Loneliness, as in an uncomfortable emotion, passes and I am left alone in the house with Julia back at school and feeling really okay about my aloneness, as in the state of being with no company apart from my own.  And the cat.  

Quick meds update: Julia is still off her Concerta.  Friday night we went to Overture to see School of Rock, a rather kid noisy rock musical with a very enthusiastic cast including about a dozen kids.  Julia enjoyed it.  So much so that when the kids sang, “Stick it to the Man” (The chorus if not the name of the song), Julia was ready to get up and join the cast on stage, and if not on stage, at least stand up and raise her fist and wave her hair.  My hand had to rest gently in her lap to keep her in her seat.  We were in the balcony which may have helped keep her in her seat.  Had we been in the orchestra . . . 

On our way from parking lot to theater, Julia ran into a school friend and her family.  Julia was very enthusiastic and her friend was encouraging.  It was sweet.  It was also fortunate that in the theater we sat next to a sympathetic man who seemed enchanted by Julia’s enthusiasm and bouncing in her seat.  The Universe appeared to offer some kindness.

We spent most of Saturday and a bit of Sunday finishing up the science project.  I grumbled until I realized that the area around Uluru in Australia that we had visited was part of the Koppen climate zone she was assigned, BWh.  Another gift from the Universe?Immediately, I was much more interested in all the research Julia was trying to make sense of.  And she didn’t have to search for pictures—we had a few hundred of them to choose from.  Actually, I wish she could have explained more about our visit to Uluru and surrounds, but as it was, she was able to process and understand the material much better than had it all been all dry research.  When she wrote about the cold winter nights in the Australian dessert, she knew from what she spoke.  

And I was very thankful for our Australian journey. How beautiful a country. How lovely the relatives and friends that we spent time with. I miss the people and the places. Gratitude seeps in at the most unexpected moments.

A Monday p.s.: I am beginning to cull books.  I have a pile of theater scripts, some oldish travel books, a few cook books and garden books to give away.  If anyone would like to paw through them, please come and take a look!