Have you ever noticed that most songs about Monday disparage the day? I have been humming two songs alternatively all day: Rainy Days and Mondays by the Carpenters and I Don't Like Mondays by The Boomtown Rats. Different decades? Yes. Different genres? Yes. But both complain about that day of the week when we get back to the workday routine.
Once upon a time when we were a homeschooling family, I loved Mondays. Though weekends were less structured and more varied, I loved the rhythm of our homeschooling days. Mondays were music days. For a while, when my daughters were in early elementary, we had violin and flute lessons on Monday. When they decided that formal instruction was no longer their "thing" we still had music on Mondays. When morning read alouds were done, and all of our table work and computer tasks completed, we would put some (usually classical) music on the CD player and learn about the composer and his or her time in history. Or we would have an art appreciation hour, full of sketching and daydreaming, while artful music played.
Now that we are not homeschooling, Mondays are more hurried, more filled with the pressure of being somewhere on time with all of the right gear on hand. Today I substituted for a secretary in the elementary school office and we had to be on the road a little earlier than we are on the days when I volunteer in the school library. We managed to be there in plenty time, despite fog... despite it being Monday. I actually really enjoyed myself. The atmosphere in the school is very cheerful... there only a few more days before summer vacation, after all!
As I write this, rain is falling. Like me humming two different songs about Monday, the day has vacillated between two different genres of wet and gray: rain, then mist, then back to rain again. I'm putting on some music as I finish posting this, to chase away the last remnants of the Monday Blues. Now if only I can decide between Classic Stressbusters or The Clash!
These are photos of some of the blues in my butterfly garden taken today, between the rains: 1) Skywings Iris, after which my butterfly garden is named (yes, I name everything!) 2)Lilac and Violet Iris from a friend, cultivar unknown 3)Deep Purple Viola's that were hiding in a pot of aquilegia I purchased last month. All photos by Aisling, June 4, 2007
9 comments:
What lovely pictures, Aisling! When I wasn't working outside the home I enjoyed Mondays as it signaled a return to my routine, and some alone-time to catch up on chores as well as hobbies. Now I have joined the Monday blues club. ;)
Rapunzel, Well, as I posted earlier this week, "tomorrow's another day." So, it's on to Tuesday. Those are usually my quiet at home days (with Tanka) but tomorrow I've agreed to cover a portion of a co-worker's shift. At any rate, I'm glad I have such good company in the Monday blues club! *grin*
I've never been a fan of Mondays - guess I've always loved the weekend too much, and being somewhat of a pessimist, Mondays signal the end of fun. Back to routine. And it seems to me that Mondays tend to bring about the bad parts of the week - maybe because all of us Monday-haters are congregating in life again.
Grace, Good point (about the Monday haters congregating!) *grin* I think the trick is to plan something wonderful and fun for Mondays. If you're in good with the boss, maybe it could be the going out to breakfast morning (even just once a month.) ;)
I love your iris- and we call those particular tiny violas "Johnny Jump ups".
I want to be able to home school the twins- was there a specific reason you stopped? I am just not sure I can part with them to public schools in only 3-4 years!
Lizzie, I know what you mean about not wanting to part with your children at such young ages. I homeschooled my girls for 8 years. The are a lot of reasons we are no longer doing so. The girls are older and ready for a public high school experience (though one is an exchange student this year.) My first grade son really, really wanted to go to public school so we put him in as an experiment, that has worked out pretty well for him. With such an age range in my children (17 down to 4) it would be a lot of years for me to be out of the work force. My compromise is to be very, very involved at their school. I am there so much of the time (the four year old just goes to preschool while I volunteer a couple of mornings a week, or as a drop-in when I substitute for the paraprofessionals or secretaries at the school.) Someday, I will do a long post about our homeschooling experience! I know you will cherish that special time with your children if you do homeschool them.
That song by the Carpenters has always bothered me because those are two of my favorite kind of days. I have always liked Mondays and see them as a new beginning each time. When I wasn't working, it was an easy home day with time to restore order in the house after the weekend and have some time for self. When I began working part-time I was able to choose either Monday or Friday as my day off. I chose Monday for the above reasons. When everyone else was scurrying about to begin the week, I had another day. These days I do work a few Monday hours but, thankfully, not until the afternoon.
And I name the little areas of our yard too. :)
Vicky, I did love Mondays when I got to spend them at home. I love rainy days when I get to spend them at home too. I guess what I'm really saying here, is that I love to be at home. LOL!
Me too!
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