Things Change But Some Do Not

The North Florida Fair is in town which I mentioned last night. Lily sent some pictures of the kids. Here's Ms. Magnolia June, posing like the Statue of Liberty with a large delicious-looking ice cream cone. That's our girl! 

Of course the fair is really all about the food, despite the joy of the rides, the games, the people-watching, the agricultural and home arts exhibits. 

Here's a picture of Lily and Lauren that Lauren posted on FB. 

As Hank commented, "The hell is Lily eating?"
And Lauren replied, "Korean Corn Dog with Flaming Hot Cheeto coating?"

Our local paper which, keep in mind, is the only newspaper for the capital of the state of Florida, ran an article today on the front page about the fair food and that corn dog got a lot of space in it. 

I that that particular delicacy may be the quintessential example of processed foods. I have no idea if it truly originated in Korea but perhaps it did. 
When I used to go to the fair, I would occasionally get a corn dog but just a plain one which I always ate with mustard. That is a pretty tasty thing to eat if you ask me. I also always liked candied apples. These things seem so non-exotic now. The article also spoke of a deep fried cannoli on a stick which is going by the name of "Deep Fried Cannoli On A Stick." It was noted that the cannoli was locally sourced which is reassuring, isn't it? And practically gourmet!
My favorite things to eat at the fair were not the corn dogs or the candied apples although they were good. I liked the food we got at the little local booths, especially those run by a church. But only the churches with the names "Bethal" or "AME" in them because those would be Black churches and those folks go out and catch their fish and fry it up and know how to make the sides that go with it. This may sound like a stereotype and it is but it is true. 

Forget the K-Dog, and give me a fried mullet supper with grits and greens and hushpuppies. They always have hot sauce, too. 

All right. The fair is not all about the food. 

It's about scary, thrilling rides and getting tired and leaning your head on your mama's shoulder. 

I did an in-town day today. Candie came to clean and while she was creating the magic, I went to Publix and to Costco where I bought about five thousand dollars worth of groceries. I bought a few things for Jessie who hasn't been able to shop since her surgery. I met her at one of our favorite lunch places- The Wharf- (guess what they serve?) and we ate and talked and I gave her her bananas and berries and sweet potatoes and the jacket August left here and the water bottle Levon left here. And then I came home to a clean house that smelled of Fabuloso. Candie had reported that "one of the cats" had puked on our bed and so she had the quilt in the washing machine. 
Jack. It's always Jack. I don't know that I've ever known Maurice to puke. I think that Jack just eats too much and then harks it up. It's a regular occurrence around here and always invokes a cry of, "Oh GOD!" from whatever human finds it. 

Mr. Moon went to Dog Island early this morning to get some tools he'd taken over there to work on the floor but now needs for the roof project. Supposedly this will help hurry the project along. I hope so because I feel guilty that when Vergil is working over here, he's not able to spend one of his days off with his family. Everyone assures me that it's fine- that Vergil enjoys these projects with Glen and that it's good for the boys to see that their dad and grandfather can do things like this. I know that the boys were quite interested to see what was going on last Sunday and were very happy to do things like bringing Boppy's water bottle in and refilling it for him. 

Anyway, the trip to the island was made quickly and easily and the required tools are now in the garage. 

I've been trying to digest the news from the urologist that I got yesterday and honestly, I now have more questions. I do not know what to do. I think that the stone, even though it is not moving much, is causing some other physical symptoms, including just a general feeling of unwellness. On the other hand, I could be dying. My anxiety always tends to focus on physical problems which is terrifically ironic in that of course I do not want to go to the doctor about any of them. It's a vicious cycle. And I know very well that my body presents me with symptoms that are not based in reality which is another good reason to ignore them. But which are real and which are figments of my overactive imagination? As I have said before, I remember being a very young girl, going to the doctor with my mother for an appointment for her, and being in the doctor's office made me feel as if I were, in fact, dying. 
Did I ever tell my mother about this?
Oh hell no. 

And what would she have done? What would anyone have done? Patted my head and said, "Now, now. You're fine. Don't worry so much!" 

Oh, arggh. 
I know for sure and for real that my right arm was in some way injured by opening and closing the sliding glass door at the beach that led to the deck. That door needed some work and it took a lot of effort. 
However, we could have called the realty company OR I could have walked six feet away and used another door. So it's all my fault. But Jesus- really? It hurts. 

Also I have a tooth that's bothering me. Now THAT can easily be explained by the jaw clenching I do in my sleep. But yeah, I'll watch it and if it gets bad, I'll call the dentist. So I've got all that going on and also the vague ache in my side that comes and goes and the gastric problems that seem to coexist with the kidney stone thing AND the feeling of menstrual cramps which are obviously NOT menstrual cramps but are a symptom of...a kidney stone. 
There are other things but I really do not need to go into them. 

I am just a regular human being who has lived 69 years on this earth and worked her body pretty hard, physically, and given birth to four babies and have had the requisite number of falls and injuries and so of course I have the pains of age. 
And the anxieties of a very anxious seven-year old. 

August asked me the other day if when I was a child, there were cars or if we'd ridden everywhere on horses. Bless his heart. I told him that no, we had cars for sure, although not as many big roads. But that then, like now, people rode horses mostly for enjoyment. He was very respectful about all of this. Just quite curious. And I also told him that my grandfather had grown up in a time when there were no cars and people did get from place to place on horses or in wagons pulled by horses, or on foot. This was interesting to him. I think it's fascinating for children to try and figure out how their parents and grandparents fit into the timeline of the way humans have lived. And the last hundred years have been explosive in that way. I love and welcome all of these questions and I guess that being able to tell my grandchildren stories that I heard from my elders as a child and from my own childhood is at least one benefit of growing older. 

It sure ain't a benefit to hurt and ache and feel like you're losing your marbles all the time. 

Meanwhile, I've got a lovely chicken roasting in the oven in my biggest cast iron skillet. The chicken is sitting on sliced carrots, onions, lemons, and garlic and I'll throw some potatoes in there soon. Dinner will be delicious and there will be many meals made from the leftovers. 

At least I can still wrangle iron skillets and remember how to roast a chicken. 
I ain't dead yet. 

Love...Ms. Moon

P.S. I also told August what a goat tee was when we were talking about beards. 
He informed me that I have one. 

He's not really wrong.