Today is chilly and cloudy. Rain is predicted. The temperature is in the mid 40’s, today’s high. My house is warm. The furnace is blasting lovely hot air. The fix was easy. He turned on a switch I had turned off without noticing when I was hanging a picture. I was that old woman oblivious to the world at large or at least to the outlet on the wall. 

My inner sloth has full rein today. I watch the dust balls fly into the air when I walk down the hall, and I don’t care. The dogs and I are on the couch. They are sleeping, breathing deeply. My feet are up on the table. It is just one of those days. 

My jigsaw puzzle is still in progress, but I am at the point where I can pick up a piece and generally know exactly where it goes. I’m hoping to finish this weekend. 

When I was in Ghana, Peace Corps had Range Rovers, the sort you’d see in National Geographic pictures crossing the desert in caravans. I hitched a ride a few times. The Range Rover always seemed exotic to me, a vehicle for adventures, for faraway places. 

My house has a deck but I’d also like a front porch. On the Andy Griffith show every Sunday after dinner, Andy, Barney and Aunt Bee settled on the porch. Barney was still wearing his church suit, his really ugly church suit. Andy would bring his guitar, and they’d sing. Neighbors would walk by and they’d say, “Hey!” The porch was neighborly. 

When I was a kid, my clothes were functional, not fashionable. I had school clothes, church clothes and play clothes. My school clothes were a uniform. My church clothes were usually a skirt and a blouse. My winter play clothes were pants and warm shirts. My summer play clothes were shorts and sleeveless blouses. In Ghana I had to wear dresses. I had most of my dresses made there with Ghanaian cloth. For the first time, I was fashionable. 

I don’t intend to move much this weekend. My longest walk will be between the den and the kitchen either to let Henry in or to get myself food and drink. If I get tired, I’ll rest in between.

Last night it rained. Right now it is 56° and cloudy. Today should get as high as 60°. This warmish weather has the dogs wanting out but only Nala coming in. Henry stands outside the back door looking in and hoping I’ll see him. I feel like a Jack-in-the-box. I’d wait him out but he cries and whimpers. 

When I was young, we lived in South Boston in an apartment complex of huge brick buildings. Our back yard was mostly fenced in clothes lines. My mother used to check on me from the back window of our apartment. Only a few old black and white pictures of our apartment still exist. I have a few memories prompted by those pictures. One picture is of me on Santa’s lap on the couch. I don’t remember sitting on Santa’s lap, but I do remember sneaking a peek of him from the barely opened bedroom door across from that couch. A neighbor took a picture of me one Easter in all my finery. I am standing on the front steps. I remember being a bit embarrassed, and I can see that look in my picture. Another picture is of me and a few other kids standing against a wall. We look scruffy. I don’t remember the kids, but I do remember the wall. Strange memories lurk in my memory drawers.

As far back as I can remember, we’ve had a television. My mother told me the first one she ever saw belonged to a neighbor who lived in an apartment beside ours in that apartment building in South Boston. Every night, neighbors would bring their chairs, sit in the hall and watch TV. My parents would leave their apartment door open so they could hear us, my brother and me, if we started crying. When we moved away from South Boston, my parents bought their own TV.

If I could choose to go where I’ve never been, I’d be hard-pressed to pick a place. I haven’t been to Asia so I’m putting it on the list. I had a trip planned, but, instead, I bought my house. A long train trip would be high on the list. It wouldn’t have to be anywhere exotic though I’d love to ride the Orient Express. I’ve taken a few overnight trains and loved falling asleep to the clicking of the train wheels on the tracks. I’d go to Alaska but not Hawaii. I’d love to see Turkey and India. There are more places, but these are enough for now.