Last Thursday, I was about to get Emmie ready for an early bedtime (she was cranky) when music from outside starting coming through the walls of our house.
"What the heck?" I thought. "Who's blasting music?" I opened Emmie's second story window and peered out. I could feel the thump of the drums, the twang of the guitars, and the vibrato of the singer. Was someone playing a live album extremely loudly? No, it was a live band! And it sounded like they were playing in our backyard! Then I remembered there was a little fair in our town over the weekend. It had to be really close by!
The next day, Emmie and I went to the library and saw the fair, set up in an adjacent park. I got as excited as a little kid. I don't know what appeals to me about fairs and such, but I adore them. I enjoy the people-watching and fried-food smells, knowing that, for a few days, folks come together in the same place to have a good time.
On Saturday, we walked down to the fair as a family. Bruce paid a carnie way too much money to throw some darts at balloons. He popped almost all of them and 'won' a stuffed pink crayon for Emmie. She and I went on the carousel - her first time ever! The three of us split a funnel cake. It was an all-American experience.
That night, after Emmie went to bed, Bruce and I drank beer on our patio stoop and listened to a classic rock band play, like we had our own private entertainment. It was a moment which made me fall further in love with our little house, and all the perks that came with it.
Labor Day
Bruce's mom wanted us to come over for the holiday, but we passed, instead making plans for next week. We wanted to have the day to ourselves and get some work done around the house. We woke up at a leisurely pace. Bruce made eggs-in-a-hole, sausage, and hash browns for breakfast. Then he and I had mimosas in champagne glasses. Towards late morning, we all got dressed and walked to the local Goodwill and home improvement store. The sun was bright, and Emmie was quick to point out that the sky was blue, even though she says it more like "Bwoo." She knows her colors now!
At Goodwill, Emmie and I each got a book, and we also got a pair of wood shelves that we are going to paint white for Emmie's room. To quote Macklemore, they were "99 cents!" Way cheaper than buying new.
At the hardware store, we had a credit, so we were able to get a fence hook for a bird feeder, a towel-ring for our powder room, and a box of nails. Bruce hung the hook, and in the bathroom he installed the ring and nailed up a picture I got recently. Yay, progress!
Party Foul
The only downside to the weekend was receiving the news that Bruce's aunts and uncles will not be attending our housewarming party in a couple weeks. It added to the disappointment I've been feeling as we get declines to our invitation. Our parents and siblings will be there, and many close friends. However, I should've talked to ALL my friends before scheduling it, because one of our best friends is throwing a birthday party for his daughter on the same day. That means many people we invited have other plans.
Should we cancel our party and reschedule? I imagined that the house would be full of family and friends, celebrating the milestone we've achieved. Bruce would grill out back, and I would show off our first home, all the work we've put into it so far. But it looks like almost everyone who's coming has already been here. While it will still be a nice party, it won't be what I envisioned. A lot of people who are important to us will be missing.
What should I do? Even though right now I'm bummed, I will make the best of it and hope that we can have those people over individually another time. The people who will be in attendance are important to us, too, and I am always grateful to spend time with them.
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