Winter Harbinger

I couldn't believe my eyes this morning.  I saw a couple birds back by the retaining wall fly and saw their tails and thought, hm, they look like Juncos, but it's too early for those arctic migrants to show up, isn't it?  Evidently not, because not an hour later there was a Junco on the patio pecking at fallen seed.  I'm not ready for them to be here.  It's too early.  Wah!

 

This Downy Woodpecker was a much more welcome sight.  Since that squirrel ate all of the suet in early August, leading me to leave the feeder empty for a while, not many woodpeckers have been visiting.  This one comes every once in a while and now that I have put one suet cake back maybe he'll come more often.

Just to have a flower to show you, here's another of the last remaining zinnias.

 

I decided that today was the day to pick the ripening tomatoes.  I'm still thinking about the green ones.  We're not supposed to have frost yet so maybe they'll be okay out there in the chilly and rainy.

After running a couple errands today (masked and hand sanitized) to drop off charity knitting and go to the grocery (I ran out of milk and had a few other canned goods on the list), I worked on the second mitten.  I have to slow down a bit because my hand started to ache.  That's usually a sign that I'm knitting for too long at a stretch.  I should look up some hand stretches and exercises to stave off the ache.

28 September--Barbara Malcolm, Better Than Mom's. 

Today without the intimidating presence of Raymond, Norman felt as if he would finally be able to ask Fay out.  He waited until he was finished with his soup and sandwich, and had devoured a piece of the best blueberry pie he thought he had ever had, before he sat back from the counter, drained his glass, and signaled to Fay that he would like a refill.  She leaned on the counter after filling his glass like she was ready to talk a while.  The lunch rush was over; there were only two other diners in the place and, to Norman’s relief, they were sitting in a booth far down the length of the building talking in low tones, too far away to hear what he planned to say. 

“How did you like the pie?” she asked.

 “I have to say that was the best blueberry pie I have ever eaten,” he said. 

She smiled and said, “I will tell Naomi how much you liked it.”  She motioned to the stack of go boxes on the counter under the pass through.  “I could box a piece up for you to take home for after supper if you would like.”  She straightened as if to go and do as she proposed.  Norman saw his opening and for the first time in his life slid gracefully into it. 

“Well, I was wondering if you might like to have supper with me tonight.  I know it is late notice and I will understand if you have plans, but I thought we could grab a bite and maybe a drink or two.  Get to know each other a bit.” 

Fay looked him up and down as if he were a side of beef or a used car she was considering buying.  She looked at her watch as if she had someplace to be right at that very minute.  “Man, it is kind of late, almost two o’clock.”  She crossed her arms and looked appraisingly back at him.  “I do not have any plans tonight.  I suppose I could be convinced to have supper with you.”  She glanced over her shoulder to check on how the diners in the far booth were doing.  They were still leaning toward each other, immersed in their conversation.  She shrugged her shoulders as if to say, no problem over there, and turned back to face Norman.  By now the suspense was killing him.  “Yeah, sure, let us have supper together tonight.  I guess that is not really the way it is supposed to go, but yes, I would like to have supper with you, Norman.” 

“What do you mean it is not the way it is supposed to go?” 

“Well, is not the lady supposed to play hard to get before she agrees to go out with the man?  Is she not supposed to be busy, even if she has to pretend, the first few times he asks her out?” 

Norman smiled back at her.  “I do not know, Fay.  I did not get the dating handbook that I was convinced the girls got in health class in high school.  None of the boys I knew had any clue about dating and what girls were thinking.  The girls always seemed to share some secret knowledge and knew how to string us along.” 

Fay laughed as if what he said was the funniest thing she had heard in weeks.  “You know, you might be right.  All us girls talked about was boys and how to get them to notice us and how to behave to make them take us out and still respect us.  I suppose all the boys talked about was sports.” 

Norman leaned across the counter to whisper.  “And we also talked about ways to peek into the girls’ locker room when Elsie May Brown was changing.  My, my, she was every boy’s dream.  A knockout in a sweater and everyone was panting to know what she looked like in her underwear.” 

Fay could hear the wistfulness in his voice.  “And did you ever get that peek?”  

He looked at her expression to see how she was taking this conversation subject.  She looked amused rather than offended so he continued.  “You know, I did, once.  I was passing her house on my way home from a friend’s one night when I was, oh probably a junior, and Elsie May was in her bedroom changing.  The curtains were drawn but there was a gap where one had caught on something.  I glanced in and stopped dead right there on the sidewalk.  There she stood in all her blond glory, stripped down to her bra and panties, brushing her hair.”  He sighed. 

Fay laughed and said, “I would bet ten dollars that her curtain had not caught on anything.  That she had arranged it so in case someone just like you would walk by they would get an eyeful.” 

“Do you really think so?” 

“I do.  Norman, women are sly, calculating creatures who plan and manipulate men to their own ends.”  She crossed her arms over her chest.  “Do you still want to go out with me after I said that?” 

Norman reached out and ran his hand softly down her upper arm and stopped, holding her arm lightly just above the elbow.  “Of course, I do.  It has taken me nearly three weeks to muster up the guts to ask you.  I am not going to let a few words get in my way.”  He could feel her muscles relax.  It surprised him to discover that she was nervous too. 

“Good.  What time?”  They spent the next few minutes discussing what time she got off work and where they would go.  They settled on a small country bar and supper club that had live music on Saturdays; the place was also well known for having great pan-fried steaks. 

Norman tossed a couple bucks on the counter for a tip, paid his bill, and stuck a toothpick between his teeth.  “See you at six, Fay.  I am looking forward to finally having the chance to get to know you better.”  He winked at her, a surprisingly attractive wink that accentuated a twinkle in his eye that Fay had never noticed before. 

She felt herself blushing and she peeked at him from under her lashes.  “Bye, Norman, see you at six.”

Today's toss was a grocery bag of knitting books.  I have shelves of knitting books that I never look at or use so I've started culling ones that are my least favorites.  Soon I'll be down to just a few special ones.  Well, not soon, I don't see myself getting rid of things all that quickly but I'll keep at it.

It rained off and on all day today.  It wasn't raining when I went into the grocery but it started pouring as soon as I walked out.  Bad timing.  Luckily there was room in the wayback of my car so I could stand under the hatch to stay dry while putting the groceries in.  Life is full of small challenges.

--Barbara