Friday

I feel like I am trying hard to fit into a dress that's two sizes two small. Purchased for leaner days, ideal at another time, a total misfit for right now. The zipper can't contain all that flesh.

That's the best description I can come up with for this day.

A typical Friday will have me feeding animals, dishing out breakfast, and grocery shopping for the week in the morning. Snowdrop is at the farmhouse in the afternoon. In the evening, I take her home.

But it just so happened that things stirred up with my mom again today. There is an assisted living residence that has a small apartment for her. If we deem it to be acceptable. I surely can't decide without visiting it and so in between animals and breakfast...






... and restocking the fridge and pantry, Ed and I set out to Sun Prairie, a small town just a few of miles to the east of Madison, to visit her possible new home.

Afterwards, he and I go to Finca to talk about it.






As in all such cases, there are tradeoffs. The apartment is smaller than the one I liked to the west of us. And it's farther from the farmette. Still, it's fresh, bright and with some amenities that she may in fact like. A senior center across the street. A water aerobics program (she's a fan). Stuff that may make a difference in her days.

By the end of the morning and after many conversations (with her, with the staff), we all decide it's a good choice. And so we begin the next stage of the game: getting ready for her move, anticipating that this is likely to happen soon.

I just barely make it with the groceries.

Now comes the steady anchor in the day: Snowdrop's visit. (Sparrow is with his dad.) Predictably, there's lots of uninterrupted reading...






And playin' around...











And in the evening she goes home.

Alright, it all fit: squeezed into one day, like a sausage. But just barely!