A Really Nice Weekend
11:21 PM - Sunday, Jun. 29, 2003
A busy, busy weekend and I don't think I cried (much). Hey! A new trend!
Friday night I met a friend for drinks and girl talk. We hadn't seen each other in months so there was a lot to catch up on.
Saturday was the weekly trek across the many many many miles to take son#2 to his trumpet lesson. We go to the instructor's house--about 45 mins one way from our house. ugh I don't know if we continue to drive to his house after school starts, or if he gives lessons at the high school as most of the other private instructors do. I can hope. Son#2 is enjoying lessons with him, although he is expected to work hard. The part I hated was when the instructor came out to show me how many things needed repairing on this horn. Yikes. Money,money,money!! Everyone wants me to spend money!! Ah, well, this is a part of life with kids. Probably a part of life without kids, too, but that is such a distant memory I can't relate.
Sat night the hub and I went out with friends. She and I were in college together and the four of us get along great. We met up at one of the artsy cinemas in a new, ultra urban setting in town. New "lofts" built everywhere, lots of shops and restaurants all right there together. In New York, you have that. Down here in Texas, you gotta create it and then call it urban. Back to the movie--we saw the French movie "Jet Lag" with Juliette Binocche (sp?) and Jean Reno. Darling, sweet, romantic movie. He was saying such sweet romantic wonderful things to her in the movie that I got all choked up and feared I was fixing to head over the brink of not being able to stop those huge heaving sobs. Luckily, I maintained control and did some quiet weeping. Ahhh, romance.
I love foreign films--any time, any place.
Today, I met yet another friend for lunch. She and I met when we moved to this town. Her son and my son#2 were friends from the first. She is a neat, neat lady and we can talk so easily. She is one of these people without pretense, without a facade. Pretense and facade are my middle name. But I'm working on that. You know how some people ask your opinion, but you know they really only want you to validate their opinion, not give your own? Well this woman INSISTS that you be honest and tell her what you think. That has been hard for me. As you know, it is my job to keep everyone in the world happy to the extreme. Yep, my job. You ain't happy, blame it on me. But I'm getting better at that too (not at making people happy, but at being more honest and open).
When I came home, the hub and sons were out pruning away at some enormous Lady Banks rose bushes we have in the back yard. I don't know if you are familiar with these rose bushes. Undisturbed, they can grow to probably 15 ft in diameter and at least, but probably more, 15 ft in height. HUGE bushes. They are so beautiful when they bloom in the early spring. Long trailing branches shooting up, bending down, covered in tiny pale yellow flowers. Very fragrant. Yes, one of my favorite plants. However. The people who inhabited the house before we did must not have been familiar with the LB rose. They planted not one, not two, but THREE of these enormous bushes inside the back fence--one by the gate, one in each of two corners. These bushes are absolute monsters. I know from all of my Master Gardener days that you must hand prune these bushes. But I am seriously contemplating getting an electric hedge trimmer and recreating Texas Chainsaw Massacre on those monsters. I know I can cut them back to practically nothing and they will come back in full force in no time. I think it is almost impossible to kill them ( a good thing for me as I prefer things that take care of themselves.) How did I get off on gardening?? Oh--the hub and sons pruning. Wasn't that nice? NONE of the three like gardening at all. I hate to ask for much help, knowing how they feel. I actually don't mind asking the boys. After all, isn't that why we have children--to help us do the things we don't want to do?? But I hate to nag the hub to do things I know he hates. So it was nice to see him take the initiative. So more points on the board for him.
And we bought the new Harry Potter book!! Son#2 is reading it. He doesn't have much going this summer, so at least that gives him something that will enhance his brain power. He is a slower reader than son#1. #1 said he should read it first as he would have it finished the first night. And doubtless he would. #2 is delighting in making comments like "Did you know Ron has been blind in all the books??" I'm going nuts reviewing the books in my mind, then he laughs and says he is kidding. He also continually proclaims how sad it is that Harry dies. Of course, that cannot be the case. We have a firm promise that anyone who discovers who dies absolutely cannot let the cat out of the bag to the rest of us.
I met a family on Saturday that had bought FOUR copies of Harry Potter so each member in the family had their own copy to read. The son and dad were finished. The daughter was close to being finished (and she was VERY unhappy with the author for whoever it is she killed off) and the mother was barely into her book. Hmmm--who do you think has more time to read in that family--and who has the least??
I considered buying the book on tape/CD for some upcoming travels that we have, but I really just want to read the book and enjoy the written word. And the fact that the audio version is selling for around $55 on amazon.com helped me in my decision making. I would like to find a book we could all listen to. Last summer we listened to "To Kill a Mockingbird" and that was really good. I need to get busy and find a good one as we have about 15 hours of driving this coming weekend.
It's nice to write about a good weekend. And I appreciated the notes in my guestbook about friends. I sometimes forget how truly blessed I am with good friends. Shame on me!!
Night, now.
