Monday Mania

How is it possible this is the last week in JUNE? Crazy...normally by now, the spouse has been hard at work for at least 2 months or more, and bills are beginning to be caught up. But this insane weather pattern has everthing screwed up!

Deep breath. Exhale slooooowwwwllllyyy.

Fr Dave asked the question yesterday, 'How do you handle the storms of your life? Do you panic? Do you pray fervently for God to get you out of the situation? Or do you rest secure in His arms, trusting He will guide you through?'

He compared it to a night time thunderstorm: Some people awaken immediately and seek shelter; others ride out the storm in anxiety; and others awaken the next morning with 'Oh...there was a storm last night?'

I'm in that last group. I've actually proven I can sleep through a rock concert! (More on this in a moment)

Last year, D didn't get called out until the last week in June, but that was due to his own decision not to sign out of the Hall until the end of May. This year, non-stop rain has caused him to only work eleven days, and now his unemployment has run out. Fortunately, his federal extension has kicked in. But for only another ten weeks.

He has chosen to be angry and blame everyone else, including God. The kids are actually looking to ME for encouragement, because Mom is an optimist and demonstrates the FAITH that eventually we will get through this. Yes, I have moments where it seems the burden is too great to bear, but I cling to the fact that HE always provides for us, whether it be a job, an opportunity, or simply understanding creditors willing to keep the lines of communications open.

Of course, that line of communication works two ways.

1) D informed me last week that his sight was cloudy in one eye, and had been getting worse in the past several weeks. I promptly got on the phone and contacted his eye doctor, who said to bring him in. Diagnosis? Some of the jelly-like substance inside his eye has traveled to the front. It's being removed later today.

If he had told me earlier, we could have had it taken care of sooner! But no....the man suffers in silence.

2) I'm the one who deals with the phone calls, and handles all correspondence. And I'm also the one with the constant prayers swirling in my head, not just during my daily QT. He, on the other hand, told me that prayers he's offered up to the Blessed Mother and God himself seem to be going unanswered, so why pray anymore?

Getting back to the storm analogy: When the storm has passed, what's the immediate response? 'Whew, that was a close one'; "Thank you Lord'; or 'I knew He would take care of us'?

As was the case last year, he did eventually go to work, and we were debt-free by the time January rolled around. I just have to pay what I can, keep praying and trusting that soon the water will dry up and he will go back to work.

And that rock concert? Okay, it wasn't exactly a heavy metal band.

It was a drum and bugle field competition, in which I sat, five rows up in the stands, on the 50-yard line, and fell asleep during the second or third band to take the field. My fellow band members were amazed I slept through the noise!

Good thing our band wasn't competing; our Drum Major had tried to wake me up early one morning, and had even grabbed me by the shoulders and shaken me. I have no memory of it.

So why the Monday Mania? Here's the To-Do List:
-Take spouse to diabetic checkup
-Take him to eye surgery
-Wash the mountain of laundry K brought home from summer camp
-Call my contact at Hazelwood to see if my slot is still available
-If it is, make arrangements for kids if needed and confirm my own sleeping arrangements.
-Arrange to have more bookmarks made
-Watch The Da Vinci Code on the sly; I DVR'd it last night. D has been adamant that movie not be allowed in the house; I read the book and now I want to see the movie for the ART WORK! I know it's a fictional story! And K edited the title, so should D go looking through the DVR, it has been changed. Sneaky, I know, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do around here, in order to keep the peace!

Unfortunately, it looks as though my dreams of attending the EC Romanticon are getting slimmer...as does my chances of attending the Hazelwood Craft Fair...But again, there's always next year!