A Day Closer

Thanksgiving looms and I will not think about it. I will concentrate on what will make me feel good today. A cleaner room, counter space in the  kitchen for all of the cooking that is about to take place, pretty flowers outside the dining room window. Let me digress here and visit a memory.

I am standing in my grandmother's living room, two chairs bookend the fireplace, angled in for visiting, The wall to the left behind the furthest chair has a window looking out onto the lanai - the enclosed back porch- and a table that is filled with plants, artifacts from Mexico, small treasures, rocks & shells. My grandfather was somewhat of a rock hound, and both A and I have inherited his inclinations towards this hobby. So I grew up next door, and was often at my grandparents, making it a second home and much beloved. When I first set the big wooden table outside my dining room window here at the first and only home of my own, I didn't realize that I was replicating a childhood familiarity. There was no place else to put it, and gradually it was covered with plants, rocks, shells, pine-cones, and eventually a small statue that had once been my grandfathers. I did realize along the way what I was doing, and it didn't hurt that it made our small dining room seem larger - bringing the outside in so to say. So the table is actually a bridge to my childhood and memories of love & warmth.

Back to the pretty flowers; the table needs to be swept clean and new flowers potted where the summer's fare has died away from lack of attention. The remaining live plants are a cactus brought home from mothers that may or may not have originated from LA and my grandparents, and a small marguerite daisy that is apparently a bit more hardy than I am neglectful.

Before heading out for Decaf and flowers I need to measure the lights in the kitchen that need replacing so we have  bright workspace on Weds. & Thurs. That will be the fun part. Not so fun will be wiping down the pool toys out back that are residing on the hot tub cover and then finding a place in the garage to house them for the winter. I am therefore understandably grateful for the sun streaming through my southern facing bedroom; this will make the outside chores not only bearable, but even enjoyable. I am hoping for a crisp sunny fall day for my chores, I need the air and movement and feeling of accomplishment today will bring.

Because - damn here is the pity party - Joey is missing another holiday, another chance to inhale a mound of buttery mashed potatoes, another chance to have his family love him and hug him and cherish him. Okay, I can do a minute of sad, but then I am going to go do the flower thing.