Like many other places, during the month, it snowed, while some got a little, and others a lot, our ‘lil corner of the world experienced blizzard like conditions, or maybe just an inch, anyway, seriously, it wasn’t oh my Gawd if it doesn’t stop snowing I-m-a gonna lose my mind extreme, it was pretty and it went away quickly, and my kids loved it.
IT SNOWS MAYBE EVERY THREE TO FOUR YEARS, SO OUR ENTIRE TOWN, HA, MORE LIKE THE ENTIRE STATE, SHUTS DOWN. SO, AS LONG AS YOU’VE WALKED THE BREAD AND MILK AND T.P. AISLES OF SHAME, PROPERLY STOCKING YOUR CUPBOARDS WITH THOSE SNOW NECESSITIES, YOU ARE GOOD. WELL, LETS JUST HOPE YOU HAVE NO NEED TO VENTURE OUT, LIKE GO TO WORK.
AND THEN THE TEMPERATURE RISES, IT GOES BOOM, AND WE ARE EXPERIENCING HIGH SIXTIES, AT THE PARK PLAYING AND SKATING AND CLIMBING AND BUILDING SAND CASTLES…
And then, a day or so passes… temperature drops, the sky opens and lets down more white stuff, and we the people take another walk of shame down the bread and milk and toilet paper aisles, and hang up the state will now shut-down sign.
And then half way through the month all signs of snow are gone, and we’ve made it to love day as my little one calls Valentines Day.
OH MY GOSH… VALENTINES DAY, ACK. SO, A LOVE LETTER… I MEAN ‘YOU HAVEN’T PAID YOUR TRAFFIC CITATION’ NOTICE, ON MUTHA EFFING LOVE IS IN THE AIR DAY ARRIVES, WHICH, BY THE WAY, THE STATE DOES NOT TAKE KINDLY TO FORGETTING TO PAY A FINE, SO THEY GONNA ISSUE A BENCH WARRANT IF LEFT UN-PAID.
I ASSURE YOU I WOULD NOT LOOK GOOD IN THE JAIL HOUSE ORANGE GARB.
AHEM. I CRIED.
I CRIED AT THE SAILOR, TELLING HIM THAT I WASN’T DESERVING OF LOVE GIFTS, SO I CRIED SOME MORE.
My sweet daughter says, “Mom, maybe you should let go of that mad you have at yourself because we all make wrong sometimes.”
I CRIED SOME MORE. I PAID THE FINE AND TRIED TO REMEMBER THAT SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO LET GO OF THE MAD BECAUSE WE ALL MAKE WRONG SOMETIMES.
DESPITE MY CLAIM OF UNWORTHINESS, THE FAMILY GAVE ME A LOVE DAY GIFT, ANYWAY…
And then this… B.A.C.A –when ordinary people do extraordinary things; an amazing group of people.
“BIKERS AGAINST CHILD ABUSE (BACA) EXISTS WITH THE INTENT TO CREATE A SAFER ENVIRONMENT FOR ABUSED CHILDREN. WE EXIST AS A BODY OF BIKERS TO EMPOWER CHILDREN TO NOT FEEL AFRAID OF THE WORLD IN WHICH THEY LIVE. WE STAND READY TO LEND SUPPORT TO OUR WOUNDED FRIENDS BY INVOLVING THEM WITH AN ESTABLISHED, UNITED ORGANIZATION. WE WORK IN CONJUNCTION WITH LOCAL AND STATE OFFICIALS WHO ARE ALREADY IN PLACE TO PROTECT CHILDREN. WE DESIRE TO SEND A CLEAR MESSAGE TO ALL INVOLVED WITH THE ABUSED CHILD THAT THIS CHILD IS PART OF OUR ORGANIZATION, AND THAT WE ARE PREPARED TO LEND OUR PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT TO THEM BY AFFILIATION, AND OUR PHYSICAL PRESENCE. WE STAND AT THE READY TO SHIELD THESE CHILDREN FROM FURTHER ABUSE. WE DO NOT CONDONE THE USE OF VIOLENCE OR PHYSICAL FORCE IN ANY MANNER, HOWEVER, IF CIRCUMSTANCES ARISE SUCH THAT WE ARE THE ONLY OBSTACLE PREVENTING A CHILD FROM FURTHER ABUSE, WE STAND READY TO BE THAT OBSTACLE.”
As if forgetting to pay a fine wasn’t enough wrong for one month; I forgot my kid, well technically it wasn’t my kid I forgot, I forgot about early release day, so unbeknownst to me my daughter is hanging out in the administrative office with the other kids whose parents ‘forgot’ about early release while I’m la, la, la, la, la, at the art center where my other daughter attends art class.
NO BIG DEAL, THEY CALLED MY CELL PHONE, BUT THE ONLY PROBLEM WITH THAT IS I COULDN’T HEAR IT RING… YEP, FORGOT IT; LEFT IT PLUGGED INTO THE CHARGER, SITTING ON THE KITCHEN COUNTER MANY MILES FROM MY PURSE WHERE EVERY OTHER DAY IT USUALLY RESIDES WHEN OUT AND ABOUT.
THE HORRIBLE, AWFULLY HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE FEELING OF EPIC BAD, BAD MOMMY FEELINGS I FELT WAS MASSIVE. YES, THAT HORRIBLE FEELING OF AWFUL MAY HAVE LESSENED, JUST A ‘LIL-BIT WHEN MY DAUGHTER SAYS, “MOM I REALLY DON’T WANT TO LEAVE YET I’M HAVING FUN”, BUT LESSENED NOT BY MUCH.
OH, AND ON THE LAST DAY OF THE MONTH, I TOOK THIS SHOT WITH MY CAMERA PHONE BECAUSE, AHEM, I FORGOT MY CAMERA, GAWD, I’VE LOST MY MIND, ANYWAY, THE PHOTOGRAPHS WERE ON DISPLAY AT THE ART SCHOOL WHERE MY DAUGHTER ATTENDS ART CLASS… TAKEN BY A GROUP OF AMAZINGLY TALENTED MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLERS: