Quiet Labor Day

Every time I have looked outside today it has seemed as though we were fixing to get a big storm. Leaden grey skies, winds whipping my hair around my face – not but ten drops of rain all day, however.

 

It has felt like a Sunday, all day.

 

This morning Michael and I worked on a project for school that’s due tomorrow. He had to write about one of the Olympic athletes from Georgia. We chose a basketball player named Dwight Howard. The US basketball team won gold. I had no idea until I was helping him research. We didn’t watch the Olympics.

 

Ever since the 1996 Olympics here in Atlanta, they just make me sad. My father was so excited that summer that the Olympics would be here, but he died before the games began. I bought him an Olympics tee shirt and he was wearing it when he died. I remember watching the opening ceremonies by myself in a hotel room at the beach, where I had taken Mother to get away from everything for a few days and rest. She was exhausted after nursing Dad and dealing with the aftermath of his death. I cried watching the opening ceremony, wishing Dad could see it. So, the Olympics are not happy, to me. I avoid them.

 

I took Michael over to his friend Clay’s house for the afternoon, and then I helped Alesia study for her science test.

 

I put some ribs in the slow cooker. I had never done them that way, but the kids and I ate some ribs at Brian’s house that were wonderful. These turned out well. I just doused them with salt and pepper and onion powder and slow cooked them about 4 hours, then put them in a pan covered with barbeque sauce and cooked them in the over for about an hour and a half at 325.  I want to make those again when my brother comes home. He would like them.

 

Mother and Alesia and I had a late lunch at The Hickory House. Poor choice of restaurant. Knowing I’d be eating BBQ for dinner, I just had a veggie plate.

 

We picked up Mike on the way home. The kids and I played Scrabble late this afternoon. I help either kid when they get stuck, so it ends up being a pretty even matchup. I need to remember to study up on “Q” words…

 

I didn’t get some things done that I wanted to do, but for most of the day I had a bad headache. A “hormone headache” I’ve started calling them. Ah, the joys of menopause.

 

One of the moms who attended the MAPREC party yesterday wrote in her blog that she and the kids had fun, which meant a lot to me. It’s so nice to visit with other parents who share your same outlook and experiences.

 

I have a bruise the size of a half dollar on my inner arm. Michael pinches and pummels me playfully but has no idea how strong he is. I finally told him tonight he’s going to have to stop it. I explained that I am strong inside, but not too strong outside, and he has got to go easy on me. I’m an old lady and I bruise easily.

 

As I typed that just now I thought, you know, I’m not so strong as I’d like to think. I have a friend  who is also a single mom, and I’ve been trying to arrange to see her and visit for weeks. She always has other plans. I need to just take the hint and let that friendship go. It saddens me to think of her not in my life, but she has been distancing herself for a while. She thought I was stupid to adopt my children. Now they are home and thriving, she doesn’t like me much any more, it feels like. I proved her wrong. So, I will find other friends, I hope…