Long Weekend

I used to love 3-day weekends, but these days all my long weekends are spent on the road traveling to visit my daughters. Now I do love to travel, and I am longing to go somewhere peaceful – camping in the mountains or relaxing on the beach – anywhere but Arkansas. It’s not that I don’t like Arkansas, it’s just that we go to the same place every time. Yes, most of my family is there, and I enjoy visiting with them; however, I don’t get to visit with them when we go because I’m always playing catch-up with my kids. I have so little time with them as it is, and there isn’t much parenting that can be done in a weekend.

Lindsey and I were again discussing our living arrangements a few days ago. She insisted that I should move back there because the only reason I’m here is my husband. Otherwise I would have moved long ago. She remembers hearing me and her dad talking lots of times about moving. What she doesn’t remember is that I wanted to move closer to the bars he frequented so he could crawl home rather than getting another DWI. Can’t very well tell her that, now, can I? He did talk about moving to Florida after he retires, but that’s still a few years away.

Once again, I explained to her how I came to be here, how God has given me confirmation in so many ways that I am finally on the right path, and that NO ONE is going to dissuade me from following His lead EVER AGAIN. I have been down that dark, lonely road, and let me tell you, it ain’t pretty. Her response? “Mom, that’s crap.” (Um, yeah, that smell? That’s smoke. I do believe somebody’s playing with fire.)

Seriously, I hope she’s just trying to make me angry and/or hurt my feelings. I pray that she hasn’t forgotten to Whom she belongs. A couple of days later, she called to ask if she could have her SIM card for her cell phone back. Right. I just paid off the $400 bill she racked up. It ain’t happening.

So we’ll be on our way in a few hours, and although I do want to see my girls and spend time with them, I’m not really excited about the trip. We’ll be staying with my parents in their huge house on the lake, just like we always do. My dad will sit in the living room in front of the television, channel surfing, and my mom will be reading the newspaper aloud to him from the adjoining dining room. This annoys him. I’m pretty sure she knows it, but she does it anyway.

We’ll join my dad in the living room, and as soon as we get interested in whatever show he selects from the plethora of satellite channels available, he’ll start clicking again. Then we’ll watch the polka channel. Woo Hoo! Or a Hee Haw marathon. Or both, you know, clicking back and forth between them during commercials. Oh there is never a shortage of entertainment with my folks. It’s almost comical, and probably would be if it were someone else’s family, like the Barones of Everybody Loves Raymond.

They do have internet access, but I won’t be blogging. I may get a chance to visit some of you, without leaving comments, of course. I’ll catch up with all of you when I get back.

Y’all have a safe and enjoyable weekend! You will be in my prayers.