It’s Sunday, September 4, 2011 today. There are 118 days left in this year. We’re in week number 35 of 52. 111 days until Christmas, but who’s counting?
re: Family Tree; Old Roots & New Branches (emotion and memories)
School begins Tuesday – in our little town! Most parents are excited and others like my friend Brady, not so much. I can still remember the silence that I experienced on the first day of school. I would just sit on the couch and soak it all up.
When I was a young girl, if I remember correctly, school started back the day after Labor Day (also known as the working man’s holiday) and lasted about 180 days. It was the only thing, as a child that I related to Labor Day. There were usually flags waving and some sort of picnic with fireworks involved. Those 180 days felt almost like a prison sentence. We went regardless of illness, unless of course, you had a fever, then you could stay home sick. Times have changed; now you need a doctor to declare your illness or you’ll be puking in the bathroom.
I went shopping with my daughter, for wedding decorations and some extra school clothes. We bought her, soon to be adopted daughter, a tee shirt that says, “Haters Make Me Famous,” not so much for the quote itself, nor do I know to whom to give the credit for saying it first, but merely because it was cute and she has socks to match it. Their school started a week or so ago, but my daughter shops for extras quite often. When I was young, we only got clothes for birthdays, back to school and Christmas. With 8 children living in her home, plus those that have been emancipated (living on their own), but still needing a family to come home to, she provides for them all. The way she cares for and dresses them, you’d never know which ones were “fosters”.
People tend think that we have some hidden agenda in all the things that we say, or do, or even the purchases we decide to make, but sometimes it really just works out that way. I may get myself one soon; I find it rather funny and true at the same time. They say that you’re not truly famous until you have as many enemies as you do friends.
I call them “frienemies,” a fun way to talk about the people that you’re not fond of, but must maintain a relationship with for one reason or another; kind of like we had to learn to do in school.
My Granddaughter, Trinity told me that she couldn’t be friends with a girl at school anymore, because they weren’t in the same class. I spent a few minutes trying to explain to her how she should remain friends and that I didn’t think it was right to start forming cliques at such a young age, and gave her a long list of reasons why. Only when I had finished, she told me that the little girl had simply moved to another school. It was just me, projecting, I guess. We’ve all assumed that someone had said or done something that we didn’t partially like, when in all reality it had nothing to do with us.
It’s hard to deal with people on a daily basis, which you don’t care for. It makes it hard to do in our home, school and/or our work environments; you can’t avoid them. Try as we may.
As Christians we make it our mission in life to never throw people away. Although, I’ve seen it – up close and personal – more than once in my lifetime. I may have even chose to distance myself from a few people a time or two, but if they’re related you can’t fully “x” them out. At some point in your life, your paths will cross.
What to do then?
Remember, as we did in school, the people that made us feel good about ourselves and we cherished those friends. We also remember those that chose to be cruel and tried to belittle us; make fun at our expense. Unfortunately, it often spills over into adulthood; having to deal with people that doesn’t partially like you or has formed some wrongful opinion(s). The bible say’s, “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” 1 Corinthians 13:11.
We don’t ask our family or friends to come to our aide, but rather, wonder why they have not.
“In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” ~ Martin Luther King Jr.
I’m tired; really tired. I’ve worked long and hard… and still have so much more to do.
In addition to my scheduled tasks for the 35th week:
- Wipe down the tables and chairs
- Clean the Dishwasher
- Menu Planning/Grocery shopping
- Wipe Out the Microwave
- Wipe the small appliances.
- Discard food in the freezer that’s past its prime.
- Update Scrapbook
- Post new recipe to the blog
- Get my haircut
- Scrub the Grout
- Shopping
- Take trash to the road
- Wipe out the kitchen sink. (sterilize)
This list doesn’t include the little everyday things that I do, see my “Philosophy,” page for the regular stuff, not to mention, this week I’ll be hosting a reception and need to get the carpets cleaned, my guest bathroom ceiling & walls wiped with mud (that’s drywall talk) and primed and painted, along with the front door.
I’m going to take a break now to make a fresh pot of coffee; I’ve had three cups this morning, but could use another. I need to remove the dead bird from my front porch and then I’ll eat a caramel apple. I strongly suggest that you do the same. It’s that time of year.
Have a great Labor Day Weekend!
And yet, in puny, distorted, phantasmal shapes albeit,/It will braird again; it will force its way up/Through unexpectable fissures. ~ Hugh MacDiarmid, On a Raised Beach
Metcalf Family Mews 