An Unexpected Day.

Don’t remember falling asleep last night. I know I didn’t have supper.  Wasn’t hungry, just very tired after the long day.

Woke up at 1:30 AM to find the night stand lamp still on. Most unusual. I’ve

always had a hard time sleeping with lights on. Probably one reason I’ve never been able to nap all these years. Obviously, that wasn’t the case last night.

Got up for a glass of fresh, cold water and noticed how very light my body felt. Not light-headed, but light as in the opposite of heavy or sluggish.  ‘The new blood’, I thought as I crawled back into bed, turned onto my side and went back to sleep. 

The timer went off at 4 AM for the days first meds and I was bright-eyed, happy, and ready for the new day. Brushed my teeth and thought of a big breakfast.  Just what I wanted - after one very large coffee. 

As the coffee brewed I drew my card of the day - which turned out to be “The Fool” and had a new understanding of what was going on. Something was shifting - inside and out - and I felt, well, free of care, and being in the present. An odd and rare sensation.

A text arrived from sidekick Debbie asking if I’d like to visit an Amish farm market store in a small town about 30 miles away. There are a few things she wants to order to have on hand for Easter weekend.

Sure, I’m game. There are a few Amish delicacies that I wouldn’t mind enjoying myself.  I reminded her that rain storms were due to increase throughout the day and her response was that it made no difference - at least it wasn’t snow! - and that the shoppers at the market would be fewer making for a more relaxed, Saturday shopping experience. She would call to set up a pickup time after walking the dog on the beach.  Her beautiful dog loves the beach, especially in the rain.  Go fig.

Coffee and breakfast were history, cleaned up the stove and washed pans and dishes. About to take a shower when another text came through.  This one from Frankie, a co-worker at DL who keeps in touch via text now and then, telling me that he’s going to walk to work today in “shorts and flip flops because it’s a warm and very wet day.”  He also noted that the forecast for his upcoming 2 days off calls for sunny skies, and temps in the 70s.  Days like that mean that you will most likely find Frankie on the beach.  Hands down.  

I laughed and replied that he should enjoy the stroll in the rain, but not spend too much time staring up at the sky or he may drown. He responded with a big text HUG!

Following a shower and after making the bed, another text from Deb arrived with a pickup time.  Have never been to this small town, and it’s been 10 years, or more, since I’ve visited a real Amish Market.  We’re both excited.

Not sure if the market vendors accept credit cards, I made a quick dash to the ATM for a bit of Fast Cash, JIC. It’s rainy and foggy but a perfect spring day. Fresh air and mild temperatures.  I know now why Frankie sent that text.  He wasn’t kidding. It is a delightfully perfect wet day.

Miss Deb is on her way.  I’ve got a large empty backpack, I’m ready to roll.  

Nice drive and the sprawling market wasn’t hard to find. The rain storms had not increased as predicted (well, am I surprised!) but there was ample parking -  and walking in, the place smelled like heaven. So many “like home” smells that one didn’t know where to turn first. Great fun!

Fresh sausages and other meats; hams and sausages slow baking in ovens making mouths water.  (I love ham, but no longer enjoy it since I don’t handle huge amounts of salt anymore.) Fresh goose, duck, chicken, pork, venison, and even rabbit.  Domestic or wild; whole or cut up. 

And all those cheeses. O.M.G!!! Most, if not all, family made and fresh, fresh, fresh!! I had to keep reminding myself that I am only one person anymore and if I purchased too much it would eventually be thrown away.  One person cannot eat that much of the fabulous in a short time.  That is just the truth. 

So, orders were placed for hams and other meats to be available for pickup the week prior to Easter. I placed an order for 2 wild rabbits (portion cut) for the same time, as well as some knock-yer-socks-off Cinnamon buns to share with the cancer center staff at Easter.

I purchased a chunk of Souse (or Hog’s Head Cheese, as we call it in the south), the last chunk they had, and ordered another full pound for the Easter pickup. Stop with the gagging.  I love the stuff.  It beats chips and other fattening junk when you need a quick fix.

A family was holding court with a sort of indoor yard sale near the entrance to help defray the medical expenses of a young woman afflicted with a rare bone marrow disease.  Well, how could I NOT buy something there??? Debbie found a few homemade, decorated planters and an old herb-hanger. I found a couple of very sharp paring knives and an old 3 cup Bodum French Press coffee maker.  I had these in various sizes in my previous life and it struck me that now would be a good time to have another one. I brew one large cup daily and the Bodum press ritual makes a strong, rich cup of coffee, just as you like it. Note: In Bodum terms a cup is measured as a 4 oz. job, ready for hot milk and some kind of sweetener. None of this pre-measured, k-cup bullshit rubbish. The Bodum, looking as good as new, has been washed, dried, and is on my gay agenda for tomorrow morning, if there was any doubt.

Backpack stuffed with our goodies, we stopped for a sausage and sauerkraut sandwich and a hot, soft pretzel before heading to the car.  The storms still had not materialized, the air was warmer and the fog was thicker.  The drive back to the beach was quiet and relaxed with few other cars on the back roads. 

We sorted out the backpack treasures when we arrived at my place and I was made to circle the pickup date for our next trip on my kitchen wall calendar.  As if either of us would forget to make that trip.  I don’t think so. 

Snug and pretty much all in, changed into sweats and tee-shirt, prepping wings with an artichoke salad for supper (yes, finger food) and enjoying the afterglow of the day. 

I am ready for a glass of wine leftover from yesterday as I catch up on my blog reading.

BTW: 

I love the new desk, although there are minor setbacks. The old chair from my “previous life” is too low for the desk and it’s height is no longer adjustable. Also, I now need an old fashioned mousepad. The desk surface is clear glass and causes problems with the optical mouse. Everything old is new again. 

And the new Inkkas shoes will make their first public appearance tomorrow

when they adorn my happy feet at Dos Locos in the afternoon.  Just to note, these are the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever worn that were not specifically made for my ugly,  deformed, dancer’s feet.  As all INKKAS shoes are handmade, it still amazes me that they could be this comfy without the individual measuring and fitting, but they do fit very well, indeed. A smart purchase with more on the way.  There was a 20% off coupon enclosed with the new shoes.  They know a good thing, don’t they? I do, too.

To the Universe: A humble request:  More days like this one, please.  It would make me happy and I’d be most grateful for the adventures.

And so it goes.

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