Jun. 30, 2008 - Happenings

The Week of the 4th

DH's vacation week started last Friday, when they let everyone leave at lunchtime. Since then, he has been working on a home improvement project. He has started early in the morning to avoid some of the heat and humidity. Although the humidity has been stifling, it has lead to thunderstorms and much needed rain for the past 4 evenings. Saturday, the heat got to DH. I finally convinced him to quit around 2:00 in the afternoon, to call it a day. He came in got cleaned up and took a nap. Yesterday after chapel, we all spent the day inside where it was cool.  This afternoon, we plan on going swimming with my mother and nephews. My brother will be joining us. He has taken off for 2 days. His boys will enjoy having him at the pool with them.

My role this week is going to be different than my usual housewife role. Housekeeping won't be high on the list, except for daily upkeep chores. My role this week will be support staff for DH's home improvement jobs, hostess to DD's friends that will be coming over, and chef for everyone invovled. There will be alot of swimming going on, star gazing to be done, and cookouts to attend.

DD is having a friend over tomorrow afternoon for an afternoon of movies, games, and junk food. She will staying for supper. I plan on having grilled pork chops (plain and marinated), potato salad, baked beans, and honey whole wheat bread. Dessert will be to different kinds of cookies; Snickerdoodles and M&M Chocolae Chip Cookies. Thursday afternoon, anothe friend is coming over to spend the night to do saome star gazing. She will be going to DH's parents house with us for a cookout and to swim. I haven't really planned a menu for Friday morning's breakfast, but it will probably pancakes and some sort of fruit. This friend will probably spend Friday evening with us too. We will be going up to my parents' house for a cookout and our annual fireworks viewing.

I enjoy entertaining friends and having people over for meals. although it does wear me out. I want to DD to see me as a gracious hostess and extend hosptality to others. That is something I saw very little of. My mother entertaining was few and far between. To me she never seemed to do it with a joy in her heart. Even now, she acts like it is a chore to prepare a meal and have people over. She even won't let the grandkids come to spend the night until they have had supper just so she won't have to fix them anything. I know of lot of my mother's ways come from the feminist era she grew up in. She doesn't even realize just how subtly feminism is ingrained in her. I have had a hard time learning where the line between respecting and honoring my mother and not agreeing with her values lies. My parents instilled many vaules in me, but my values have become even more conservative than theirs. They have had a hard time with that and we have butted heads many times. We have come to an understanding, but I still get confused where to draw that line.

I'm off. Lunch is in the oven. DD and I need to start getting the swimming stuff ready to go. Cool water, here we come!