Day 289 ~ It’s a Really Big Shoe Tonight

October 16, 2014

My Instead: I took Mom and Annette to the "Prevue" showing of my photo display at the LTDA Holiday Boutique.

As Ed Sullivan used to articulate on Sunday nights, “It’s a really big ‘shoe’ tonight”. Translation: a really big “show”. The Lincoln Trail Decorative Artists’ 10 Annual Holiday Boutique “prevue” night was here! Earlier in the week, I had invited my mom to join me for my photography debut. My girlfriend Annette surprised me by driving one and a half hours to be here. When she arrived at my house, we took off to pick up Mom and headed to west Belleville to the boutique.

As we walked in, we were greeted by several of the women working the boutique. After paying the $5 charge for attending "prevue night", we immediately found our way over to my table to “oooh and ahhh” over my photography. My mom’s reaction was a nice surprise... she was truly impressed and acted the part. Mother/daughter relationships can sometimes be flooded with expectations to the point of extinction, so hearing and seeing her pleasure and pride filled me up.

When we finished perusing my work, we began to browse the rest of the artistry on sale. Mom is at the age where she wants NO more stuff, so consumables are the key when you don’t want to accumulate. She ended up purchasing two loaf pans of banana bread to share at my aunt’s garage sale the next day. Annette and I, being the girly-girls that we are, found ourselves looking at some handmade scarves (which we did not purchase). We had so much fun with them, that a lady even commented later about how she enjoyed watching us. Annette and I seem to have a good time no matter what we’re doing and it’s usually the simplest of things.

After enjoying a treat in the little snack area, we went to Mom’s and spent the rest of the evening watching the St. Louis Cardinals playing in the NLCS. It was so relaxing for me, now that all that photo preparation was neatly tucked away as a memory.

The flood gates are opened with possibilities of where I will venture next with my photography. This event has changed my attitude about what I have to offer and what people will actually purchase. I just have to create the connection!

Annette modeling one of the scarves

Annette watching the Cardinal NLCS game

 

 

Day 288 ~ Déjà vu Show

October 15, 2014

My Instead: I set up my photo exhibit at the Carrington Clubhouse for the LTDA Holiday Boutique.

My morning was busy with a trip to Millstadt to do a job for a longtime client. As soon as I finished, I hustled home, got ready, loaded up my car and headed to the Carrington Clubhouse to set up my photo exhibit table for the LTDA Holiday Boutique. Lynn, the woman who got me involved in this event, called me to find out when I would be arriving because it was past the window of time that I said I would be there. Did she think I was going to back out? Trust me, with all the hurdles I had to jump, that option did make a dent into my thinking. But now I knew it was a go…all stops yielded to my tenacity.

When I arrived at the Clubhouse, I admired how everything was set up and how so many of the things were beautiful and creative. I unloaded my car, piled my wares into the entryway and signed in by presenting to them my inventory sheet. Lynn led me to my assigned table and then I got busy. I worked on the display for about an hour and a half until it finally resembled something for me to be proud to call my own.

When I stepped back and took it all in, a wave of déjà vu flowed over me as I remembered the many different occasions in which these pictures were taken. They were like my babies that passersby could only admire and say “how cute!” I was as proud as any parent could be! But hidden in each of these photographs was a life all its own. And I was the only one who knew it. I explained some stories behind the photos to a few people…they listened, not feeling the emotion. Why would they? Only a parent feels that devotion.

As I left the building, I felt lighter. It was like the day after Christmas is for me. All the time and preparation  was done and dismissed. A feeling of relief prevailed. Ahhhhh....

 

Day 287 ~ Photo Marathon III

October 14, 2014

My Instead: I did the final preparation for the LTDA Holiday Boutique by doing the completion log, pricing, labelling and pre-boutique set-up.

Annette went home this morning. I was on my own. I had a job to do in Freeburg first thing and then the rest of the day was mine to finish up my photo preparation for the LTDA Holiday Boutique. Then my mom called with toilet trouble. I promised I’d stop by to fix it after my Freeburg job. The clock was ticking.

