Wednesday, August 29, 2012

door


Ed finds one more old screen door in back of boards, metal bits and cabinet parts in the garage-shed. He puts it on Craigslist and within a day he has several inquiries. Even though the same thing can be bought at Home Depot for $18. And he provides the link to that website. And then reminds you that he’s selling it for $5. Ed doesn’t care so much about the $5, he just wants to move the thing out and put it to good use. Give it away – you might say. No, he'll tell you. Believe it or not, “free” doesn’t sell as fast as “cheap.”

As I sit on the porch (yes, all day I sit on the porch... I have work to do and I try, too, to squeeze in some writing), I watch the people come over to look at the door. The first guy shows up, admires the flowers around the farmhouse (thank you!) and  rejects the door instantly (don’t know why). But he’s wearing a Madison high school t-shirt and so I hail him from the porch, being a proud parent of kids who attended that school. Hey! Do You know Mr. Levine? They loved Mr. Levine! Retired some while ago. I’ve been with the school for thirteen years... Well know, my oldest was out of there before you even arrived. That’s how old I am.

The second buyers come over and say “we’ll take it” even before they cross the courtyard to give it a good look.  (They also say – beautiful place! – and I’ll remember them for that.)


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I think of beauty in the morning, at breakfast, as Ed and I race each other in counting the number of times humming birds and other birds stop by the flower bed just in front.


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I think of it, too, when I do a quick watering. I have a few days of hot weather coming up. I don't want to let the flowers down now. Because they're trying so hard. Despite everything, they're trying so hard!


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And I think of it in the early evening as I walk to the mailbox for a late pick up of today’s mail. The moon is out, the air is still summer warm. The colors are tremendous, though no longer gentle or even fresh. They’re early fall yellow and deep, dusty green.

Ed’s biking tonight. I turn on the Convention and eat a fried egg with baked cauliflower. And tomatoes, with Lee’s cucumbers on the side. And sip an Aperol spritz.


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