Slow Start

public domain images

Missing MD this morning, that helpful fellow, who made life easier this past week.  Sharing household chores makes them more doable somehow, enjoyable.

Driving over to the city of waterfalls, water was falling from the sky.  Intense, sheets of it, and even putting the windsheild wipers on high didn't clear the glass enough at times to be able to see clearly.  The rain eased up just a little at one point, we were sitting at a traffic light waiting, when we noticed a man and a little girl crossing the street.  What in the world was that they were holding on their heads?  MD and I burst into gales of laughter at the same moment.  Garbage can lids!  MD thought it was a practical solution to their dilemna.  I, on the other hand worried about the sanitary conditions under those lids.  But who knows.  Maybe the lids were brand new or cleaned out.

public domain images

Driving home from the city of waterfalls I found myself turning one of my "Cherish the Ladies" cds up high enough to drown out the loneliness and low enough not to leave permanent hearing loss.  Love those wild Irish songs where they all just about go mad, playing in 20 different directions with 3 or 4 instruments until you want to beg them to stop, you're so out of breath just listening to it.  I was listening to one of those when I pulled into the Lily Pad, a great place to stop for fruits and vegetables.  Getting out of my car I heard that familiar voice, adding the prices up, avocado, $1.50, $2.50, one quart of tomatoes $4.00.  $4.00 one quart of strawberries  8.00.  The voice was familiar.  I thought it was John, the owner of the Lily Pad, but no, it was in fact his son, who sounds so much like his father it's uncanny.  I used to make a trip over just to watch him add all that stuff up in his head so quickly.  A human calculator. This week the piles and piles of peaches, bananas, kirby cucumbers and tomatoes drew me.  Not a huge crowd for a Sunday afternoon, so I took my time wandering over the sawdust floors, admiring the geraniums.  When I finally got to John's son, who has grown into quite a nice looking young man, I watched to see if I could keep up with the calculations.  I managed this time.  $10.50 for a week's worth always thrills that thrifty part of me.  The quality is terrific.

I think I dreamt about John and his produce calculations...hearing them on and off through the night, perhaps wandering the stalls of the Lily Pad in my dreams.  When I woke up I laid there in bed reading, not really wanting to know how my leg was doing this morning.  Of course I couldn't stay there too long, as certain things needed tending to.  When I did stand up I found the pain was less.  The leg is healing.  Maybe I'll even do some exercises for it today, and tomorrow take Madeline for a long walk.

public domain images