When I woke up, the sun was shining and the sky was a deep blue, but my Alexa predicted rain. I was skeptical. Now, the sky is mostly cloudy, and the sun is in and out. The wind has begun to blow. The rain will come tonight. 

Since the car’s tragic ending, I haven’t done much. I did go to uke practice as my friend Holly picked me up, and I went to the Friday concert, again picked up by a friend. I am tired of being homebound after two weeks so I’m hoping to get my rental tomorrow. I just need a ride to Hyannis. Now, where is that bike tire pump?

When I was a kid, my bike never got a flat tire, but sometimes the chain slipped off the sprocket. When it did, my pedals spun, my feet slipped, and I’d hit the bike bars. I’d get off my bike fix it. It sometimes took a while. My hands would get all greasy. I’d shout in triumph if I got the chain back on. A few times, though, I had to walk my bike home with the chain dragging. It always seemed a long way.

My father loved fried Spam sandwiches. My sister still likes Spam. I never have, but I did love fried bologna sandwiches. My mother bought bologna in a roll. I’d cut it into slices. Some of the slices were thin while others were thick on one side and thin on the other. I didn’t mind. I always used yellow mustard. I remember the thick bologna would sometimes make a hole in the center of the sandwich causing it to sort of collapse. It was an ugly sandwich, still tasted all right though.

Henry is moldy. The fur on his haunches is shedding in clumps. I can see his lighter fur underneath his winter fur coat. He hates me to scratch his fur and hates even more being brushed. Henry has strong dislikes.

When I was in grammar school, I walked the tracks, usually the same set of tracks. I’d jump over the double oo ties so I wouldn’t break my mother’s back. The end of those tracks was at a turnabout. I remember a train car was on one side track standing by itself, on the track across from the box factory and near to the brick railroad station. I never found the other end of the tracks though I walked a long distance. I followed those tracks passed a corner store, the station master’s house and further on, until I lost sight of any houses then I’d turn back. I am still curious as to where those tracks ended.

The morning is dark and rainy with a heavy rain I can hear hitting the windows and falling on the roof. The wind is strong. It is a day to stay warm and dry inside the house. I have turned on all the little white lights around my fireplace and the red pepper lights in the kitchen. The house feels cozy. 

When I was a kid, I’d read away a day like today. I was never without a book. I’d get comfy in bed and read by the lamp hanging over the headboard. A blanket would keep me warm. I liked the quiet. 

The other day my sister and I were talking about all the nickel bars of candy we liked which have disappeared. Now, of course, a nickel bar is $2.00 or more. Snickers is still my first choice followed by Butterfingers. When I was young, I loved Midnight candy bars. They were a dark chocolate Milky Way. Sugar Daddies were my Saturday matinee choice. They lasted a long time. I used to have fun biting the top of the Sugar Daddy then pulling it while holding the stick. I tried to get the longest strand. Wax Bottles came in what looked like a milk bottle holder. They came in four flavors. When the bottles were empty, I chewed the wax. I always liked Semi-Sweet Hershey bars. I used to hold candy cigarettes between my fingers and pretend I was smoking. I even blew out imaginary smoke. The black Chuckles were my favorites. There were so many more. I never forget a chocolate bar.

When I was a kid, a penny had value. Every corner store had a glass case filled with boxes of penny candy. I had favorites like Fire Balls, Mary Jane’s, Bullseyes and those strips of colored dots on paper. Sometimes the paper stuck to the dots, and I’d just eat the paper along with the dots. We used to have contests with Fire Balls. The winner kept the hot ball in her mouth the longest. Sometimes I won.

This morning I had two pieces of rye toast with black mission fig jam and a few cups of coffee, Vietnamese coffee. They were a delightful way to start the day.