No one ever told me that grief felt so much like fear.
We played golf for years and sometimes four times a week but always in the afternoon during weekdays! She wanted to play so badly these past two-three years, but she could not do it because of the pain. We used to make a special trip to the feed store to buy premium duck food, and the little guys would follow Sue around like puppies! How she did it, I do know, but she could tell them apart family by family! They would even bring their babies up to Sue to feed them. She was loving toward everyone.
She had a heart as big as the great out-of-doors!
Monday morning, and I am getting ready for an appointment with the termite folks. I have seen evidence for the past several months but did not want to have Sue leave home for several days; now, it is time.
I got a note from cousin Dave, and NOW I know why he did not want to join the family Zoom meeting and show his egg decorating artwork!
I know Dave is family as he and I have a similar sense of humor!
He does have an excellent eye for details!
What? No bright red??
The termites are localized, so I am having local treatments done tomorrow morning, and they will be gone! Yeah!!! Now I can get back to painting the eves and front door area.
I needed a Lowe’s rip to get an under-the-counter light and some painting supplies. I was in and out in about 4.5 minutes; I know the store well!
So, what’s for lunch? Last night’s second dinner, so I warmed it in the microwave, and it was again excellent. I stayed away from the rice (eat nothing white until I drop below 200 pounds).
Yes, I am old!!
Time for a walk it is! Same path, but I shall pick up the pace today. Just before I departed, my new neighbor stopped by and asked if she could use some lemons. Duh. I am always looking to give lemons away. I brought her and her sister a bag full, and they were very excited! I now see lemon bars in the future.
Well, her little girl came up to me (I did have a mask on) and handed my two pictures. She must be four or five and is quite precocious! I was brought to tears. Take a look!
The little girls must have seen Sue and me walking because we always walked hand-in-hand.
As I turned to the second picture, I had to say “thank you” and walk away quickly. I did not want the child to think the pictures made me sad, quite the contrary. God is amazing and what he puts into a little child eyes is often telling.
The family enjoys my fruit trees, and I am so glad to share the bounty with them!
Mom did the lettering. She wrote what the little girls said. I was entirely moved.
OK, let’s get down to business and walk!
The Fire Plant was showing its stuff today!
This neighborhood sometimes gets a little dangerous as I was “quacked at” by a pair of vicious ducks! There were showing their teeth, and the male tried to chase me away. I guess he thought I was after his lady friend. I departed post-haste checking over my should to be sure I was not being followed! It was a frightening experience!
Speaking of quacks: most male ducks don’t! The quacking sound that we associate with ducks comes from hens – drakes can whistle, growl, croak, purr, squeak, hoot, or be silent.
Further down the street, things were a little more peaceful. However, I did find out that plants lie! I picked a flower and began pulling the petals off, asking the question, “Am I handsome? Am I not?” Well, the darned plant said I was not. The truth often hurts.
Liar liar, plants on fire!
He loves me, he loves me not, or She loves me, she loves me not (originally effeuiller la marguerite in French) is a game of French origin, in which one person seeks to determine whether the object of their affection returns that affection.
A person playing the game alternately speaks the phrases “He (or she) loves me,” and “He loves me not,” while picking one petal off a flower (usually an ox-eye daisy) for each phrase. The phrase they speak on picking off the last petal supposedly represents the truth between the object of their affection loving them or not. The player typically is motivated by attraction to the person they are speaking of while reciting the phrases. They may seek to reaffirm a pre-existing belief or act out of whimsy.
In the original French version of the game, the petals do not merely indicate whether the object of the player’s affection loves them, but to what extent: un peu or “a little,” beaucoup or “a lot,” passionnément or “passionately,” à la folie or “to madness,” or pas du tout or “not at all.”
While walking today, I tried to remember to pick up the pace, but I did not want to leave scorch marks on the cement, so I was quite careful, especially when turning corners. Skid marks are not attractive, plus they put excess wear and tear on my expensive walking flip-flops!
A rose is a rose is a rose (unless it is a petunia)
The sentence “Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose.” was written by Gertrude Stein as part of the 1913 poem “Sacred Emily,” which appeared in the 1922 book Geography and Plays. In that poem, the first “Rose” is the name of a person. Stein later used variations on the sentence in other writings, and “A rose is a rose is a rose” is among her most famous quotations, often interpreted as meaning “things are what they are,” a statement of the law of identity, “A is A.”
I examined the map after my walk, and I was doing an average of 2.75 miles/hour, which is a tad on the high side of a 75-year-old so, I am happy.
Back home, it is time to inspect the garden and see how my weeds grow! This year I did NOT plant the veggies close together because I am alone and do not need forty tomatoes plants!
Everyone who knows me knows why I plant the corn so close together. However, yesterday Lee did not know, and therefore I had to explain a corn’s version of “the birds and the bees.” We laughed about my propensity for having useless information at my fingertips!
The corn is as high as a tiny elephant’s eye!
The tomatoes are growing like weeds, which is expected since they are weeds! I hope to see the start of tomatoes within the next two weeks! They seem to get an inch taller every day!
I see tomato sauce in my future; I hope I can remember how Sue did it!
And of course, my favorite, the berries are doing well. Black, Boysen, rasp; they are all here and willing to give up their little lives so I can be stuff with antiaccidents (oops, antioxidants). Today they will get some fertilizer, and that will make them even stronger1
Grow my babies, grow and make daddy proud!
OK, time to organize the garage. The laws of physical state “matter cannot be created.” Well, I can tell you budding scientists out there that you should see my garage if you want to see the laws of physics be poo-pooed! Overnight, stuff accumulates, and if left unchecked, it will begin to affect the gravitational constant and tip over the world!
I talked to Lee on the Bat Phone before retiring to the kitchen to do battler with the latest meal, Sesame Beef Tacos!
Amazing what I learn from cooking up such a meal!
First things, first! I dashed into the phone booth (it’s NOT in the picture) and change quickly into my “Super Chef” costume, which, as you know, gives me superpowers.
I am ready now to slice, dice, chop, sautee, boil, mice, and whatever else the recipe calls for!
Of course, I “messed-in-place” before beginning the process. Everything in its place ready to be modified by these mighty skilled hands!
Notice the little packets lined up in alphabetical order?
The table is ready, and so am I. Tonight I did real wine and guess what? I did not like the real wine; I poured it out and went back to the non-alcoholic wine! Dang, life does change!
I opened one of the taco’s so you could see the contents.
A toast to my family and friends for helping me through these trying times. A special salute to my wonderful bride who gave me the confidence that I could use the kitchen, make meals, and avoid going out every day to feed myself.
Cheers!
Well, it is 9:00 PM and time for a little TV before crashing! Tomorrow I get a visitor, Robin is coming to stay with me, and we will get to go walking together and order that stuff called “take out.”
Good night!
