We Survived Tuesday

We spent waaaaay too much time waiting in various doctors' offices, etc. but I got a sock cuff and some of the leg knitted (I'm not that fast; it's worsted weight yarn and US6 needles) and we had an okay lunch in the bowels of the hospital between appointments.  While we were perusing the menu in the hospital caf a woman said, "I think I know you."  I looked at her and said, "I think I know you too."  Turns out she was a teacher at Mayflower Nursery School when (way grown up) DS & DD went there.  So, DS & DD, Mrs. Raber said to say hello to you both.  I think she was only there when DD went there but I'm covering both bases.  Durwood's health news was all good.  ALL GOOD.  Whew.  Which makes the time well-spent instead of wasted.  

Then I went off to get my nails done and over to Skully's to not-knit for a bit.  See, she invited me over to knit and I took my knitting but I'd been knitting pretty much non-stop since 10:30 AM and I think she only knits to knit with me these days so we just sat and talked and patted her dog and grand-dog to keep them from licking our faces.

I got my 36-hour runaway all set up yesterday before we left for the appointments.  I called the Edge of Town Motel in Sister Bay and have a room for Thursday night.  Then I called KS at The Clearing and we're meeting for coffee and a muffin on Friday morning and then we're checking out a reopened Red Sock Yarns before she has to go back to work for the afternoon.  That'll give me time to then take a hike or a walk or a snowshoe and still get back in time for Friday Night Knitting, after which I'll come home around 9 PM, having been gone since about 9:30 Thursday morning.  Sweet.  It's important for me to be home because Saturday morning Durwood goes to breakfast with his Census 2000 cronies so I don't want to miss having the house to myself for a couple hours (which is what I miss most about Durwood not traveling) and we're having Family Supper Saturday so I'll need time to whip up whatever it is we're supposed to contribute to the meal that evening.

I feel better.

February 27--Eishosai Choki, A Party of Geisha in a Suzumi-Bune (a Cooling-Off Boat).  Sumi was glad to be out in the boat.  It was a hot summer day and the garden seemed to hold the heat.  She felt strangled by the heavy perfume of the gardenias and tried to walk faster on the gravel path without Mama or Nana noticing.  She knew that "ladies never hurry," she'd heard it often enough growing up.  There were plenty of times she wanted to run or at least to go faster than a sedate walk but a bony hand would drop onto her shoulder and her pace would slow.  She was surprised that she hadn't cracked a molar clenching her jaw to keep from arguing that she wasn't a lady, she was still a child. Nearly a child.  She took a deep breath of the cool, river-scented air when she cleared the end of the plantings and there was the boat tied up at the dock and waiting to sail her away from the hot day.
 
Calgon, take me away.  Remember that?  Remember when they'd have had us believe that a softened bath would take away the stress of the day?  It would only have worked if the woman's family had been taken away too so that no one would be clamoring at the bathroom door during that relaxing bath.  It was a good fantasy though.  Hey, snow blew in overnight.  Not a lot.  We're not supposed to get slammed by the latest storm, just hit a glancing blow.  I'll take it. 
--Barbara