Got My Shot

I went to the clinic this afternoon and got my first COVID-19 vaccine shot.  I was kind of nervous so didn't get much accomplished in the morning aside from my regular yoga and shower, but there was nothing to be nervous about.  My arm doesn't hurt and I don't seem  to have any side effects.  Rumor has it that it's after the second shot that the side effects rear their ugly head but I have four weeks to get all wound up about that, so I'll wait to start worrying.

I worked on the Mulberry Snow Day hat when I got home and am up to the crown decreases.  Things will speed up now.

I've been watching where the sun is at around 5 o'clock in the afternoon to prove to myself that the light really is returning to my world.

 

 

 

10 February--Barbara Malcolm, The Seaview. 

I made sure to lock the back door when I went to take my shower.  The cool water ran down my warm skin washing away all the dirt from making the patio.  I turned it up higher and stretched out my back muscles under the pounding spray.  When I was drying off I heard a rapping at the back door.

 “Mom?” Marie called.  “Mom, are you there?” 

“I just got out of the shower,” I said, “give me a minute to get decent.”  I threw on a sundress and padded out on the warm tile floor to open the door. 

“What are you doing for supper?” Marie asked.  “Will and Elizabeth want to go up to Island Harbour to have grilled lobster out on Scilly Cay and want to know if we want to go too.” 

I went back to the bathroom to towel dry my hair and comb it before it dried sticking out in eighty-seven different directions.  “Sure, I’m up for lobster.  Just the family, right?  You haven’t invited ‘Nando, have you?” 

She blushed.  “Mom, no, I haven’t invited ‘Nando to supper tonight.  I did call him about the party tomorrow night, though.  I hope that’s all right.” 

“Of course, it is.  I asked Iggy to call him too, just in case you didn’t.”  I put down my comb and smoothed cream on my face and deodorant under my arms.  “Go tell Will and Elizabeth that I would love to come eat lobster with them.  Let me put on some slacks and I’ll be ready.”  She turned to leave.  “Oh,” I called her back, “be sure to take a sweater along.  It can get chilly out there after dark.” 

“Will do,” she said, “see you in a few minutes, Mom.” 

 

Our supper was perfect.  We each had whole spiny lobster fresh from the grill with a salad of mixed greens, bell peppers, mango bits, and toasted walnuts with wonderful Balsamic vinaigrette, and alongside thick slabs of eggplant and zucchini grilled until they were soft and delicious. 

“What a great idea this place is,” Elizabeth said, surveying the thatched roofed patio where we sat.  “It’s just an oil drum grill or two with a few tables under an awning.  There’s nothing like well-prepared fresh food, is there?” 

We all agreed that the meal was delicious.  The owner, Cecelia, came over and brought us tiny scoops of her homemade papaya, coconut, and mango sorbets in hollowed out coconut shells to have with our coffee.  She had sprinkled toasted coconut and ground pistachio nuts over the top and it was the perfect finish to a delicious meal. 

We were lavish with our praise.  She and Elizabeth spent a bit of time talking about cooking with tropical fruits and the difficulty obtaining quality ingredients on small Caribbean islands.  “It is much better now that places like Blanchard’s and the Maliouhana are here.  We can piggyback orders onto theirs and take advantage of volume buying.”  She looked at me and said, “You need to make friends with the people at those places.  You’re too small to be much competition and since you only will be serving breakfast, I wager they will be happy to allow you to share in their shipments.” 

“That is great advice, Cecelia,” I said, “thank you very much.” 

We finished our coffee then, sitting quietly watching the moonlight sparkle on the wavelets and listening to the wind sighing in the palms over our heads.  The ride back to the main island only took a few minutes but we were all happy to have our sweaters. 

There was not much conversation in the car as we made our way back down the island to Sandy Ground.  Will parked in front of Sydans and we all kissed goodnight before they went inside and I walked down the street to my new home.

Today's toss was an old, ratty hairbrush and I really tossed it, right into the trash.  So satisfying.  I wonder why I kept it so long.

The prompt today was to write your obituary.  How cheerful.  I'll bookmark it for the kids for when I kick the bucket.  Not.

--Barbara