When I got to Mom’s and surveyed the situation with her toilet, I discovered it was a quick fix…tightening the nut under the tank leading to the water supply. Thank you, God, for small favors! Then Mom invited me to have some lunch with her…a girl’s gotta eat, right? We visited a while and then I told her it was time for me to leave and finish what I had started. She understood because she knows how I am.

When I arrived back home, I started pricing all my items by creating yet another spreadsheet and numbering my photos with post-its. I also made up a small photo album with all my entries in 4x6 sizes. I had business cards that were 4 x 6 photos of me with my camera and all my information with which to contact me. I found containers to hold all my matted photos. Then I had to get the label template online and create labels for each item. My inventory sheets were next on the punch list to be produced.

It was close to midnight when I finally headed to my printer to print the sheets and labels. My inventory consisted of three sheets. By the time my second sheet was coming out of the printer, I realized the cartridge containing black ink was running out! Are you kidding me! I cursed. Yep, I cursed and I cursed loudly. I was down to the wire and I got clotheslined! Cloaked in determination and desperation, I hightailed to Wal-Mart after midnight (when all the rapists and murderers were shopping) and purchased another black cartridge.

As I was leaving the parking lot of Wal-Mart still in stress mode, I saw the light mist of rain in the lights above. There He was again, reminding me of His beauty in the midst of my “storm”. How did I get to this ugly place after capturing a world of beauty in my photos?  I reminded myself of the joy that photography has always brought me and suddenly His peace enveloped me like a mother soothing her hurt child.

I drove home wrapped in confidence knowing this task would soon come to fruition. I forged on until 3:30 A.M. with no more problems. Murphy’s Law inverted…whatever could go right, did.

 

Day 286 ~ Photo Marathon II

October 13, 2014

My Instead: Annette and I prepared for the LTDA Holiday Boutique by framing and logging all the photos.

After being up until 3 A.M. trying to order Wal-Mart prints that I needed for my boutique photo entries, I was beginning to give up hope. I had wanted to have them ready for pick-up first thing in the morning, but the photo lab system had more glitches than Orphan Annie has freckles. If I had been successful, Annette and I could have gotten an early start framing all the photos on Monday. Frustrated and tired, I finally went to bed, dreading the wakening hour when I would again have to tackle technology troubles head on.

Five hours proved to be enough sleep for my “works better under pressure” energy level. “Faith” escorted me to my laptop, encouraging me to try entering my photo order again. After a few familiar failures similar to the ones I experienced in the wee hours, my print orders were finally placed. Annette and I left to pick up the pictures and arrived back home around 1:30 in the afternoon, ready to work. She framed while I organized and created yet another spreadsheet to keep track of all these photos with their titles and sizes. I knew that later I would have to price them out, label them and produce an inventory sheet for the boutique.

This “all work, no play” Monday proved to be another full day of diligence on both our parts. The weather cooperated again with “dreary and rainy” appearing out my picture window. While Annette continued with the framing part of this operation, I cooked a nice dinner for us. We called it a day (or night) when all the pictures were either framed or matted. Tomorrow is another day as Scarlet O’Hara would say.

Preparing my photos for all to see at this holiday boutique was draining me of time for anything else. My “insteads” would look similar for a few days because this boutique was a massive undertaking. However, it has presented challenges that have led me to “open door” thinking that could lead to opportunities never before imagined. Just wait and see.

Annette, my little framer

 

Day 285 ~ Photo Marathon

October 12, 2014

My Instead: I selected all the frames and sizes of photos for my photography table at the LTDA Holiday Boutique.

The Lincoln Trail Decorative Artists 10^th Annual Holiday Boutique was coming Thursday! And I had claims on a photography table as part of this boutique. Yikes! The last two days, that I had originally planned to prepare for this event, were not utilized to their full extent for various family reasons. Time to put it into full throttle!

My girlfriend Annette was more than willing to help me in my time of "procrastination-driven" need. And as an added bonus, I believe God had mercy on my plight because the weather turned out to be dreary and rainy, perfect for indoor activity. Wal-Mart, on the other hand, had very little mercy and was causing most of my pain with glitches in their photo lab system.

