Song: “Stand By Your Man” by the Blues Brothers
Mood: 7
Nightmares: 0
This past weekend went pretty well. J and I got a lot of stuff done around the house and we had a wonderful visit with my folks when they came over on Sunday.
I was a little anxious about my parents coming over. I’m not sure why – it’s not like they’re strangers or professional critics or anything like that – but I get a little nervous when anyone is coming over.
They arrived around 11AM and brought a whole bunch of stuff. Ingredients for lunch, a homemade dessert, cookies, and Christmas gifts. After everyone got inside and we did our round of hugs, we sat down and had a very good talk.
Oh! That reminds me – I have a story from last Wednesday that I forgot to write about. Since we arrived at the hospital early for my Dr W appointment, J and I stopped by the cafeteria to sit down and have a bite to eat. I went into the washroom to do some grounding and try to calm down (bathroom stalls are great for that sort of thing), and while I was standing there in the stall, trying to calm down, another person came in and used the urinal. He stopped at the sink and did a really quick “splish splash” with his hands in the sink and headed for the door. I had a tickle in my throat so I gently cleared it, and when I did, the other guy stopped, sighed really loudly, stalked back over to the sink, and washed his hands for a good 20 seconds before stomping his way out of the washroom. Despite the circumstances and location, I had to work pretty hard not to laugh when I realized what was going on.
Okay, back to Sunday. We all had a very good talk and then Mom and I went to make lunch, while Dad and J talked about the insurance and pension stuff that I’ve got coming up. I really, REALLY appreciate J shielding me from the insurance and pension stuff because I have a lot of trouble dealing with the people involved or even thinking about the topic. It’s been a huge relief for me and I will be forever grateful for all of the time and effort she’s put into this to help me out.
Mom and I went to the kitchen and broke out the ingredients she brought for Italian Wedding Soup. We talked as we put everything together and got it burbling happily on the stove. The dessert she brought (homemade apple crumble) went into the oven to warm up, and while we were waiting, I showed Mom my fancy new sewing machine. I think she was particularly interested in how easy it was to change stitches, the thread cutter on the side of the machine, and the fact that you can see the bobbin while you’re sewing if you want. Oh, and the free arm – she liked that, too.
When lunch was ready, we all sat down and ate and talked some more. Mom made some cheese biscuits too, which were the perfect accessory for the soup. Lunch was quickly followed by dessert and more talking, and then we went back to the living room to relax and talk some more.
Since we won’t have a chance to see my folks until January, we decided to do our gift exchange. I got some little mirrors for the truck to help with blind spots, a neat looking puzzle, and gift cards. J got some tea accessories (she loves tea) and some other stuff that I’m not sure about (she’s already squirrelled it away). Mom got a bunch of body care stuff like lotions and body butter, and Dad got a 3-ton floor jack. It was very good!
Far too quickly, Mom and Dad had to head out and hit the road. As they rolled away down the street, I was sad that the day had gone by so fast, and I felt silly and a little embarrassed for being nervous earlier.
After we had sat down and relaxed for a little while, I decided to head over to the sewing machine and see if I could finish the bag. After poking multiple holes in my fingers with the pins and swearing loudly enough when I forgot to lower the foot that J could hear me on the other side of the house (she found it amusing, apparently), I got into the groove and ended up with this:
Holy crap, it worked! The seams (mostly) matched up, the corners are (mostly) square, the stitches are (mostly) straight, and the bag looks (mostly) functional! I’m quite pleased with how it turned out, although I will put a shorter strap on the next one. I think I will sew an “X” into the rectangle where the strap connects for a little more strength, but the bag feels pretty sturdy and I like how it looks kind of quirky. I have the pieces cut out for the next one already, so I bet it will go much faster!
After I was done that, J and I hung out upstairs, talking and doing our own things until J looked at the clock and realized that it was way later than we thought it was, so we headed toward bed.
All in all, a good weekend and a great Sunday. It feels good to accomplish things, get together with family, eat good food, and have a good time. Not too shabby!
Stay safe.