Today is day 2 of our fifth monthly Christian SF/F blog tour, and we’re highlighting Edenstar, a nifty resource for all things science fiction and fantasy in the Christian realm. (I love the site graphics!)
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And now for distasteful personal babble, to borrow a turn of phrase from Randy Ingermanson …
Two days. I leave morning after next for the ACFW conference. I would be excited, but I’m being kept well grounded by a sick toddler (she obligingly threw up twice on my pillow just as I was coming to bed last night, and then kept us mostly awake for an hour or two early this morning by repeated requests for water–fever, sore throat, and upper respiratory stuff, it appears) and by my own threatened sore throat (I’ve been trying to get enough sleep, I swear I have). I think I’ll make a pot of homemade chicken soup today, therapy for all of us. I was hoping yesterday that I’d make it to departure time with no major outbursts or crises … last year, among other things, it was a perplexing disagreement with my husband the day we were to leave for Nashville. Ugh. I know why these things happen, but sometimes that doesn’t help when it comes to dealing with it.
So, yesterday I worked on clearing some of the educational and family-of-ten detritus from my bedroom and living room so I’d have room to set my suitcase out, among other things. Today is laundry day (after the puked-on sheets; I should add that I’m very grateful it was only mama’s milk), and more decluttering, and ballet this afternoon, and endeavoring to be a loving and gracious mother so my children aren’t forcibly shoving me out the door Thursday morning. My SpecFaith post for Thursday is written, and today I’ll work on the piece for our local homeschool support group newsletter, and tomorrow I should only have to pack and make sure I have all the little things gathered up. (My husband did take the day off and drove the children du jour to the dentist. Oh, yes … it’s taking us six weeks to process through appointments for the family, between the routine cleanings and return visits for fillings, and wouldn’t you know that everyone needs them this time? Must have been all the blackberry jam and cobblers.)
The temptation is still strong to just slink in and slink out of the conference, don’t call attention to myself, don’t put myself forward … once again this morning I found myself entertaining the thought: just this year–if I can get through this week, this conference, then it’ll be all over with and I can go back to being an ordinary wife and mother, instead of one who tries to insanely split herself between the callings of family and writing …
And who is that I hear, chuckling and saying, “Whatever”??
You mean you can hear me through the computer?!? I thought I had that derned microphone turned OFF.
Shannon, whenever I feel frazzled, it’s good to read what you’re up against–and to read the good humor with which you deal with it all. And by “good humor” , I don’t just mean the funny lines, though they certainly are good. You would probably claim you don’t do this perfectly, but it seems to me you do a remarkable job keeping life and what’s important in balance.
God’s care,
Becky
*giggle* Rebecca!
And Becky, I assure you that it’s pure self-defense to take the days frazzlements and turn them into something humorous here. 🙂 I realize while rereading this today that I neglected to mention that Meeg’s puking on my pillow came AFTER a full-blown hissy fit on my part … complete with spilled cocoa and a shattered light bulb on the kitchen floor (one of the long fluorescent kind … did you know they explode on impact? and no, nobody was harmed in the making of this tantrum … thankfully …)
It humbles me to realize that God can take my ramblings and actually encourage some of y’all … :”)