Seven on Sunday

1. What a wonderful few days I’ve had. O took off work and we drove into Tennessee and Kentucky to attend ******wait for it******** “The World’s Longest Yard Sale”. I’d been once before we were married and had gone alone. Never never go alone. Just a couple of hours into my solo journey and I was a nervous wreck. People popping out of nowhere running across streets, cars pulling out and backing up and slamming on brakes with absolutely no notice, trying to drive slowly by sales to see if you want to stop. Chaos! Then last year O & I went together and it was so much better. He watched the road and I watched the sales and we had a good time. So this year, despite scorching temps we decided to hit the road once more. I am proud to say that there were no heat strokes, no fender benders, no trips or falls, and no use of the porta potties scattered along the route. 100 degree temps + 85 % humidity + thousands of people = NO PORTA POTTIES for this girl. No sirree Robert. I bought one treasure – a 1940’s cast iron painted Santa doorstop. The rest of the time, O and I rode and talked and laughed and were amazed by the sheer amount of crap that people actually thought other people would buy.

2. On Friday morning when we were leaving our hotel in scenic Cave City KY, I happened to see a brochure for Santa Claus Indiana. We were unsure as to our plan for the day until that moment, when I got my heart set on a visit to Santa Claus. Loved it, though we weren’t able to stay long. I did get a good shot of my sainted husband in front of the Christmas store in town, though. I love him so.

3. Yesterday morning by half-brother, sister-in-law and their kids were driving through the area on their way to the beach, so we had brunch with them and my parents. It made me happy to see my beautiful growing nieces. I wish they lived closer.

4. Tomorrow morning, my mommy is having some outpatient surgery to remove a spot on her jawline. There is only a 5% chance that it’s cancer, but this is literally the first time she’s ever been “sick”, so the thought of her being under anesthesia for any length of time has me nervous. She struggles with severe anxiety on a pretty regular basis, too, so this has been really hard on her. O and I are going over to Big City in the morning to meet her and Dad. O will be taking my beloved (but not necessarily doting) father to "guy around" while I take care of the mama. Please keep a good thought for her.

5. I might have made a crack on my last blog post about Mark’s SW - something along the lines of “Mark’s caseworker might just go crazy and actually respond to an e-mail or return a phone call”. Within minutes of hitting the “post” button, I checked my inbox and there was an e-mail from her. No news, of course, except that the next court date is set for mid-September, but she responded – she actually responded.

6. Blog reader (and now friend) Teresa e-mailed and asked if I’d ever made a decision on being a CA*SA volunteer. I asked our SW and she asked her supervisor and the answer was basically this: I am welcomed to do that, but we could not be considered as a foster or adoptive resource for a child whose case I had ever worked on. This is not a huge county, so the “pool” of available children isn’t that large. Since our top priority is adopting, we can’t risk that my involvement with a child’s case could work against us somewhere down the road. So for now, being a CAS*A volunteer has to go onto the back burner.

7. Let me preface this by saying that I am an uncaring ass*ole, but I have zero patience for a family member who has recently started bemoaning what she anticipates will be her secondary infertility. Why don’t you go chase your cherubic toothless toddling bundle of love and get away from me while you’re at it? Mmmkay?!?!