Anyway, Annette and I felt no guilt about NOT being outside and got busy with the enormous task at hand. Picture and frames were sprawled out all over the living room floor as we chose which photograph would look best in which frame. I kept a computer log of all the choices while Annette cleaned the glass in all the frames. We worked well into the night. It was a marathon. Annette never complained...never appeared discontent. She took ownership of her role in this endeavor like a head surgeon intent on saving the life of her patient. Her unrelenting support probably kept me from losing it!

Learning how well we work together in a stressful situation was pinnacle to me. This person is wonderful in the true sense of the word. Every time I’m with her, she amazes me with her inner beauty. And all I have to do is be deserving.

 

 

Day 284 ~ Sock Drop

October 11, 2014

My Instead: My grandchildren, Abbey and Andy, and I played "sock drop" down the laundry shoot and Abbey and I had an art contest.

October is winery month in the Midwest and my son and daughter-in-law wanted to soak up the autumn air and sip the sangria. Having just labored the last 4 months building their new home, they were well deserving of some “ahhhh” time. And guess what! I get to have my grandchildren, Abbey and Andy! Even though I had plenty to do to prepare for my photo entry at a holiday boutique, I opted to be with them. They are the treasure right now in my life and I have no other choice but to cherish these moments. They ARE my choice!

 

After I picked them up and we got back to my house, I had a special activity planned: a sock drop contest down my laundry chute. They both know the magic of the laundry chute…drop an object down and it magically appears on the floor of my laundry room below. This kind of “ordinary wonderment” is what makes being a kid such a marvel. They know how to experience life and its simple moments. Andy got to go first with the drop and Abbey with the catch. Giggles were passed through the chute as well. Andy thought he was the bomb with his aim, but Abbey was an ace with her catches. When Andy went down yonder, he needed a little assistance with his catches. I finally had to lift him onto the dryer where Abbey was almost handing him the socks! They had a blast.

When the newness wore off of that little adventure, Abbey suggested having an art contest. Each of us drew a picture and then Abbey, the judge, rendered her critique on each and announced the winner. Don’t ask me how she arrived at her numbers, but I won with 19 points. Abbey had 18.

The afternoon continued on with play and laughter. Eventually, my photo project was completed in the days following, but the memory and the joy of my day with these two little people fills me up. And, incidentally, laundry isn’t such a chore anymore.

 

 

Day 283 ~ Lunch Treat

October 10, 2014

My Instead: I took my daughter Robin and her co-worker Trisha out to lunch to celebrate Robin's 9th anniversary at her current place of employment, Videojet.

Stalking on Facebook has become a common activity for me in the morning. And on this particular day, I spied a post from my daughter Robin saying that today marked her 9^th anniversary of her working at her current place of employment, Videojet. That's a big deal for me because I was the one who put in a good word for her to Dawn, the person who was doing the hiring back in 2005.

I had my Friday planned as a day off from work because I needed to get my photographs organized, matted, framed and ready for the holiday boutique coming up the following Wednesday. However, offering to take Robin out for this momentous occasion seemed like a great reason to procrastinate. She took me up on my offer and asked if her co-worker Trisha could join us. Of course! I knew Trisha well from when I used to work at Videojet.

It was a rainy day, miserably chilly. I met them at Tavern on Main in Belleville and was even five minutes early this time. That doesn’t happen very often. We enjoyed a nice buffet that held several choices of soup which really hit the spot and warmed us to the bone.

We laughed, reminisced and advised, all at one lunch together. The ironic thing is that we never mentioned Robin’s anniversary the whole time and that was the reason we got together in the first place. Oh, well. I guess the joy of spending time with one another was what it was all about anyway.

I treated the girls to the lunch, but I was really the one who received a wonderful treat that afternoon.
 

 

Day 282 ~ Winter Turns to Spring

October 9, 2014

My Instead: I posted my first Throwback Thursday photo on Facebook.

My Facebook postings are pretty sporadic. Sometimes I will do three posts in one day and then I will go a week or two or more before I share my life with my “friends” on Facebook. Do I waste time looking at this social network? You bet. But, in my defense, I live alone and this is an outlet that fulfills something in me that keeps me coming back on an almost daily basis. Who woulda thought?

