Another Rain Day

 

 I thought I woke up very early today but when I looked at the clock it was almost 8 o'clock.  That's how gray and dreary it was.  Then it started raining.  It rained and rained, not torrential downpour, but steady, slow rain, the kind that hangs on most of the day.  It stopped long enough for me to enjoy a family walk with DS, DIL1, LC, OJ, and the dog.  We walked around a few blocks in their neighborhood during a break in the rain showers and it felt almost normal.  We all wore masks and didn't keep social distance well, just like a real walk.  Ahhh.

I went downstairs this morning and sewed up the next pair of Pants no. 1 in the stack (there's one pair left).  I must be getting better at it because this pair only took 2 1/2 hours.  Shaved half an hour off my time.  As I was finishing today's pants it occurred to me that I wasn't sure if I'd washed the fabric before cutting them out.  Man, I hope so because I don't want to have to line-dry them so they don't shrink but I'm not willing to risk that level of shrinkage, and my rate of shrinkage (in the behind area) isn't that great.  So it'll be line-dry and iron.  Yippee.  Sorry I don't have a picture of me wearing what I'm sewing but I haven't figured out a good way to taking a selfie.  I have a selfie stick but I'm not very good at using it.  I'm not sure I even know where it is right now.

After the rain stopped I went out to take pictures of things in the yard, like the sedum.  All the bees must have been on the mint flowers because there wasn't one on the sedum.

The squirrel-planted corn is ripening.  It's back against the fence so I can't reach it but I think I can see mature kernels there in the silk.

All summer long I watched this perennial aster plant and thought, I should just yank it out, but then the little flowers start to open and I am charmed by their delicacy.  The flowers are about the size of the head of a thumbtack.  Maybe I should plant more of them.  Of course I don't remember planting this one so maybe it's a volunteer that will spread if I leave it alone.

This evening I cast on another toe cover for casts.  It's funny, I usually don't like knitting with metal needles but the yarn I used on the last one kept sticking to the wood needles so I dug out these old metal ones and I like them.  Maybe I should knit on metal needles more often.  At least the circular ones.  Metal straights tend to slide out of my stitches which makes me crazy (er).

12 September--Barbara Malcolm, Better Than Mom's. 

Friday came and Fay wondered what had happened between Brady and Naomi after she had left the diner after they got done cleaning up the vandalism mess.  They had opened the next morning as Brady had hoped, but it seemed to Fay that the two of them were treating each other with kid gloves, like they’d had a fight or something. 

She leaned over Naomi’s shoulder as she worked on chopping celery and carrots for the day’s soup.  “Did you and Brady have a fight?”  

“No.  Whatever gave you that idea?”  Naomi glanced at her without missing a beat. 

“I do not know.  You two seem different since the other night, that is all.  I though maybe you argued about something or something.” 

“No, we did not.”  Naomi looked around to make sure Brady could not hear her. 

Fay went out into the diner to pour coffee for the codgers.

Brady turned to Naomi.  “What has gotten into her?” 

“I think she has the hots for Officer Bates.  She was just telling me how cute she thinks he is.” 

“Bates?” 

“Yep.  No accounting for taste, is there?” 

Brady walked over to the stove and stirred each kind of soup in turn, stopping right next to where Naomi was working.  “I was thinking we should go to Prime Quarter tomorrow night.  They have really good steaks, you get to grill them the way you like them, it is not too expensive, I knew you would object to a fancy place, and we can wear jeans.  Okay?” 

Naomi’s shoulders relaxed; she did not even know she had been tensing them.  “That will be fine.  You are right, I was worrying that you would choose someplace too fancy and I would not have the right clothes.” 

“I thought we will have a better time if we just get to know each other a bit better, you know, talk, before we go someplace fancy.” 

“What time?”  

Brady looked at the clock as if he would find a hint there.  “Oh, how does six-thirty work for you?” 

“Works fine.  Marcus should be here working so he will not be lurking around the apartment when you come pick me up.  You are planning to come to the door, right?” 

Brady looked offended.  “Of course, I am.  A gentleman does not ask a lady out on a date and then sit in his car and toot the horn so she comes running out.  A gentleman rings the bell and escorts her to his car.” 

“Good.  I will see you around six-thirty tomorrow then.” 

“Six-thirty.” 

Naomi got back to her chopping and Brady went back to the grill, both of them feeling much better about their date later.

Today's toss was some ancient dry noodles, a bag of beans, and some really old suckers from the pantry area in the basement.  It's time to sort through all that stuff, check expiration dates, and clear it out.

The weather's supposed to clear up and warm up for the next few days.  Less gray and rainy will be nice.  Maybe I'll take another walk.

--Barbara