Thursday, October 7, 2021

I See A Red Door And I Want To Paint It Brown (Yuck)




The brudders were back for a visit today. I was glad to see them. And their mama. Those boys make me laugh and their mama makes my heart happy. We had another leftover buffet for lunch. Jessie brought me some of the curry she made last night and it was good. She ate my leftover shrimp and orzo. 

We took a little walk down to the post office where we saw our across-the-street neighbors. The man's name is Paul and August noted that Paul rhymes with all while Levon pointed out that it's like Paw Patrol. 
Pretty much. 
I made them pose by the door in the side of the old train station where our post office is although my love for that door has faded tremendously since they painted it brown over the red that it was. Why on earth would they replace a red door with a brown one? 
Can I just say that white people tend to be frightened of color? Yes, I know that's a stereotype but in my sixty-seven years on this planet I have found it to be horrifyingly true in most instances. There are a few crazy people of no color (except beige) who do break out of the mold but most of them live by the coast. There is something about the sea that inspires the use of brighter colors, I think. One of the many things I love about Mexico so much is their absolute fearlessness when it comes to painting their houses every color of the rainbow and then some. 
Okay. Where was I? 
Oh yes. Posing in front of the door at the train station post office. 
The brown door.

Again we read a few books. And we also played a game. 

It's a teeny-tiny little game that came folded up in The Jolly Postman. 


August has been wanting to play it forever and today we finally did. "You need dice," he advised me, so I fished one out of the Monopoly game. Levon and I were on one team and Jessie and August on the other. We used a bead and a button to mark our respective progress. 
Levon, who was perhaps needing a nap, rolled the die with great and enthusiastic vigor. It rarely landed on the table. 
Oh well. The boys would dash to find it on the floor under a bookshelf or behind a chair and would announce what the number on it was and our bead would be moved the appropriate spaces. No need to worry about such a piddling transgression of the rules of game play. 
Team Jessie August won one game and Team Levon MerMer won another. 
And that was enough of that. I about needed a magnifying glass to read what was on the squares. But it was fun. 

And that was most of another day for me. I think I'll make the pepper jelly tomorrow and on Saturday, Hank and Rachel are coming out for shrimp salad. Instead of spending my days alone, I think I've seen family on most of the days Mr. Moon has been gone. Which is nice. No chance to be lonely for me. I know that many grandparents live thousands of miles away from their children and grandchilden and I can't really imagine how I could deal with that. I am quite thankful that I do not have to know. 
Still, I have very much enjoyed my alone-time. The chickens and the cats keep any loneliness at bay. I have books and TV, podcasts and the internet. 
I am still listening to this damn book set in Apalachicola. I cannot figure it out. Whenever the author mentions a place in the book by name (and she does this frequently) she usually gives the address. And it sounds ridiculous. Like, "And then we can drop off Becky for her tennis lessons at the Municipal courts on the corner of Sixth Avenue and E. Street." 
WHAT? 
Okay. That wasn't a direct quote. I can't remember the exact address and as far as I know there are no municipal tennis courts in Apalachicola and if there are, I have no idea where they are but what I'm saying is that the speaker in that example is from out of town but he is talking to someone who grew up in Apalachicola. 
Awkward maybe? 
"Let's hurry so that I can see Paco and pet him at the art gallery on the corner of Eighth Avenue and Market Street!"
For Christ's sake! Is the author being paid by the Apalachicola Chamber of Commerce? She must be. And by the way, the book is Flight Patterns by Karen White. 
Don't bother. Just don't. 

And having said all of that, I do not really have the right to judge either the author or the book in that at least she wrote a book that got published. Along with many, many others. 
Still. 
Jesus.

Mr. Moon is still alive and well. He is doing a lot of tromping through the woods and sleeping on a single bed mattress on the floor with pillows at the end for his feet. It's hard for him to find a bed that accommodates his length. Meanwhile, last night I had our king-sized bed entirely to myself for awhile as neither cat deigned to come to bed with me although Jack did join me in the deepest part of the night for a snuggle. I've been thinking that instead of washing the sheets tomorrow, I should just move over to the other side of the bed which has remained untouched since the man left. 
Nah. Too weird. 
I dare not roil the waters of normalcy and rightness. I must preserve the rituals and traditions, even when there is no one to observe them but me. 
In this way I ensure his safe return. 

