So this week it is supposed to snow. It seems like ages ago that my agency
was saying I'd travel before the end of summer. And although it is only
barely autumn, snow makes it feel like 100 years ago that this conversation
occurred. Here I am, waiting, hoping. And dreading the snow. My kids, of
course, are thrilled. It won't stick but SNOW! Now maybe my husband will
understand that I was not, in fact, over reacting when I discussed the need
to have someone meet us at the airport with winter coats and warm clothing
when we arrive home from Vietnam. I still haven't quite figured out the
logistics. It will be tolerable cool when we leave but possibly very very
cold when we return. 3 weeks can make a huge difference when it is Autumn in
Michigan.

I am plugging along making some dangerous assumptions about my life. Danger
aside, I feel like I have no choice. I have to make plans and do things. I
have one son who is turning 12 in 3 weeks, three kids who are assuming there
won't be a Halloween, one mother who is preparing for major surgery and
Thanksgiving looming ahead with an ominous question mark over its head. I am
functioning as if we are traveling in the very near future (tomorrow will be
12 days by my own personal countdown clock - haha) and making sure I am
packed and prepared so that, come my Mom's surgery date, I can focus on her.
I am assuming we won't be here for Halloween or the big 12th birthday. I am
assuming we won't be back in time for Thanksgiving but may buy for it anyway
so we can do a belated celebration of thanks. Any and all of this could be
totally off base but I have to function as if it is so, just in case it
becomes so. Of course the danger part is that if it is NOT so, I am going to
be more than a little disappointed.

Meanwhile my Mom is preparing for her surgery in all the ways that someone
who has just been diagnosed with cancer does. As part of that preparation,
she had me meet her at her bank to sign some papers. I had also borrowed
some luggage for our trip that she needed back for her hospital stay so I
brought that with me. I saw her car in the lot and took the luggage to drop
off in her car but of course it was locked so I just took it inside the
bank. I was vaguely aware that I probably looked ridiculous toting around
luggage but whatever. I set it down in the lobby and went back when called,
leaving the luggage unmanned in the lobby. It wasn't until we came out that
I realized how - um - odd it might look for a bank to have unmanned luggage
standing in an empty lobby with no one even nearby to claim it. I'm lucky
the bomb squad wasn't called! God help me at the airport when I do or say
something crazy. I just can't be trusted.

Although I should be busy packing, I'm sort of finding ways to avoid it. I'm
not sure why. But I went out to buy luggage and came home with two new
vacuums and a new set of cubes for my youngest son's closet. The cubes meant
emptying the closet, building the cubes, and basically reorganizing the
entire closet (a project for tomorrow). No, this has nothing to do with
Vietnam. We'll call it nesting. I was tempted to buy some paint and start
painting our naked walls but I got hold of myself. I have enough projects. I
still have not one but TWO baby carriers to make for our trip, most of the
100 Good Wishes quilt to finish, scrapbooking to do, two knitted sweaters
that still need buttons and a hat that I need to finish knitting and lots of
shopping. Plus the packing. Ugh. Tomorrow will be 7 days until this all
needs to be done. Any wagers on how much is left at the end of 7 days?

Thanks for the feedback on Blogger Beta. I'll stick with the old one for
now.