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Chittenden, VT

Camping Scene

Today was a busy one. I made out Sunday morning breakfast and I was reminded of another Sunday morning ritual. Mike and I were visiting his brother (may he rest in peace) and sister-in-law (of whom I can say nothing nice, so I'll say next to nothing), and they toasted each other with orange juice in champagne glasses. SHE explained that they had a champagne toast on the Sunday after they were married in Las Vegas. So they celebrated that precious moment every Sunday morning, substituting the orange juice. This caused Mike and I to look at each other with major eye rolling, I'm sure even though I don't remember that specifically. What I do remember is that Mike and I had failed to celebrate out tenth wedding anniversary three weeks before that because we had both forgotten it entirely. We may not have an ounce of sentimentality between us, but we can, and did, silently communicate that we would not share that particular story at that particular breakfast.

After breakfast it was a quick trip to the flea market. I found a pair of size 11 knitting needles, a size I did not previously own, and snatched them up for one dollar. Mike bought nothing, but he ran into a number of friends and spent the time chatting. So that was a cheap date.

Home again, I got out to the garden and dug up and divided the astible, spreading them around a bit and adding some to the shed garden. I took a quick run to the nearest garden center and bought some marigolds, some impatiens, and some other flowers for a large pot I have out by the front door. When I got things done in my garden, I went to the cemetery and weeded, mulched, and planted the impatiens by my parents' grave stone. It is Memorial Day tomorrow. I don't attend, but I know that there used to be a Memorial Day mass said at the cemetery and my parents would want to look nice for that if it is still done. See, I can squeeze out an ounce of sentiment if I try really hard.

I'd stripped the beds early in the day and when I finally got around to making them up again, I got it in my head that it was time to wash the bedding. That's a three months' rotation, last done in the beginning of December (so accounting for our time in Florida...December, April, May...I was a few days ahead of myself). Anyway, I decided it would be easier to take mattress pads, pillows. blanket, and bedspread to the laundromat and get everything done at once. Who knew it was the official "wash everything you and your family owns day" for at least half of the people in the nearest three towns. Good grief, what a crowd. At one point, there was one free washer and no free dryers. Aw well, that job is done for another three months and I did manage to get it done in way less time that doing it at home, one load at a time.

I have the feeling that a clean, fluffy bed is going to feel really good tonight!