What ties a day together? From sunrise to near sunset and beyond... So many wakeful hours! What drives you during a day when the sun may be bright, news on the media -- tragic, air -- chilly, visions of tomorrow -- ever hopeful?
(Annuals, in the evening)
It depends where you are, who you are, doesn't it? If you're here, in Madison, if you're this truck farmer, you'll be working since before dawn, Sunday or no Sunday.
Ed and I, we had a different wake up. Yes, I let the cheepers out and I take note of the two very different penstemon plants, both blooming, one fiery pink, the other staid and pale, both beautiful.
And then I clean the farmhouse. Thoroughly. I have two weeks of house guests before me and though none of them would mind a cobweb here and there, I think it's good to polish and to do the minor repairs that we'd put off because well, why bother (including disassembling the bathroom sink to find the clog that had been bugging me for weeks). The anticipated arrival of guests is reason to bother.
Finally: breakfast.
And then I log onto my computer. On any day, I always check emails first and Ed always checks the news first. And so while he still slept, I had a few quiet hours studying the dramatic drop today (I receive email alerts) in airfares to Europe. I launch multiple searches for trips I'm to take in the period that's officially "on sale." It isn't until much much later that I learn that we are to have a difficult day of mourning in this country again.
In the end, I book and cancel many trips and end with just one predictable return to Warsaw for late Fall. Hours upon hours to accomplish something that is actually very simple.
It isn't until the young family comes for dinner that I let go of it all and sit back and take a deep breath and exhale.
(On the porch)
(Pre-dinner snack: roasted beets. She loves them.)
(A lot.)
Dinner is a little geared toward the little one. (She loves shrimp.)
It is a beautiful evening.
Did I forget something? Yep. The two crazies.
Wishing us all a gentle tomorrow...
(Annuals, in the evening)
It depends where you are, who you are, doesn't it? If you're here, in Madison, if you're this truck farmer, you'll be working since before dawn, Sunday or no Sunday.
Ed and I, we had a different wake up. Yes, I let the cheepers out and I take note of the two very different penstemon plants, both blooming, one fiery pink, the other staid and pale, both beautiful.
And then I clean the farmhouse. Thoroughly. I have two weeks of house guests before me and though none of them would mind a cobweb here and there, I think it's good to polish and to do the minor repairs that we'd put off because well, why bother (including disassembling the bathroom sink to find the clog that had been bugging me for weeks). The anticipated arrival of guests is reason to bother.
Finally: breakfast.
And then I log onto my computer. On any day, I always check emails first and Ed always checks the news first. And so while he still slept, I had a few quiet hours studying the dramatic drop today (I receive email alerts) in airfares to Europe. I launch multiple searches for trips I'm to take in the period that's officially "on sale." It isn't until much much later that I learn that we are to have a difficult day of mourning in this country again.
In the end, I book and cancel many trips and end with just one predictable return to Warsaw for late Fall. Hours upon hours to accomplish something that is actually very simple.
It isn't until the young family comes for dinner that I let go of it all and sit back and take a deep breath and exhale.
(On the porch)
(Pre-dinner snack: roasted beets. She loves them.)
(A lot.)
Dinner is a little geared toward the little one. (She loves shrimp.)
It is a beautiful evening.
Did I forget something? Yep. The two crazies.
Wishing us all a gentle tomorrow...
Looking at the picture of the shrimp dish makes my mouth water!
ReplyDeleteI know it might sound weird, but I often look back and read old posts from the current day. It provides such a wonderful look at a day and just how much you appreciate each and every day! Anyway, I found your post on June 13 2005 quite interesting - maybe you will too! As you will see there are 2 posts that day - I am referring to the post describing your life in the year 2016 - but honestly both of the posts for the day are quite interesting.
Oh, my -- thank you for pointing me to it! Absolutely fascinating!
DeleteI should offer two clarifications: if you were reading continuously that spring, you would know that "B" is a bicycle. My spat was with a bicycle.
Second of all -- this was the week that I asked for a divorce. I used a lot of allusions and metaphors in my writing in the months that would follow. I wanted to be "true" to Ocean, even as that split in my life felt private. But I was anticipating big changes ahead. I surely was right about that: in the next decade, I would move three times and of course, I would meet Ed -- that October in fact -- and yes, everything would change, for him and for me.
But the presidential stuff -- so curious, no?!?
Very curious indeed! How could we have possibly known back then that our political system would look quite like it looks now!
DeleteI was close on my assumption about "B" - I thought it was Rosie's predecessor!