Monday, January 13, 2020

Just A Little Chat


Jack found his happy place this morning on the porch in the box my shoes came in. I like the way his colors match the box's colors and the upside down advice to embrace his journey. I think that Jack does embrace the journey quite frankly. The journey generally being from our bed to the kitchen to outside to sit in the sun to back into the kitchen and then to bed again. He doesn't really travel very far, that one.
He knows what he likes.
He embraces that. No shame in his game.

I did take a walk this morning, just down the sidewalk to the county line but it was nice.


Can you see the robins? A flock of them were in the trees above that puddle and they were flying down and enjoying bathing in it, so many at a time. I could only get close enough to take this not-very good picture and my presence disturbed all but these brave souls. It was such a cheerful sight, despite the gray sky. 
As was this.


A beautiful redbud in a neighbor's yard. 
It's really far more stunning than the camera captured. 

When I was on my last quarter mile I crossed paths with a local guy whose name is Pinot. I am not making this up. His brother's name is Mango. I believe I have mentioned them before. Pinot was carrying a plastic bag and a machete. I greeted him and he greeted me and I said, "What are you going to chop?" motioning to the machete. 
He explained that he was going down to No Man Lord's place to help him with some things. He didn't call him No Man Lord. He called him "the guy with the cross in his yard." Of course I knew exactly who he was talking about. Turns out that No Man Lord's name is actually Harvey. I should have already known that but did not. 
Anyway, Pinot and I talked for a few minutes. It turns out that he's the same exact age I am. Also that his wife just recently passed away. Also that when he was a little boy, his mama used to iron for Miss Posy Taylor who lived in the house next door to where I live now and that he, Pinot, had rubbed the irons on the cement walk to the steps to smooth their surfaces. These were the sorts of irons that you had to heat next to a fire or on a stove. Miss Posy Taylor worked as a nurse or something and she had lots of white uniforms. I've also heard that someone used to work as a dentist from that house but I do not think it was Miss Posy Taylor. 
I wish I had more answers about these things. 
Anyway, it was a nice chat and he took off for Harvey's and I took off for home. 

I did a few unlikely things around home today including...dusting. 
Don't get excited. I didn't dust very much. I've been thinking lately that I should take a week or so (or a month or so) and tackle each room in my house, one at a time. Do true, real cleaning in each. Windows, baseboards, walls, window sills, ceiling fans, curtains, floors, furniture, closets, etc., etc. 
The very thought of this however makes me want to die. As much as I know it needs it and as much as I know how happy I would be with the results, it just seems like way too daunting of a task. A task that I know I can do but a task that I truly do not want to do. 
I shall ponder this for awhile. Meanwhile, today I did what I did and that was enough. 

In the early afternoon a guy who owns a heat and air company came over, as scheduled by Mr. Moon to check out our heating and air needs. He looked at the unit. He came in the house and measured the intake thingee. He also measured and took note of each air vent which was a fairly traumatic situation for me as they are on the floors which are...well, very dusty in some cases. But he was polite and professional and although he may have been thinking that I am a slut of a housekeeper, he did not say so out loud. Of course. He looked under the house. He did math on a piece of paper with a pen. I was impressed. 
So that process is underway. Of course we no more need a heater right now than we need a llama in the kitchen. It's very warm and very humid and I expect the azaleas to start popping out any moment. 

I'm pretty sure that August and Levon had a much more exciting day than I did. As proof, I offer you these pictures that Jessie sent me. 



This was happening right in front of their house today. Can you imagine Levon's excitement? It's like Keith Richards showed up on my front porch, asked if he could plug in his amp, settled into one of the rocking chairs and started playing. Yes. That exciting. 

And then they all went out for a bit of boating on the Wakulla River. I think it was the Wakulla River. 


Look at that boy! Do you think his papa is proud? 


And August. I wonder what he and Vergil were looking at. It must have been amusing. 
I love how Vergil takes advantage of the trails and rivers around here, sharing them with his boys. They are learning so much about the parts of North Florida that so many of us really don't bother to take advantage of. I am guilty of that myself, feeling that going to Wakulla Springs and taking the jungle boat cruise and then dining in the lodge there is seeing the real Florida. Which it is, in a way. But not in this way. A way in which you actually have to hike and row and paddle to access. 
Lucky, lucky boys. They will be far better and healthier humans for it. And isn't that the goal of it all? 
I think so.

Love from Lloyd...Ms. Moon


26 comments:

  1. I Love that picture of Jack in his Box! And the Saying on the Box.

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    1. He spent a few hours in it and then he abandoned it. I suppose the bed is far more comfortable.

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  2. Those two boys will grow into amazing men. Good for their dad for having such an interest in the world and sharing it with his boys.

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    1. Vergil was raised in the natural world and he is happiest while in it. He loves sharing that with his boys.

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  3. Just wanted to comment that I love the way you write and I get what you mean about wanting to do a really thorough cleaning of each room, but not wanting to do it at the same time. -Jenn

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    1. It's a conundrum, isn't it? I think I want the cleaning to be done but perhaps just not by me.

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  4. Those boys are lucky in their parents and grandparents and in being able to hike, hunt, fish, swim and boat. As for dusting, it makes me sneeze. Have a good night.

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    1. All of our grandchildren love to do things outdoors. I am glad of that.
      Dusting makes me angry. I don't know why but it does.

