Earrings and Toenail Polish

Fridays are tricky.  The kids have home school on Fridays.  It's good for me.  I'm not alone.  I slept late today and went straight outside.  Mikey came out and did homework on the trampoline while I worked in the yard.  It was good--better than yesterday when I was alone. 

Yesterday there were seagulls circling high in the sky while I was working.  It triggered a childhood memory.  Not a good one.  For many years after my brother died, every time I saw birds flying in circles, I thought that meant someone had died.  That's what they were doing when I was told, as a 6 year old, that Stan was gone.  I don't know whether I somehow associated it with birds circling dead things in the dessert in the movies or what.  I just remember staring at the sky, mesmerized, every time I saw them.

So, today was better.  I decided to make it be.  I asked Lucy what she wanted to do today. Shop for an 8th grade graduation dress--whew!  The mall is not normally our friend.  I found a place for Mikey to hang out and we went.  It wasn't successful, but we went. 

The big thing--I put on earrings and painted my toenails so I could wear sandals.  That's big.  When Keith came home I could tell it wasn't a good day for him.  A sad day.  I'm glad that when he asked about my day, I could say,  "It was good enough for earrings and toenail polish."