Today is an ugly day. It is cloudy and cold, at 56°. It is a hold your cup between your hands to keep your hands warm day. The dogs stay in and sleep on the couch. They are into comfort. They are my role models.

When I was a kid, I never thought about really getting old. I couldn’t wait until I was a teenager then I wanted to be the magic age of twenty one which brought voting and drinking legally. My first presidential election was between Humphrey-Nixon. My choice lost though later I felt vindicated. When I was in Washington the summer of Watergate, I saw Senator Humphrey and had him sign the book I was reading, Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series. Somehow it seemed the perfect book for him. I still have the book and have flagged it as a keeper on my bookshelf. My next milestone was turning thirty, the mantra of never trusting anyone over thirty in my head. After that, celebrations on my birthdays got sketchy. I remember 50 and 70 as special. I figure the next special will be 80.

I see the world through young eyes in an old body. It has been a while, but I’m still adjusting. I keep thinking I can do what I can no longer do. I can’t, but I keep trying. The problem will be solved if I get a Sherpa, a handyman, a house cleaner and a lady’s maid. Maybe I should take out some ads!

I love roosters welcoming the morning. It is like they know how good a new day is every day. I had a rooster in Ghana. He was brown. He was loud. He was still around when I left. When I went back for the first time, a rooster crowing outside my window woke me up. I listened for a while then fell back to sleep. I was happy to hear the rooster. He made me smile.

I have an Alexa and a Google. I favor the Alexa. The Google is ridiculous at times. Yesterday I asked my Google how far it is between the Hawaiian Islands and California. He told me he couldn’t find driving instructions. I reframed the question, necessary for using Google, and asked again, same answer, common for Google. I asked my Alexa the exact same first question. She told me 2400 miles. Sometimes my idiot Google doesn’t give an answer but says something nonsensical. I’ve decided to switch the kitchen Alexa for the frustrating den Google. I’m hoping Google can figure out kitchen equivalents. Alexa surely could.

On my dance card, tomorrow is my household work day. I want to dust and water plants and maybe do a dump run as I can’t on Sunday as I have my first outdoor concert of the season. It is supposed to be the warmest day so far this spring, 68°, so I’m looking forward to lots of sun and strumming.

I apologize for being missing. Tuesday was medical day. I now have the cleanest teeth. From there I went to a drop in medical center to have my leg checked. It was a fiasco. I left after an hour having seen no one. I don’t want to go into it, but the woman at the counter is lucky. I wanted to unleash a firestorm of sarcasm when she asked me what I wanted. My first instinct was to say to check the comfort of the stairs and what is on TV but I bit my tongue instead. It bled profusely. I left to go down cape to Fontaine in Harwich. It was perfect. My leg has nothing broken, but it will take weeks to heal. I’m relieved. It was late afternoon by the time I got home.

Today is an ugly day. It is chilly, and it will rain. I have been so busy of late my poor sloth is muttering to herself. My dogs wonder who I am. Jack ignores me except when I give him his treats. My only free day is Saturday.

The cardinal couple is still around. They are building a nest. I saw the male with a tiny stick in his mouth. This morning I noticed two mourning doves lying in the front garden. A blue jay flew by. What a lovely way to start the day.

One of my first memories is an Easter Sunday when I was 3. We lived in an apartment complex in South Boston. I was wearing my Easter clothes and was outside when one of our neighbors wanted to take a picture. I remember being a bit shy about it, not usual for me, and I can see the shyness in the tilt of my head, and the way I am standing. The picture is black and white, but I remember my coat was blue. It had white buttons. I am also wearing patent leather shoes with a strap, white ankle socks, a round hat and white gloves. I don’t think I have ever been fancier.

When I was in high school, I had a teacher who alternated between two suits. We made fun of her and decided one was her summer-spring outfit while the other was fall-winter. I have become that teacher. I have two dresses, one for winter and another for spring. They are both flowered. If I added clunky, laced black shoes, I could be my grandmother.

I have a concert this afternoon at a new place. It is still Beach Boys’ music month. I will wear a Hawaiian shirt, a straw hat I bought in Marrakech and some colorful leis. I figure this gloomy day needs a touch of color.