Once Upon A Time...

 I have not spoken to one person today. By text, yes, but not by voice. 

Wait! Wait, wait, wait! I did talk to someone! How did I forget that? Such a surprise phone call. Didn't recognize the number, not in my contacts but it was a local call so I took it and someone said, "Is this Mary?" and I said "Yes" and I just had a feeling that this was not a stranger although I did not recognize the voice right away.
"This is Fred," he said. And I thought, do I know any Freds?
"Fred Rabbath," he said and I said, "Oh, Freddie!" 

A million years ago (or, fifteen years ago, to be more exact) there was a guy in Tallahassee who was quite young and he was making movies. Real movies or at least not porn or anything like that. He wrote the scripts, he directed, he was the cinematographer, he was the editor, and he did the scoring. He had one boom mic, and no one was paid. This was not a big deal because actors really just want to act and will gladly work for free. I mean, not Bill Murray or Meryl Streep but I guarantee you that when they were starting out they sure did. 
So he'd put out some notice for people to audition for him and I was in the thick of being in productions at the Monticello Opera House and Kathleen set up an introduction for me to audition because I never would have done that in a million years and it turned out that Freddy and I clicked and I was in quite a few of his films. Some quite short, some longer. And he also filmed some of his things here in our house, because it's hard to find a more visually interesting house than this one.  
I really had the best time working with Freddy. He was so young and so innocent and so CATHOLIC and you know me- I have no bones about telling someone that I think their religion is a bunch of shit which shocked him and I think, probably delighted him at the same time. I invited him to one of my huge night-before-Thanksgiving parties and there were probably fifty people here, some of them out back by a fire, eating oysters that were being shucked and grilled, and people playing music around the fire, and people drifting here and there, drinking the spirits and smoking the weed, and at one point Freddy looked at me and said, "A lot of these people are... Democrats, aren't they?" 
I roared. 
He and his family emigrated here when he was a teenager from Iran, I think. It's been awhile, folks. 

So he and I had a good run for awhile. We became friends. 

Here we are at a teeny, tiny, little premiere of a short film I did with him that won some sort of award in Jacksonville, Florida. 

That was in 2011 and it was the opposite of glamorous. For one thing, it happened in the afternoon and for another thing, Glen took that picture, not TMZ. And I honestly cannot remember a damn thing about the film. But I was cute. I was already a grandma then but I have to say, I was not yet a granny.

Old Fred, as I used to call him, and I have not been in touch in quite awhile. I came across that picture a few days ago though, while searching back in the blog for something else and it brought back a whole bundle of memories. Oh, how I loved being able to work with people who honestly were actors who taught me so much, just by their example. And Freddie was always my cheerleader. As I was his.

So this all goes to say that when I got that call today I was both shocked and pleased. He sort of apologized for not being in touch and told me that he thought of me often, appreciating my welcoming him into my life and home and being so supportive. 

I remember a neighbor I had a very long time ago, an older woman who ran a jook joint and one time a friend of ours stopped in to see her and apologized for it being so long since he'd visited. She hushed him and said, "It don't matter how long it's been since I've seen you. It's just always good when I do."
And that's how I felt, hearing from Old Fred. 
He's in town for awhile and said he'd like to get together for coffee or lunch and I said that of course I would. I tried to subtly tell him that I have changed a bit since he last saw me. I shouldn't care but of course I do. 

I just found the first film I did with Freddy where I had much of a part. You know what? I'm sort of gobsmacked at how much I did not suck. I can't figure out how to embed it, but here's the link. 

I remember that day. It was my 55th birthday and Freddie had brought me a little cake with candles. I was so very touched and I really would love to see him, to see where life has taken him. Where his talent and work have taken him. To find out if he's still a believing Catholic. I did ask him today if he was married and he said no, that he was sort of a workaholic. I don't doubt that. 

So that was a pretty interesting thing that happened today. Beyond that, not much except for altering a nightgown I'd ordered which was too big (weirdly enough). I can't say I did a great job on it but at least I won't get all twisted up in it and strangle to death in my sleep. 

We got rain last night and this morning. Maurice slept with me again. My husband texts that he loves me. 

And all is well in Lloyd.

Love...Ms. Moon