Apprarently MIL was complaining to Ben about the kids.  (Very granmotherly, right?)  He flat out told her that we are a family.  When you come and stay with us, you do family things.  This is our life.  If it is a problem, we can call the airline to move her return ticket to a closer date.  He was sure that wouldn't be a problem.  

MIL stopped complaining.  Damn.

 

***** More specifics coming soon.  So many to blog about, so little time....  But, I am doing better so thank you!  AND I have had lots o sex with Ben since she has arrived.  Apparently adversity is a turn on for us, lol.  What doesn't kill us makes us stronger or in our case, more aroused...  We have been hiding in the bedroom a lot, hmmmm..... ************

has been here for just over 24 hours and I am already so sad.  I really went into this year, with what I thought was a positive outlook.  Within a day, chaos has started and I have 14 more very long days of this to look forward to.  I am too tired to even write specifics, but I will soon.  Please, please send me any good energy that you may have.  I feel like a beaten down dog who has been left for dead.

Sam and I just got back from our weekend at Womongathering.  We were up in very rural PA near the NY border.  It is a sleep away camp during the height of the summer, but is used every summer for the festival.  What is Womongathering?  It is a spiritual festival just for women and girls.  This was the year of Fire and the Mother. 

Sam and I slept in our own cabin.  The bed was just awful and the cabin very rustic - but hey, that is what camping in a cabin is all about!  We hiked all over the place.  It was so serene to be in the middle of the woods, in the middle of nowhere.  There was a beautiful lake that we went swimming in.  We weren't supposed to, but hey, once a rule breaker - always a rule breaker.  Can I tell you, it was just LOVELY!

There were many classes to take and there was a place just for the girls where they could take there own classes.    Being both Sam and I were newcomers, I stayed with her much of the time at the Gyrlspace.  Besides, they made really cool crafts!  The women who ran gyrlspace liked me and said I could work there next summer for the festival!  I was all about the WOO HOO!  I enjoy the kids and it would cut the cost in half. 

In addition the the classes, Sam started the "Save the Caterpillar" campaign.  There were many flies and caterpillars about that apparently were at war.  The girls made a habitat for the caterpillars and then found some to put in there.  After gyrlspace was closed for the day, the girls took turns caring for the habitat.  After 3 days of this, I was shocked when I went to load up the car to find a chrysalis in our car!  I was able to un-attach it from the seat and it was still intact and alive.  It was a magical moment.  I mean, the girls were putting out there in the universe to save the caterpillars and there we were with a chrysalis.  Their intent was loud and clear.

The one class I took was an art class.  It started by a guided meditation.  We then took what we saw in our meditation, and painted in silence to soft music.  It was wonderful.  The imagery I got was so clear and strong.  I was actually able to kind of get it looking right on paper.  I think it was the first time I got to create in silence for a long period of time in YEARS!

I don't even think I can describe the energy of so many women and girls in one place.  It was just amazing and such a safe space.  It felt like a real community.  I am sure that villages long ago were of many women like that while the men went off and hunted.  At one point, I lost my wallet.  I started to freak out.  There was no cell reception and my calling card was in there.  I felt like all links to Ben, Kit and Susanna were gone and I panicked in a bad way.  I thought it was stolen cause I had left my backpack on the table.  With in seconds, many women, strangers, were over to help me.  A friend of mine said she'd watch Sam while the others took me to the communications booth to see if it was there.  I was sure it was gone.  When we got to commutations, there it was.  NOTHING was missing.  I was so shocked and surprised - in a good way.  Later that day when we were hiking in the woods, two young girls came up to us and asked if we lost money.   They had found 16 dollars along the trail.  We had not lost any dollars.  They then went off to hand it in at communications.  Again, I was speechless.  It truly was a safe space.  How often do you see honesty like that?

There were also vendors there that were set up in an outside market place.  A plethora of candles, pottery, art, clothes and more was there.  I was very good and trust me, it wasn't easy, lol.

More than anything, the time spend one-on-one with Sam was wonderful.  I love my daughter cause I love her.  She is my kid.  But, what I also found, is that I really LIKE her.  She is fun to spend time with.  I would like her if she wasn't my kid and I just met her.  There was a very different dynamic without the rest of the family.  She is very funny and very smart.  We will most certainly be going again next year.  We both are already looking forward to it!  Altho I must admit, I missed Ben, Kit and Sus sooooo much!  During the day when we were busy, it wasn't too bad.  It was at night, as I tried to fall asleep when I longed for them.

Now I will have to come up with other one-on-one ideas for Kit and Sus too.  LOL. 

The only down side was coming home and finding out that LB, my friend's daughter had been admitted to the hospital.  She has since been allowed home and is doing better - but many prayers are still being sent to their family.