Thursday, August 4, 2011
Play Day
Yesterday, I did something I rarely do. I took nearly an entire day off.
A few weeks ago, my mother mentioned something regarding the river walk in Naperville. I nodded politely, and she noticed, perplexed. So, I told her I’ve never been to Naperville, which is about forty-minutes from home.
Stunned silence from my mother, than a shocked, “What?”
I reminded her I spent the first half of my adult life broke and raising six home-schooled children, so our activities were family-oriented (with other families in the same boat) and very creative.
Then I spent several years working from home delivering newspapers and writing) as a single parent. I remarried eleven years ago, but still work many, many hours from home, generally seven days a week. Plus, I’m still home-schooling two teens. My world opens from the computer screen out.
Because my fiftieth birthday fell on a Friday (warehouse day), we delayed the official celebration for two days. Our pastor baked a raspberry cheesecake, and Rebekah baked a piano-shaped cake.
My old asthmatic, but power-walking, lungs blew out all fifty candles to a giant cloud of choking smoke. Then I retreated to the attic and deadlines. Rebekah brought a slice of cake to me. I ate it while I typed.
So my seventy-five-year old mother decided to celebrate my half-century mark with a day in Naperville for a nice lunch, a walk by the river, and the browsing in shops.
I ate chocolate, flipped through books, got some ducks going by quacking at them, and added a crayon picture of bryony vines to a bulletin board of children’s art in a spice shop.
While driving back, my husband Ron called and told us to go straight home; he had already cleaned the warehouse. Christopher had made dinner. Then while I was checking mail, Daniel did all the chores. All that was left was shower and bed.
The best part, is that my sister and her youngest daughter joined us for the day and booked me for another day next week off BEFORE we said our good-byes. We’re going back on Wednesday for a day at Naperville’s beach-like pool area.
My sister is smart, too. She not only asked me while I was there, she had confirmed it by email by the time I was online, before I could schedule interviews and stories for Wednesday.
It’s been so long since I’ve been swimming (and I LOVE the water), that I don’t even own a swimsuit, so my sister’s checking to see if she has anything in my size. I feel SO relaxed right now, I might do this again once or twice in the next fifty years.
A few weeks ago, my mother mentioned something regarding the river walk in Naperville. I nodded politely, and she noticed, perplexed. So, I told her I’ve never been to Naperville, which is about forty-minutes from home.
Stunned silence from my mother, than a shocked, “What?”
I reminded her I spent the first half of my adult life broke and raising six home-schooled children, so our activities were family-oriented (with other families in the same boat) and very creative.
Then I spent several years working from home delivering newspapers and writing) as a single parent. I remarried eleven years ago, but still work many, many hours from home, generally seven days a week. Plus, I’m still home-schooling two teens. My world opens from the computer screen out.
Because my fiftieth birthday fell on a Friday (warehouse day), we delayed the official celebration for two days. Our pastor baked a raspberry cheesecake, and Rebekah baked a piano-shaped cake.
My old asthmatic, but power-walking, lungs blew out all fifty candles to a giant cloud of choking smoke. Then I retreated to the attic and deadlines. Rebekah brought a slice of cake to me. I ate it while I typed.
So my seventy-five-year old mother decided to celebrate my half-century mark with a day in Naperville for a nice lunch, a walk by the river, and the browsing in shops.
I ate chocolate, flipped through books, got some ducks going by quacking at them, and added a crayon picture of bryony vines to a bulletin board of children’s art in a spice shop.
While driving back, my husband Ron called and told us to go straight home; he had already cleaned the warehouse. Christopher had made dinner. Then while I was checking mail, Daniel did all the chores. All that was left was shower and bed.
The best part, is that my sister and her youngest daughter joined us for the day and booked me for another day next week off BEFORE we said our good-byes. We’re going back on Wednesday for a day at Naperville’s beach-like pool area.
My sister is smart, too. She not only asked me while I was there, she had confirmed it by email by the time I was online, before I could schedule interviews and stories for Wednesday.
It’s been so long since I’ve been swimming (and I LOVE the water), that I don’t even own a swimsuit, so my sister’s checking to see if she has anything in my size. I feel SO relaxed right now, I might do this again once or twice in the next fifty years.
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