The rain started around eleven last night, but it was a light rain. The dogs barely got wet on their last trip to the yard, but around 2:30, when I was lying in bed and had just turned out the light, the wind began howling, think freight train, and the rain was heavy and loud. That was my last conscious memory before Morpheus lulled me to sleep. This morning I didn’t wake up until almost 11, and it was still raining.

Yesterday, I was replacing the toilet paper roll when out of a back memory drawer jumped a flash memory from my childhood. I remembered my mother and her tissues. When we were in the car going someplace like my grandmother’s house, my mother would pull those tissues out of her handbag where they had been sitting at the bottom of the bag for God only knows how long. They were crumbled and sort of stuck together. My mother would spit on one then use only one finger covered in tissue to wipe our faces so we’d look presentable. I didn’t think it was gross. I was young.

My dance card is empty until next week. I do need a trip to the dump as my old, faithful TV is in the backseat waiting for a burial of sorts. It served me well.

Yesterday I was busy around the house, my least favorite way to spend any part of a day. I carried the garland, which had been across the mantle, to the kitchen. It dropped needles all the way from the living room to the backdoor, sort of a variation of Hansel and Gretel and the crumbs. After I’d thrown it out, I dusted the mantel, swept the floor, vacuumed and took down my snow decorations. I moved stuff around in the den though it is still cluttered.

Yesterday, Nala ran outside with a paper towel she had stolen from the recycle bag. I pretended to chase her and out the dog she went lickity-split. I went on the deck and watched her tear apart her treasure. It was then I noticed my upstairs bathroom basket, the one from Ghana, was on the driveway. I went to get it and, as I was picking it up, a brilliant idea, say I modestly, jumped into my head. I found a biggish rock, cleaned it and put it into the basket. It was heavy for me to carry upstairs so good luck, Nala.

The rain comes and goes. It will be the same all day. Right now it is 38°, but the wind makes it feel colder. I went on the deck earlier as Henry had come inside but not Nala so I went hunting. She was under the deck staying dry. I got wet looking for her. That brings to question which of us was the dumb animal.

My mouth is permanently open in wonder. My new TV is mind blowing. I realized, when watching it for the first time, my old TV had faded colors. All of a sudden I can see reds and facial complexions. The TV picture looks like 3D. People with close-ups look as if they are in my den with me. Right now I am enjoying the company of Mr. Bond. Yesterday afternoon I reloaded all of my apps. Luckily I had the passwords. Today, though, a couple had to be reloaded. It took all of three or four minutes. I’m now watching Paramount+.

I grew up with TV’s. I don’t remember a time when we didn’t have one. The small screened black and white pictures were a marvel to me. Sitting on the floor in front of the set was the best spot for viewing. We didn’t go blind though my mother warned us about the effects of sitting so closely. I guess it was all those bulbs in the back which scared her. Back then, the stations went off the air some at 11, others at 12. I remember the first time I stayed up late enough to watch the end of the evening’s programming. It was a jet flying with Off We Go into the Wild Blue Yonder playing in the background. After that it was the Indian test pattern. I even watched that for a bit.

I also remember our first color TV. Watching Star Trek was my favorite. I got to see which poor crew member wore the red shirt. The channels we could watch were limited. We had a rooftop antenna as cable was not yet available. In the afternoon I watched The Lloyd Thaxton Show, an imitation of American Bandstand. As soon as cable was available, we got it. That was like a whole new world. It was the we noticed our TV had faded colors. My father blamed it on the cable so he called the cable company to come fix it. The guy who came told my father it was the TV, not the cable. The TV died not too long after. My father right away got a new set. The colors were vibrant. Deja vu.