Several of my FB friends post pictures from their past on Thursday, which has duly been named Throwback Thursday. I’ve posted a few older photos, usually ones around the time I had my kids. Today, however, I searched my photo albums and found one of me after I was married, but before I had children. Did I ever NOT have children?

Anyway, I posted this photo of me holding our cat (Telly) that my ex-husband had taken. I looked young…I was 25. Was I ever 25? That time of my life flooded my head as I prepared to post my young self on Facebook. Where did those 37 years go? And why do the years seem to go even faster now? I don’t know, but I do know that time shows us no mercy...we have no choice, but to go with it.

My family and friends who have known me for years and years, have witnessed my “spring” turn to “winter”. Today most of my Facebook friends had the pleasure of meeting my young self for the first time. All of their 35 “likes” were present and accounted for by the end of the day. Their thoughts, opinions, and judgments were not…and that’s probably a good thing. Some things are better left unsaid.

And that is why everything else I would say about this, I won’t.  

 

Day 281 ~ After School

October 8, 2014

My Instead: I went over to my daughter’s house and played street basketball after school with my grandson Tyler, his friend Danny and two of the neighbor kids.

“After school”…I probably remember this time the most from my childhood. I was always happy to be back home from school where Mom was. It was a time to go play outside, watch the Three Stooges on TV, or even start on homework to get it out of the way. It didn’t matter to me because I was home, my favorite place to be.

The curtain has dropped on that act though and now my grandson Tyler is on stage. His neighborhood buddies fill his after school time with all kinds of activities. But I thought it was time for Grandma to revisit those good ol’ days.

After confirming with my daughter Robin that Tyler would be home, I worked at warped speed to get to their house to shoot some hoops before he and his “frother” (friend/brother) Danny had to leave for basketball practice. Made it! It was a beautiful day and it was time for the basketball to be done basking. Let’s get it to work and make it do what it was invented for…swishing through the webbing of the hoop’s net. Tyler and Danny were all set for a quick game of “donkey”.  I suggested using a different word by which to keep score. How about the word “instead”? We all agreed and the game begin.

While we were making and missing shots, little Mohammad from two houses down was looking like he wanted to join us. Tyler and Danny gladly invited him. Then his big brother Ahmad showed up and another invitation was accepted. We continued with our friendly game of “instead”, encouraging one another, teasing, and laughing. What a great time feeling like a kid again! And the “actual” kids had a great time too. It seemed to be no big deal having a 62-year-old lady there in their midst joining in the fun. I was just another player to them.

While creating an “after school” memory (just like 50 years ago), I found the next best thing to heaven on that autumn day in October.

 

Day 280 ~ Andy Joe and Joe

October 7, 2014

My Instead: I took my grandson Andy over to his great grandpa's to visit while I cleaned his house.

Every first Tuesday of the month, I am scheduled to clean the house of my ex-father-in-law, Joe. Joe is the sweetest and the kindest man I know. Also, on every other Tuesday I am scheduled to watch my grandson Andy while his mom works her one day a week to retain her skills as a sonographer. Eventually, however, it happens that these Tuesdays collide and I have Andy on his great-grandpa’s cleaning day.

Andy entered Joe's house without apprehension. He had his tractor-trailer truck filled with his Matchbox cars and he was ready to play. I, on the other hand, was ready to work and then get on with our day of just being together. Andy went back and forth between me and his great grandpa Joe, enjoying both of us as 2-year-olds are apt to do. I was even able to clean Joe’s house in record time because Andy was so good at being preoccupied.

Then of course, I had to get a photo of my grandson with his 91-year-old great grandpa…always a Kodak moment between generations. Andy and great grandpa posed nicely for Grandma Photographer. Then I asked Andy to put his arm around his grandpa’s neck and he did. But shortly thereafter, his eyed welled up like a pin was sticking him. Andy just couldn’t shake it. Hold on, Andy! Grandma has to torture you with a few more shots. There...done.

