It's Like This

 

Here are the collard greens, just breaking ground. The mustard greens are doing the same. The lettuce will probably take more time. We'll see. I was cheered to see the tiny, green proofs of life this morning when I went out to check on things. As every gardener knows, a daily exploratory stroll of the garden is almost mandatory whether there's much growing or not. 
I woke up rather sad today, most likely because I knew that Glen would be heading to Gainesville sooner rather than later. There's a huge teaching hospital there called Shands which is definitely the best medical facility within many miles of here. For some reason, which I do not know, Glen's friend was transported there last night. Hopefully, this means there is a better chance of recovery than had been assumed. I haven't gotten a report yet from Glen so I really have no idea. His friend's wife was a bit vague as to the purpose of the transport except to say she'd been told they have better resources there. 
And that is certainly true. 
So Glen took off this morning in the brown Suburu, to drive to Gainesville. He asked me if I wanted to go but, well. No. I don't. And I'm not sure what good my presence would do anyway although perhaps I'm just rationalizing not going because I might be a comfort to my husband while he is being a comfort and a support to his friend's wife. I imagine they will tag team, taking turns to stay with him in the ICU there. 
As I told a friend of mine in a text today, Mr. Moon is an incredibly good and faithful friend and I am so very grateful that I am married to such a such a man but still, it makes me sad to see him go. And I've cheerfully kissed him goodbye so many times for fishing trips or hunting trips or trips with his sister but this feels different. 
It just feels different. 
I will be fine, of course. It will be fine. But this morning when I went to do a bleach load, I lifted an undershirt off a peg in Glen's bathroom to throw in with the rest of the whites and I held it to my face and inhaled and I put it back on the peg because...well. Just because. It smells like him and I love that smell. 
I've never done this before. 

But I had a very fine distraction in that the kids had a day off school for Yom Kippur, I think (and happy Yom Kippur if you celebrate!) and so I met August and Levon and their mama AND Lily AND Lauren at...Chow Time. Lily was on break from work and I think Lauren may have been off but Owen and Maggie and Gibson were at their Dad's. 

It was a good time. August told me that it had been five months since I'd seen them, which was a bit of hyperbole but I told them that yes, it had! Or maybe five years because they were definitely taller than the last time I saw them! 

I forgot to take any pictures and for that I am sorry but I will give you one that Jessie sent to me last night. 

Unprompted book reading! Do you know how rare this is these days? 
Sophie though, looks very sad. I think it's because she doesn't know how to read. I suggested they get her some audio books. 
Now THERE'S an untapped market! 

After lunch I did my shopping which I generally seem to do on Monday. Costco was not so busy and it was fine. I didn't buy anything weird or outrageous. The usual- peppers, avocados, dates, toilet paper.
I don't think we're going to need to buy toilet paper again until 2027. 
Fine with me. 

Then on to Publix where for some mysterious reason it took me hours and days and months and years to get the relatively few things I needed. Part of that time was taken up in birthday card buying which is one of the hardest things in the world for me. Starting on Saturday, we have five family birthdays including Billy who is family. Obviously. 
Owen's birthday is Saturday, both Lily and Vergil have birthdays on  Sunday, Billy's is Monday and August's is Tuesday. 
It's a lot. 
So I hung out in front of the cards for way, way too long because I always imagine there will be a perfect card for someone and honey, Hallmark just doesn't always have cards with the funk and humor and love and appreciation that I require in a birthday card for someone in our family. 
I know there are plenty of other card companies. 
I KNOW! 
But I don't want to go to any other stores. 
And I know I could make my own. I used to do that sometimes. I'm not sure why I don't any more. 
Sigh.
I finally checked out and am very happy to report that Becky, my cashier, and Ravi, my bagger did not ask me any ridiculous questions nor did they assume I couldn't carry more than three bananas at a time and by the way, Becky- if you are reading this- you have beautiful, gloriously thick white hair. I like your style. And Ravi- you're cool.

When I got home I had to take the trash to the trash place. It was almost getting to a dire situation so I bagged everything up and took it to the garbage facility which is no big deal at all. It's far less than a mile from my house. And all went well until I did the stupidest thing and slammed my little finger on my left hand with the hatch of my car when I had removed the bags from the hatchback and thrown them into the big crusher thing and was ready to scoot on back home. 
Now the thing that was so scary was that the hatch, the lid, whatever it is, went completely down and latched. The hatch did latch, shall we say? And I'm standing there with my little finger trapped and I'm freaking out and wondering if the tip of my finger has been separated from the rest of the finger and is now resting among the canvas grocery bags and the beach umbrella and the lawn chair I keep for emergency beach needs. Or perhaps still attached to the finger but now flat as a strip of uncooked lasagna pasta. 
And I was also wondering if I could open the damn hatch because what if my finger was jamming it or...something? 
But I managed to open it and was quite pleased to see that the finger was intact, not flattened, and I could wiggle it in all the ways one needs to wiggle a little finger. 
I was so relieved and yet, at the same time thinking, Jesus, this has been a day when really, it's been fine. 

Here's what my finger looks like now and please don't worry about the crook in it because that is permanent, yet another badge of older age I wear proudly. 

As you can see, it looks fine. A little swollen, and a tiny shadow of a bruise. 
Frankly, I'm amazed. It hardly even hurts. 

So really, it's been a fine day and I am fine and all is fine and to make it all even finer, when I was walking out of Publix, pushing my cart to the car, Owen was coming towards me, pushing a line of carts he collected in the parking lot, taking them back to the store. 
"Hey Mer!" he said cheerfully. 
"My boy!" I said. I was so glad to see him. He told me he'd get those carts put away and come see me for a minute and he did and he gave me an Owen hug and we discussed Boppy's trip to Gainesville and I told him that his grandfather is a very, very good man. He told me he knew that. 
He's gone fishing twice with Mr. Moon and the friend he's with right now at Shand's. And he knows his wife and his step-grandaughter. Glen had already told him about what was going on but he didn't know the news about Shands. He said he'd get in touch with Boppy and I told him how much his grandfather would appreciate that. 
And he will. 

So see? It was a perfectly fine day with some very good moments.

But I am still sad. 

Love...Ms. Moon