My Last Day of Sunshine is Tomorrow

For the last two weeks, I have been pampered. I have been allowed to go out with my husband every night (if I wanted to), sleep in until I wanted to, exercise if I wanted to. I have not had to do the grocery shopping, the cooking, the cleaning, the laundry, the entertaining. I have only been required to shower my children with admonitions, or praise, depending on the need. I have only, in the last two weeks, been required to go tubing every now and again, eat lots of walleye sandwiches, and drink many a Long Island Iced Teas (if I wanted to). I've had to clean a few smoothie faces and brush a few teeth. But that is all.

I have been a spoiled woman. And I hate it. Nothing in my past has led me to think I deserve this. I have been a stay-at-home mom for the last 8 years. Just last year I dabbled in part time work, a little. I have not had to work full-time and overtime as a parent. I've not had to work traffic control. I don't deserve a two week vacation from life. I just don't.

And yet. It happens. And every year I return home to all the chores I wasn't good at before I left. And I can't get to the dishes. And I can't unpack. And I can't get to the vacuuming. I can't quite get the laundry done. I can't get through the pile of mail. I can't get dinner on the table. I can't get the shopping done.

It takes me awhile.

But I'll get to them. Especially if you come to visit. Then I'll have a reason.

But I've had a really good homecoming. Here's a list of why:

1.

He's still alive. And the pink fiber awaits me. It will be a happy day when I get to start spinning it.

2. We have eggs. small eggs. but eggs none-the-less. Yay chickens.

3. We also have a rooster that crows. He didn't do this before we left. He is too big for the pot. He has furry feet. Do you want him? I won't tell you he starts crowing at 5:30 a.m.

4.

We have bat shit. It's a reason to celebrate. I was worried about our resident bat. I didn't see his/her shit this year on the porch. I'm not sure this is his/her shit, but it's another sign that life goes on. And if it's another bat's shit...welcome. Eat those bugs. I give you permission. And it's okay if you hibernate in my attic. Just don't come "in".

5. We have cherry tomatoes.

6. We have zucchini the size of Paul Bunyan's arms. Perfect for bread, cake, fritters. I'll be motivated soon. Do you need some?

7. We have cukes. I'm a pickling crazy hussy. Today I pickled dill pickles, bread and butter pickles, dilly beans, and later tomorrow I'm going to pickle my spawn's toes. They're soaking overnight in a salt water bath.

8. My spawn have discovered the Bridge to Terabithea. They have a rope down the clift (Auggie's word) to the stream across the road from us. Today, they packed bologna sandwiches and grapes and ate on the smooth rocks in the stream. No one came home crying.

9. Paul Bunyan's birthday was two days ago and we went out to eat on a date even though we didn't "need" to. I ate a pig's face. It was all boiled down and soft and tasted great with honey mustard. But I was picking it out of my teeth all night. He turned 28.

10. My friend Charlotte had her birthday the next day and I forgot to wish her a happy birthday because I'm selfish like that and right now I'm only thinking about myself and the weeds in my garden. But I love her dearly.

11. Today we went blueberry picking. The last day before the last day. I'm going to make buckle and muffins and cake and ice cream. And I won't do any of the dishes.


12. This might be the thing that has made me the happiest (and possibly the thing that I missed the most):



Miss Liebe's snoring at the foot of my bed. The comforts of home. I know you understand.


***the meaning behind the title of this post is that I am switching my antibiotics back to Doxycycline from Clarithromycin and will no longer be able to bask in the sun. I still have scars on my fingers and toes from the third degree burns I received from the first round of antibiotics. I will cover my extremities better this time and might have to go into hiding. But I'm going to kill these fuckers if it's the last thing I do. I will poke my head out soon, just in time for the snow to fall and for me to turn my face towards the sun as I wave my arms and legs in the snow like an epileptic...all for the sake of fun. Wish me luck.