We finished our visit with tears and wailing. Andy switched moods like a lamp set to turn on with a timer and that time was NOW. Nothing would soothe him…except leaving. And we did.

Great Grandpa Joe understood and did not take it personally. He had witnessed the Andy that lights up seeing all the newness that surrounds him every day. And maybe Joe saw a little bit of himself in his great grandson. After all, he’s there somewhere in that little boy. I only hope that Andy grows up to be the kind of man that he got to play with that day.

 

Day 279 ~ Stick ‘Em Up

October 6, 2014

My Instead: We all played pick-up sticks after my daughter-in law’s birthday dinner.

My daughter-in-law Shaundra turned 36 back on September 19^th. Finally, after the upheaval of their moving to their new house, we were able to schedule an evening for me to host her birthday dinner. I prepared a huge salad, a new chicken casserole dish that I had never made before, and a Texas sheet cake that I had never attempted before either.

Seemingly always behind schedule these days, my girlfriend Annette helped me with the preparation for Shaundra’s dinner by cleaning up the house and setting the table. I, on the other hand, labored in the kitchen getting this three-course meal underway and done. As usual, Annette and I finished right as they were walking in the door. They were all "starving" so I think the meal seemed to taste better than what it actually did.

After our feast, I said I had a game to introduce that ALL of us could play and (hopefully) enjoy. I had bought a can of Pick-Up Sticks when I was at that hobby shop on my little Farmington excursion a few days earlier. I had not played this game since I was a kid and I was ready to get started!

Abbey, my adventurous one, was rip-roarin’ and ready to play! I “spilled" the sticks onto the table and we took our turns picking out the individual sticks without disturbing any of the surrounding sticks. Of course, the rules got juggled during the course of the game, but we eventually agreed on some of our own rules…gotta make it easy for the kids, right?

It was a nice little breakaway from the usual agenda of one of my kids' birthday dinners. We got to interact with one another, argue playfully, laugh, and always love. And it all happened over a pile of wooden sticks. 

Isaac's Turn!

Andy's Turn!

Mom's Turn!

Annette's Turn!

My Turn!

Daddy's Turn!

Abbey's Turn!

 

Day 278 ~ The Wicked Rest

October 5, 2014

My Instead: I accepted my girlfriend’s help when I had to catch up on a lawn job.

Work is plentiful these days and time is always limited. My day of rest oftentimes takes on the disguise of a Monday and its reality of having to work for a living. But each time a Sunday rolls around where I have to catch up on some jobs, the good Lord pats me on the back and says “Go for it, Mary…there is no rest for the wicked”. Not sure what He means by that…

Yesterday had been mostly a social day for Annette and me. So today…not so much. My son has a 4-plex close to my house for which I am the lawn caregiver…and the lawn needed some care given. I knew my week was full and that today was a perfect weather day to get this job done and off my to-do list.  Annette offered to help. Oh, boy. I am not one to ask for or accept help unless totally and unavoidably needed…neither of which this was. And this was a paying job! I definitely don’t ask for help with those. But Annette and I worked so well together painting my mom’s fence last week that I thought, “Why not?”

This was not an admission of “I can’t do this without you”. It was more like saying “Okay, let’s get this done together and then enjoy the rest of our day.” The two of us knocked it out in 2 ½ hours….we mowed, weed-whacked, pulled weeds and did a full trim job of bushes and clean-up too. The winter’s seasoning will tastefully settle on this well-manicured yard.

Satisfied with a job well done, we headed back to my house to enjoy the rest of our Sunday. Well, actually, we continued to work on my own yard for a few more hours…I could get used to this!

Admittedly, it wasn’t so bad having help and, most of all, the company of this good woman. My “I can do it myself” obstinacy took a hit and “my being humble enough to accept help once in a while” made the scoreboard!

Annette, my helper

Why not?

 

Day 277 ~ Tri It, You’ll Like It!

October 4, 2014

My Instead: Annette and I enjoyed fried bananas, Oreos and Twinkies at the Belleville Chili Cook-Off.

The annual Belleville Chili Cook-Off was here! I never miss it if I can help it. Annette and I had four social commitments that Saturday, but this was tops on our list.

