Mar. 20 - First Day of Spring!

 

Happy First Day of Spring!  It's looking to be a nice day for it too, 29 degrees and sunny at the moment, heading for a high in the mid-40s.  Yay!  Winter was holding on as long as it could this weekend though.  We had a another very light dusting of snow and yesterday morning when I went out to fill the bird feeders it was only like 9 degrees or something crazy.  And windy!  Angry, cold winds as winter was pushed out.

 

The weekend was okay around here.  The usual Saturday routine of grocery shopping and Hubby going to his dad's.  Sunday we celebrated Hubby's birthday (which is actually today).  The boychildz + friend were here.  We had sloppy joes and chips for lunch, and a large piece of store bought cake that we cut into five tiny pieces, because none of us need all that sugar.  He got a lot more presents than he normally would, because he sort of got snubbed at Christmas.  One of the presents was a fun card game called Loot 'n Loaded.  Of course we had to try it out.  It's an old west themed game, mainly a card game but sometimes circumstances call for a duel and for that there are two Nerf-style 'pistols' and a cardboard liquor bottle 'target.'  It was pretty funny whenever it came to duels.  At first we were all kinda hesitant, like 'This is dumb and awkward,' but after a few duels it was a very serious battle.  LOL  And of course the menfolk were all talking about ways to turn it into a drinking game.  lol

 

It was fun to have the boys over but later I did get down about things.  It seems they like to head home earlier each time.  When I sadly mentioned this to Hubby later he said, "Yeah, but they have their lives to live too."  I know, I know . . . but I'm seeing now how it got to the point with our own parents where we just stopped getting together for occasions, and I'd hoped and tried to keep that from happening with us.  I did shed a few tears about it all.  I know things will never be like when the boys still lived at home, or in the first couple years after they'd moved out, when we'd still get together on weekends and play Munchkin all day, eat meals together while we played.  I'm not willing to just give up though, which I think our own parents did.  I don't think we started declining their invitations . . . I think the invitations just stopped coming.  And I'm not going to do that.

 

But anyway, I'll move on before this becomes a total pity party.

 

I've been watching White Queen again.  I happened to catch part of it on TV last week Thursday and it sucked me in enough that I put my own DVD in on Friday and started from the beginning.  I've seen that show miniseries  probably three or four times already since it first came out.  I just love all those Tudor era shows!  Anyway, I want to do a post just about White Queen so when I watched last summer I'd been writing down my thoughts and notes in a notebook.  As I've been watching it this time, I had that notebook with me to write my thoughts again, then went back and read my thoughts from last time.  I was kind of happy to see my opinions haven't changed, glad to see I'm consistent.  lol  But while writing about the show this time I realized my biggest frustration can be applied to my own current life situation.  I will go into a lot more detail whenever I eventually do my White Queen post but in short, it keeps baffling me and frustrating me, the lengths those people would go to for power, or in Elizabeth's case, to win.  How many chances did these people have to step away from court life and live quietly in the country?  But no, they were power hungry or revenge driven, and sacrificed happiness and family.

And then it hit me.  I also have the option to leave court life and live quietly in the country.  I can quit stalking social media in hopes of news and contact with family members that obviously don't want it.  I can let go of that stubborn hope things within my dysfunctional extended family will change.  I can find my own peace and joy in quietly living my own life without the constant struggle and drama to stay connected.  A YouTuber I follow recently posted a bible verse as she was going through some sturggles of her own, something about living quietly and minding one's own affairs.  (I do not know the bible, so if you know the verse, let me know.)  When she posted that I was like, 'Hmm, I like that,' and now this realization during White Queen . . . maybe it is indeed time to 'leave court life and live quietly in the country.'  Perhaps my peace and joy truly is in letting go.

With that, I must get ready to head to my mom's for the usual Monday routine.

Hope you have a sunny and warm first day of Spring!