Bright spots

I didn't have the easiest of weeks, but it certainly wasn't without its bright spots. Namely...

Knowing my daughters were being cared for or were independent enough to care for themselves.
Starting and finishing The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Feeds the mystery-lover in me.
Starting and finishing Blue Shoe. Feeds the wordsmith and storyteller that I wish I could be.
Eating Indian food two nights in a row.
Getting to be left alone at work in Indy without having to make nice to the higher ups.
Balancing my numbers and achieving the goal set out for me this week! Oh, baby!
Getting re-booked on another flight almost immediately after mine got cancelled on my way out of Indy.
Spending today with my girls after having a nomadic sort of lifestyle for three weeks.
Eating a Thai-inspired dinner together tonight that we loved and I actually made.
Sometimes our moments together are quiet, laced with perusal. Today the time was laughing, bouncy silliness.

We've led sort of separate lives over the past few weeks. It's been a little disconcerting. But I'm trying to get used to it.

My sister exclaimed when I told her about our schedules and how crazy things have been for us. She reminded me that as a child, our summers were spent closing the blinds and watching Days of Our Lives. Sometimes we used to get out the Slip n Slide and get out in the heat, and occasionally we'd go to my neighbor's pool. I used to throw pennies down into the deep end and get chlorinated eyes looking for them. I remember walking to the little trailer library about a half a mile away so I could just read something; it was part of my lifelong obsession with books which began in Wisconsin when I was a wee elementary school student. I also remember lighting little sparklers on July 4 at the bottom of our driveway while my dad would supervise (when he could still see). Our driveway was a hill; we used to skate down it in roller skates and ride down on our bikes. I had a really cute Huffy pink bike that I was so proud of because it wasn't my sisters' - it was all mine. I also remember going to a large number of parties with our Indian friends, which deserves a topic unto its own. Indian parties were a little wild.

All in all, my childrens' lives are definitely busier and more exciting than mine was when I was their age. Still, I think back on that time knowing it was good. Actually, it was better than good. It was lazy, glorious summer.