Saturday, October 18, 2008

A Saturday


Brother and family headed back to Chile today after a wonderful visit and a sweet wedding ceremony made extra special by the Spanish translation provided by friend and blogger, Amity.

It's been quite a week with Brother visiting, a presidential debate and a couple of Red Sox games; throw in a gross and hideous physical ailment and I'm ready to be put out to pasture.

Last Sunday, the mirror revealed my right eyeball pooled with blood. I quickly took out my beloved contacts and thought it would go away in a day or two. It has actually gotten redder and uglier every day and for the last 5 days my entire right eye has been red.

My eye doctor wasn't in the one day this week that I had available time for an appointment so I went to see my regular doctor--oh bad news there, she's gone to another practice and I had to see a young lady certainly younger than most of my children and who didn't see any cause for concern but who had to leave the room 3 or 4 times during my exam--presumably to get instructions.

Ugly or not, this morning I woke up with energy to tackle a BIG JOB. This big old house has five bedrooms and the back bedroom has always been the catch-all room. We all throw things in there and it is full of boxes and crates and tubs dating back to Ethan's senior year of high school with layers of the detritus of four childhoods marking each of the six years since like the rings of a tree.

There is a bed in there and if Ethan and Ann are home they use the room and various other visitors have called it home for varying lengths of time but the room is really just a clutter clutch and not hospitable enough to make anyone want to stay for long.

Well, it looks like the teenager is going to come home and finish his senior year back in Dixfield. I think that's good news--except I took him at his word when he shook the dust of Western Maine from his feet and with a heavy heart turned his bedroom into a very nice guest room. Charlie painted the walls, we moved a nice double bed in there and I'm really not willing to relinquish it.

Perhaps, then, the back room--all it really needs is a little elbow grease, a few buckets of hot soapy water, some tubs from Walmart along with a sharpie to let each child know which tub contains their trophies and 3rd grade class pictures, a few trips to the attic and more than one trip to the dump. So, this morning when Charlie pulled out of the driveway at 6:45 a.m. to head to Augusta for a class, I headed up the back stairway and got to work.

A few hours and several Advil later, the room is cute and welcoming and ready.

9 comments:

The Buck Shoots Here said...

I hope he was able to shake the dust off enough to be able to appreciate that same dust to which he's returning. Sometimes all one needs is a bit of perspective.

Anonymous said...

I'm glad all went well, and I hope the eye heals soon. How about that Bo Sox comeback?

SJ said...

So I'm guessing that that wasn't red eye in the picture of you... what a crazy eye ailment! I will make sure to not visit you any time too soon since I am prone to picking up weird eye diseases (did I ever tell you about the time my doctor thought I had herpes in my eye! Well I didn't, but it was a scare). Hope it gets better soon.

On the upside The Teenager is back! Tell him that I said hello, and am glad to hear that he is back in this neck of the woods, can't wait to see him.

I think that it was one of those "get work done" kind of days, glad to hear that you accomplished a task that you have been putting off.

Beth said...

Rach, fingers crossed. I hope small towns let people come back.

Carey, Go Sox!!!

SJ, I feel like I should have a sign that says "UNCLEAN" when I walk outside but it is probably just a broken blood vessel. It kind of looks better this morning, either that or I am getting used to it.

Jayne said...

Oh Beth. Bless your heart. Wish I'd been there to help out. Good for you!

So, how is your eye doing? I was thinking conjunctivitis. Either way, I know it's been uncomfortable. Hope it's much better soon.

Have a great day!

Kathie Brown said...

Beth, I am very concerned about your eye. I hope you've been to see a doctor! It sounds serious to me. Medical care in Maine has always been a challenge. I hope all goes well with the return of the son. Sounds like quite an undertaking there cleaning up that room. With all the blogging I do, I find it hard to keep up with regular household chores! I'm glad you enjoyed the visit with your brother and his wife.

Lavinia said...

Ohh---please get that eye seen by someone who knows what its all about !

Interesting post. I have enough junk to fill five bedrooms easily. But I only gots the three. It's wall to wall....

Your brother looks like Michael Caine's rugged brother. What a resemblance!

Keep us posted on the eyeball.

Ruth said...

Never a dull moment in your life! I have had a blood vessel burst in my eye and while it looked hideous, it did get better (in about a month:-)) Maybe that is what you have.

Beth said...

Sorry about the eye. Hope it gets better.

Glad the teenager is returning.

Inspired by your post, and really hoping to see a picture of the clean and organized room...