“Smells, I think, may be the last thing on earth to die.”
The sound of a blower woke me up. It was my landscaping crew. They blew all the leaves and sticks into a pile in the front yard then cleared the piles. In the back, they took my Christmas tree, my long dead Christmas tree, collected branches and blew the deck and driveway clean. Henry barked the whole time.
Nala stole an empty dog food can from the trash and took it outside. She carried it everywhere, and when she realized I didn’t care, she brought it inside. When I was with Jack, she brought it upstairs. It was on my bed. I took it and tossed it. She didn’t notice.
My mother used to keep a jigsaw puzzle on the dining room table. Anyone who walked by couldn’t resist trying to find where one of the pieces belonged. Sometimes when my mother visited, we’d do a puzzle together. I’d make her a drink and put out some snacks. We’d sit by the table, chat and find the edges first then the spots for the rest of the pieces. I loved those evenings.
Today is one ugly day. It is dark. The sky is covered in clouds. Rain is predicted for later. I’ll be staying dry close to hearth and home.
When I was a kid, ugly days meant nothing as long as they were dry. A Saturday was not a day to waste in my world, in my town. It was the perfect day to explore. I knew all the corners, all the streets and all the stores. Most times I went alone on my bike and sometimes on foot. If the movie was good, I’d go to the matinee. Other times I’d wander around uptown on my way to somewhere else. I remember the smell of popcorn cooking at the candy maker’s behind the square. I knew when Hank’s was baking bread. As I neared the fish market, the last of the stores, I could smell fish, an unpleasant smell of fish that seems to hang in the air of every fish market. In my memory drawers, all those stores still live. I swear I can smell the bread baking.
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March 25, 2023 at 3:06 pm
Hi Kat,
Today the sky is 100% cloud free with a high temperature predicted at 75° with very low humidity.
Nala is just like a toddler. If you give her attention for stealing trash she will continue stealing. If you don’t let it bother you, she will stop stealing or you will have your bed filled with trash. 🙂
Today my daughter played basketball in the local Special Olympics basketball tournament. Her game was at 7:30 this morning. We had to get up at 5:30 to get her picked up and take her to the game. Special Olympics is a terrific activity for people with intellectual disabilities. Thank you Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Maria Shriver’s mother, for founding this wonderful organization. My daughter has participated for many years.
One year my daughter participated in Rhythmic Gymnastics. I took her to the practices at a local recreation center. When the practice started I asked the coach, who was a middle aged slim blond woman, if she had any training in Rhythmic Gymnastics. She replied in a Russian accent, “I vas world champion”. Her name is Anna Lukin, the mother of Nastia Liukin who won the 2008 gold model for all around woman’s gymnast in Beijing. Anna and Valeri Lukin own a gym in Plano Texas and are both former Soviet gymnasts. I had quite a bit of egg on my face.
March 25, 2023 at 8:05 pm
Hi Bob,
It is 40° now but the wind is making it feel colder. Rain is predicted for tonight.
I never mind her stealing trash. I do mind when she steals food or even clothes. This is the first time she has brought the trash back inside the house. I could hear the can every time she dropped it. Usually there is nothing on my bed from her. I guess she figured I didn’t care.
Wow, an early game. I was one of the finish line people a couple of times for Special Olympics. It was at my high school track.The enthusiasm, the friendliness and the effort were amazing. I was thrilled to be a part of that.
That’s a great story about the coach. I too would have had egg on my face.