Okay. So I haven’t blogged in almost a week, and a friend of mine wrote to ask why. Was I sick? Gone on vacation? Run out of ideas for the blog?"None of the above" was my answer. Just blame it on life.
After the rainiest April in memory, the lake in my backyard finally receded last week leaving the garden muddy but workable. I spent most of Friday and Saturday pruning trees and bushes, pulling weeds, planting summer bulbs, and transplanting overcrowded patches of plants. By Saturday evening I felt like I’d been clobbered with a 2x4. But the back and front yards looked beautiful. The new birdfeeder was in place and a mama and papa cardinal were presiding over the feast my husband had placed there for our feathered friends. The only thing left to do was mow the grass and write my blog, and that could wait until Sunday.
But Sunday was Mother’s Day, and the kids started arriving at eleven in the morning. Soon the house was filled with children and grandchildren, and all thoughts of writing vanished as I enjoyed a wonderful day with my family. When the last of them left later that evening, I collapsed on the couch with the chocolate covered strawberries my youngest daughter had given me and turned on the finale of Celebrity Apprentice. I wasn’t pleased by Trump’s decision on the winner, but it was an interesting way to end the day. My blog, I figured, could wait until Monday.
Then Monday arrived, and with it my 3-month-old grandson, Christian. Fred and I are official babysitters now as our daughter-in-law is returning to work. We have Christian only two days a week, but we’re fully equipped with a portable crib, a fold up swing, and an umbrella stroller for nice long walks to the park. Monday went pretty smoothly, except that we discovered Christian would rather sleep in our arms than in the crib. While he dozed, I mentally wrote my blog, sure that I’d post it later that evening.
But evening came, and with it a trip to Home Depot to select three new bushes my husband wanted to plant before the next series of rainstorms hit. By the time we got home and I sat down at my computer, my brain had called it a night. I penned a few dull lines, then deleted it all. Oh well, I thought, there’s always tomorrow.
Silly me. Christian was back again on Tuesday, and this time he’d taken a loooong nap at home before coming. He was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and wanted nothing else but to be held and played with all day. So we played indoors and out and had a wonderful time, but would he take a nap? No way! Oh yes, he’d fall asleep for fifteen or twenty minutes in my arms, but put him in the crib and he’d wake up almost immediately. No hour, or even a half an hour, in which to write a blog.
You had Tu
esday evening, you say. Well, not really. Bruce Springsteen was in town, and I was working the concert. I got to the United Center in time to catch The Boss rehearsing with the band. It was awesome watching him strive for perfection on every song. As I stood in the shadows looking down on the stage, I thought of the perfect topic for a blog. I couldn’t wait to get home and light up the computer with beautiful words.But it was after midnight when I pulled into our driveway. Too tired to type, I headed for bed instead. Wednesday morning I logged on to AOL only to find several dozen new emails and a book order. Promotion matters, so after answering my emails, I checked onto Twitter, then onto Facebook and MySpace. Then it was off to the post office to mail the book.
On returning home, my husband reminded me we’d planned to catch the 1 PM showing of Star Trek at our local theater. After a fast lunch, we were off to the movies. But guess what? The one o’clock viewing was only shown on the weekends. We’d have to wait until 4 PM to see what we’d heard was a great film. As long as we were out and about, we decided to go food shopping. An hour later I was unpacking groceries and mentally writing this blog. Could I get it down on paper before leaving again for the theater?
Well, I wrote part of it before the telephone rang and tore me away from the computer. So now, having seen the exploits of a young Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise, I’m finishing this blog while listening to the Cubs battle San Diego.
"Excuses, excuses" I suppose you could say. But I say, "The best laid plans of mice and men…"
Oh, yes. That’s life.
5 comments: