Just Bits & Pieces of a Saturday

A word of caution for those of you who are astute enough to observe the world and make choices based on the successes or failures of others:

Avoid getting your spouse or children a gift which will require your participation.

The context of this lesson:

Paul wants for very little that I know of, and in fact states that with some frequency. But he did request a GPS suitable for use in the wilds. (Hiking, skiing and mountain biking). Sounds pretty benign. Yesterday he checked the weather predictions for this weekend and informed me that if we wanted to put a hiking trip on our 'to do' list, Saturday looked like that day for it. At the time I was game. We could get up early, pack some fruit and granola bars, and make a day of it, logging in a trail on his GPS.

First I want to get some laundry on the line to dry. I have some linens that need washing, and I avoid putting them in the dryer. They are ever so much fresher after hours of sunshine and being tossed about by a breeze.

So immediately upon rising I stripped the queen sized comforter off the bed and stuffed it in the washing machine.

Well I've just come from hanging it out. I think what I've done is put a sail on my deck. If you don't hear from me by the end of next week, check the Cape. We might have sailed out that way...the wind is HOWLING.

This is not a light blanket. When taking it off the line, I have to use quite a bit of heft to pull it over the rail.

Point is, I no longer want to go hiking. This area is rife with trees that are amazing in their ability to grow. We've seen trees that have gotten to a decent size, whose roots seem to be entrenched in nothing but rocks. Their strength has been compromised by months of rain and ice. In short, the trees are weak. I'm not sure what my karma is right now, but I'm hesitant to risk it by placing myself in a place where spears are going to be flying and nature is culling her weakest. And besides, it's frigorific out there.

But I feel guilty. I think a good companion would bite the bullet and share in an adventure. I am not going to be a good companion today. I am not going into the woods with my husband so he can play with his GPS. Please forgive me. Lets do it another day, shall we? Lets build a puzzle today, under a roof and surrounded by walls to protect us from flying detritus. And Paul, you will love me just the same?

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Speaking of puzzles. We finished the last one. Paul did most of it. X put in a few pieces, though she "HATES" jigsaw puzzles. I caught her standing on the chair looking down at it, to get a birdseye view? She is so silly. Even my brother stopped by the puzzle table to see if he could pop in a piece or two.

We made a quick stop at Job Lot to look for another puzzle, because it was on our way. There weren't many choices. One brand had 1000 pieces, each one having a flat side so one could not pull out the edge pieces first. My intent is to relax while searching for the right pieces. I have enough frustrations in my everyday life. The last one was bad enough, although Paul liked it. There were several areas that had the same color/pattern, with pieces that were cut so similarly that we didn't realize we made a mistake until we had done a good portion that didn't fit together. Paul had to rebuild a few areas.

I found one that seemed do-able. One thousand pieces, in the shape of the United States, showing each state's flower. The biggest challenge here has been identifying the edge pieces, because the border of the United States isn't flat.

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Speaking of my brother. Last Sunday Paul, he and I went for a little walk in the woods. Paul was busy entering data in his GPS and was quieter than normal. But Steve and I chatted it up. We were talking about how our memories seem to be deteriorating now that we are well established in middle age, and how that affects our lives.

He asked if I'd ever spaced out while driving, not remembering getting to a stop sign, and forgetting momentarily where I was heading. "Oh, yes" I replied. Not only forgetting where I was off to, but how to get there. He gave me the best reason ever for using directional signals - if you always use them, when you 'come to' at that light or stop sign, if you've put your directional on, then at least you know which way you're supposed to turn, and after your turn you can figure out where you're going.

It's the little tricks that help us manage.

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Paul said he was apprehensive about hiking in the woods, too. Now I don't have to feel guilty. We're both going to be slugs today. The cat has the right idea.

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My youngest called me this morning. Just to chat. Wow.

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Paul not only does the grocery shopping, but frequently chooses a bouquet of flowers for me while shopping. He loves me, and I know this because he takes time to show me. He is better at that than I am. I must make more of an effort to let him know how special he is to me. He deserves that. Does keeping the toilet clean count?

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I'm on a 339 game winning streak in Free Cell, total 719 games won out of 721 games played. There are 3 loads of lines dancing on the line. There is a curious fragrance of the two pounds of shrimp I just cooked mingling with burning wood. There was a little starfish in with the shrimp. It's time for some drumming with Rock Band.

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Peace