Thursday, September 24, 2015

Take Another Little Piece Of My Heart

Well. I have lived long enough to see something I never thought I'd see. Actually, I never had a thought about the subject at all, it was just too far-fetched. Too absurd to even consider.


No. That is not an old record cover.


Neither is this.
Both are United States postage stamps. 

It's like...well, I have nothing to compare this too. If forty-five years ago when both of these musicians died and someone had said, "Some day they will be on stamps," I would literally have said, "Oh, sweetie. Let's talk about this when you're done tripping."

Unthinkable. 

And yet. There they are. 

I went to the Post Office this morning to mail a few cards and I needed stamps. The Post Master, a very polite and unassuming guy whom I chat with casually some mornings, brought out all the new stamps and I could not believe the Jimi and Janis ones. I swear- I could have keeled over. 
And of course I bought those and we began a conversation and started talking about the music we'd seen, the, uh, experiences we'd had and it was simply some of the most fun I've had in a long time. He's now a Christian minister besides being an employee of the P.O. but he loves his memories, as I love mine. We laughed and recognized each other in a brand new way. 
Who knew? 
Who ever knows?

Ah-lah. 
Life in Lloyd.

I went to town and shopped with Lily and Jessie and Gibson. Gibson, I believe, is a bit rattled about the move and didn't get enough sleep last night. Sure enough, he woke up and couldn't find his mama but she found him. He must have been hungry today too, because at Costco, he kept demanding to see the "food man." We found not only the food man but many of his brothers and sisters and Gibson ate his entire lunch sampling the wares. He ate bread and butter and a piece of bagel bite and chicken wonton and scalloped potatoes. Other things too, I believe. We all sampled a few things, to be honest. Jessie is feeling more crampy but nothing regular. Still- as all of us who have been through it know, labor is a process which rarely begins as it is portrayed in films and on TV, dramatically and all at once with either waters breaking and the woman going immediately into labor or with one huge contraction which takes her to her knees, signaling the imminent arrival of her babe with much screaming and rushing about. Of course, occasionally it does happen that way (and what's up with those women who don't know they're pregnant until the baby begins to emerge?) but mostly, as I said, it is a process and the uterus has to exercise and the baby has to settle down into place and everything has to coordinate in the proper way before the active part of it begins. 
Nature. She knows what she's going. 
And Jessie is well into that process, just as she should be. 
One of these days, these nights, I will be getting that call. 

And so it is going. I am making the heavenly curried butternut squash and sweet potato and cashew soup. 


Here it is, simmering in the pre-pureeing part. As I told a friend, I am seeking salvation and peace through ginger mincing. Tonight we shall eat that for our supper and tomorrow, we will be having lunch at Owen's school for Grandparent's Day if I am not attending a birth. Mr. Moon and I will bring our own lunches and we and Owen's other grandma will dine in the cafeteria of Owen's school. 
I bet Owen has the tallest grandpa there. 
How lovely, this time when I am sure that he is very excited about having his old grandfolks come and eat lunch at his school with him! And he will be. One of these days, he'd rather die than face that prospect, I am sure, and I am so aware of this that I cherish the opportunity. 

And then on Saturday, he will turn six and there will be a party at his house for him and his mama whose birthday it will be the next day. As it is Vergil's birthday as well. There are so many birthdays right now- all of the children conceived right between Christmas and New Year's. I wonder if Jessie's baby will end up sharing a birthday with his father and his aunt or maybe, if he comes tomorrow, with our beloved Shayla whose birthday is that day? Or on the day after his daddy and aunt's birthday which is Billy's birthday? 
Who knows? 
Not me. 

So it's been a good day and my house is open because the temperature has cooled a little and Mr. Moon is sitting in a deer stand but will be home to eat his soup and I have new stamps and the chickens are putting themselves to bed. Here's a picture of Elvira that I took today. 


Do you see how her tail-feathers are starting to grow out? I swear to god, this chicken and her sister are the slowest developing chickens I've ever had. 
I hope that means they will live a long, long time. 

As I said...life in Lloyd. 

