Weekend Happenings

Good Friday morning!

I have a pic of some of Roxie's tennis buds in the Gallery today, and two more Morris Avenue shots. Although Roxie likes most sports which involve a ball, tennis isn't her thing. However, she doesn't mind watching her friends play.

RANDOMNESS #1 - CONTEST! CONTEST! CONTEST! The winner of the Butt Naked Candle Contest from Yucatan Trading is... DAWN! Dawn, I'll be going to Bluff Park the middle of next week, so by next weekend your house is going to be smelling good! Congratulations... and thanks to everyone who entered.

Don't worry. There may be another Candle Contest in the future.

RANDOMNESS #2 - DON'T FORGET! DON'T FORGET! DON'T FORGET! If you have a chance this weekend to see Soul Surfer with your family, please do so. It's a great "faith-based" movie. (NOTE - I took kids 13 years and older. This may not be a movie for smaller kids because of the shark attack, so if you have a younger family, you may want to see it with your spouse before taking the kiddos.)

RANDOMNESS #3 - Many people KNOW what they are supposed to "be when they grow up" at a very early age. I knew I was supposed to work with young children. Of course, I veered off course a little, but that's a different story... and it involves a pigeon.

Because of my love of EVERYTHING preschool, I have ALWAYS known I was not "nurse" material. ALWAYS.

Today, Tuesday and Wednesday, I'll be sharing a few stories which support the above fact.

I knew Mikie over three years before we became a couple. In those three years, I vaguely recall Mike being ill every now and again. When we began dating, became engaged and then married in less than a year, the fact he had been sick a couple of times a year during our friendship was not a huge concern... for him or me.

Soon after we became husband and wife, Mikie became ill. In fact, the day after we returned home from our honeymoon, he woke up with a horrible sinus infection. He couldn't breathe. He had a fever. He was achy. (He was more than a little whiny.)

While he stayed home to recuperate, I went to work. I called to check on him a couple of times during the day, and he sounded horrible. I felt sorry for him, and I planned on feeding him chicken noodle soup and hydrating him as soon as I returned home.

When I walked through the door later that evening, he was on the sofa. He had obviously not moved ALL day long except to eat and drink a little. He looked miserable... and unshaven... and unshowered.

I asked him how he felt, and he told me something that would haunt me for the next five years of our marriage. "I'll be okay. When I get this it lasts ten days... so one down and nine to go."

"What do you mean this lasts ten days? Why does it have to last ten days? Why can't you take some kind of medicine to knock it out in two or three days?" I asked.

"I do take medicine... and it takes ten days for me to feel better."

"Does that mean you're off work for ten days... not counting weekends?" I asked again.

"Yes. Yes, it does."

"How often does this happen?" I was not liking this illness AT ALL.

"Twice a year, every year," he replied.

Hmmm. Twenty days out of 365 days. Hmmm. Every year until "death do us part." Hmmm.

"Okay. Well, I think you would feel better if you had a nice, hot shower," I said, as I threw back the blankets. "Come on. Let's get you well."

"No. No. I'm too weak." Wheeze, wheeze, cough, cough.

"You have got to wash some of those germs off. We're going to try to shave off a few days of your 'ten-day illness.' Let's try to get it down to five days, shall we?" I was using my matter-of-fact, business-like voice. It was very annoying... even to me.

While Mikie crawled to the shower, I made chicken noodle soup and cheese toast. When he crawled back into the living room, he was clean, but much, much weaker. He ate a little, took a little medicine and sat on the couch... very, very sick.

Around 8:00 that night, I made a suggestion. "Why don't you go ahead and go to bed? Extra sleep should help you feel better sooner, too."

He then said the six words I was destined to hear over and over again during our marriage... "I'm tired, but I'm not sleepy."

"What does that mean? If you're tired, you can sleep."

"No. I have to be sleepy AND tired to sleep."

Who was this man I had been married to for ten days? Had I ever even met him? Was I going to have to go the Young Married Sunday School Class by myself for the first time EVER? Did I have any compassion in my body? It appeared I did not. I have to admit, I was a little surprised... and worried.

Mikie later admitted he was asking himself some of the same questions. Who is this woman I have been married to for ten days? Does she have an ounce of compassion in her body? Will she be able to be the mother of my children? Children get sick. Will she take care of them, or insist a nice, hot shower will cure them of all their ills? What is wrong with her?

The story continues... but not today. Be assured, Mikie survived... but just barely. I'll finish next week.

Weekend Happenings

It's another weekend of here, there and everywhere for the Faulkner Five. Austin is staying in Jacksonville for the A-Day Game Friday night (unless it is cancelled because of weather). If it is cancelled because of weather, he may still stay in Jacksonville because it will be safer than traveling.

Josh was supposed to sing at the Magnolia Festival tonight... cancelled. Roxie was supposed to spend the night with her grandmother tonight... might be cancelled. I'm pretty sure Friday is going to be a weather-watching day and night.

However, James Spann said the remainder of the weekend in our great state was going to be cool and beautiful.

For Roxie, this means she gets to go to Alabama's A-Day Game.

For Josh, this means he gets to go to a biology study session at UAB and the high school production of Grease Saturday night.

For Austin, this means he gets to come home!

Sunday at Faulkner Farms (circa 1842) has everyone home, but me. For the first time in over 20 years, I'm helping host a shower for a friend's child who is getting married. I am so excited. I miss showers, and one of the few good things about kids becoming adults is they get engaged, get married and have babies. I liked that season of life when I was in my 20s and early 30s. I'm pretty sure I'm going to like it again!

We have a late Sunday night Faulkner Family Nerf War planned. This will be a good one because there are going to be prizes. Really good prizes. Can you say Cadbury Eggs... all flavors? The stakes just went up!

Have a safe weekend. Spend time with family and friends. Date one of your kids. Date your spouse. Make some memories!

Take care, and I'll talk to you Monday.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda