Where to begin?
Well, I drove to the New Leaf where Billy works. He is looking spectacular these days. He was wearing a vintage cowboy shirt and his beard is curly and so is his hair and we hugged tighter than ticks. We talked for as long as we could, seeing he was at work and all. And then I went and picked out my supplements and I'm going to try Magnesium again and also Turmeric which seems to be the current cure-all for everything from inflammation to depression. Why not? I also got my L-Tryptophan and some Vitamin D3 and when I went to check out, it all came to over a hundred dollars.
I looked at the guy behind the cash register and said, "This shit better work."
He did not blink an eye. He did not crack the tiniest smile. He just looked at me and said, "Have a nice day."
What? It's the New Leaf! Everyone there, workers and customers alike are old hippies, young hippies, hipsters, hip Brothers and Sisters, hip State Workers...you know.
Hip people. More tattoos than you'd find in the circus. Pierced everything anywhere. People of every gender and possibility therein.
Jesus, man. Lighten up! I didn't say, "This motherfucking shit better fucking work."
I was being a lady.
Whatever.
I drove to Fanny's where I met Hank for lunch. He's in the middle of planning the fourth annual Gaines Street Fest which is going to be huge this year. 97 damn bands! What? What? Gaines Street is sort of Tallahassee's...
how do you say?...totally exploding hippest area? (I'm overusing that word, aren't I?)
Anyway, he's busy as a one-legged tap dancer these days between the festival and his trivia. And since we ate late, there wasn't much going on and May got to sit and talk with us and it was wonderful.
Now. Let me say that this was about the best thing I ever tasted in my life.
White gazpacho. Taylor made it and I'm going to get the recipe or know the reason why. I think Kathleen would love it. This stuff made my taste buds stand up and sing
Hallelujah! It made my tongue dance the Macarena. Like this.
I told you there'd be music at the party tonight.
Anyway, yeah. That gazpacho was the food-version of that video.
Then I got this.
A turkey panini with bacon and avocado and I don't even know what all. Half of it is in my refrigerator right now. And see that salad?
Kale!
Yes.
Kale.
Uh-huh. And I ate it.
Also notice the pickled okra and the deviled egg. I ate those too.
When I eat delicious food that someone else has cooked, I always think of a scene from
The Magic Christian, a movie, which in my opinion, was one of the best movies ever made.
Here's the scene if you have four minutes to watch it which I know is a ridiculous amount of time to watch a clip. The last few seconds are the best. Sorry.
Peter Sellers. Ringo Starr. Raquel Welch. John Cleese. And I'm pretty darn sure that John and Yoko made a cameo appearance in there too. Nobody would have the balls to make a movie like this these days which is too bad, too sad for all of us.
After lunch I went to the Goodwill. The one I went to had an aisle as long as a football field with Christmas crap. I have no idea what that's about. But I am not kidding you. They also had this:
It's a scarf. The picture doesn't do justice to the snotty green polyesterness of it. Every time I go to a Goodwill, I make it a mission to find the ugliest, tackiest item there. This one may not have been the ugliest OR tackiest item there, but it was the ugliest and tackiest item I personally saw.
This Goodwill is as big as the African Veldt. You could get lost with a GPS and a native guide in that place but I went directly to where the pillows are and picked out exactly one. Hey! I'm discriminating! Then I spent about two hours looking through the dresses. I got a nice Flax dress (linen, comfortable), a brand-new Bila dress (hippie, made in India), a completely awesome homemade apron, circa 1958, two white bathroom rugs (also made in India), and the pillow which was probably also made in India and Oh! And a silk scarf with fringe, also...made in India.
On to the library where they were having early voting. Libraries and voting are like my two favorite things about civilization after indoor plumbing so that was uplifting and swell. But on my way to the library, I stopped to take a picture of the house I wrote about
here.
I know- you can't even see it for the trees. And the trees blocking the view? I planted those trees.
Anyway, that's the house.
THEN, I went to Publix where I bought salmon and LeSueur peas (don't you judge me) for my supper. And a bunch of other stuff including organic peaches and toilet paper and cucumbers and fresh dill and mangos and a cheese pizza for the boys tomorrow night and milk and oh, hell. I forgot the buttermilk. Dammit.
Life will go on.
Came home, put everything away, washed dishes, started laundry, fed grapes to the chickens.
Elvis.
Damn I love that rooster. He's tidbitting to all of the young hens as well as the old. For those of you who do not know what tidbitting is, it's a thing roosters do when you give them food. They accept it and then drop it for one of the hens. Or, let her eat it directly from his beak.
I made sure he got a few pieces for himself.
I collected seven beautiful eggs.
I came in and ripped down the red velvet curtains which have been hanging in the dining room window forever. I got them from a neighbor who was about to throw them out and they have been lovely but I am done with them. I hung up the made-in-India scarf instead. Here's a picture of that.
I like the picture picture because it also shows the back porch. And Maurice. That window and the one in my bedroom are the only two original windows in the house. Or so I've been told. They are certainly the oldest.
That back porch- that's the place I imagine all of us sitting together, laughing and reaching out to each other and drinking beverages and so forth. Hey- I just watched this on the youtube (thank you, Angie D) and I'd like to share it with all of you- Old ladies and young. Fellows who might love the fellows. Ladies who love ladies but can't help loving Bruce. Even you, Billy. I know you hate him. And you too, L7. Haters gonna hate.
I got seven pictures of Buddha
The prophet's on my tongue
Eleven angels of mercy
Sighin' over that black hole in the sun
My heart's dark but it's risin'
I'm pullin' all the faith I can see
From that black hole on the horizon
I hear your voice calling me
Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain
Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain, let it rain
Meet me at Mary's place, we're gonna have a party
Meet me at Mary's place, we're gonna have a party
Tell me how do we get this thing started
Meet me at Mary's place
Familiar faces around me
Laughter fills the air
Your loving grace surrounds me
Everybody's here
Furniture's out on the front porch
Music's up loud
I dream of you in my arms
I lose myself in the crowd
Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain
Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain, let it rain
Meet me at Mary's place, we're gonna have a party
Meet me at Mary's place, we're gonna have a party
Tell me how do you live broken-hearted
Meet me at Mary's place
I got a picture of you in my locket
I keep it close to my heart
A light shining in my breast
Leading me through the dark
Seven days, seven candles
In my window light your way
Your favorite record's on the turntable
I drop the needle and pray
Band's countin' out midnight
Floor's rumblin' loud
Singer's callin' up daylight
And waitin' for that shout from the crowd
Waitin' for that shout from the crowd
Waitin' for that shout from the crowd
Waitin' for that shout from the crowd
Waitin' for that shout from the crowd
Waitin' for that shout from the crowd
Turn it up, turn it up, turn it up
Turn it up, turn it up, turn it up, turn it up
Meet me at Mary's place, we're gonna have a party
Meet me at Mary's place, we're gonna have a party
Tell me how do we get this thing started
Meet me at Mary's place
Meet me at Mary's place
Meet me at Mary's place
Well, if you're here with me- let's go tuck the chickens up. Let's go heat the skillet for the salmon. Let's go drop the needle and pray, drop the needle and pray. Turn it up, turn it up, turn it up, turn it up!
And so forth.
Oh wait. Didn't I promise you the Rolling Stones? Let's make it a slumber party. And spend the night together.
Wanna dance?
Love...Ms. Moon