No one in my whole life has been as happy to see me as Millie is when I return home. I will have been gone ten minutes or three hours. Her greeting is always the same. She will jump as high as she can, standing on her rear paws forever, tail wagging furiously.
The greeting is long and intense. I know you're supposed to not encourage it. And I don't really. She goes nuts around me anyway. And I have to say, my heart swells for her overjoyed but also anxious eyes that always seem to be saying "please dont leave me, please dont leave me..."
I did have to leave her today. Twice in fact. She no longer cries. When asked to go to her crate, she goes to it. I put on Mozart, I exit.
My first departure wasn't too long and it coincided with her post-breakfast nap. As I noted before, today was Sandpiper's first day of school. I was up very early...
("are you sure it's time to get up??")
And i was at his house by 7:15. He and Sparrow have the first bell at 7:40. It's only a 5 minute drive to school, yet there he is, backpack on, ready to fly. Photo first, little guy!
And how about one of the three of you? Setting out into the world!
I drive them all to school. Sandpiper and Sparrow first. I have to wonder what is in the kindergartner's head as he follows his brother inside. I know that Sparrow is intensely proud to have his younger bro trailing him in on this day (figuratively and literally).
I then take Snowdrop to her school. Hers too is just about 5 or 6 minutes away and we stay in the car for a while before she goes in -- it's that early. She's quiet today and I'm pretty sure she is fighting a bug. At one point she tells me maybe we should go home and take her temp. She's a little warm, but we are all warm -- it is a hot and humid day. I consider this then tell her to give it a try. "If you don't feel well at any point, call home." She trots off to be with her friends. Would have I chosen, at her age, a day with friends over a day in bed with the TV on? That would have been a tough one!
And now I come back to Steffi's House and have my own breakfast. With a very happy Millie.
I had moved some plants around the other day and I have a new hole for a new rose out front. This is an easy planting, since the earth there is already improved and, too, it's right by the porch, so that Millie can keep an eye on me.
And now it's time for her longer morning rest. This then is my second departure, a much longer time away -- three hours! A packed and actually quite lovely three hours.
First, I go to Tati's. Our neighborhood (encompassing the new development) has a women's group that meets once a month over coffee. It's been on my radar, but because of kids, dogs, moves, trips and such, I could never quite fit it in. Besides, I didn't think I needed a whole new set of friends. But here's the thing: I do need friends for inconsequential fun stuff. Local ones that can be enjoyed in person. Women (could be men, I dont care) who have interesting stories, who will introduce something new into my everyday. Ocean notwithstanding, I am not one who needs to lean on people, to spill out my woes and seek out support. That's just not me. But I have long thought that I am short on fun encounters of the insignificant yet very significant kind. Will I find it in my neighborhood?
Maybe. I spent only 45 minutes with them (a group of about 8 or 9, obviously retired or not working), but it was in fact delightful. I told jokes. (My life is a joke, really.) Many of them seem not to have had kids, which means that I could for once think about stuff other than the dramas surrounding child rearing. I wore my subtle statement t-shirt. It has a dog filled with flowers, but if you look between the petals, you'll find tiny print with messages such as No Kings or Truth Matters or FDT (which honestly I did not know what it stood for, but now that I know, I have to say -- spot on). One woman actually noted the messages contained therein and voiced approval which was nice. The whole time spent with them was really good!
From there, to my haircut place. I get one cut every three months. I'd say I need one every two, but haircuts cost money so I wait another month and then regret it and tell her to go shorter. (It is short now!)
Onwards! To the downtown farmers market. First -- flowers! Those two please...
Too, my daughter needs fresh corn and Stoneman's is closed this week. I ask the market vendor if he'll be around all month. Yes, he tells me, but only at the big Saturday market. Why? Kids are back in school, no one to help... Yeah, kids back in school, though the ages of my grands are such that their time in school actually frees and helps the caregivers (parents, grandma...).
Still another errand -- to Madison Sourdough. Sparrow is back to loving croissants. Must stock up.
And from there, I drive back to the other side of town to deliver the foods to my daughter's house and finally -- I come back to Millie.
She and I spend a good chunk of the afternoon in her yard.
My tree needs water! Roses need water! Leaves with black spot have to be removed! Did I mention here that rose care can be tricky? Ah, but the rewards...
with so much love...
