Finally A Day In The Apartment!

Today a very nice caregiver came early and now she and Lee are sorting and placing rocks. I am over here with the windows open to this nice sunny day.

The yardman may appear sometime today with more trees and bushes to plant. Two days ago he mowed, cut down tall weeds, pulled some short ones, used some weed killer and blew off the trail, walks and driveway. Lee and I watched from the porch.

We went to the store the other day. Lee stayed in the car while I picked up groceries and then we both went into the garden center to pick up six ferns for the porch. And today we found the Nasturtium Lady at a town market and bought six to stick in the pots on the deck. Nasturtiums are such a happy plant.

The ferns influenced the drawings in the marks book. So did filling hummingbird feeders.

And yesterday I took some time when Lee was dozing to pin together some small swatches of cloth for my next book. I will stitch the pieces all together and then stitch them onto blank pages in the book to inspire words or drawings…probably back to my mechanical pencil for this one.

I just reread the beginning 539 words of my next short story. I don’t think I will edit much, a word here and there maybe but I like what I have so far.  And today Sara and I finally have time to talk.

Next week a friend comes to stay here in the apartment and spend days with Lee and me mostly helping me make decisions of what to start packing up. The next month our daughter and her partner come down and will also take some things home with them. In June maybe our son can bring his truck and a trailer to take more. Once the totally unnecessary is gone I can decide what will stay until I move elsewhere when Lee is not living with me. It will be a while but I do not want to face it all at once if things happen suddenly.

I am thinking Asheville area would be nice. Some place where there is help if I need it, and plenty of privacy. I don’t want to be put in a home with Crystals and Tiffanys stopping in every day. And yes, I am aware that there are places where the Hazels and Hildegards don’t really care for the Sandys. It is a delicate balance, our comfort zones.

My dinner parties are over so the kids will get even more wine glasses and dishes than they took last time. When I can I plan on going to a real restaurant with fussed over food and good wines. That will definitely be when I am alone as Lee has a hard time managing food on and off his plate.

The other day when the cleaning lady was here I practiced sorting and throwing. The bowl of ten year old Christmas cards also held two sketchbooks, two whisk brooms, a bird nest and three balsam airplanes. The sketchbooks, whisk brooms and bird nest went back in the bowl. The trash bag of cards, etc. made its way over to the book shelves and were joined by travel brochures and maps and other not needed bits. But the coup de gras was dumping all of those 19 Crimes wine corks that filled the large wooden bowl in the dining room. In with them went the Eucalyptus leaves plucked from stems bought at the florist and not used for contact printing. Also into the bag went dried stems gathered by a friend from the yard to put on the table the last Thanksgiving dinner they came here for. At least five years ago, maybe more. Why do we save stuff like that!

I think I must have thought that it would be the final goodbye to toss things out. Like the tossing would take the memory with it. Well it doesn’t! I still remember them, the dinner, and her contribution of countless shredded wheat rolls from an old family recipe. I still remember how much Lee did not like the rolls especially after my serving them up day after day long after the company left.

When I get to Asheville one day I will take them out to dinner. She and I will sketch while we wait for our food and talk about Thanksgiving dinners here. It will happen even though I finally threw out her dried weed centerpiece.

And I will still drink 19 Crimes wine. Some even today while visiting with Sara and looking over her blue collection.

And Sadie because she poses so well.

Til later…