Absentee Bloggerism

The last 10 days or so have been too busy, and packed with items that demanded more emotional content than I was expecting or felt prepared for. There was a big emotional scuffle in a group I belong to, and I hold a position of responsibility as a volunteer in it. An unwritten part of the job description is to pour oil on troubled waters. I don’t like conflict, and I’d prefer to run and hide, like a bunny. What I did was pray a lot, consult a lot with a third party who loves me, and do my job.

Remember To Kill a Mockingbird? There’s a point in the story where Jem and Scout are embarrassed because Atticus is much older than their friends’ parents. And he’s a lawyer – he doesn’t DO anything, like make things or sell things. Then a rabid dog walks into town, and Mr. Heck Tate, the Sheriff, calls Atticus to deal with it – the children find out their father used to be called “Old One-Shot” because he was so good with a shotgun he’d complain about wasting ammunition if it took two shots to bring down his target. Scout wants to tell everyone, and Jem won’t let her. He said he wouldn’t care if Atticus couldn’t do a blessed thing – “Atticus is a gentleman, just like me.”

Well, last weekend I had to be a gentleman, just like Jem Finch. (That is my favourite book ever – I’ve read it at least once a year since I was 12 and that means a lot – the only thing I’m surprised about now is, I haven’t quoted from it more often.

There were family issues too – Mother’s Day with my in-laws, which was lovely; Dad saw the specialist, who is encouraged; my sister said Dad’s doing fine for a 97-year old man, and that would be fine except he’s 77. Then I said to her, there’s one more thing I realized last week I need to ask you. She laughed, and said, “Where’s Mum?” That would be it. Mum’s ashes weren’t interred til my stepfather’s were, and there were reasons I didn’t go to his memorial service. So I didn’t know where Mum is, and that hurt, on Mother’s Day. I didn’t like that they were in the basement of the funeral home last year, but I did know where they were. My sister’s gonna take me out there sometime soon.

This is a long weekend in Canada. One of the best things of my week was talking on the phone at 2 o’clock this morning with a friend in Texas. He’s retired, and wasn’t sure this wasn’t going to be Memorial Day weekend too, cuz he doesn’t go to work anyway. I got kind of loopy and said, “Do you know WHY this is a long weekend in Canada?” He said No, so, I told him. “It’s Queen Victoria’s birthday.” I just won’t tell you what he said back – it won’t translate well to this venue.

So, it’s a long weekend, and I’ve had more to deal with than I wanted. I haven’t been here much. There are things I want to post on the blog, and they’re going to have to wait. I’m going away until late Monday, and I won’t have a computer available. I’m taking a camera, books, poetry, notebooks, pastels, coloured pencils, ivory and black drawing pads and knitting. Oh yeah, and some clothes and groceries and my cell phone in case my family needs me. All the things I want to do will have to wait til next week.

Frolic while I’m gone!