Irishgoddess’s Weblog

Betrayal?  Sure.  Anger?  Absolutely.  Disappointment?  Regularly.   Anxiety? Almost always.  Empty promises?  You bet.

The one thing I didn’t count on was the feeling of sadness that I now feel as I tell my best friend I can’t allow him in my life anymore.

1.  Bunk and Gman, brothers

2.  True and Gman, cousins, too cool to hang with the rest of the family

3.  Grandmag is at the bottom of ladder, terrified.

4.  Grandpa (DTE) teaching grandson R. to play croquet.

5.  Beautiful grandaughter E.

6.  R. showing Grandmag  his “green! butterfly! tattoo!”

7.  Sweet girls

8.  DTE, ringleader of children

9.  DTE teaching R. how to pitch in kickball

10.  On the way home.

This was all after my sister’s wedding.  Those pictures will follow in a week or so.

My family:  Mom, Dad, older sister Beany (about to get married), no kids of her own,  fiance has 14 year old daughter.  Younger brother, married, no kids.  Me, married to DTE, two kids – 14 year old GMan, 9 year old Lucy.

Other kids:  DTE’s oldest daughter, J, married, no kids.  His oldest son, Big D, married, two kids (7 year old daughter and 2 year old son).  Second oldest daughter, Rosie, not married, has almost 2 year old daughter, Baby R.  Second oldest son, Bunk, not married, no kids.  Then my two.

To recap:  DTE has 6 kids, two of ‘em are “mine”, though we see alot of the oldest son and the middle daughter, also.  They happen to be the two kids with kids of their own.  So yes, at 42 years old I have 3 grandchildren, all of whom I ADORE.   Last year the oldest grandaughter decided my name shall be “GrandMag” which I think is perfect!

Jeez, I just noticed my banner is still from Birthday Month.  Sorry folks.  I’ll get that changed….eventually.

Secondly:  Yesterday I went to Crim Law.  I got called on to read every 3rd case, so I was talking a lot.  During the break the professor said to me “You have a nice voice!  If I had known that earlier I would have called on you a lot more.”   Great.     Anyway – I was somewhat flustered because at the beginning of class I saw one of the vocal Born Again Christian students, and he was wearing a tshirt that said “I survived Roe v. Wade”.  For some reason this just infuriated me.  Like, you were this close from being aborted?  What an ass.  I wanted to tell him that every child born in the U.S. since Roe v. Wade has “survived” – it’s not like the moment that decision was handed down every pregnant woman is FORCED to say she doesn’t want an abortion.    And how much value does “survived” have – I wonder if he has opened his home to the thousands of poverty stricken children in this city alone.  I wonder if he helps parent the children, helps support them financially and emotionally, makes sure they have food and clothing and shelter and love.

I think I’m going to get a tshirt that says “I CHOSE to have two children that I knew I was ready and able to have.  Thank you, Roe v. Wade!”

Apparently not writing on my blog.  I squeeze moments of my past life in here and there:  it is 9 a.m. on a workday and I haven’t even showered yet.  I have an amazing boss who lets me do what I want when I want.  Two weekends ago I rewarded myself for being ahead on homework and I read a book.  For pleasure.

Drinking lots and lots of caffeine.  My eating and sleeping schedule is on a new path.

Acknowledging that I am busier, and happier, than I have been in just about forever.  If I am hit by a bus today, you all can know that I have died happy.  I am involved with my family, I adore and admire DTE and my kids, I am in love with my friends and at peace with those who I no longer call friends.

Today at 3 a.m. DTE and GMan left for Wisconsin.  They are going to meet Bunk, DTE’s middle son, who has been estranged for several years.  I think all three guys are extremely excited to see each other:  Bunk and GMan haven’t seen each other since GMan was about 10 years old!

That leaves Lucy and I home alone, and we are enjoying the sweetness of a “Girls Only” home.  She is going through a long-lasting phase of mommy-worship, so this is nice for her.  Hopefully it gives her some fuel to make it through the normal days where I am gone 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.

We stayed behind because my sister Beany is getting married!  She is happy.  In fact, she is happy in a way that I have never, ever seen her in my entire life.  Somehow, my luck in life has finally rubbed off on her and she is enjoying herself.  She deserves it more than anyone I know.

The wedding will be small, but full of wonderful people.  Our brother is coming!  We so rarely see him, so this is a special treat.  Also, my mother’s brother has come to town for the occasion.  Although he is a hard core Republican, he loves to read.  He used to own a bookstore.   My dad’s sister, my favorite aunt, will be there too.  She asked me how school was going and then wailed, “But when do you ever find time to READ?”  She also loves to read, and every time she sees me she gives me bags full of books.

Saturday a.m. Lucy and I will take the ferry across Lake Michigan and DTE will pick us up in WI.  We are going to DTE’s family reunion.  Coming home on Sunday we will bring with us our oldest grandaughter who is 7, and who worships Lucy.   This will be the second  year of this “tradition”  – because we don’t see her nearly as much as her other grandparents, I wanted to still establish a special relationship with her.  I used to visit my grandmother for one week in the summer and it still sticks out in my mind as a wonderful time.

Also coming with us is GMan’s cousin True who is just a few months younger.  These boys are close, are very, very similar, yet very different.  True came last year for a week, too, and it was great.

I didn’t see my cousins much as a kid, and I like the fact that my kids are getting to have these cool, close relationships with their extended family.

School itself is going well.  In four weeks I’ll be taking finals.  I’m thinking about taking 4 classes next term.   I got an A- on my “final” for my pass/fail class – doesn’t say much, but it shows I’m on the right track.  I expect I’ll be getting a little behind with this trip this weekend, and I need to push up the studying for finals.  That means I’ll continue to be a rare presence on the IG blog.   When I’m studying, though, I allow myself 10 minute breaks here and there, and I read all of your blogs… so I’m still around even if I’m not opening my big mouth.

I handed in a one page exercise today around 11 a.m.  and this is the response I got, via email, at 1:30 p.m. from the prof (who also happens to be the Asst. Dean at my law school.)  I have emphasized certain phrases of his and put my own comments in parentheses.  Even in spite of his comments, and my spin on his comments… I think I love this man.

Thank you for sharing with me your exercise answers.  Please permit me some comments and encouragement.

I like several things about your answers.  You used the answer rubric (was-when-because) to good effect on the first few answers. (uh oh, did the rest suck?) It made your answers structured, logical, orderly, and complete.

You then felt comfortable enough with the analysis to abandon the was-when-because rubric,(because I never follow the rules) and yet your answers were still reasonably (ask any lawyer – that is a loaded word) logical, orderly, and complete.  Lawyers have no magic rubric.  Its only purpose is to help those students whose analysis would otherwise be incomplete.  You seem to hold the basic structure in mind just fine as you write, so that you get all of the aspects of a complete analysis on the page without necessarily following the rubric.  In short, you write well and, I am guessing, must have some considerable expertise and experience. (Your age shows.)

You also have good judgment and know how to show it.  You frequently qualified answers (“was certainly met”).  You seem quite capable of injecting common sense evaluations (a/k/a always adding your own opinions whether asked to or not) and maybe inferring facts that are implied but not stated–that sort of “abductive reasoning” skill.  Please feel free to exercise that skill, even as you qualify any use of it with the caution that the facts are only implied and must be confirmed. (Stop inferring things; it will only get you in trouble!)

I have no doubt whatsoever of your success on the final exam, so long as you just keep up the good work.(Don’t start slacking any more than you already have been!)  Thank you for the privilege.  Take care, and please feel free to make any observations or ask any questions.