Both Fern and Gracie huddled beside me in bed this morning, one on the left, one on the right. From the opened window I could feel a cool breeze blowing. I nestled deeper, got warmer and slept a little longer. It will be sunny and in the high 60’s for the next few days going down to the low 50’s at night. I love this sort of weather though I could do without the chilly breeze.

I remember being asked what I wanted to be when I grew up. When I was really young, I toyed with cowgirl for a while impressed as I was with Dale Evans, her horse Buttercup and her great wardrobe. I think that was my fringe stage. Later, when I was older, I wanted to be Nellie Bly and travel the world writing as I went. A library book was what inspired that choice, but Nelly Bly went the way of Dale Evans. I was a candy striper for a while and that turned me off nursing. Luckily, though, as I got older, people stopped asking, and I was off the hook for needing to plan my future. I finally figured out the growing up question was merely a way for adults to make conversation with a kid, and nobody really cared though cowgirl did get a few laughs at my expense.

I did wonder what I was going to be. I never gave president a thought because I was a girl, but I figured just about everything else, except a priest, was an option. I decided to be a teacher and planned college around that choice, but I changed my mind. I decided to be Perry Mason, the female version, so I took the lsat, did well and applied to law school. I got in, but I didn’t go.

It seems a bit of Nelly Bly and even some Dale Evans and Happy Trails had stayed around. I went to travel the world. I went to Africa. I rode a camel though I didn’t wear any fringe. I would have liked to though. Fringe would have been just about perfect.