Keep the Coffee Comimg

Today is September at its best. The slight breeze is perfect for an already warm day at 73°. The sky is a beautiful clear blue. The sun is so bright it glints through the leaves in the backyard. Today defines fall. Tomorrow it will rain.

When I was a kid, Sunday was my least favorite day. Going to church was the start of it. I’d grab a hat or stuff a mantilla in my pocket, take my missal and pocket a dime or a quarter for the offering. The choice of where to sit was critical. In the upper church, the back pew was the best spot. It only held two people and had no kneeler. You sat the whole mass without guilt. It was also the nearest pew to the door so it was perfect for a quick getaway. In the downstairs, if there was an overflow, standing in the back was the best spot. Next to the wall were all sorts of pamphlets which I’d read. They were religious so I always figured they were acceptable reading during mass.

The best part of Sunday was dinner. It was the grandest meal of the week. On weekdays my father was never home from work in time for supper. On Sundays he was around all day. He even cut the meat. My favorite Sunday dinner was roast beef, mashed potatoes, baby peas and gravy. Sometimes we also had corn, niblet corn, another favorite of mine. I was never a fan of creamed corn. It looked gross and spread everywhere on the plate. Dessert was usually just cookies, Oreos, if any were left as they were always the first to go.

Bedtime was earlier on Sundays because of school on Monday. I guessed my mother figured with later to bed nights on Friday and Saturday we were out of practice. I thought it a con.

Today I have an empty dance card. I could go to the dump, but I won’t; however, I do have a couple of chores. I need to sweep the kitchen floor. It has leaves and pieces of small, chewed pine branches, compliments of Nala who brings outside inside. Last night I found a clump of pine needles near the front door. This morning I found a few piles of dead leaves in the living room on the rug. That dog is sly. I never catch her with her flora. Well, at least she has a hobby.

Hurricane Lee came and went. We had heavy winds and rain. My electricity flickered then went out, but before I could curse my fate, it came back on, all except the cable. That happened again when I was upstairs ready for bed. Alexa was quiet, no internet. I turned off the light and went to sleep. This morning Alexa was her cheerful self. The weather is damp and cold. The temperature will get down to the high 50’s, but tomorrow summer will reappear. The predicted high is 77°.

Today will be a cozy day. I won’t get dressed. I’ll loll and watch bad science fiction movies. I’ll also read a bit and snack a little.

When I was a kid, getting cozy meant lying in my bed with a good book. I had a light which hung over the bed board. It was pink plastic. When I used to sneak and read at night, I’d be under the covers with my light, but I had to keep surfacing because it got so hot under the blankets. A few times the plastic melted. My mother could never understand why, and I never explained. That bed lamp was such a good thing even now I have one hanging from the bed board, but I don’t have to sneak under the covers.

One of my favorite snacks was peanut butter on Saltines. Sometimes I made a Saltine sandwich with peanut butter and marshmallow. Other times it was peanut butter and jam or jelly. My mother used to buy Welch’s grape jelly in the glasses. I remember my Howdy Doody glass. I was heart-struck when it fell and broke. Still now I always have the makings of a peanut butter and jelly cracker sandwich though I sometimes branch out to Ritz.

It is time for another cup of coffee, maybe even some toast. I’ll slathered it with fig jam. I don’t have any Welch’s.