This time next week, it will all be over. Hub's big birthday party is next weekend. I'm really looking forward to it but also feeling the self-imposed pressure that we women seem to thrive on. Lots to do between now and then.
My #2 son flew back this morning from his weekend in Texas. He had a great time. It was just right. A little taste of independence to celebrate being 13. Now he is planning all kinds of back and forth trips. We may have created a flying monster.
Hub had a flight out this morning as well. Turned out that our son got off of the same plane that he was going to get on. Can't believe that it turned out so well. I'm scheduled to work the book fair at school tomorrow and then finish up the house, laundry and grocery shopping. The first guest flies in Wednesday morning and Hub flies back Wednesday night. Then we go back to the airport late Friday night, Saturday to a private airport and trips back to both airports on Sunday. We have a couple of families arriving by car on Saturday along with #1 son and his entourage. (That's a whole other story.) Brother-in-law leaves Tuesday night; Hub on Wednesday, and me......I see a glass of wine and a long jacuzzi Wednesday afternoon. Also, we want to do family portraits this weekend since Hub's daughter-who-never-sees-us will be here. I'm working on that, too, but the scheduling is getting really tricky.
I still can't get the Chilean miners off of my mind. When this drama started back in August, I just kept trying to imagine how you could possibly get through that. I'm HIGHLY claustrophobic and it freaks me out. Even the restraint of the cast made me get my weird on. The whole thing just seemed impossible. The fact that they found out they were alive 17 days later. Then when they estimated that it would be Christmas before they could get them out! Un-imagianable! Of course, I watched the rescue late into the night and the next day. What a beautiful thing. It was also so beautiful that for just a little while the world was one together, holding their collective breaths, and celebrating each man's freedom. I read today about the men returning to their homes of poverty. One family lined the street with white bags filled with air because they could not afford balloons. Can't you just see the Wal-Mart bags waving? These men have to be so very changed on the inside, but now what do they do. Many will probably return to the mines due to necessity. Can you imagine? They kept talking about what celebrities they will be, etc. I hope that there is help for them financially, spiritually, mentally, etc. Of course, there are going to be the blood suckers coming to take advantage. I heard that they realized that someone was working to get them out, that they made a pact to never tell what happened during that first 17 days. I would be very surprised if that holds up. Someone will get to one of them and offer "their price" and they will tell. I'm as curious as anyone else. I just hate it when others prey on the weak.
We moved to Midland, Texas soon after the "Baby Jessica" incident. For those who might not remember, she was an 18 month old baby that fell down an open 8" well pipe in a relative's back yard. She was down 22 feet for 58 hours and they had to drill a parallel hole and then a horizontal crossover through rock to get her. It seemed like people across the country held their breath for her as well. Of course, Oprah came with everyone else. I recently saw an interview with her. She is now 24 and a mother herself. They showed her taking her baby, that is about how old she was then, back to the scene to see the capped off well. She's had 15 surgeries to repair her injuries. Living in Midland, there was always someone who knew the family or something about the situation. (Of course, we had to drive by the house.) The parents broke up soon after that. There was talk of the mother going through a lot of the donations frivolously. (There is still suppose to be a rather healthy trust fund that she should get soon.) Several of the rescuers had serious post tramatic issues after that. The man who actually pulled her up committed suicide. She says that she doesn't remember any of it. (Thank you, God.) It just makes me wonder what path those associated with the Chilean miner story will take. Life can take strange turns.
Later.
5 comments:
Your up coming event sounds a little like a National Lampoon Family event. Hope it all goes smoothly for you, let me suggest a lovely Cab Sauv for you... oh why bother, just get whatever is on sale, don't even bother with a glass just write your name on the bottle with a silver Sharpie and start swiggin'.
I can't believe you lived in Midland, I'm from Odessa!!!! We had just moved up here the first time when that happened. Jessica was about Jeff's age and it just killed me to know exactly which house she was at and to know lots of the directional drillers that helped with her rescue. My brother-in-law was consulted by one of the companies doing the rescue. I also thought about her last week during the Chilean rescue. So glad they got them all out, and you are right, greed will get to some of them over time.
Good luck this week.
National Lampoon Family, hmmmm.......you sound like you know my family. :) Hub actually owns a "Cousin Eddie" hat. (I won't let him wear it though.)
You and I have been in so many of the same places. It's crazy! When are you guys coming to AR? We were in Midland from 1988 to 1990. We adopted #1 right after we got there.
You ought to Google the interview with Jessica. It was interesting.
I remember when she fell in the well too. International news event, that was. Same with the miners, but I've stayed away from that story and I'm not sure why.
I hope the party goes great and doesn't cause you too much stress! Try to stay in the moments as they happen.
Where did the hub get a "Cousin Eddie" hat?! We owned what I disdainfully called the Cousin Eddiemobile: my hubby's 24-ft. RV he used to cart around golf equipment. (He's a rep.) I hated that thing. He's gone from that to a van, a minivan, and now an SUV. But our garage remains full of unsold samples. Ugh.
We're having a family birthday party this weekend, too, in Sarasota. I leave tomorrow! It will be crazy for about two days, then sunny bliss for four days until I return to gray skies and increasing cold. I'm ready to move back. I suppose I should tell the husband.
Have a fabulous time in Sarasota. Hub's mother sent the hat to him several years ago so that her itty-bitty-baby-boy would not have cold ears. Seriously. We have laughed and laughed at it. He does wear it sometimes when it's snowing. He loves the looks people give him. Me...not so much.
Post a Comment