you excited about camping?  Excited?  um...I'm glad to go...  Me:  Okay, I'll take it.  :)

The dogs start knowing something is going on, they see us packing, they get excited for sure.  Especially Suri, good old Suri.  Did you know that Little Miss Sunshine is eight years old now?  

Wasn't she just the cutest puppy?

Monday was a busy day here, I was almost knee deep in small children!  I went to the store with Kathryn and her three little ones, then came back here with her.  Grace was already here in the pool with her three little ones (well, Maeve was taking a nap).  

Ruth and Rhys with their chocolate ice cream cones.  I'll tell you a little secret:  Aldi Specialty chocolate ice cream is incredible.  Cream, skim milk, sugar, egg yolks, cocoa..that's it.  It's delicious.  Don't ask me how I know.  :)

So don't feel too sorry for me, some days there's not a speck of silence to be had, ha.

Tomorrow morning, Camille and I will once again set out to go to the small city, so she can take parts 3 and 4 of the test...I'll probably go to Walmart in the mean time, to get something for Tennyson's fourth birthday, his party is here on Monday...the day after we get home from camping.  

Jonathan and Camille are home now....so I'll sign off and talk with them...heaven knows we need to take these opportunities when we have them, before we know it, they'll be up and moving out, too!  Have a good night!