Absence from those we love is self from self - a deadly banishment. William Shakespeare

What a great weekend!

We headed south for a four day weekend to watch my youngest perform in the annual Utah Shakespearean Festival.

She rode down with the school Thursday morning and we drove to my parents just one hour south of where she would be performing.

We spent some time with my parents for two days while she attended workshops and then on Saturday we drove up to watch her perform. After her performance, they had a few hours of free-time. We drove up into cedar canyon to decompress at Navajo Lake. It was the perfect time of year and the perfect time of day. Absolutely gorgeous.

We then left her there for the rest of her workshops and encore performances,  and returned to my parents house. Later that night I returned to pick her up following their awards ceremony. Their ensemble group took second place and her school took first place over all. Way to go Vikings!!! It was a lot of fun. The scenes  were great.

The rest of the weekend was fun and filled with activity. We could not have asked for better weather, DesCartes fit right in with us all and we laughed and just played all weekend.

We even took the time to create a small celebration at precisely 10-10-10 10:10am. Just because we felt like it. It is life's little celebrations that makes it lively and fun.

I hated saying goodbye to my parents. It is always hard but we will see them again soon.

On our way home, we stopped so that my kids could see my ex's family. My ex (the father of my children) lives in Alaska and is not a large part of my children's lives. However, rarely do you divorce the 'family'. It is important to me that my children have the chance to know both sides of their family and heritage.

They had not seen each other in a while and it was nice to let them stop to chat for a while. My ex's mother was diagnosed with Multiple sclerosis about six years ago and her health has deteriorated at an accelerated rate since then. I find it sad that my ex has lost his relationship with his mother especially in her condition but find it to be in their best interest to ensure that it does not happen with my own kids.

We arrived home late last night, missing everyone terribly but it was nice to sleep in our own beds.

Back to the old grind.

A visit from DesCartes

The title is misleading. We have not had a visit from the famous and now deceased philosopher. But rather a visit from my son and an Army buddy of his.

It has been a tremendous time with the boys. It has been nice chatting with them and listening to the changes in my son. He is now 21 and I see signs of maturity. Yes, boys take a little longer sometimes.

Lately with the girls busy schedules and our low budget, I have been cooking a lot for one lately. But this past week it has been great to put on the apron once again and cook up some hearty autumn meals that actually get eaten.

DesCartes is originally from Haiti (the side of the island opposite the destruction of the earthquake) but spend most of his life in Florida. However, I have been embarrassed at the reactions of the local population. Utah has only 1.4% blacks per capita to whites. I know why this is but that is another story. I had hoped however that the number had been climbing, not so. I also thought this state had become more tolerant.. also not so.

He and my son cannot leave the house without the heads turning. People are not shy. Five minutes standing in our yard, rubbernecking was incredible. It is as though he has skin as green as the ghost in Ghostbusters or that he has a neck that stretches out as ET's. I am embarrassed. I would not go so far as to say they are intolerant but it is so rude. He will not be here long enough to find out. But I am sad. I feel as though my community has been living in the dark ages. Intolerance- in any form, must stop.

There really is no excuse. I too was raised just five minutes from here. However, I don't see him any differently than the other young men. When my son said he was bringing a friend, I didn't have any mental images of what this friend might 'look' like. OK OK, I did wonder if it might be a female friend. :) As his last guest was.

We have teased that he has increased our numbers significantly, that he just may be number 8. And he is good hearted about it all. But why should he have to laugh about the color of his skin? Skin which by the way, is absolutely gorgeous. Just flawless.

But- it has been great having the boys here. Thank you in part to their superiors in the Army, the boys/men are extra polite and as a mother I am eating it up.

Contrast that to the few choice curse words which they also use much too frequently in the service. But I can live with it. And they censor themselves for me.
Nice to have some help with the heavy lifting too. I don't even have to ask to have the trash taken out or dishwasher filled.

Soon we will be traveling south to see my parents and we will see if the residents ogle any less.
Seriously, I await a day when we are all seen as equals here on US soil.

  

But on a less politically correct subject- Congratulations to my baby on making the drama council this year. We will be making a trip to see her performance in the Utah Shakespearean festival once again. It is a VERY big deal. You go girl!