Here are some of my favorites of her songs.

Last night got cold. It was down to 34˚. I put my socks on and would have added gloves but I needed my fingers so I could type. I wore my socks to bed.

The morning is cold. The day will settle in at about 44˚. It will be sunny. I have one errand and then I’m done for the day. I never did get to the bird feeders yesterday. I decided it was too chilly out on the deck. I’ll pencil in that task for today.

When I was a kid, Easter wasn’t a big deal the way Christmas was. We had no countdown, no heightened excitment. We knew, on Easter Sunday morning, we’d find colorful wicker baskets filled with candy, some small toys, maybe a book and definitely crayons. We got a new box of crayons in our Easter baskets every year. The wooden Paddle Ball game with the red ball connected by an elastic was also a repeat basket gift. My mother even send me one with my Easter box when I was in Africa.

After checking out our baskets, we’d eat as much chocolate as we could before my mother would yell at us to come and eat breakfast. After breakfast, we’d get dressed in our new clothes. My mother would then herd us outside to take our pictures. We stood standing by the bushes and on the front steps. She did groups first then singles. After the pictures, we went to mass. I remember the altar always had white lilies lined across in front of it and the priest wore white vestments. I also remember the sermon was long it being Easter and all.

Some Easter afternoons we went to visit my grandparents in East Boston. Most of my aunts, uncles and cousins were also there. Kids ran up and down the stairs. Adults hid in the kitchen. I was between categories. I was too old for the running and too young for the kitchen. It was a long afternoon but one tempered by the chocolate rabbits my grandmother had for all of us.

I have a couple of packages of Peeps sitting opened on the bookcase shelf. I am letting them get stale, my favorite way to eat them. This preference dates back to Ghana and that Easter box from my mother I mentioned. In the box were packages of pink and yellow Peeps which had gone stale on the journey. I wasn’t going to waste them so I bit into one, a pink Peep (I have no idea. I made this part up). Anyway, I couldn’t believe how good those stale Peeps were, actually how good they still are.

Neither of my two newspapers had the results of the game last night so it’s a good thing I stayed up until the end. This game 7 of the World Series had everything: a come from behind team who tied the game, a rain delay and extra innings. It was exciting. I was happy for the Cubs. They reminded me of the Red Sox who had gone so long before winning a series. They also had former Sox players and Theo Epstein who guided this, his second, team to a spectacular win.

I slept late this morning, a mirror under the nose late. It was eleven before Gracie and I woke up, but it didn’t matter. My routine stayed the same. I put the coffee on, went to get the papers and yesterday’s mail, came back inside, greeted Maddie and gave her morning treats, filled Gracie’s dry food dish, changed the dog’s water, put bread in the toaster, got coffee and my toast then sat down to read the papers. By this time it was closer to 12 than 11.

Gracie and I are going out today. I have a few errands I can do and a few places where I can shop. I am in the mood. It’s been a while since I last shopped just for the sake of shopping.

I’m finding myself talking out-loud more and more. Usually I start my conversations by naming Gracie or Maddie so it seems as if I am actually chatting with my pets. Maddie tends to ignore me. She even keeps her back to me. Sometimes I clap to make sure she hasn’t gone deaf overnight. So far she is just ignoring me, doing that superiority of a cat thing. Gracie is a wonderful conversationalist though she doesn’t say a word. She looks into my eyes the whole time I’m talking. She cocks her head every now and then which makes me think she might have a question. I don’t usually explain. I end most conversations with Gracie by patting her, a thank you for listening. Maddie just walks away.