A Very Meh Day

Today has been one of those days in which one more or less wishes one had not gotten out of bed.  I did actually get up for a while, but felt so like a big blob that I retreated back to my snug little nest.  I failed to do any of my usual morning activities except for reading the newspaper and doing the crossword puzzle, neither of which could really be considered an activity.  Once back in bed, I didn’t even feel like reading my book.  And I had previously had such plans for the day!  My doing nothing made me feel even more oppressed. I attribute my state of blah to too many saltwater taffies yesterday.  They are such a terrible weakness with me.  Thank Heavens, they are not universally available.  Rachael and I purchased a bag recently, and each had two, or at most, three.  I carefully monitored her intake to see that she didn’t overdo it and encroach  into my share, and I was careful to give a non-piggy example of moderation, thinking that I could have more later.  The next day, I went to have another delightful sweetly tidbit or two, and there were none!  I was horrified. Had I actually gobbled up an entire bag of them without noticing?  Apparently so!  However, a few days later, serendipity!  I found them in a safe place while looking for a pen or some such thing.  A little gift from above! 

Speaking of which, years ago the dearest friend of my youth, knowing of my proclivity, brought me a bag of them when she came from Ireland to visit.  I carefully hid my gift from my greedy family, and with the thrill of her visit, more or less forgot about it.  Then, sad to say, she, not too long later, died.  Several years after that, I was rummaging about in my closet, and lo! There was the bag of saltwater taffy!  This time, it really was a gift from heaven, or at least from one in heaven. 

All this blather about candy and heaven, has perked me up immensely.  I am going to get up now, and face the day.  Yay!  Thank you, my Blog Friends, for cheering my up.  I might even cycle to the store and get some….. No, I guess I had better get some carrots, or something healthy!

An Eventful Day

Dakki on a healthy day

In the last post, I mentioned that I had postponed the trimming of the auntly toenails.  I made a date to have lunch and give a pedicure (of sorts) to my Aunt Pauline, and then planned to go to Dakki’s house and help her with a recalcitrant fingernail.  As Pauline and I sipped our tomato soup, she mentioned that Dakki, whom I had tried to telephone earlier, had …. well, the trots.  This always seems like a somewhat humorous ailment to those who are not suffering from it, but in a nonagenarian, it can be fatal. And rather quickly, I might add.  So, true to form, I was horrified.  I called Dakki, and got no answer.  I called about ten more times, and still got new answer.  I have a key to her house, but it is passé, as in true paranoiac tradition, she keeps getting her locks changed, and her house is like Fort Knox.  I called a few more times, cycled home, and then went to bang on her door and lean on her doorbell.  No response.  Her car was there and she had not collected the mail from her mailbox.  What to do????? She has one neighbor, her particular friend, whom she frequently visits. I checked with them, but she was not there, and I managed to get them all agitated too.  Finally, standing on her porch, I called 911, telling the dispatcher about Dakkis personal details, including her age and the trots, and that they would have to break in.  Wow!  I was still talking to the dispatcher when I heard the sirens.  She  said, “I can hear the sirens.  They’ll be there in no time.”  And they were.   Two handsome firemen arrived and said that a police person who would do the breaking in was to follow.  One of the firemen cleverly checked Dakki’s windows and found one (unlike those at Fort Know) that he could get open, so we all hoisted him in.  “Does she have a gun?” he anxiously asked.  “I’m afraid so,” I replied.  He got a slightly worried look.  “Virginia, Virginia,” he shouted, “We’re here to help you.”  No response.  He let the neighbor, also a nurse, and me in, and asked where Dakki slept.  I pointed to her bedroom.  He entered and got an even more horrified look on his face, signaling us not to enter.  My stomach sank.  “Virginia, Virginia,” he shouted a few more times.  Then I heard, “Grrrrrr! Growl! What the hell’s going on here!  What’s happening?”  My stomach returned to where it should be.  I rushed into the room, as she was just struggling to be awake (a daily battle for both of us,) and I burst into humiliating tears.  Just like those children who got puppies.  She seemed shocked to find five folks in her bedroom – the handsome police woman had arrived by this time, and had joined the crowd. 

Later the police woman told me that she was upset to see Dakki’s address on her screen (or wherever it appears,) because she had answered so many calls from Dakki that she knew the address, (why am I not surprised about this,) and knew her well.  I could tell that she was a one of the many Dakki fans, and would have been sad to lose such a good customer. 

Dakki receiving urgent care

The next morning Dakki was still ailing, so I took her to the Urgent Care, where she got some IV fluids, and amused the cute nurse.  She seems to have a thing for handsome young nurses. He thought she was pretty cute too.  How do I know this? He said so.  

(As you can see in the photos, Dakki is very pale, so the fireman can be forgiven his mistake.  She is one of those folks with a cadaverous look even when quite lively.)  

A Blustery Day

 

The marvelous Stacy Sundae with her celestial choir

Gosh, what a day!  As usual, I scheduled way too many items on my agenda, and then felt like a bit of a lazy flop when I couldn’t manage to get to them all. But then, as I eliminated one item after another from my plan for the day, I comforted myself with the thought that I had been silly to imagine that a slow mover like me ever could have managed it.  Actually, I really only had four things planned, but a late start foiled me initially, and then an act of God finished off any hopes of success. 

