Tuesday, September 12, 2023

How Life Goes


I took a teeny-tiny walk today and even that was more than I cared to do. It was so hot and humid. There was nothing to recommend it except that Jacob and Emma drove by in a truck and stopped to chat with me for a moment. I have written about Jacob and Emma several times before. One of those posts is HERE. 
I used to walk by their house regularly but have not lately. But they saw me and stopped and because Lloyd is the way it is, this is a common enough thing for people to do- to stop their car or truck in the road and have a little conversation with someone on the sidewalk or even in another car. 
Anyway, I had not seen them in quite awhile and so was glad to see them today. "Good to see you walking!" said Jacob. 
"Thank you," I said. "How're y'all doing?" 
"We're fine," he said, "Except I broke my foot." 
"Oh no!" I said. As I recall, Jacob has had many health issues over the years but he looked good today, sitting in his truck, and I was sorry to hear that he'd broken his foot. 
"Did you fall?" I asked.
"Yes," he said. "On that uneven pavement over at Jones'." 
I have no idea who or what Jones is but I nodded as if I did. 
"How're you doing?" asked Emma. 
"Oh, we're good," I said. Which is true. 
And then I told them I was so glad to see them and thanks for stopping and they smiled and nodded and we told each other to take care and that, for me, was a beautiful few minutes. 

After the walk, even short as it was, I was pretty much done for. One of those days when I just didn't want to go back outside. I did take the compost and picked a few of the last zinnias and I watered porch plants and swept off the kitchen porch. 

Mr. Moon was off in the woods doing hunting prep. 
Sigh.
He's home now. 

Yesterday someone sent him a private message on FB and he turned out to be a former teammate of Glen's when he was at Auburn. He sent Glen some pictures from back in the day and they're so cute. I asked him if I could post one. He said I could although I don't think he was wild about the idea. 


When I saw it, I said, "Oh, there's my sweetie pie!" 
He looked a lot like that when I met him although he did have his beard by then. But he was, for sure, a Viking. 
"I'd say that I'm sorry I did not know you then," I told him, "But I don't think we'd be here today if I had."
"Probably not," he said. 
I thought about it for a minute and said, "Neither one of us was smart enough to recognize a real thing when we saw it then."
He agreed. We had a lot of shit to work out, he and I both, before we could meet and see each other for who we were. Now let me make it very clear- we STILL had a lot of shit to work out after we were married. My god. So much shit. 
But we persevered, we didn't give up, we were kind to each other, we respected each other, we worked hard together, and yes, we loved each other. 
And I can't say that even at this point in our lives, forty years after meeting, that we've worked it all out. Do we ever? But we've learned to live with whatever crazinesses we may still have, both our own and each other's. 
For the most part. 

So that's my darling boy when he was a young'un, playing basketball at Auburn University. I was probably busy being a hippie and doing whatever it was I was doing in those days. I was pretty lost until I had Hank, to be honest. 

But here we are now, settled as settled can be. The man ripped his best overalls in the woods today on something. He probably told me and I've already forgotten. "You just wanted to give me something else to patch, didn't you?" I asked him. 
I'm pretty certain though, that after yesterday's patching job, that was NOT his intent at all. Too bad. I live to patch. Still being a hippie. And he's still a beautiful man. Still my sweetie pie, my darling boy. 

Here are close-ups of some of the zinnias I picked today. 





Now you know what? I had no idea that's what the big yellow ones' centers looked like. Isn't that crazy and beautiful? 
And the red one is showing her age but she's still lovely. Past her glory, for sure, but still a fine spark of crimson in the hallway for me to admire and enjoy.
And no, I am not comparing that zinnia to my husband. As far as I'm concerned, he's still in his glory. Just a different kind of glory from his young self and honestly, I admire and find him more beautiful now than I ever have. 
Isn't that strange? And yet. 
It's true. 