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  5. I do enjoy your leisurely chats about your days. There's a lot of important thinking and doing in there.

    I expect the utility man has seen far worse housekeeping than yours. After all, you were able to locate the registers!

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    1. I think I located all of them. This is a funny old house. Nothing is quite like one would think it should be.

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  6. I laughed right out loud when you said you just wanted to die contemplating the thorough cleaning of each room. My mother dedicated a day a week to each room and she did exactly that, baseboards, blinds, curtains, floors. She even moved the furniture. Even thinking about it makes me tired.

    And for what? I ran my hand over the top of the piano and yup, dust. Dead skin cells.
    Carry on, Darling Mary, loving those children and grandchildren. After all, they're don't give two twigs if your house is spotless. They DO care that you play with them and cook for them and love them up.

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    1. This dust cannot possibly be all dead skin cells. There would have to be fifty people living here for that to be true. I ponder this frequently.
      Your poor mother! At one short period of my life I was an amazing housekeeper and my house was always spotless. Everything else in my life was pretty much out of control but honey, I could eat off my floors.

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  7. Jack is a very handsome cat. I had cats for many years but not since the last one died about 18 months ago. I had 2 dogs at the time and they were enough . The photo of Levon rowing is priceless....I love reading about your days. I think I said before they are so so different in many ways to suburban life here in England. I haven't commented for a while as " safari" wouldn't let me......my son transferred all my blogs that I read to " Chrome" and it now works again!! I think that your robins must be different to ours.....ours go around in pairs mainly and have their own territory....not flocking!
    Love from Harpenden.x

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    1. We had dogs until the last ones died some years ago. Never again. They take too much work but cats are not nearly as demanding. As I'm sure you know. And these two that we have didn't give us much choice. They just showed up and refused to move.
      I'm glad you started using Chrome and can now comment. I use Chrome myself and like it.
      We are obviously on some flight path of the robins. We get them going both ways, huge, huge flocks of them. They come and then...they go.

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  8. Jack is beautiful and why do cats love boxes so much? Another mystery of life.

    Now I know where my robins go every year. They are far wiser than I am. This morning it's -34C. Fuck it's cold here.

    Levon must have been beside himself with excitement. That photo of him with his dad is lovely too. He's a lucky guy to have so much love and presence in his life.

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    1. Yep. Your robins are probably right here. They're doing well, I'm happy to report! Fed and bathed!
      Levon was indeed in heaven. And then boating with Daddy?! The perfect day.

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  9. clean houses make for sick people. that's my opinion. it was 70˚ here at 8:30 this morning. in the middle of January. I feel bad about keeping the plants in the garage and inside but I know the weather can turn on a dime and I won't trust it til late February at the earliest. those boys are so lucky that Vergil is such an involved dad.

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    1. Good theory and I'll claim it too.
      I'm going to have to cover my plants up again very soon. Supposed to get down into the twenties here in a few days.
      Good Lord.
      And yes, those boys are so very lucky.

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  10. Do the boys get YouTube? We get it here on our Roku. Tell Vergil and Jessie to search on YouTube for "diggers." There is endless hours of a guy digging with a huge backhoe. Some of the shots are from inside the cabin and others from outside. It will help Levon get his backhoe fix.
    Yes, Jack in the box is right, made me laugh.
    :)
    Tom

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    1. I'm pretty sure that they're aware of this YouTube phenomena. They don't let the boys spend a lot of time looking at screens but sometimes they let them, as a treat. He sure loves his books about heavy equipment and trucks.

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  11. I love the redbud! And it's great that you finally solved the mystery of No Man Lord's name. Although I hope you keep calling him No Man Lord.

    It may be my faulty memory, but I don't remember being able to wear shorts and t-shirts in January when I was a kid -- and we lived south of where you are. In fact I had a heavy coat I wore to school in the winter. At the very least I wore a jacket. Don't you have similar memories? It's so bizarre to see everyone in your pictures in shorts and t-shirts at this time of year. But maybe I just remember the cold days and not the warm ones.

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    1. You know, I can't remember either. Do we just remember the really cold days because they were unusual? I don't know. I'm sure we could figure it out via the internet though. I am certain, however, that winters have changed a lot since I've become an adult.
      Yeah, I'll still call No Man Lord No Man Lord. Always.

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  12. A clean house is highly over rated. Like Beth said, your boys don't give a hoot. We have a finite amount of energy -- how do you want to spend it?

    I enjoy your tales of daily little nuggets of your life. Wonderful observations and always the humor.

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    1. Thank you, Tara. And I for one certainly do have a finite amount of energy.

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  13. Virgil is giving his boys a lifelong love of the outdoors. It will serve them in so many life-giving ways. Also, I love that you are a person who can meet a man named Pinot carrying a machete on his way to help out a man named No Man Lord with a cross in his yard, and the two of you can have a wide roaming conversation about the things you have in common, with no concern or fear whatsoever of the ways in which you are different. This is just one of the many things that makes me love you. Also, dusting. Lordy, I understand.

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    1. You know, I can't imagine living anywhere that I could not see and speak to people like Pinot in my neighborhood. It would be so damn boring if everyone looked and acted like me. I see people who live in those gated communities and I just feel so sorry for them. Sorry that they'd make such a choice to begin with.

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