We go on. It's all a process. Patience is a virtue whether in pregnancy or labor or soup-making or chicken-maturing or hunting or love. 
Especially love. 

Love...Ms. Moon

12 comments:

  1. So much going on. So many birthdays over here too. Enjoy grandparents day!

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  2. Janis was my very first concert, in Denver! Of course I bought her stamps and then came home and listened to everything she ever did , including interviews. Awww Janis.
    Where IS that baby!!!

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  3. Mrs Moon I love your blog...first time commenting. Prayers to you and your family for safe arrival of your grandbaby.

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  4. Not even once in my life could I put together a post like this. And you do it so frequently. It think part of what soothes me when I read you is that you tie things together so often. You bring the loose ends together at the end in posts like this and it is like getting tucked into bed.

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  5. I can't wait for your updates these days, well all days...

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  6. Elvira is going to be beautiful with those tailfeathers matching her head.

    And you are SO RIGHT about patience. It's something I lack in certain circumstances. This is a good reminder.

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  7. I love those stamps and have even KEPT the sheet (which looks like a single) when I use up the stamps. Now they have Elvis as well!

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  8. The Post Office knows what it's doing. They knew those stamps would resonate with baby boomers, and the more people who keep them rather than use them for postage, the more easy money for the P.O. I don't mean to cast them in a cynical light but there are definitely financial considerations there for the Post Office! (For the record, I'd buy and save them too.)

    Jessie must be more than ready for this baby to come!

    Elvira is turning into a fine-looking chicken.

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  9. stamps...I used to always buy the fancy stamps, even after they came out with the universal stamps that were still good even if the rate changed. now Marc buys stamps when he needs them but he doesn't get the commemoratives.

    grandparent's day at school...I went every year when the grandkiddies were still that young. and yah, took my own lunch.

    labor...my first baby, my water broke while I was vacuuming the babe's room, the last thing that had to be done to be ready. then the little thing diddled around and didn't com out til 12 hours later. second time around, I understood what that crampy feeling was and waited until they were fairly close before calling the doctor and going in to the hospital (only the rare few did home births back then but I did insist on no drugs), the doc pricked my water bag and I went immediately into transition and that little guy was born about 30 minutes later.

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  10. That's an insane amount of birthdays! Spetember 16th is apparently the most common one in the US. My best friend in school was Sept 11th, as is Danielle's, my father's the second and my beloved friend was yesterday. Nothing on your gang, though, wow.

    Speaking of waters, do you guys have the tradition of babies who are 'born in the caul' being lucky? According to myth, they can never drown, and so were popular on ships. My guys' waters went shortly before birth, I think it makes for a smoother labour if the water's still there.

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  11. Angella- Lots of lovin' going on around Christmas and New Years. Wonder if alcohol is involved in this?

    Linda Sue- I never got to see either Janis or Jimi. But their music are part of my very fiber.

    Anonymous- Thank you for commenting! I appreciate that!

    Jill- That is the sweetest image- that I am tucking you into bed! I love it. Thank you for giving me that.

    Joanne- Baby updates are a little more exciting than chicken updates, aren't they?

    jenny_o- I believe most of us might have a bit of a problem with patience. Human nature.

    Elizabeth- I saw the Elvis stamps. Meh. He's just not my guy. Although I will say that during his young years, he was probably one of the most beautiful animals on the planet.

    Steve Reed- I said the same thing to the Post Master! They're using our memories to make us buy their damn stamps! Actually, I love the post office. Jessie is getting very ready. Whoo-hoo!

    Ellen Abbott- Yeah. I think I was in the first wave of the "new" home birth movement. We were a bunch of hippie women inspired by Ina May and also, in a roundabout way, the Mayan women of the Yucatan where one of us (not me) had lived. Strange, eh? You were brave to in the hospital and NOT used drugs. I would have. Without a doubt.

    Jo- Yes. I have heard exactly that belief. I don't know though if they still say that or not.

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  12. Birthdays and Jessie's baby nearly ready to come out. Lots of excitement. I am glad that all is going well. Not been here to comment in weeks. Sorry about that. I do think of you and your family and the great food you cook.

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Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.