Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Watching The Wheels Go By



I got up a little earlier this morning and got my chores done. I feel like Granny Clampett when I say that. I brought some black beans to a boil and shut them off and started a loaf of sourdough. I ate my breakfast and tended my chickens. Last night when I went out to shut them up I found four of the teens in the same nesting box as Liberace and Dottie. Dottie was not pleased that they were in there. As I shined my flashlight to do my count, she pecked the closest one but as soon as I took the light off them, she settled back into her doze. I thought it was funny to find the little ones already so willing to accept Liberace as their rooster. But this morning I fed them all and gave them water and then I got dressed in my walking clothes and took my walk. I waved and said, "Good morning" to all of the people who are getting quite used to me on my route, including three bike riders.

I wanted to get everything done earlyish because Jessie was going to come out with the boys for another picnic and she did. She stopped at Maddio's Pizza and got us a Greek salad and pizza for everyone to share.



I was so looking forward to food that I hadn't made and the salad tasted good but the pizza just tasted oily and very salty and I did eat a whole piece but it wasn't as fun as I thought it was going to be. Just sitting in the shade with those three was the whole point, though, and that part was delicious. 

The boys had to get on the tractor and on Bop's four-wheeler that he's been using to pull his new leaf sweeper with. I can't get over how much Levon is talking and how incredibly huge his vocabulary is. I was telling them about a giant bucket truck I saw on my walk with a man way, way up in the sky cutting branches off a pine tree and Levon said, "That's crazy!" 

There was a lot of chicken observation and Jessie is trying to figure out the ones she is going to take home with her. I am just beginning to be able to tell some of the older ones apart and I have no real preference over the ones I keep although I'm afraid that we cannot get rid of Precious. Did I already tell you this? 

And, well, then I read the boys some books and I have to admit that I did not keep a six foot distance. We didn't cuddle or anything but I sat a little closer to them than I probably should have. At one point today Jessie told August to step back a little way to be safe and I said, "Oh, honey. They do not have coronavirus," which is probably true and it's probably true that I don't have it either but it really isn't time to go breaking all of the rules yet. I seriously doubt that the damn thing has peaked in Florida no matter what the governor says. Levon only listened to two books but August wanted a third and I read it to him. He sat on the porch swing while I sat on a chair nearby but I did not fuss at him one bit when he came closer to look at pictures or discuss things. 
Discussing things with grandchildren is one of the main joys of my life and today I just broke down and did it from two feet away instead of six. 

Just as Jessie had determined that it was nap time for Levon, August ran and got a trowel and had to dig in the yard for just a minute to find treasure. In less than ten minutes he found a lot of little pieces of glass which he gave to me and a few pieces of old plates and cups. One of the crockery pieces had a sweet little pattern on it and when it was truly time to go he asked me to wash everything for him and so I did and wrapped the small shards in a paper towel and he took them home to put with his other treasures. 

It's so dear to me that even here in our quarantine time the grandchildren have created routines at Mer and Bop's house. We can't go inside to play and they can't sit on Boppy's lap to watch TV but they can sit on the porch swing and we can have a picnic and they can climb on all the cool equipment and we can all play a little bit of kick-the-ball together. 
August and I kissed through the window glass when he was buckled into his seat and to be quite honest, when Levon held his foot out and asked me to tickle his toes, I did. 
I'm pretty sure that neither of us will die from that. 

And besides that I haven't done a damn thing except to continue the supper preparations and try to redo that mask I messed up yesterday. I have GOT to start being a little more productive. The housecleaning situation is getting dire. Truly. But somehow the days all go so quickly. They slide like eels between my fingers, as if the daylight hours have been slicked with oil. Mr. Moon and I joke about this all the time but it's true! He's actually in town right now doing work on our rental duplex which Hank and Rachel are going to move into. They are eager to get out of the place they're in now where the latest problem has been constant leakage from the apartment upstairs which has required workers in their space who don't wear masks and who have left a big hole in their ceiling. 
Every night I swear that the next day I will clean the showers and do some dusting and maybe ORDER A ROOMBA and the next day comes and I do the little things I do and then it's time to make supper and then it's time to shower and get in bed and read and, well...
Tomorrow. 

Perhaps. Perhaps not. 

Meanwhile, life goes on in this sliding, slippery way, filled with hummingbird watching and chicken observation and supper making and walk taking and watching the way the pecan trees are creating more and more shade every day while becoming greener and greener, as are the oak trees. 
It's as if the turning and spinning and swimming-through-space of the planet has become its own distraction and entertainment. 

I'm not complaining. 

Love...Ms. Moon




27 comments:

  1. Referring to the passing of days, I loved this sentence: "They slide like eels between my fingers, as if the daylight hours have been slicked with oil." Excellent! But Granny Clampett was getting too close to the little boys! Keep back Granny Clampett!

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  2. You write like a poet, Ms Mary.

