Stomachs, Owen, and the Mark Gerking Tribute Wall
It's been an odd day. I woke up around 6:00 this morning convinced I had the stomach flu---with all the unpleasantness that goes along with that. As well as being miserable I was panicking thinking that if I get this now and the family drops one by one then what shape will we be in by Friday? After several hours of misery and some weird drugged-feeling/weird-dreams sleep I am feeling cautiously optimistic. Later in the morning Ernie was also feeling pretty sick so now I'm wondering whether it was something we ate although we can't come up with what it might be. So for now I have attempted some toast and although my stomach feels beat up I think we (my stomach and I, that is) are doing better.
Whew.
It has been utterly wonderful to hear all the responses to my post about Owen getting called a 'fag' for singing along to a song. Thought provoking and helpful----so thank you all! I'm not inclined to get involved at this point. I don't know the family whatsoever---never met them----and I don't expect Owen to have further interaction with this kid's brother. If he does, and it continued, then Owen and Ernie and I would have to talk about how to handle it. Owen's friend, whose party it was, did apologize to Owen, although the brother did not. As much as it made me livid that someone cruely, however ineptly, made fun of him, I feel that Owen, at this point, has to deal with it on his own. As I said, if it were an ongoing issue we'd react differently, or if the kids involved were younger, but I think Owen has to figure out how to put up with assholes as, well....they're out there, huh? We'll talk about it some more with him but he had some wise things to say yesterday about believing in yourself and ignoring what others think. That will always be a challenge for him as he does get his feelings hurt terribly easily, but then again, that is what makes him so sensitive to others so it's a good thing as well. Of course then there are the times when he's a manipulative little tyrant but hopefully it all balances out. My theory is that things balance out in life....I'm still looking for absolute proof however!
Now....BACK to the post already in progress:
We are all quite delighted with how comfortable our 'new' media room is. We've had various combinations of furniture crowded in there....the last was a truly uncomfortable couch (which I always hoped meant it would last a long time but not the case...although we're hard on furniture to be fair) and an armchair plus assorted shelves, tv and turntables.
We've now moved the turntables up to what is destined to become the 'music room.' One shelf got cut down and turned into a tv/game shelf and an end table as well. The new couch is WONDERFUL. It feels incredibly comfortable for all of us at once, cozy as well as spacious, oddly enough.
We've also begun the Mark Gerking Tribute Wall. We were going to call it the Mark Gerking Memorial Wall but given that he's alive we switched it to Tribute Wall. Next time you're at our house Mark we will be asking you so sign the wall, o.k? Just two posters up so far, still need a frame for the Tommy Womack and the Rod and Amanda posters, and I'm hoping the very busy Mark will be able to squeeze a Fats Kaplin/Kristi Rose Christmas poster in (see what you've started Mark? And you've only yourself to blame lol). Then next year we have Eric Brace/Peter Cooper, Audrey Auld and then of course next summer we have CynthiaFest which will celebrate a major birthday (ahem) of mine. Music still to be determined......
We even have room for some of our 19th century glass on top of the shelves and Judi's urn with the Obama sticker on it. An old toolbox of Ernie's dad for the coffee table. Of course it's already covered with Lego...