Today's Tosses

It was dreary, overcast, and drizzly today so looking out the window wasn't very interesting.  In fact, I don't think I even saw a chickadee at the feeders.  Instead of watching birdies I went downstairs, sorted and started the laundry, and played a little "toss a box a day" catch up.  The first thing I moved out was the old bird cage and stand that I've probably shifted from here to there, a foot at a time. a thousand times since we moved back here.  Haven't had a bird since the kids were in elementary school but I still had the cage.  No longer.

I shifted my fan collection from one tote to the one with more of the spatulas that I received from Durwood over the last bajillion years and found these treasures underneath.  The seashell slices are from The Shell Factory in Fort Myers, FL, not bought this year but probably close to 35 years ago.  The cut glass bowl with the metal lid might have belonged to a grandma, maybe a great-grandma (Aunt B, if you want it, let me know), the pink tissue holds some tiny shells and a piece of sea glass that I picked up in Monterey, CA when we were out there for DS's graduation from the Defense Language School in 1997 (maybe?), a fish spine that I found on a dive in Garrett Bay off Door County, and DD and I each bought a Cup of Destiny when they were on clearance at Barnes & Noble probably close to 20 years ago.  The tin box has more shell slices, some hat pins, some cuff links and tie pins, a couple necklaces that might have belonged to my mother-in-law, and a broken watch.  The sea grass box holds a black coral bead necklace and earrings Durwood and I bought for Mom in Jamaica in 1986.  I don't know what I'll do with it all, maybe take it along to see if ACJ, who is an artist as well as my writing partner, would like any of it before it goes to Goodwill.

Then I opened a box that held DD's dolls and their clothes, some made by Mom and some made by me.  It all smelled like it had spent the last 25 years in a box in the basement so I undressed all the dolls, went through the clothes, bagged them all in a couple mesh bags (to prevent tiny socks from getting eaten by the washer), and they're in the washer even as we speak.  I have DD's permission to let LC and OJ play with them.  I need to google how to clean the plastic dolls.  They look a bit grubby and played-with.


Here is proof that I'm making progress.  I know that I'm not going to completely empty my basement but my goal is to be able to see the walls.  This is the area that I cleared out today.  The section to the left holds all of the Christmas ornaments and decorations; I skipped over those.  I'll leave those till I run out of non-emotionally charged items to deal with.

13 March--Tropical Obsession. 

For once in this crazy month everyone was in their proper place and sleeping peacefully when the sun-up rain showers hit. Manning was sprawled across his rumpled bed, the dingy sheet tangled around his feet and his white bum shining out to tempt the mosquitoes. Diego and Sharon lay spooned together under a smooth cotton sheet in air-conditioned comfort. His brown arm curled around her and gently cupped her milky white breast. Maria was awake, sipping a cup of tea and listening to the rustles of Emilia as she slept. Bunny lay curled in his bed, limbs relaxed and a faint smile playing on his lips. Edward and Louise lay entwined; the covers untucked and rumpled, evidence of the enthusiasm of their lovemaking. Jack and Nola lay as far apart as possible in their king-sized bed. Jack lay flat on his back, arms outstretched, laying claim to as much space as possible. Nola lay with her back to him, curled in a ball to make herself small, trying to escape notice.

I saw a chipmunk yesterday gamboling around on the retaining wall and again ferreting around for seeds near the house.  It didn't hold still long enough for me to take its picture but it's another sign that the season is changing every so slowly.  It was 41 degrees this afternoon when I went out to run a few errands.  I wore my vest instead of my heavy coat.  I had on long sleeves, double long sleeves, so I wasn't too chilly.  A lot of snow has melted but there's plenty left.  No bare ground is poking out anywhere.  This is what happens when you get 20 extra inches of snow in a month.

Oh, and this afternoon I made my motel reservations in Bozeman, MT for the day I fly in and the night before I fly out.  Lala is flying out the day after I do and leaving the day before I do because she still has a full-time job and can't just vacation willy-nilly like us retired folks can.  She's 10 years younger than me but she'll make it one of these days.
--Barbara