For starters, Rebecca and I went on our run in a delightful drizzle – so much nicer than the oppressive heat that has broiled us for the last couple of months.  My idea was to cycle to Becca’s house, drink tea, go on our run, drink tea, cycle to the fabric store for some supplies, cycle home, change my clothes, cycle to the Choir Camp Concert at the Cathedral, cycle to my Aunt Pauline’s house for a little visit, come home and sew with the supplies I had purchased at the fabric store.  Hah!  I was dreaming.  By the time Becca and I had run and finished our tea, it was almost time for the concert.  And I was in my running shorts – not appropriate wear for a concert at church, and no time to go home and change.  Well, if I wanted to hear the magnificent children’s Schola sing , I would just have to be brazen and look like an elderly hussy.  And I did want to hear them. They are amazingly wonderful.  So I  cycled to the cathderal, crept in, tried to look invisible (this would have been much easier in my camouflage pants, or course.)  Suddenly – whoa! There was thunderous crashing and roaring from above.  When we emerged after the concert, the world was awash!  And the lightening was still streaking the sky!  Yikes!   One of my too many fears is being struck by lightening.  Unlikely as that may be, it is often a matter of concern.  Well, I comforted myself, if I were struck, I probably wouldn’t notice, and in any case, it would be over in a flash!  But, my rainy ride home was happily uneventful, and, as the rain had abated a bit, was actually rather pleasant.  When I got home, having abandoned all thought of the sewing store, I called my Aunt to reschedule for a more clement day, took a shower, put on fuzzy pajamas for the first time in months, settled down with my book, a cup of tea, and some nice buttered Jacob’s cream crackers – one of the most perfect foods.  What could be better? All in all, despite my failed agenda, it was a sort of perfect day.  

My faithful steed getting wet as it  awaits me

Thanks to Maria for the pictures.  And ... the Schola Cantorum will be singing at the ten o'clock Mass on Sunday, so if you missed them today, you can see them then.

A Sunday Morning Ritual

 A Sunday morning years ago

Whoa!  It’s been a while.  I haven’t abandoned you, Faithful Readers.  It’s just that…. well, I don’t know what.  Retired folk are always so busy, I’ve heard, and it seems to be true.  This doesn’t  make sense.  When I was a working woman, I was a fairly faithful blogger.  Now that I’m not, well -- I’m not.  Mysterious! But what have I been doing?  I don’t even know.  Just stuff, I guess.  Here is one bit of the stuff---

Years ago, when Rebecca was a tot, I read a biography of J.M. Whistler, and one thing that impressed me, and there were many, as he was quite the fellow, was his Sunday breakfasts.  All his friends were invited to drop in on Sunday morning and have buckwheat pancakes.  His recipe for the pancakes was included. I made them, and they were dreadful.  I thought this breakfast idea was wonderful (except for the pancakes,), and I would have  loved to have had it be a tradition in my house.  Dennis and I enjoyed having guests for breakfast on occasion, but our breakfasts were infrequent.  And never included buckwheat pancakes. 

Years later, when Rebecca was all grown up, and Rachael was a tot, we started really serving breakfast after church every Sunday to anyone who wanted to come.  There were nine regulars who came without fail each week, and a number others, a few of whom showed up once in a while.  Then we switched parishes, joined a different choir, I got a different job, some of the regulars moved away, and gradually  we abandoned Sunday breakfasts.  I lamented this, but it just didn’t seem to work with all those changes. 

Lately, however, Sunday breakfasts are on again!!! I so enjoy it!  When I have guests for dinner, I am always in a bit of a panic. What if everything isn’t perfect? (It seldom is.) What if my guests forget to come? (They never have, but nonetheless, it is something to worry about.  Well, actually, my Aunt Dakki has forgotten more than once – she even forgot her own birthday party.  But she is a different sort of case.) Breakfast, on the other hand, seems so much simpler.  I don’t expect perfection, and I feel that I can confront disaster with equanimity.  I may well be deluding myself about this last however.  I hope not though.  

Happy Father's Day

Today, on Father's Day, I'm thinking of my adorable Daddy, the best ever! But that's not unusual because I think of him so often every day!   I was a lucky girl,

 

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Bloomsday

Happy Bloomsday!

About a thousand years ago, my Aunt Dakki and I were attending the opera.  As we anxiously waited in our seats for the performance to begin, I said conversationally, "I have only ten pages of Ulysses left to read."  She replied, "Oh! How is it so far?" 

Flag Day

Happy Flag Day. It's one of my favorite holidays, but I'm not quite sure why as it really isn't much of a holiday at all. One puts out one's flag, admires it, and takes it down later. So why is flag day so special? Well, it means that summer is really here. It's usually lovely day, and the herald of many more bright sunny days. It's fun put up your flag, admire it, and then take it down later. One feels a bit like a Boy Scout. So, Happy Flag Day.