For a few reasons - Clay is still home recuperating (and doing well, but wonders if the soreness will ever go away) - and the fact that the kids have been off for the past week. Tomorrow they go back to school, so with it will come a little "normalcy". Five more weeks, then they will be out for summer break - and I can't wait.
Yesterday I was in the attic looking to see if my high school diploma was up there, somewhere. I was praying that it was in the attic, and therefore survived the hurricane. It was. I was so happy (tomorrow I have to bring it to school). Even happier, I found a taped up shoe box that I had labeled "Old Letters". I had no idea what was in there. When we opened it up, it was like opening a time capsule.
(First you must know that Clay's parents both passed away several years ago - both of cancer. Clay had a big wooden box that my dad had gotten him one year for Christmas - with a pretty deer scene on it, and Clay had it filled with letters from his parents and his Uncle - his father's brother (- who passed away the day before the Sept. 11th attacks.) All the letters and cards he sent to his parents when he was in boot camp, and the ones they all sent to him, also all the ones I sent to him and he sent to me (several a week for 8 weeks) - all in that box, and all destroyed in Hurricane Katrina)
So, when we opened this little shoe box, there are letters in there from his father to him, and from Clay to his father (while in boot camp, and while we were stationed in MI). Also one from his Uncle Bill. One letter from his dad, he doesn't think he ever read before - it was like hearing from him afresh. From a father who has been gone for 8 years. There were also letters he wrote me while in boot camp (which I haven't read yet) - but he did, and he said they were sweet... hmmm... I'll have to read these very soon.
There was also a pocket calendar that I had from the first year of our marriage. I have read every day of it, and it has been neat and funny. Life before kids - way before kids. Things like, "Slept half the day, ate lunch at Taco Bell, went to the mall, fried chicken for the first time". Lots of them read, "Clay is gone, the boat left (he was stationed on a buoy tender on the Mississippi River - in New Orleans), Oh I miss Clay". I wrote everything - what we did, where we went, what we ate or cooked - did I ever mention that I am very sentimental?
I am so happy to have those letters and calendar. Especially because we thought all such things were lost/destroyed forever.
So, this week I have school orientation on Thursday. I am so crazy. I am leaning toward nursing, but have thought about radiology and ultrasound. So, everywhere I go, if I see someone in scrubs, I ask them about their job. They all seem happy to talk about what they do, their schooling, the hours they work and such. Today at Chuck E. Cheese I struck up a conversation with a woman sitting in the booth next to me (because of the scrubs). We chatted away. I am a people person by the way. Maybe too chatty at times! LOL.
Anyway, it has been a very nice week with everyone home. If it wasn't for the extreme heat that comes with summer, I wish it were already here.
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