A Sunday Spent

When I was a kid, Sundays were "family days" - no friends over, no shopping.  If we went anywhere besides Church, it was to visit my grandparents.  And so Sunday's were spent.

This Sunday, I made up for a week's worth of neglect and spent it visiting.

Like most of these visits, it was physical.  Very.  By the time I said my farewells, I was exhausted.  Long tendrils of hair had been yanked from the braid I'd pulled it back in.  I was dirty and exhausted.  I'd been slapped in the face not once, but several times. 

At first, I tried to fend off the whip-like smacks with my arms, but even that began to hurt after the first few.  This morning I have scratches up and down my arms from these attempts at self preservation.   Nothing unusual, this.  It's rather typical for these visits actually.  But this time, I reacted differently. 

This time, I fought back. 

By the time it was over, I was able to add a couple of jabs to my ribs, a stab that went through the sole of my sneaker and into my heel, and several more dozen scratches, including a long one down the back of my shoulder blade.

But I'd inflicted my own injuries. 

So many in fact, I had to drag the kids into my visit, just to pile the limbs for burning.  Of course, we can't burn them now, we're under a burn ban.  But eventually, the winds will die down and it'll rain and the ban will be lifted and boy, oh boy, will we have a fire then!

Next week, when I visit, it should be much less physical.   I can't say I'm looking forward to my  visit next week, but I'm dreading it just a little less.

Oh, I'm sure the wind will have blown more dead branches from the bigger trees to be picked up and added to the burn pile.  But the smaller stuff, particularly those nasty young Hawthorns with their one to two inch thorns - don't ever, ever step on a downed Hawthorn branch - and the lilacs and crab apples, won't be able to slap at me when I drive the mower close to them.

But my next visit to the big backyard isn't planned until next week. 

Until then, I can sit here on my back patio and watch the birds have their breakfasts and hope this will be a good year for lilac blossoms.