Love...Ms. Moon


25 comments:

  1. How can you not love a board game that not only includes “Falling baby — miss a turn” but also raises the specter of a cow with a crumpled horn? Right up my alley. Always here for a Mary Moon Stones reference. XO

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    1. Right? "Hit by a brick. Miss a turn." Levon: Did we get crush-ed?
      "Road blocked by cats. Miss a turn." Hoo boy. I hate it when that happens.
      I wondered if anyone would get the reference. Of course you did.

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  2. so good to have various family visits with food, games and just enjoying each others company! Yes, that brown door is yucky! What were they thinking? That it was better than red? NOT
    Susan M

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  3. Don't change the luck, that's for sure.
    Love Levon, trying to imitate his brother.

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    1. I do everything I can to preserve the status quo, all the while trying to convince myself that I am not superstitious on the least.
      Levon does admire his big brother. As it should be.

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  4. Those men are a scream! It's SNL all the time with them. No wonder you love to see them.

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    1. It is. I guess that in my heart I am about as mature as a six or three year old. I find their humor hysterical.

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  5. I love those Postman books. I have kept the 2 that we had. The 3 yr old will soon be old enough for them, and as I write, my eldest son and his fiancee are in hospital as she is being " prepped" for a caesarian for my 4 th grandchild! (The baby is breech and she is 42 so they are taking no chances). I will not be far from my phone today!!

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  6. I absolutely love colour too, but there is a house near me that painted the outside walls a very pale blue - and it just doesn't work around here. We get snow and it gets cold so somehow we need brighter colours. Pale blue is for the ocean (in my humble opinion) but yep, give me colour every time!

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    1. I can see how pale blue might add to the feeling of chill there. But I still have to say- good for them for painting their house a color they presumably like very much.

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  7. Levon is really coming into his own. All the silly faces. Love it.

    BTW - my front door is red. :)

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  8. I would love a red or purple door. Cannot do that here. All outside doors are white. Those boys are so cute.

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    1. White? Well, better than brown in my opinion.

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  9. Mary, glad that all is well there, even though Mr. Moon is away and you had a scare with the appendix inflammation. We are doing well here. Getting older is okay, although I reach for the Tylenol more frequently now. Keep writing and documenting your life.

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    1. SYD!!!!
      I am so happy to see your name here. I was just thinking about you, hoping that all is well.
      Same here with the getting older but our drug of choice is ibuprofen.
      Thanks for coming by and taking the time to comment!

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  10. reminds me of the first time Marc spent a week with my brother in Colorado. my grandson was concerned I would get lonely even though his mother assured him I wouldn't and he came out to visit a couple od days.

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    1. How will Granny survive without our company? She'll be so lonely. Poor thing. Let's go see her.
      But seriously- that was sweet of your grandson.

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  11. Levon seems to be getting more expressive in your photos. I guess it's a sign of growing up, right?

    Thanks for identifying the Apalachicola book. I was curious, even though I definitely won't read it. Sounds like the author wants to prove to everyone that she knows the town and has been there doing her authorial research!

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    1. I guess you're right about the author. She's also seen the movie, "Ulee's Gold." That was a film made in and around Apalachicola about a beekeeper and Tupelo Honey which is really a pretty good movie.

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  12. I remember those red door pictures with Owen and Gibson, and I too could not comprehend that the proprietors of that door actually painted that vibrant red a mud brown. Colors. I am trying to lighten up my house without giving up on color, pops of it here and there. Thanks for reminding me of the importance of color in our lives.

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    1. Well, since the old train station is a post office now, perhaps the color was federally mandated which says all you need to know.
      Still- what a shame. It manages to de-charm that pretty old building.

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