”There is nothing quite so delightfully mysterious as a secret in your own backyard.”
Last night was so chilly I had to wear what my grandmothers would call a wrap. I shut the windows, but I had to leave the backdoor open for the dogs to come and go. Today is supposed to be warm, in the low 70’s. The sun is shining now, but a cloudy day is predicted. I’m going to do house and deck chores.
My father always carried a white handkerchief. He kept it in his back pocket. In the old days, my mother used to iron them, but I remember his handkerchiefs as always being crumpled. I gave him handkerchiefs every Christmas. When I was really young, if he saw the need, he’d pull his handkerchief out of his pocket for my nose. He always said, “Blow,” as if I needed instruction. My mother always had a Kleenex in her pockabook, as New Englanders say. When she hunted for the Kleenex, it was usually on the bottom. It was always used. I remember mostly lipstick marks.
This morning I had my usual two cups of coffee and my occasional toast. It was rye toast. I got to thinking. Why do we toast bread in the morning? Why do some sandwiches have toasted bread? Why do restaurants offer jelly and butter for toast when you eat breakfast out? Why not peanut butter? I guess I’ll just chalk that up to one of life’s mysteries.
My backyard is wild. It has trees and tall grass and some poison ivy I keep trying to kill. I think of it as the dogs’ yard. They love to romp through and around it. Nala thinks of it as her hunting ground and her trash dump. Henry sniffs around but doesn’t stay outside for long. Nala loves to lie in the sun. I have two bottle trees in my yard. The bottles are upside down on hooks so they can catch evil spirits and protect the house and yard. The best visitors to my overgrown backyard are the fireflies. They appear when it is warmer. They flit around the trees. I pick one and watch it blinking all over the yard. I’m always reminded of Tinkerbell. I keep wanting to clap.
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June 29, 2024 at 6:36 pm
Hi Kat,
Well, if you read my last weather report today’s would be the same. Right now we’re at 99°.
My father never carried a handkerchief. He did keep a pocket size packet of Kleenex tissues. I find it interesting when the brand name of something becomes the common name for the product. Kleenex is the Kimberly Clark version of facial tissue. Another example was Simonize car wax. My father would twice a year simonize his car. I was trying to think of another product that the brand name has become the common name, but I can’t think of any. When I was a kid, my mother called any brand of margerin Oleo.
My wife and daughter are in the backyard swimming in the pool. I didn’t feel like going in the water today. I certainly can’t claim the water is too cold. 🙂
June 29, 2024 at 10:25 pm
Hi Bob,
I always read your weather reports so I can cringe at the heat. I always feel sorry for you when 98° is a cold spell. We had another lovely day in the mid to low 70’s.
Xerox, Band-Aids and Zamboni are what I came up with. I’m sure there are more. They must have had copyrights of the names in the beginning. I don’t remember ever hearing oleo, but I do remember simonize. I think my father also used to use it.
The ocean has warmed up. It is up to 66°. I’m thinking that is far too cold for you.