Today was a good day.
Sarah and i actually got all of the big decorations put away. This is not a small task in the fake Christmas tree weighs a ton in its box and it is stored in the garage attic.
i took care of a lot of things i usually pass over for a lot more important things to do…i think.
Tonight, Maureen went to a memorial service for a friend who worked with her at Parron Hall. After a simple dinner, Sarah left for an evening with her friends.
i poured a glass of wine, started a fire in the hearth, put my old iPod with my music on “shuffle” and sat down to read. Jimmy Reed, Duke Ellington, Harry Connick, Jimmy Smith, Jessie Colin Young, Rachmaninov, Sonny Boy Williamson, Muddy Waters, The Ink Spots, Bob Seger, Paul Desmond, Nina Simone, Flatt and Scruggs, Johnny Cash, and Roy Rogers, among others, entertained me.
Seems about right…except i didn’t read. i played some games on my laptop, just listened to the music, and didn’t think. i just didn’t think.
And then i thought about a nice part of the day. Elmer is the basset hound who lives next door. Elmer has perplexed Regina, our neighbor since he arrived. He is capable of escaping the back yard in spite of Regina’s best efforts. So, of course, Elmer has become the darling of the neighborhood. When their grandchildren are visiting, grandparents take those grandkids out with the hope of seeing Elmer and giggling with delight.
Elmer and i have become good friends. Since i am next door, he visits often on his escapades. i take him back, open the gate to his backyard. His buddy, the old, black Labrador, and the two outdoor cats greet him like a long lost friend.
This has become a routine. When i hear Elmer bark and it sounds as if Houdini has made it out again, i go out front. When Elmer sees me, regardless of where he is, including in the middle of the street, he lays down and waits for me to come up to him. When i reach down to him, i rub those wonderful gigantic ears, and then Elmer rolls over for me to scratch his stomach. Once the ritual has been completed, i walk toward the gate while Elmer barks, rubs against me until i open the gate and he bounds inside without a care.
Elmer may be a bit goofy, but he often makes my day by reminding me of what is really important.
