Much earlier this morning I was hurrying to finish my coffee. I had already set out my St.Patrick’s Day parade ensemble, a shamrock vest and matching turtleneck, green high tops, shamrock socks, my shamrock fascinator and some green beads. My music was ready, all three songs to be repeated along the route, then I got the call. No parade for us. It is raining. The good part of this is I have a concert tomorrow, inside, so I’ll just leave everything ready.

I got up so early I went back to bed and had no problem falling asleep, neither did the dogs. It is raining even more than it had been.

I remember marching in the Memorial Day parade when I was a kid. I marched with the brownies. The scout contingent, including girl, cub and boy scouts, marched almost at the end of the parade. Behind us were the little league teams and a couple of fire trucks. We all wore our uniforms. The spectators clapped. I waved. I felt so proud. Later I told my parents, “Everyone was out of step except me.”

Winter rainy days are cold regardless of the temperature. I wear a sweatshirt and socks with fluffy insides. The dogs curl up on a blanket while Jack stays warm on the bed cover.

I just made some cocoa. I had milk. When I was a kid, I drank cocoa every morning before school. I remember it had bubbles on the top the way my mother made it. The cocoa came in a cardboard container and was made by Nestle. The metal top had a slot for coins. It became a bank when the cocoa was gone.

I like cereal. Usually I buy the package with little boxes of a variety of cereals. My mother used to buy the same packages. My favorite was always Rice Krispies. My favorite is now Cinnamon Crunch. I’ve never liked regular Cheerios. I do have one complaint. The boxes when I was a kid had perforations on the front. When you opened the cereal, you poured milk into the box and ate your cereal from the box. I lately tried it figuring the boxes hadn’t really changed, only the perforations were gone. It was a little messy.

Today is a day for chores. I have plants to water, a bed to change and some laundry to do. I already had my nap.