Tuesday, December 31, 2019

And Here We Are


Well, last day of 2019 and it was about as representative of any day of the year as it could have been. I got up this morning to discover that one of my hens had been slaughtered in the hen house last night, probably by a possum or a raccoon. When Mr. Moon went to put them up last night he did not take a flashlight but simply shut their door and so he did not notice the trail of feathers leading from the entrance to the corner where the poor chicken lay.
I guess the critter took whatever part of her he wanted and dragged it off to his den or lair (and of course this could have been a female critter) and left the rest which I managed to pick up with a shovel and, not being able to stand the sight of the bloodied body, averted my eyes and carried her to a piece of woods by the railroad track under the old honey-tree oak where I set her down and where I am sure she has become a part of nature. May she rest in peace.

This is the way of it.

I got some texts after that from Jessie who is still up in North Carolina. She had gotten so ill that she actually went to a walk-in clinic where she discovered that she was running a temperature of 103 degrees which is no joke. No wonder she felt so bad! They tested her for flu and strep and strep came back the winner.
Well, at least with strep they give you antibiotics which can work fairly quickly.
Great vacation, right?
And I so wish I was there to help but I am not.

Where I was able to go was the FSU basketball game.
Ooh boy. What an experience. Owen's basketball team got to high-five the players and that was the honor they received which neither Lily nor I got to witness at all but Jason and Boppy did. I think Owen was pretty thrilled.
Lily and I parked about two blocks away from the civic center which wasn't bad although Maggie was wearing her high heels which made "sidewalking" as she put it, a bit difficult. When we got to the venue we got in line and stood there, waiting to go in when we were informed that no purses were allowed and so I took Lily's and my bags back to the car and when we finally got inside, we found Boppy who was in somewhat of a state. He was trying to bid on a car at the auto auction via phone and watch the game and he'd helped our friend Tom to get to his seat and he'd high-fived the players too, I think, and all of this was just a bit overwhelming. I do not like walking down or up the steps of the civic center myself because they are steep and dangerous and if one has a walking problem, it can be a nightmare.
BUT, we eventually all got seated and the game had already begun.
I was reminded about what I do like about basketball aside from the long legs and squeaks and that is the fact that it's a fast-moving game and the athleticism of the players is undeniable and often quite beautiful. I do truly wish I had been able to see my husband play when he did because I know he was very good at it.
I will report that the shorts are shorter this year, although not THAT short and also, that many of the guys wear what look like leggings which I suppose are some sort of athletic hose. I really know very little. I mean, I do understand the game and many of the rules but Lily and I couldn't even figure out where to find the score until the first half was almost over.
There's a lot going on at basketball games now. I kept forgetting to watch the action on the court right below me as my eyes were drawn to what one might call the sports jumbotron. I guess. Throw in the band, the dancers, the cheerleaders and all the rest of it and it's a lot of stimulation.
At half time, we went and got nachos and other foods and Maggie got a red Powerade and we managed to get back to our seats and I went to work on the nachos like it was my job and Maggie, sitting next to me, ate her hot dog and then, suddenly, I realized that red Powerade was cascading from the bottle like a scarlet waterfall.
Again I say, ooh boy. 
By some miracle none of the stuff got on the lady sitting in front of Maggie but the poor child was soaked and my coat took a good amount of the spillage. And Maggie cried and then she was freezing but Lily gave her her own jacket and things settled down and I soldiered through the nachos and FSU won the game and I have no idea why Maggie was crying in that picture above but she was.
She is a most dramatic child.

So those were the most exciting things that happened today and Mr. Moon DID get the car he was bidding on which is good because it was for a woman we love and respect so much and she's buying it for herself as a retirement present. About ten other stressful things happened to him today but he's relaxing now and we need to get to bed pretty early tonight because he's taking our across-the-street neighbors to the airport at 4:45 a.m.
He's such a sweet man. He's such a good man.
And we don't have much of a New Year's Eve celebration going on but I'm going to try and make us a nice but very simple supper. I keep thinking about how we've spent thirty-six, thirty-seven? New Year's together, that first one in New Orleans, the second one too and I was already pregnant with Lily. We'd been married for two months and although she was not even a true fetus yet, I was dizzy, did not feel like drinking or, um, celebrating, and I'm sure he was wondering who in the hell he had married and more to the point- why had he married her?

Well, here we are. Still celebrating in our own, more subdued way, with so much more to celebrate.

Jack has been puking all over the house including on the Duck and so besides washing my coat (I got the Powerade stains out) I am now washing bedding.

Life. Honestly, I can't imagine what 2020 is going to be like. On the world-wide and national scenes it looks a bit frightening. Or, actually, really scary. But if on the personal level our life continues on as it has been, I will be fine with that.

