The Birds Have Gone

Our birds have left and so the worst of summer is arrived. I noticed their departure sometime after the fourth of July. There is this brief moment of summertime evenings when the purple martins come in for the evening and the lightening bugs flash about the yard. These are the best evenings before the oppressive humidity sets in and the late summer breezes are just cool and perfect. That delightful part of summer is behind us now. Long stifling humid evenings are before us now until autumn draws near. My birds have flown to the south and I already wonder where I will see them next. Will I still be here next summer or will I be settling into my dream home by then?

I have no idea. What I do know is that the worst of summer is here and soon this too will be past. Soon it will be fall and then winter. Twenty-twenty will follow and I will look for my birds in late spring again. Perhaps here in Elsinore or at the edges of Switzer. It’s hard to say at this moment.

Yesterday we finally received a house plan that we are happy with. Today we learned that the contractor that we chose is going to retire. So now we are a bit miffed and uncertain over future plans. But I guess that is the way things go when Mercury turns retrograde. Not that I put stock in such things. I blame it on the departure of the birds. Not really. This is just how things go but it is more interesting to place blame on renegade planets and heartless birds. We have a call with the contractor tomorrow to see how things stand.

School is moving along well enough. The kids had their music recital. Oldest did okay but his nerves got the best of him. Sparkles’ performance was nearly flawless. Middle Boy ended up sick and missed recital. Oldest has really started to enjoy playing his guitar and has learned several songs on his own. Sparkles decided to quit piano lessons now that recital is over. I am sad about it because she has so much talent. But talent is completely meaningless without passion. She has no passion for music. Oldest and Middle Boy still practice and seem to still enjoy learning about their chosen instruments.

Sparkles and Middle Boy have already gone to camp. Oldest goes next week. He will be gone for an entire week! I’ve never been separated from one of my children for so long. I will miss him since he helps me so much with the youngest. I expect he will have a great week roughing it along the Green River. I envy him getting away from everything for a week. I took him shopping this morning to get his gear for the week.

Today I read the Teachers’ Union’s (NEA) top priorities at their latest convention for the coming year. They now openly endorse abortion and will begin teaching about “white fragility”. I had to look that one up but from what I can tell basically all whites are racist…most especially those who get upset at being labeled a racist. There is no coming out of a conversation like that unscathed. Just the idea of sending my daughter into that environment turns my stomach. I didn’t see anything in the article about educating children. They seem more supportive of murdering future students and screwing with the heads of their current prisoners…or students than providing a decent education for anyone.

I’ve been going to church with my neighbor most weeks lately. I didn’t go last weekend since my husband was out of town. My neighbor and her sister also wanted to go shopping after mass and that is just not my jam. I do not enjoy going out and browsing around stores. A nice ride through the countryside is nice but not brushing elbows in shops. The last time I went with my neighbor to church she asked why I didn’t take communion. I didn’t enjoy that conversation but I knew it was coming. Of course she thinks I need to get the issue resolved. I do not. The church’s marriage laws didn’t even come about until the Protestant Reformation. To me these rules are not valid teaching. She was sad because it means I cannot actively participate in much around the church. But I am not going to church for the social benefits anyway. I felt a little sad that her main concern for my shunned status was for social reasons as opposed to my spiritual needs. Hopefully I will not hear any more about it from her. I like going to church there.