Black Friday

But we didn't get up at 0'dark-thirty to battle the scrums of shoppers. Durwood was thwarted in his quest for cheap batteries, but I got the ping pong balls I wanted.

I got an email the other day from an acquaintance of Mrs. Boss who took me to lunch to get info about diving and writing because she's writing a suspense novel with scuba diving in it. It was fun to meet her and talk to her, and it was fun to be the more experienced writer at the table for once, and my chicken quesadilla was yummy. We celebrated our successful meeting with what Applebee's calls Dessert Shooters--hot fudge, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, with a cherry on top in a tiny shot-like glass. It was delicious and just enough.

I confess, I didn't write last night because I forgot to make the onion bread for tomorrow's feast until 9 PM, so I didn't get to bed until about 12:30, but I was early to my lunch meeting so I scribbled in my notebook first.

November 25--Konigssee, Bavaria. Jane loved the peace of the lake. No loud boats where allowed on the lake, only human powered ones. She sat on the surface drinking her tea and wondering when the caretaker from the monastery up on top of the bluff would find time to clean up the first abbot's tomb on a little island at it's base. Spring grass nearly obscured the steps and a sapling threatened to grow through the blocks. Her gaze slid by a pile of trash that must have washed up on her shore in last night's storm. She shook her head. Young people today were so careless, letting things fly off their cars and throwing trash into the lake. The trash moved. It pulled itself up onto the bank. A young man lay panting for a moment and then pushed himself up and staggered under cover, all the while looking over his shoulder. As soon as he was out of sight a rowboat came around the point. The man in the bow cupped his hands around his mouth and called out, "Ma'am, have you seen our friend? He fell overboard." She didn't know what motivated her but she said, "No, sorry. Haven't seen a soul all morning but you." Once they were out of sight she stood, picked up a woven blanket from the loveseat, and walked down to the lake shore. When she reached the edge of the stone garden wall she dropped the blanket and said, "You'd better wrap this around yourself, then we'll walk into the house before they come back."

Now I've got to go make sure the turkey's thawed so we can make a feast tomorrow. Mmm, cornbread and sausage dressing, Mom's green been casserole (not that Campbell's stuff) and onion bread.
--Barbara