I wish all of you a very Happy New Year. I have a feeling that most of us are staying home tonight whether out of wisdom or just plain disinterest in participating in Amateur Night. I think of all the years we went out and blew it out and I wonder- what was up with THAT?
As long as my Duck is clean and dried by the time we go to bed, I'll be thrilled.

Kisses, y'all. And peace and love. Be safe, be warm, be well.

Love...Ms. Moon

23 comments:

  1. Wishing you and your family much happiness in 2020, Mary.

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  2. A nice steak dinner and a quiet night at home for us. We're both feeling better and Marco is much better, and I'm very grateful. The dogs are afraid of the fireworks so we're watching TV with the volume up to help drown it out. I feel awfully lucky to have my cozy home and little family going into the new year. You understand! ❤

    Happy New Year to you and yours, dear Mary.

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    1. I do understand, Jennifer. The sweet blessing of a cozy home and a family to live in it with is the best possible thing for some of us. Me, for sure.
      I am so glad to hear that you and Gregg and Marco are all feeling better. I wonder if he had the same thing you did?

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  3. Your picture tonight makes my heart smile. What a good mama is Lily, and someday Miss Magnolia will realize it, and her two good boys already do.
    I hope Jessie is better very soon (strep sux!), and everything just stays on a happy keel. 2020 is just an evenly balanced number and I hope we do our best to keep it that way. Mr. Orange is on his own. You have a good new year!

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    1. Maggie may not realize what a good mama Lily is but she loves her above all others. Her mother is her world.
      Jessie reports that she already feels better. And I like your observation about 2020 being an evenly balanced number. It is.
      YOU have a good year too. And may the orange one spontaneously combust from anger before this year is out.

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  4. Wow, I would not have liked having to leave my purse in the car. We were told to do that once in Mallorca before we entered a grotto - so I didn't go in. I just figured the thieves know tourists will be leaving their valuables in the trunk of the car! Oh well. But it sounds an interesting day out - gatorade notwithstanding! Best wishes to you and yours for 2020. Anna

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    1. Well, Lily and I both took our wallets out and carried them with us so there was that. But it is disconcerting to leave our stuff behind, isn't it? My husband needed a pen and I did not have one because...no purse.
      Oh well.
      And it was an interesting day for sure.
      And I send best wishes to you and yours, Anna.

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  5. I'm with you on climbing stadium steps. Gives one vertigo at times. Not to mention all the people, noise, etc.. You did very well to make it through the evening--red Powerade and all (glad the stain came out of your coat).

    Wishing you all the best in 2020.

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    1. Yes! Vertigo! And I think of all the concerts I've attended there over the decades at night when the houselights are low and I may have had a drink or two! I always dreaded having to leave my seat for any reason.

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  6. Wow, that sounds like quite a dramatic outing! Be glad the Powerade was coming out of the bottle and not out of Maggie. Glad you got the stains out of your coat. Here's to a Happy New Year for all of us! Dare I hope that this is the year we choose a new president?!

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    1. Oh, god, Steve. You are so right about the Powerade. I've been in way too many situations where a child puked up liquids of lurid colors and always in the wrong places. So yes- good on Maggie for that one!
      This coat is one I got at Goodwill years and years ago and I cherish it. Luckily it is very light in color and so I can bleach it.
      Your lips to god's ear on the new president.

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  7. happy new year. we're in the process of rescuing a girl dog <3

    xxalainaxx

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    1. How exciting! What sort of a doggie is she?

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  8. Happy New Year.

    We both worked yesterday and then picked up the little guy after work. My big guy fell asleep on the couch about 6:30pm, he's got a sinus infection and felt awful. Today is wide open which I like, no obligations.

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    1. Sinus infections are wicked. I hope you had a wonderful day today.

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  9. happy new year. everyone is feeling all hopeful today but not me, not particularly. don't know if it's the cold gray gloomy day or the aftereffects of our fun evening with friends or the knowledge that we still have a full year of lies and destruction ahead of us before we can even begin to clean up the mess if we even get a chance. I'd just as soon go back to bed and think about the future tomorrow.

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    1. I hear you. I feel quite tentative about this year. It could either be fabulously wonderful or heartbreaking.
      Only time will tell.
      Anyway, Happy New Year, Ellen. I hope you had an easy, napping day today.

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  10. this post of yours is the most fun I have had for months! Sorry about the chicken but you taking it to it's resting place on a shovel just made me chortle. a dead chicken chortle. And the entire basket ball game and the nachos and red drink and Maggie, oh my, hahaha, just think when her hormones kick in, my lord!! The sun came out as i was reading your post, a jolly good sign!

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    1. I sort of know what Maggie is going to be like when her hormones kick in because I raised her mother.
      It's not really a pretty sight. Poor Lily. And Jason.
      I'm glad I had a shovel. I'm not good at picking up dead animals. At all.

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  11. After the day you had a quiet evening would have been heaven, at least to me. Quiet New Years are the best. It’s our expectations of more that often trap us.

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Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.