Because of my work commitments, we won’t be going on a trip like we usually do on milestone anniversaries. We are going to the Canadian maritime in August. We went out to dinner at a great restaurant that has one flaw and that is their goddam cheap ass metal chairs that are so uncomfortable. You know the ones…every business seems to have them. Evidently they were a good bargain at some point (still only about $51/chair). How they suck.

We aren’t alone. The neighborhood is completely covered in these piles. Our streets are mostly clear which is not true of many other neighborhoods and so most people are just walking on the street. Honestly, that’s not that different around here. It is surprising to see that behavior on the main street, but people don’t have much of a choice.

We went over to bust my mom out of her house yesterday afternoon. We managed to make a path from the backdoor to our car and then we slip-slided out onto the road and went to a new Mexican restaurant. I think she was thrilled to see other humans.

The better-half and I are old enough to remember the bicentennial. I remember being at my mother’s mother’s house for some of the celebration. I just looked up when my grandmother died–later that same July. Hmmm.

I’m lucky enough to have two mothers and one of them came to lunch yesterday. She had a total knee replacement three weeks ago and is doing well. I went over to pick her up since she can’t drive yet. She’s getting antsy to stop being so dependent. She totally dug our lunch–pork soulvaki, greek green beans, pasta salad and some ice cream. It was pretty freaking great.

Today we have a friend coming over and so we’re doing a tri-tip steak with a green bell pepper salsa, fresh corn, a salad and either fruit or some more of the ice cream. Publix ice cream is delicious, by the way.

The day was beautiful and we gathered at our house afterwards for fellowship, food and chocolate cake. My mom had the bakery decorate the cake with the symbol of his naval squadron. He was only in the navy for 4 years, but those years loomed large as he was in decline.

Even though he’s been cremated since mid-December, it is interesting to see how people mourn and what triggers some has no deep effect on others. I know my mother is glad to have this behind her. She’s been dreading it for months. It’s time she felt completely free to move on. She’s been taking steps in that direction, but now she’s completely able to do so.

The better-half and I are planning on some time in Texas in the early part of May and I really can’t wait.

We’ve spent a weekend or two trying to wrangle the backyard where the sheep ate all the crap last summer. I think we’ll be working on that task for years to come. I’m really hoping I’ll have some luck with starting a wildflower garden. We shall see.

The answer is January 2025…the crazy taxes we agree to pay doesn’t help stupid, lazy, and ancient equipment.

He died on December 4th.

We’ve been helping my mom get things in order including everything from trimming the bushes around the house to killing the silverfish that were ravishing the paper in the house. She’s doing OK and the silverfish are dying.

Not sure what else to say about this.

I found this quote which is kind of apropos, although not exactly about this subject:

“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.”
― Rainer Maria Rilke

This morning the better-half and I both took naps after breakfast and dang we needed that. I don’t know about y’all but this year has been nothing but exhausting.

Yep, that’s it. That’s the post.