Not The Day I'd Hoped For

Today's my day off, my only day off until Sunday, and I hoped for a little daytime couch sitting, DVR watching, knitting, and perhaps a little extemporaneous snoozing, but I had a 9 o'clock nail appointment, then Durwood had an 11 o'clock haircut.  I drove him because we went right from there to Walgreen's for our flu shots (we go there instead of the clinic because Walgreen's gives a shot to a person in a developing country for every shot they give in the States and we like that idea), then we stopped for lunch at the Home Town Cafe (I had a patty melt, Durwood had chili), went to the hearing aid store so he could get his aids adjusted, and stopped at the car fixit place because Durwood's van thought it had a low tire, but we kept checking the one it said was low and it was just right.  Turns out we were checking the wrong tire, the other front tire was low.  Sheesh, wouldn't you think that the left front tire would mean the left one when you're sitting in the driver's seat?  Nope, it was the passenger side front tire.  Mechanic Chad said he would see if he could reset the sensor thingy next time it was in for service.  Then we went to Walmart with a pretty long list of random things (that took a while) stopped at Kwik Trip for bananas (theirs are the least expensive and Durwood thinks they taste best) but no blueberry donuts (too bad, dear) and then we finally made it home.  Whew.  Makes me tired just typing it all.

As soon as I'm done here we're going to whip up a chicken pot pie for supper, and not some store-bought excuse for a pot pie either, one that starts with pie crust, chicken, thyme from the garden, and a roux.  Mmm, I'm thinking of serving a tiny spoonful of cranberry sauce alongside.  Doesn't that sound good?

The leaves were especially gorgeous out front this morning.  It's a good thing that the leaves are bright colors lately because the sky sure is gray and dreary.  I like that the trees along our block are big enough that the branches arch across and make a tunnel.

French, Ivory Mirror Case with a Falconing Party.  The old ivory felt warm in Nina's hand.  Mimi had carried it on her wedding day as had all the women in the family back to Great-grandmother Amelia.  She looked down the aisle of the church at the altar nearly obscured by white flowers.  Her hand trembled and tears threatened to overflow.  "It'll be all right," Galen said, touching her arm, "I'm right here."  A muscle at the corner of her mouth twitched in what might have been the start of a smile.  "I can't believe she's gone.  Only one day, one day between the diagnosis and the end.  How can that be?" she said, "It's not fair."  In her head she heard those words echo, getting fainter and fainter.  Not fair.  Not fair.  She felt like a child left out of a playground game but she couldn't help it.  She hadn't had time to say goodbye.

I hope your day has been a little more relaxed and relaxing than mine has.  Toodle-oo!
--Barbara