It was a sunny, but chilly day…a perfect day for chili! We made it uptown around mid-afternoon and headed right to my sister’s Cold Stone Creamery tent. Karen and her son Connor were busy, but friendly and happy to see us. We visited for a while, long enough to be cordial, but brief enough to avoid being asked to help!  

At Connor’s suggestion, we tried our first sampling of chili at a tent across East Main. It was good and similar to my chili, but a little spicy. Annette and I are “wooses” when it comes to spicy, hot food. The next one we tried was more "tomatoey" and less spicy…a better choice for us. We tried another sample that was good, but nothing to brag about. Then something else caught our eye: Beaver’s Den and their fried bananas, Twinkies, and Oreos. We marveled, then walked on by.

We headed back to Karen's Cold Stone tent to enjoy a chocolate-covered slice of cheesecake. But on the brain were those selections of fried scrumptiousness. I have always been curious about why anyone would fry Twinkies and the like. After all, they are already on the “Most Wanted” list for “confections to kill ya”.  

We stood at Karen’s tent waiting to be acknowledged to place our order...but no eye contact from my sister. She was slammed with patrons succumbing to the urges of their sweet tooth. In the meantime, my sweet tooth was diverting me back to the Beaver’s Den tent. Annette’s sweet tooth will try anything.

Retracing our steps, we found ourselves in line to place our order for those fried temptations. The nice lady that took our order (for all three - fried bananas, Twinkies, and Oreos) assured us that they weren’t THAT unhealthy because they were all fried in cottonseed oil. Okay, I’ll go with that...although I don’t think you’ll find a Dr. Oz endorsement for them anytime soon.

We got the Oreos first. As the Campbell Soup kids would say, “Mmm Mmm Good”. The cookie under the fried funnel cake coating was soft and delectable. Next came the pieces of banana hiding inside that same fried coating…great combination. Last was the Twinkie and its “overcoat” for this chilly day. Another winner! Our favorite? The Oreos won as Oreos often do!

While we were enjoying our “appetizers” (we were having dinner with friends in a couple of hours), we shared our opinions and thoughts and, above all, our laughs. It was a special time for both of us. It still amazes me how doing an “instead” can lead to so much fun and a feeling of freedom and adventure.

It's funny how often I've had this opportunity at fairs and carnivals and never even thought of venturing a taste. But today I did! I savored everything about it. And now I savor the memory.

Fried Banana

Fried Oreo

Fried Twinkie

 

 

 

Day 276 ~ BFF

October 3, 2014

My Instead: I visited the grave of my childhood best friend Beth on her 59th birthday.

I lost my best friend Beth when she was 14 years old. Leukemia. I was 17 at the time. It’s coming up on 45 years ago on November 12th. I spent SO much of my childhood with Beth. And now I have to remind myself that she lived. She was here.

When Beth died, I was so sad. I remember feeling that I would NEVER be happy again. But I have been. When Beth died, I often dreamt that she was alive again...I was ELATED! Now it’s been decades since I’ve dreamt about her. When Beth died, I thought of her often. Now I hardly ever think of her unless I’m recapping my childhood to someone new.

In my defense, I do think of Beth every October 3^rd, her birthday, and every November 12^th, the day she died. So today was October 3^rd!  The cemetery was sort of on my way home from Fairview Heights if I took the Green Mount Road route. I've stopped by her grave now and then throughout the years, but today was her birthday! I wanted to visit her today. It was very chilly, windy and dreary…really not a day for cemetery stopping. But I had to do this.

Beth’s gravestone is easy to find…right off one of the main arteries within the cemetery. And it is relatively close to my dad’s. As I knelt by her stone, my head became flooded with thoughts of Beth. She would be 59 now. What would she have done during those lost years? What would she be like now? Would we have been close? Would our friendship have faded like my memory of her had? My last thought…why her? I’ve had 45 more years of this life than she had. Why me?

My thoughts quieted down as I left a shiny 2014 penny on her stone…something from the present. Our past has passed.

