My storm doors will sit in the cellar. The weather today is the best of late summer with a current temperature of 75°. I’ve even opened a window. The slight breeze is enough for my outside chimes to play. The air is filled with sweetness of that sound. 

This morning, I brought trash to the car, swept down the inside stairs, carried laundry and coolers to return to friends to the car and then spent an almost endless time on the phone to refill prescriptions. First, I found out I had refills then I called the pharmacy. It is currently closed with no further information. I called another pharmacy in a different town. I waited 8 minutes on hold then 5 minutes with the phone ringing before I was disconnected. The air around me turned a bit blue. I spoke to the chat on-line and was able to switch pharmacies, order refills and also book my fall vaccinations. Not only all of that, I ordered groceries at 1 am this morning. They were just delivered and I put them away. Now in the scheme of things, my list may seem short, but, for me, it has been the busiest of mornings.

It is this time of year I most grateful for being retired. I get to sit outside in the sun. I get to have a couple of cups of coffee, read the Cape Times and do all three puzzles in the paper. I use those puzzles as barometers. When I complete them, I know my brain cells are still whirling and twirling. Anyway, I am thinking maybe a ride down cape is in order. It is the perfect day. I think this time I’ll take all lefts and see where they lead me.

When I was a kid, like most, families, we had only one car which my father drove to work every week day. On Saturdays he did his own errands, the Chinese laundry with his white shirts he aways wore with his suits, the barber shop for a trim and a few stops to say hi to friends at their stores. On Sundays, he ushered at church and sometimes drove us to my grandparents’ house. My mother didn’t drive. To close places, like uptown, she walked. Sometimes we’d take a bus to visit her sister and her family in Malden or a bus then the subway to East Boston and sometimes in-town to Jordan Marsh. Thinking back, we were like ducklings, trailing my mother or Madeline following the nuns. I remember wishing I had time for more than glancing looks at all the store windows and shops. I was the country mouse in the big city.

I have nothing actually scheduled for the next few days. I’m thinking the ride today and tomorrow the dump. That will give me something to look forward to say I with tongue in cheek.

The rain is gone. It is almost 70° but still cloudy though the sky is light from the sun hiding behind the clouds. The weather is fall perfect with warm days and nights in the 50’s. The leaves in my backyard have started to change. The prettiest yellowish red leaves are on one of the bushes over the deck. In the front yard, a few leaves have turned yellow. Yesterday the turkeys were out, and one mother had more already feathered babies than I have ever seen. Further down the road was a much smaller flock of full grown birds. They were all munching.

My family just left, my two sisters and my wonderful brother-in-law, Rod, the other half of the Colorado couple. They were not here for long, but it was the best visit. They got to see a uke concert. Rod loved it. They sang along with the Billy Joel, Elton John and Loggins and Messina music. We went out for a late lunch/early dinner then they hung around for a while here. We just came back from a late breakfast. They are now on their way north to Stoneham. The dogs were behaved well for company. Nala jumped a bit then calmed down. Henry allowed pats and lovings.

When I was a kid, I remember on the walk to school I could watch the leaves gently fall one by one to the sidewalk. They took their time fluttering to the ground. Always, the colored leaves fell first. I remember the sidewalk was strewn with yellow leaves, with piles for kicking into the air. I hated when the leaves got wet. They were soggy and turned brown. The school yard had lots of sand, left over from last winter’s yard clearing. It was never swept clean by the town trucks which swept the roads. I remember the truck’s giant brushes and the noise as the sand was pushed to the gutters. We had to be careful running on sand or we’d skid. Band-aid covered knees were common.

Fall suppers were always the same, potatoes, a vegetable and meat, often hamburger. We had Salisbury steak, hamburger dressed in gravy. I thought it was special. I loved mashed potatoes the most. We didn’t have French fries often in fall or winter. They seemed to go with summer, with burgers or hot dogs, except for Friday nights. We often had fish sticks with fries, the best meal out of the freezer.

My dance card is empty for the rest of the week. I do need to shop for a few items to hold me over until the big shopping. My list is complete. I think I just need to add Oreos, flavor yet to be decided.