Party of Two

Last night, Mother Nature really let loose with some gusty winds that had me listening and hoping that a tree didn't fall.  The skylights in my bedroom were pounded with whatever was flying around in that wind.  Normally, that would have set my dog, Gracie, into altered states with thoughts and behaviors of,

"The sky is falling!" and then there is no sleeping until the weather calms down. Surprisingly, she was calmer than usual in a storm. 

 It was about 3 AM and I was wide awake!  I remembered that Flo had taught me that a 'hot cup of cocoa' could help restore sleep sometimes. As I made my way back with hot chocolate and a couple of Lorna Dunes, Grace waited to see what was next.  The Game Show Channel had 'The Pyramid Game' on and that kept me from a massive channel surfing expedition. 

The hot chocolate was good, the Lorna Dunes were tasty [if you haven't tried one lately....mmm], and the TV show was mindlessly entertaining.  When it was completed, it was back to sleep and the impromptu party for two was done!
As Flo says...good, good, good! 
And she will be celebrating that 102 milestone on Thursday!!  "Hm" !!! [her favorite word].


  


Highlight of the day...fun...both entering and exiting!!

The Christmas Tree Shoppe is a chain of stores that is not really about Christmas most of the time. It is more of a multi-seasonal presentation of neat things. I had the opportunity to explore the new treasures with a good friend. The sun was shining and it sure looked a lot like spring. For me, this was therapy...

As I approached the entrance to the store, a car pulled up to let someone off at the door. The passenger was an elderly woman who struggled to get out of the front seat as the driver gave her a helpful nudge from behind for momentum.

"Need a hand?"

I reached toward her and she grabbed my hand, then my arm, and reached back to retrieve the cane that she had brought with her. We put a shopping cart in front of her, she tossed the cane into it, thanked me repeatedly, and headed inside to begin her fun. I guess the driver knew to catch up with her inside. Very refreshing!!

Well, I found many things that I could not live without..[haha], and I headed for the checkout, and to meet my shopping buddy. As the cashier [surely in her fifties] scanned the items, one of the ceramic flower pots had a small ding on the saucer part. The cashier offered to go and get a new one as I continued to put the remainder of the stuff on the counter. I was feeling kind of bad for the woman in line after me, and I began to chat with her.

"You are a very patient woman" I said smiling at her friendly eyes and very wrinkly face.

"You have to be in this day and age."

I noticed that her fingernails had glittery nail polish on them and the pointer nail had a pink daisy. I complimented her fancy nails, and she added,

"I'll bet you wouldn't guess my age!!"

Not wanting to offend her spirit in any way, I asked her to tell me.

"I am 98!"

"You are an amazing person!" I did not share that my 99 year old Mom lived with me 'cause there was no way I was going to rain on her parade.

I paid my bill, and smiled at her to say how nice it was to meet her.

She was by herself sporting blue jeans and sneakers.

After I walked out the door, I had to go back and ask her what her name was or I'd always wonder. At 98, I figured it had to be an interesting one...turn of the century-unique.

"My name is Robetta. R-O-B-E-T-T-A. My father's name was Robert and my mother's name was Etta."

She was beautiful. And a bright spot in my day. A surprise.

I guess that was the 'Christmas" part of that March play day for me.

Madison Square Garden

My son and his college friends went to Madison Square Garden to watch Syracuse University play in the Big East Tournament yesterday. Having never been there, it was an impromptu adventure where things fell miraculously into place for them as they arrived for The National Anthem. Oh, to be in your early thirties at a wonderful event with great friends!!! Two such memories immediately jump out for me.
The first was a Moody Blues Concert. On the way to an early morning college class, we heard an announcement on the radio that the tickets were going on sale at 10 AM in NYC. Damn! No way we could get there. And then Janet said the incredible words,

"I'll call my mother and ask her if she would go and pick up tickets for us."

"What? Are you kidding me? She would even entertain the notion to do that?"

I was NOT a believer in even an outside chance that this would possibly happen.

Well it did. Her mom [my adopted mom] went to the city and got those precious tickets. As we sat in our seats among thousands of fans, the lights dimmed and favorite song after favorite song resonated throughout the massive arena. It was absolutely the best!!

The other 'frozen in time' event in Madison Square Garden was also at a concert where many artists were featured. After Peter, Paul, and Mary concluded their part, Neil Young hopped up on stage and began his featured set. As he finished a song, a man went up to the edge of the stage and called Neil Young over to him to give him a message. Neil came back to the microphone and said,

"Hey people...the war is over. It has finally ended."

The entire audience stood up and applauded for 20 minutes. And as you looked around the arena, out of the relative darkness, came light one by one as people held a flame in the air [from a lighter]. It was an amazing experience. Can't really put it into words effectively.

And here it is 35+ years later, and my son says,

"Hey Mom...You've been to Madison Square Garden, haven't you?"

"Oh yeah! On more than one occasion."

Memories of a former life for me...in my twenties...in the 70's...in the 'Garden'.

Melo!

You are looking at Melo's sweetest fan. She has followed his smile from the time he played basketball for Syracuse University and the team won the NCAA Championship. Flo has been in the Carrier Dome and now that he is back in New York shooting 3 pointers with the New York Knicks, we will see more of his games on TV.

My brother and nephew sent Melo's Knicks shirt in the mail, and it was a perfect surprise for the Matriarch of Carmelo Anthony's Fan Club. It's a perfect gift, a perfect fit, and...

"Let the games begin!