Saturday before First Advent Sunday

For those of you who follow The Good Plate, you know that Advent and the Christmas season is important to us. This year, we used our original Advent Wreath, and I posted the information on The Good Plate.

I was excited to go the First Advent Sunday services, and came back from a board meeting at Alexandria's Archives, having discussed plans for the non-profit's new web site I am developing. Margaret Westlake, the founder, is a wonderful woman, and I really appreciate her. I left her home too late to get the regular Glendale bus, so I took the Metro bus, and got back to Brand in time for Saturday confessions. I knew it was important for me to go to confession so I could have Communion on Sunday. Because of that I got home later than I had planned.

Spane was upset that I came home late. He was even more upset when I told him that I had work to do, and that he couldn't get on my computer right away. He was even more upset about that. I told him that we were going to church in the morning, and he seemed a little happy about that.

Finally, amidst Spane complaining about not being able to get on the computer, Stevie told Spane he could use the kid's computer in the house. Not 20 minutes into, Spane came back angrily telling me that he was told to get off the computer and go to bed.

I have to admit, I was a little peeved myself, and went to check this out. Spane had indeed been told to go to bed, and then one of the other children said that Spane was a cry baby. He heard this, and really went off. I knew I was in for a bad night.

To get to the point, with Spane hitting me forcibly with pillow after pillow, at one point, I was so tired I said I gave up. The next thing I knew, Spane had a knife in his hand and he was brandishing it at me. He kept on saying that either he was going to kill me, or he was going to kill himself. I finally got it away from him, and Amber finally got him to go to bed at 5:30 am. We never made it to Mass, but Amber did tell me that we had to leave.

Amber wanted to know why I hadn't asked her to take Spane to the hospital, as he was obviously a danger to himself and others. I just said I was powerless. I felt powerless, unable to really do anything. It was the worst time in my life.

Luckily, I contacted my friend at Alexandria's Archives, and she was able to get me a motel for the week, and a recommendation to a good shelter. We moved out the First Sunday of Advent.