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  3. so glad you had a picnic with the family.....and hey, 2 feet is good! I bet it is so hard not to hug and kiss them to death.....but in time! Slippery as an eel.....I love that. Like you, I look at my house and think ....sheesh, this place could use a good vacuuming and dusting......and the window covers REALLY need to be cleaned......and then I think.....ah, I've got all the time in the world......I can do it tomorrow or the next day......and don't they just slip by? And my house is still not clean (other than essentials) and do I care? No, I do not.....not really
    Much love and a hug
    Susan M

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    1. Why are we all so obsessed with this cleanliness thing?
      Okay. My house could use a lot more of it but I've completely quit beating myself up about it.
      Love and hugs back.

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  4. I thought I was the only person who sat and watched time go by, and sun shine and leaves blow and plants grow. Thank you.
    I love it when the little ones latch on to some "big people" or big brother phrase. "That's crazy!"

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    1. Right? And his croaky Levon voice. He's so darling. Oh, how I want to squeeze him.

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  5. It is 3:30 AM and I tried to go to bed hours ago but got up, put laundry away, fed the cat and changed his box, put dishes away and there are still chores I could do...they are never-ending. I would prefer a visit in the sun in a safe place with people I liked...I'm glad you had that and I hope you have more.

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    1. Chores ARE never-ending. Even when it's just one or two of us living in a place.
      I wish you could get a good night's sleep.

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  6. How lovely that the boys can dig for treasure in grandma's garden and actually find it!

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    1. Well, it definitely depends on your definition of treasure but there is always something to find.

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  7. We ordered in lunch yesterday and it was a good reminder that food we make ourselves is so much more delicious and healthy for us. I couldn’t eat it, it was so salty and oily. Ah well. I can’t imagine how hard it is not to just scoop up those boys.

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    1. It is SO hard. I just want to squeeze them and kiss them and tickle their toes and stroke their hair and hold their hands. Just to hold their hands would be heaven!

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  8. The days to seem to slip by, one not much different than the other. I work, come home, make supper, watch some tv, go to bed. Repeat.

    I miss the off leash park the most I think.

    I'm glad you're getting out for lovely long walks and that you got to visit with some of your grandkids. All good stuff:)

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    1. My life is very full of good stuff right now. I am so lucky.

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  9. yay for picnics. same ole same ole here. visiting with neighbors as we encounter each other on the street keeping our distance.

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    1. Every day is the same and yet, every day is different. It's enough for me. Except for the kids part.

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  10. My friend recently ordered a roomba, not only does it do a respectable job of cleaning, but it gets under things where the dust bunnies hide. Also, it was highly entertaining watching the dogs bark and chase it. She put an ashtray on it, with a burning sage smudge, which was also entertaining!
    So glad you got to visit with those beautiful, smart boys.”That’s crazy!” Cracked me up!!
    Xoxo
    Barbara

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    1. That's great! Smudging as it vacuums! Ha! I can only imagine what my cats would think of a Roomba. I hope to find out soon! It will be CRAZY!

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  11. While the outside of our house looks better than it ever has, the inside is grungy. I blame it on the beautiful weather! It's hard to work indoors when it's cool and sunny and the sky is blue. As soon as I finish my morning coffee (I'm still sipping coffee at 11am) I have to get off my lazy butt and actually work on the inside of the house because the pest guy is coming tomorrow for our quarterly spray. I'm paranoid that if the floors are unswept and the counters are sticky he'll secretly think, "No wonder they need to spray for bugs".....sigh. (We see the biggest roaches...excuse me, "palmetto bugs"....at this house and I cannot abide having them in my house.)

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    1. Also, "Granny Clampett" made me laugh. :)

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    2. I had a neighbor once who insisted that the bugs in her house were not roaches. They were palmetto bugs. I just laughed. Call 'em what you want, they are cockroaches!
      Isn't it funny that we give a damn what an exterminator or repair person thinks about our cleaning or not cleaning? So silly.
      All I need is some boots and a shotgun and I could totally be Granny Clampett.

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  12. I know what you mean about time. It's weird how quickly the day passes. I feel like I'm doing nothing -- or not much, anyway -- and yet before I know it I'm in bed and I'm EXHAUSTED!

    Glad you got another visit with the boys and Jessie, and you got to read to them. As frustrating as all the distancing is, these will someday be precious memories for all involved. And I'm glad the chickens are settling in!

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    1. Yes- I'm always exhausted too! It's ridiculous. And yet, the absolute truth.
      I was so glad to get to visit with the boys. It was just what my heart needed.

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  13. How wonderful to hear about those boys again! You know, I sure have a lot of things I'm not getting done either. But I love to watch the wind blowing the trees and the clouds playing peek-a-boo with the sun. I always say, maybe tomorrow. Ha!

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    1. It's like we've been given this blessing of time and not to use it in contemplation and watching the day around us seems sinful. At least that's how it feels to me.

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Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.