Love...Ms. Moon







29 comments:

  1. you have an Adonis as a husband! What a great photo! Zinnias to die for......a walk? NO.....except for the joy of chatting with Jacob and Emma. I got surpise mess. today from a longtime friend whom haven't seen in almost 2 yrs......she'll be here for 2 days this week (visiting her son).....and we will have lunch on Thurs and try to catch up on the *mud under the bridge* (as she put it) since we last visited. I SO look forward to it.....as I have not felt social AT ALL for a while.....but this....... will fill my heart and I relish the time with her, no matter how brief.
    Susan M

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  2. Except for the heat, a good day. And you don't have heat indoors, so a very good day.

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    1. Exactly. And I can even sit on my screened in back porch with a fan (or two) on me and be comfortable so I can sort of be outside which is wonderful.

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  3. Mr Moon has certainly improved with age - he is like a fine wine.
    I can relate to that zinnia.

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    1. I agree about Mr. Moon! He is the best looking now.
      Yes. I, too, often feel like that zinnia.

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  4. What a lucky pair you both are!

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  5. Such a great narrative. To me he's a whole lot cuter now!

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  6. I think that my husband's face grows dearer to me as the years pass. And no. We probably won't ever get everything worked out, not ever, but we have rubbed enough of the rough edges off that we can coexist comfortably. For the most part.

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    1. You put it beautifully. We wear off those rough edges. And the sharp ones too. Yes. Mostly.

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  7. Your husband had a strong mascline face even as a young man. Very handsome then and now from the pictures you've shown of him.

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    1. Sometimes I look at him and I just say, "You are so handsome." And he is.

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  8. 37paddington: Glen was a doll then and still handsome now. I love seeing old pictures like this. What really strikes me is how much Jessie looks like her dad! Same face, similar expression too. Lucky woman, you. You both found each other at the right time.

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    1. That's so funny! I don't see Jessie at all in that picture! Maybe August. But Jessie definitely has his hight, as does Lily. I can't wait to see how tall the grands get.
      You are a lucky woman too. We both have fine men and I say that in all definitions.

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    2. I agree with Paddington.....I totally see Jessie in Glen.....
      Susan M

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    3. or Glen in Jessie.........whichever!
      SM

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  9. That yellow zinnia picture is amazing.

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  10. I have some zinnias just starting to bloom so I will have to go out and check out their centers now. I have never noticed that about zinnias and I thank you for pointing that out! Really beautiful!

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    1. Usually their centers are like the pink and red ones. They almost look like little flowers on their own. It's taken me all these years to really look at the way they differ.

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  11. any marriage that lasts is nothing but working out shit. that is a beautiful yellow zinnia. I still have a handful of plants that are hanging on even though I stopped watering them a while back and they flowers they make are so small, about an inch across. but they're trying.

    I'll have to dig around for pictures of Marc when we were young and fresh. he had hair!

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    1. My zinnias are still trying too. The leaves are mottled and dry as can be and the flowers are getting smaller.
      Yes! Find some old pictures of Marc! You never post pictures of him except that wedding picture which I do adore.

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  12. Glen was a very fit looking young man:) My husband and I wouldn't have lasted if we'd met each other young either, even today it's kind of wishy washy. He has some issues he needs to deal with that are his issues, not mine. We'll see.

    The zinnias are beautiful. I love flowers that have a middle with petals all around, like daisies, sunflowers, zinnias.

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    1. Well, Glen was definitely an athlete.
      It is so hard to know how much we need to step in to help a loved one going through things. To be honest- there are things that sometimes only the one going through it can do a damn thing about. It's easy to forget that.
      I like flowers with a center too. They are like looking at a mandala.

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  13. I’m so happy that you two are still in love!🥰Rigmor

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  14. I'm glad you two didn't find each other until you were ready, there were things you both had to go through to get to each other when the time was just right.
    I have never looked at a zinnia that closely, it's beautiful.
    I see Owen in that photo of Glen.

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  15. Well, relationships are as much a matter of timing as the people involved, don't you think? Both parties need to be ready and in a place where they can come together. What a great old picture of Mr. Moon!

    And now I want to know who "Jones" is!

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Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.