Memorial Day

I remember the Memorial Days of my youth. We'd go to Mass, then march in the parade-- I was with the Girl Scout group, and various brothers and sisters were in the grade school band. I don't remember it ever raining, but it was usually getting a bit warm out. We'd march to the cemetary, where there was another memorial service, and flags to place at the graves.

It was before Memorial Day became another occasion for stores to have yet another sale. We remembered those who served, and we were grateful for their sacrifices.

May was a busy month at Saints Peter and Paul elementary school. Since it was "Mary's Month" there were May altars in the classrooms, May Crowning in the church, and first communion services.

I remember the smell of lilacs. It was warm enough to walk to school, and many of the homes along the way had lilacs blooming. They were especially sweet in the morning when it was cool, and the moisture of the dew seemed to enhance the scent. Those who were, in my mind, fortunate enough to have lilacs growing in their yards would bring the fragrant blooms in for the May altars, and we'd smell the lilacs all day long. My mom wasn't fond of lilacs, and when we moved to a house that had a small patch growing at the side of the yard, they left in short order. Only later did I understand that they were in a spot that obstructed a traffic view. But she still didn't like lilacs.

Today I'm not doing anything special. I took the opportunity to read the whole paper-- not something I can frequently do. I'm cleaning out a room that needs severe de-cluttering, while listening to audiobooks and podcasts on my iPod.

And I'm lamenting the fact that the plumbing in the middle bathroom is failing, as in non-stop dripping that is impervious to normal repairs. As soon as our master bath is completed and useable, we will have to go through this again. The plumber who did the estimate for the renovation in the master bath told us that getting to, repairing and refinishing the center bathroom shower plumbing would run at least a grand. We made the decision then that we would do a limited remodel at that time (we were thinking next year) instead of basically throwing away the repair costs, since the 60's bathroom really needs an upgrade.

So today's family discussions haven't focused on cooking out, or even the philosophical aspects of Memorial Day. Instead we're discussing alternatives for paying for another bathroom renovation, and ways to treat it as a capital improvement while trying to spend less than the cost of a new car. Again.

There are many, many blessings to be counted. We have a house. We have bathrooms. We will be able to do this while still maintaining our standard of living. We are very fortunate.

But this is really inconvenient. I'm such a whiner.

Meanwhile...
More Hokie Squares in progress. The Husband will take them to Gina at Mosaic this weekend.

I wanna go to Blacksburg!!!