Posted tagged ‘errand’

“Quiet diplomacy is far more effective than public posturing.”

August 18, 2017

Yesterday was a perfect day. The weather was warm but breezy enough to keep the heat at bay, the sun shined all day and we even found a table by the water at lunch. My sisters arrived with cake and presents. We went to lunch at one of my favorite places. As a surprise my sisters had invited my friends, and I was definitely surprised. My lobster roll was filled with huge chunks of lobster and the fries and onion rings were perfect. Just ask the gulls who snapped up the French fries we threw on the rocks. After lunch we came back to my house for cake and ice cream and presents. My sisters had chosen the best cake, mocha, and my favorite ice cream, coconut. After that, I opened my presents and was overwhelmed by the generosity of my sisters and my friends. We then sat on the deck a while chatting and laughing. I can’t imagine a better day, a better birthday.

Today is cloudy and a bit humid. The breeze is blowing the top branches of the oak trees. Rain is predicted for later. I do have to go out but not far and off the main roads. The bird feeders need to be filled again, and the fountain is empty of water. Gracie drinks much of the water away. The fountain is the perfect height for her. I fill it, she drinks it and we do this several times a day. She has a water dish on the deck but she ignores it. Dogs aren’t logical.

Quiet seems to be the order of the day after the excitement of yesterday. I don’t hear a sound: not a kid, not a car and not even a bird. I had Alexa play sixties rock, but I kept singing with the music instead of writing so I turned on the TV to MSMBC. It is still reacting to Trump’s latest diatribe so I turned that off. Instead, I watched the Food Channel with Giada who was making a Peruvian chicken dish and showing pictures of her trip to Peru. I suppose I could just turn off the TV, but I’m not in the mood for quiet, for silence. I have stuff I could do, but I don’t want to do them. I’m just fine with being a sloth, napping on the couch, wearing my comfiest clothes and going barefoot.

“A stockbroker urged me to buy a stock that would triple its value every year. I told him, ”At my age, I don’t even buy green bananas.””

September 13, 2014

Today I am taking it easy, as if I don’t do that anyway. The cleaning of the cabinets on my to-do list is being shifted to tomorrow. Yesterday I moved the wrong way off the couch and twisted my back such that I couldn’t stand up. It took a while until I finally moaned and yelped my way vertical though it was tenuous as I had to hold on to anything I could so I could move forward. This morning I am much better, but I will not tempt the fates by doing any chores; however, I do need to get birdseed so an errand will be my sole accomplishment for the day.

At around four this morning I woke up because I was so cold. The window was open, and I only had the spread and the sheet to cover me. I did have two animals leaning against me, but they didn’t help a whole lot. I got up, easily I’m happy to say, grabbed the afghan and threw it on the bed. Gracie and Fern immediately chose their spots which didn’t include room for me, but I was determined. They got moved, I went back to bed under the afghan and was comfy and warm in no time. I fell back to sleep. The three of us slept until 9:45.

This morning I had a banana. Ever since I was young I have loved bananas. They went on my Rice Krispies, and I used to hunt for the slices with my spoon as they had a tendency to fall to the bottom of the bowl. They are a perfect fruit. In Ghana I could buy some right off the street and peel and eat and not worry about catching something. They are a boon to health and loaded with vitamin B. Bananas make a great bread. I am generally too impatient to wait until the bread cools so I slather a slice with butter while it is still warm. No fruit salad is complete without bananas. I don’t like pancakes, but if I did, I’d want banana pancakes. Banana cream pie is smooth and silky. A banana split has everything. It is served in a boat which gives it an epic proportion. It has three kinds of ice cream, a couple of toppings, whipped cream, nuts and cherries with stems. I was always partial to hot fudge sauce and usually caramel as my second choice. A finished banana split is a work of art. As crazy as the movie is, I like Woody Allen’s Bananas. I can sing the Chiquita Banana song, but I doubt my hips can gyrate in the same way. I do think the banana headpiece would look great on me. I have seen bananas growing. Big bunches of them hang from a palm type tree which isn’t a palm though some call it a banana palm. It gets confusing.

“For retirement brings repose, and repose allows a kindly judgment of all things.”

August 7, 2010

At 8 o’clock Gracie and I were out and about as I had an errand. People were walking dogs, running or walking the bike path, pushing baby carriages, eating breakfast out or going who knows where given the number of cars on the road. I never imagined a world so busy so early on a Saturday. Usually I’m on the deck with my papers and coffee or more likely still in bed at that hour of the morning. I went to the harbor to try and catch up with the cafe owner, but he wasn’t there. I didn’t wait around. Gracie and I went for gas then to Dunkin’ Donuts. The line of cars for the drive-up window was as long as I’ve ever seen it so I decided to go inside where the line was as long as I’ve ever seen it. I finally got my coffee, and Gracie and I drove home to the deck and the newspapers.

The day is sunny and dry. The breeze is leaf stirring. It’s a perfect deck day, but my dance card is full for later. I’m wishing it wasn’t. I yearn to stay home, comfy and lazy. I have come to realize that I am less of a social animal than I once was. I don’t like going out often. I don’t like crowds. I don’t like having to be dressy. I’m not even sure I have any dressy clothes left. I hate small talk. If I haven’t seen the people in years, I see no reason to chit chat. We probably only have the human condition in common, but I don’t want to be impolite so I’ll walk around and give some hugs, smile a lot, wave across the room and answer those who ask what’s been keeping me busy since retirement. I’ll tell them the truth: very little is keeping me busy, but I am living the best of lives.


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