Worn

This has become my theme song. This year has had ups and downs, and I've often thought I could have written this song. If I wrote songs. If I had that talent. ;-) It's especially true today. The last week has taken a lot of wind out of my sails.

Good Stuff:
- Safe travel and quality time with Alex. I picked him up on my way north, so Mom was happy that I wasn't driving all that way alone. Never mind that it added a lot of extra time to the trip. The things we do for our families!
- Uncle Carl's funeral went off without a hitch. Mom's pastor handled it for us and he did a wonderful job. One of my Catholic aunts called a couple days later to tell Mom how much they enjoyed his work, at least as far as one can appreciate a funeral service.
- I made it through Taps and the 21 gun salute without blubbering.
- Alex and my brother, Rob, were pall bearers. It was WAY out of Alex's comfort zone, but he did it for his grandpa. He makes me proud.
- I had a good conversation with my step-dad yesterday about faith. The seeds are there. He even chose some of the scripture for the service.
- Lots of my cousins came to the funeral and the lunch, so I got to reconnect with them and introduce Alex to the ones he hadn't met yet. There were some I bet I haven't seen in 20 years or more. In fact, the last time I saw one of them, she picked up my bridal bouquet after I bounced it off the ceiling in the church fellowship hall. :-) It was a low ceiling. We should have done the bouquet toss outside. 
- Eric has had some good interviews. There are more possibilities in Chicago (he went to high school with the guy in charge of IT in one of them, but he's too high to do actual hiring), and there's one in Indy, which would get me a lot closer to my family.
- I didn't see Grandma on her birthday, but we did stop to see her yesterday (the day after), and we met Dad there. He was on his way home from Indiana. :-) She said she'd been celebrating for 3 days.
- I got to church this morning, and a couple people said they were glad I was back. It's nice to be missed. As far as I know, I'll only miss one more Sunday this year. Even if Eric gets an out of town job, the plan is for him to commute for a couple months and scope out areas to live in while I get the house ready to sell.
- Speaking of which, real estate is finally rebounding in our area. It's not great, but it's better than it was. We can always rent it if it doesn't sell, but who wouldn't want my kitchen? ;-)
- Our 26th wedding anniversary is Thursday.

Not So Good Stuff:
- My step-dad is still in shock. They've had a busy weekend and it likely won't hit home until this week or maybe next week. We each have to work through it in our own way, but it's going to be a hard year for him more so than anyone else.
- I brought home a box of tomatoes from Mom's garden and two boxes of sweet corn from the farmer's market. I have preserving to do in the next couple of days. I'm not thinking about freezing all the corn and then having to move it. Maybe we can eat it before that!
- I put over 1,300 miles on the car last week. That alone would explain my fatigue and the dull headache I've had all day, let alone the stuff I did between. I feel like I could sleep for a week, but I can't. I have a barding gig at the nursing home on Wednesday, and the St. Louis Scottish Games is next weekend.
- Speaking of the Games, I'm going to have to come up with a tactful way of firing one of my volunteers. She sets up her table with her family genealogy and goes on and on about how wonderful her great-uncle was, like the general public has a reason to care about it. I've tried to get her to focus more on the bourbon he made, but she won't. I hate it when people are so self-centered that they can't take a hit. I'm not a blunt person. Maybe I'll move and can pass her on to someone else! Or not give her info to the next person. The only way that would work is if the other board member who referred her to me last year breaks that cycle, and she's just as self-centered as my problem child.

This week:
- The usual household stuff.
- Games on Friday and Saturday.
- Pray for work. I love my husband with my whole heart, and he's been a real trooper since he got laid off. He's been great about staying downstairs when I'm working and not interrupting me, but there are times he's all up in my Kool-aid when I don't want him to be. First world married problem.