A few extra blessings

We’ve been in a deep freeze for the last four days, with the temperature finally breaking into the teens or 20s today. On Wednesday, a meeting I was supposed to attend out of town was canceled due to the cold, so I had a day of “found time.” Then on Thursday, school was canceled in Madison and the surrounding area due to the frigid wind-chills. My office is not open when the Madison schools are closed, so there was another day of found time, though I used it to sit at the computer and work all day anyway. Friday? Same story: schools closed and lots (and lots) of computer work at home.

The unexpected down time was a blessing — like an extension of holiday break — when Sean and I had a little extra time together watching movies in the evening. Alex is away for a second week at his out-of-state job, and Claire was off hither and yon doing various things, but Sean and I chose to stick close to home. We watched a movie together Thursday night and again last night. They were rare times when we just sat — I didn’t try to do other work, and he didn’t surf around on his laptop.

Those were extra-blessing evenings indeed, especially as the clock in the back of my head keeps ticking down to his departure — gulp — tomorrow. He plans to spend the day today luxuriating (his last day before it’s back to reality) and packing. I’m trying not to think about it. It’s been great having him around, even though I’ve left him mostly to his own activities and choices.

I love him a lot, and I will miss him a lot.