My Weekend
Seriously, it was a fun, but very busy weekend.
Friday, our office was closed, so I took the opportunity to sleep in until 9:30 (gasp). Jim and I decided to go kayaking that afternoon, and we went down to Vineland to get them and went to a nearby lake/stream. It was nice weather and a good time-I haven’t gone kayaking for two years, so I was impressed that I didn’t tire out like I thought I would. Jim was surprised that my kayak didn’t bow in the middle and get my ass wet (they’re inflatable sit on tops), but I informed him (again) that I’m about 20 lbs lighter than the last time we went. I don’t exactly feel that way, as I’m flubby all over, but that’s a story for another day, and I need to work on that. We went back to his mom’s house and made chicken soup with orzo for dinner and gave love to the remaining kitties, even though Buoy never came out from under the bed. Apparently, since Willa’s death and Vader’s disappearance, Firecat spends all her time in Jeanne’s room-which is odd, since she’s always been an outside kind of cat. She acts like she’s queen of the joint.
Got up early on the fourth to get ready for Freedom Blast at Ft. Mifflin and to pick up mandie_rw. She wore her Peach Polonaise of Awesome, freshly made. It was so wonderful to see something made proper at an area event. Usually what the inside of that fort sees (fancy dress, that is) Polyester Simplicity nightmares or 18th century, Scarlett O’Hara style. It was a big hit-just about everyone wanted to get her picture. I didn’t take any pictures, but the one above that Bob in our group took of us. You can't really see all the beautiful ruching she put on it, but it was absolutely stunning.
The weather was lovely, breezy and cool in the shade. Not a lot of our group came, and not too much public, either, but I don’t think the event was very well advertised. My MIL Jeanne and her mother came to see the fort, which was really awesome. An old friend I used to belly dance with did candle demonstrations in the Flag room, and I had a great time showing off some of my book collection to my lady friends. I had mostly brought them to give a couple a newbies to our group a better idea of what women really wore and how it was worn. The one’s husband hold of some things from an area “sutler” that are not correct in any stretch of the imagination (not the cut, not the style, not the fabric or the print, nothing, which is really a waste). My friend C and I used the books and our own knowledge to steer her in the right direction. But I think everyone enjoyed my books, and that just tickles meJ.
I worked on some of my pocketbook kit I bought back in 2006 until I lost the needle, so then I finished the hem of my (finally) shortened mulberry petticoat. It was a slower day than I am used to, but fun in all. After I took mandie_rw home, I returned and had dinner (which turned out to be good!) and we all watched the fireworks from the fort’s high point. We didn’t see the Art Museum fireworks, but we could see about 13 different sets going off just in NJ! The PA side was harder to see, but there were about 9 or 10 going off at the same time! It was the best fireworks show I’ve ever seen in my life. The mosquitoes bit the hell out of me, but thankfully not as bad as last year. I really need to get over my aversion to bug spray.
Most of us went to be at Midnight and had a nice, ghost-free sleep. Morning was an enjoyable, lazy breakfast with my friends before I had to take C’s daughter home. By that time, I had enough time to shower and dress again to be a tour guide at the Whitall house. I had done training there back in March, but hadn’t been back until last weekend, when they had a garden show/heritage day. Heritage days are big deals, so there were a lot of other volunteers, and I remained in James’s Office that whole today. Sunday was a bit different---I was all by myself for the very first time. I brought my pocketbook to work on, but I only got 3 stitches worked in the whole 3 hours. Being a tour guide was the hardest work I’ve had to do in my life. Guests are supposed to knock and then be let in, but most of them got impatient if I didn’t answer right away and let themselves in. A lady with a baby stopped by the door and asked if I could do a “group.” I thought she meant 10 people tops, so when 25 of her family members (and then some random people) piled in I nearly had a heart attack. Opening the kitchen door helped, but herding them out once the “tour” was over took me a little while. Some questions I heard were good, but some others were really silly. One room of the house is a diorama of information on the battle of Ft Mercer and the window has a shade painted to look like a battle was going on outside, and a lady asked if they really decorated their window shades like that. When the park ranger finally came to get me, I hadn’t realized 3 hours had passed. I was tired, hungry and my throat hurt, and I commended all those people who do this for a living. But, I still had my aunt’s BBQ to go to…
My aunt and uncle live near my parents, about an hour’s drive. Normally, after a weekend like this, I would have blown it off, but this is the only time I see my father’s side of the family (I could go at Christmas, but the drunken loudness is easier to deal with outside). All my four of my uncles and my father were there (it’s gonna snow) and it was great to see my cousins. My one uncle has two young children and it was scary because his daughter looks exactly like I did at her age-including bean-poleness. My brothers are really growing up too! I saw them last in November, and since then Randy (15 on Wednesday) has lost fat and gotten more muscle and facial hair, and Brady (12) has shot up several inches and his voice is a lot deeper. I had a good time talking to them one on one, and I’m going to take them for a weekend before the summer is out. The rest of the people were my aunt’s sisters, their kids and husbands. Pretty much the same people that have been around for that BBQ since before I was born. Same snippy women who befriended my mother, and then trashed her behind her back. Same drunken men who did “funny” things like put firecrackers under people’s seats. I didn’t sit down at all. If that weren’t the only time I could see my uncles and their wives and children, I don’t think I would come at all. I think a lot of them see me and see my mother twenty plus years ago, and that makes me a little wary of them. Don’t think I didn’t have fun-I did! I had a great time with my uncle’s wife (I didn’t even meet her until 3 years ago, so she’s not really an aunt), and my contemporary cousins, and my one cousin’s little boy. My cousin Brynn (my look-alike) took off her Hannah Montana shoes and asked my cousin’s son Evan (age 2) who that was on her shoe and he said “Miley Cyrus!” Normally, I’m not fond of little-kid stuff like that but that was pretty funny!
Unfortunately, my stepmother took most of my time talking to me about how “crazy” my father is and not to be surprised if “something” (I guess she meant divorce?) happens within a couple years. I wouldn’t be anyway. She confided in me mostly, but even so, the way she talked about him to other people at the party reminded me of the way Jim’s cousin spoke of her husband in the months before she left him. She complains about him in front of her sons, which I feel is wrong. Yeah, I know dad isn’t Father or Husband of the Year by any means, but still, you don’t trash a parent in front of the kids. My relationship with my father is a strange one-since I’ve become an adult, we talk more, usually having to deal with work at Resorts. That’s usually the only time he calls me-that and my birthday. If he calls me about a job, I have to ask him about his family, he never tells. Our relationship isn’t strictly professional, but he’s not my friend either. It’s just weird.
I went home and went to bed. I had hoped I could see my parents, but it was really late when I left and I had work today. All in all a fun, busy and tiring weekend. I should seriously mail cookies to those of you who finished reading this.
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