Is this what happens when we pass on from this life? Does everyone’s memory of us gradually get tucked away? Yes, but not tossed away! “Who we were” will be recalled at times...at least until no one is left from our past, our life. Then we are finally obliterated...from this life. 

Here’s the good new! SO WHAT! Our new life is where it’s at! And we’re all on that path...remembered or obliterated...doesn’t matter.

 

 

 

Day 275 ~ Had a Wild Hair

October 2, 2014

My Instead: I stayed an extra day at Annette's and explored Farmington’s local businesses.

My wild hair had a growth spurt and instead of leaving first thing the next morning, I decided to stay an extra day even though Annette had to go to her job. It worked out that one of my clients was out of town, so it didn’t matter when I came to clean. I chose to take Thursday off and do it all on Friday. Today was my day to lollygag!

I went to downtown Farmington. I spied a cemetery monument business on the right and did a U-Turn to pay a visit to the dark side. A girl has to be prepared for the future, right? I walked into the office and struck up a conversation with the nice woman working the front desk. I said I was more interested in urns than plot monuments. She said I could get those through a funeral home or she could order me one. Beings I am the procrastinator that I am, I said I would just wait and check into it later. We had a nice causal talk about families carrying out (or not carrying out) the wishes of their deceased loved ones. She had seen it all…and I found out a little bit more about the ways of the world. Now on to the next thing.

Hunger pangs were clanging on my rib cage…time to hit the local diner. As I entered the restaurant, I immediately noticed how clean it was. Then I believe every one of the employees, except the guy in back washing the dishes, greeted me. Flirtation was abounding between the owner and one of his cute, young female servers. She was young enough to be his daughter, I thought. But I digress. My pecan pancakes came quick, they were hot and good and the bill was reasonable...happy belly…happy ending.

Now let’s throw a wrench into works. I had the day to myself…why not settle back and get my hair cut. Now, mind you, I have NEVER been pleased when I’ve gotten my hair cut…NEVER. And today was no different. I told her what I wanted…didn’t happen. I told her what I didn’t want…did happen. So much for my delightful day…and so much for my hair. It’ll grow back, right?

After that fiasco, I happened onto a small hobby shop. I knew this visit would temporarily get my mind off my hair. While I wandered the shop, I found “Pick-Up Sticks”! I haven’t played that game since I was a kid and I always liked it…even more when a referee was nearby. I made my purchase and decided to head back to Annette’s house to see what trouble I could get into.

When I got back, I decided to do my “chosen” profession and clean. I began to tackle Annette’s kitchen by cleaning the sink, counters, cupboards, etc. She got home less than an hour after I did, so went outside to work the yard. I mowed with the rider while she readied the dog pens to move her dogs outdoors. Our missions had begun. We kept working until dark and then some.

My day was totally unplanned with no idea where it would take me. But I trusted.

Except for the hair, of course.

 

Day 274 ~ Tunnel Vision

October 1, 2014

My Instead: I went to Annette's in the middle of the week for our 2-month anniversary.

Since Annette and I starting seeing each other, we have been doing the “weekender” thing. Either she comes to Belleville or I go to Farmington. We try to alternate places, but sometimes one of us has to book two weekends in a row due to previous plans made. Thank goodness we are both flexible.

After a full Wednesday of being “down on my knees” working, I couldn’t think of anything that I wanted more than to spend the evening with my girlfriend on our 2-month anniversary. So what if it’s not the weekend! And so what if Annette lives one and a half hours away from my door step! Ugh. But if my 16-year-old Honda was willing to make the trip, so was I.

Sometimes I amaze myself how fast I can move when I see that light at the end of the tunnel. And Annette was my light. Quickly as I could bustle after my hard day, I got ready to go. With a Wal-Mart bag of necessary items (make-up, duh), I was in my car and on the road.

When I arrived at Annette’s place, she was tickled to see me. We enjoyed a nice, relaxing evening at home…just what I needed. Because my right hand was stiff and sore from scrubbing and Annette is such a caring person, she ended my day with a long massage to my hand. As far as I was concerned, she could have done that even as I slept. My love language that night was definitely her physical touch.

It was good karma…and I never even saw it coming!