September has arrived! In the
Ashbury household this means that summer is over. After this next weekend, at
least in these parts, the kids return to school. My beloved told me the other
day that in his mind, this was always the “New Year” to him. In fact, he
declared, it will likely always be so.
We no longer have kids in the
house returning to the halls of academia, of course. That’s been in the past for
more years now than it ever was our reality—and we don’t even want to mention
how many years it’s been since my husband went back to school. Back to school
time was always a mixed blessing—inward cheers that they were finally not going
to be home getting into mischief all day long; and inward winces at the expense
of it all.
I have to admit, though, that
today’s parent is expected to put out a lot more money than we ever had to do.
“School supplies” used only to consist of back packs, paper, binders, and pens
and pencils. I was in our local Walmart a few days ago and saw families
shopping—with long lists supplied to them by the Board of Education.
We had to pay for babysitting
during the summer months over the course of a few years—there were no day-camps
where we lived out in the country. A couple of years I was out of work during
the summer, which was good for the pocketbook but hard on the nerves. I loved my
children, but I’m only human. By the time September 1st came around, you could
likely find me at the school, outside, caressing the bricks fondly, mumbling
“soon, soon.”
There are many differences
between the school experience here, and what a lot of y’all know. Up here, while
there are High School sports, they aren’t community-supported the way
they are down there in the United States. I went to one football game when my
oldest son, Christopher, was on the team. Otherwise and for the most part, the
games were held in the middle of the school day, and I often had to work. The
stands tended to be filled by the student body of whichever school was playing
host, with but a very small smattering of parents in attendance.
September has always been my
beloved’s preferred vacation time. There was no coincidence to the reality that
he planned to be off work a week or two when the kids weren’t around during the
day. When the kids were school-aged, all of our vacations were stay-cations.
Yes, it’s true! We’ve always been edgily avant garde.
And though we have traveled
some this year, next week finds my husband home from work, planning to do
nothing more than read, and rest...and as it turns out, play nurse maid to
me.
This coming Friday brings with
it a resolution to a situation I’ve been dealing with for the last several
years. In the beginning we didn’t know what was causing my ‘plumbing’ problems.
But a year and a half ago, when I had the first painful episode, we had a
clue.
Tests revealed that I have
several gallstones. The surgeon was leery to remove my gallbladder until the
other problem was resolved. Finally, a gastroenterologist figured out the cause
of the situation, and in fact, it was related to my gallbladder.
So finally, in two days time, it comes out.
I’m really hoping for the
laparoscopic procedure, and that is what they intend to do. But I was cautioned
that sometimes, a more invasive surgery is required. If I end up
having the former, I will be home the same day and likely out of it for the
weekend. And while I plan to rest, for the most part, for as long as the doctor
recommends, I am expecting an edit and fully intend to complete it when it
arrives. But that will likely be the extent of my “working” for the first week
post-op, at any rate.
If I end up having the full
surgery, I will be in hospital for a few days; but I have a lap top and the
hospital bed will take the place of my wonderful electric recliner, so the edit
will still be done.
Looking back, I believe there
have only been a handful of Wednesdays when I haven’t posted my essay. Next week
will be another one.
But I look forward to getting
back into the rhythm of this life I so love. God willing, I’ll be back with a
new Wednesday’s Words on September 16th.
Love,
Morgan
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