My Usual Friday

Right now I am sitting at one of my auntie's houses.  It's the usual Friday round of watching my mom and her friends practice their folk dancing.  I know, I know.  It probably sounds very boring to a lot of people.  It used to be boring to me.  After all, I have watched them for years since I was at least six years old.  Now, call me crazy but I love it.  True, sometimes it does get to be a little much since I am the only one under the age of 50.  Overall, this reminds me every Friday that I have an awesome family and we have good friends.  I don't know how to describe the feeling that I get when I am sitting at the dinner table (sometimes banished to the coffee table because I'm still the youngest) or when I just listen to the conversation flow around me as I understand the gist of what they are saying or even when I watch these amazing women teach themselves dances from videos.  I guess all I can say is that I find that over the years I have found respect, peace, and love through all these practices.  Plus, I am beyond thankful that I do NOT have to be the one to do the dances.  I sometimes think they made the children (i.e. my cousins and I) dance just to torture us.  I can say that I am happier here being with my family than going to the bars feeling like a piece of meat at the market.

I babysat for the cutest and beautiful baby today.  JM, my cousin, let me watch her while she went to work.  I must say that I have fallen in love with her laugh and her growling.  How could you not when she growls at her Noah's Ark animals?  As we took a nap today on the couch, I admit that I am starting to long to start a family (in my mind, if only I have a baby that good).  I know I could definitely wait for a while.  I am still a little selfish and definitely not yet financially stable.  I will overcome one of those two this fall when I start my job (woooohoooo!!!).  A baby takes so much more than I can give by myself.  One day though I know I will have one when the time is right.  Until then though I have a gorgeous baby to cuddle, snuggle, and growl with.  :)  Thanks, JM!!!  :)

Funny thing, talking about my mom's dancing and JM makes me remember back when I was younger.  I think I did talk with JM about this and maybe ZB too.  I remember anticipating the weekend all the time because I knew I would see JM and ZB.  Our parents always had something going on Saturday and if we were lucky we would be able to spend the night at someone else's house.  Don't get me wrong, I loved seeing my school friends.  But the weekends were just something special.  It was like a whole other world where the kids run in and out between adults trying to get food and drinks.  We also played long and hard on the playgrounds making up different games or even playing tennis if we had a chance.  I definitely would not even think about leaving out the bowling alley.  This just goes to show you how different our world was then to what it is today.  Our parents would allow us to go to and from the bowling alley which was a couple of doors down from where they were.  I don't remember ever playing but we had to get fries there.  Loved it!

Now thinking about this makes me a little sad too.  I always wanted my children to grow up with JM and ZB's children.  When we were younger, it never occurred to me that we wouldn't live close together or that we wouldn't have children at the same time.  I am hoping that I will be able to create a similar environment with my children no matter what the circumstances were.  Does anyone have similar childhood memories?  I always wondered if we were just really lucky or if everyone has something similar.

Now on to the last thing.  I have been such a slacker with my sewing lately.  I know I shouldn't be mad at myself.  It's difficult though because there's so many things I want to try but I just don't have the energy.  We'll see though because I'm housesitting for my cousin, Ina, this week starting tonight.  I'm going to bring my sewing and see if I can someone get some inspiration in a new, more spacious place.  Hopefully, I'll have some pics of things I have finished the next time I post.  Until then, have a great weekend.  :)