Charlie and me went for a massage last Saturday. Yes, you read that right. Charlie got a massage, and not by me. By a guy named Michael. Let me start at the beginning. For Christmas, our niece Caitlin gave us each a gift certificate for a one hour massage. She knows how much I love being pampered, no question about that, but it was a kind of outside the box choice for Charlie. He would have been happy with one of them Hickory Farms sausage and cheese gift box type deals. God love her, Caitlin’s heart is in the right place. She knew work had been tense for Charlie what with all the layoffs down …
I was looking through my book, The Sweet Life, the other day. This is not something I do on a regular basis. I don’t sit around the double-wide thinking, Wow! I got a few minutes to spare. I think I’ll check out some of the brilliant things I said in my book. No siree, Bob. I’m writing a new show that’s based on the book (it’ll debut in September) and so part of the job is going through the book and deciding what stories would be fun to share on stage, up close and personal. Can’t wait! Anyhoo, with all that’s going on in the country, on TV, heck our town meeting right here in …
Charlie’s been enjoying this spring as much as I have. We’re both filled with energy. I’ve always wondered why folks don’t do spring cleaning in the winter when there’s nothing going on. But, you know, winter is a time for hibernating, and spring is all about getting things done. Charlie’s been working in the yard, clearing away blow down, and raking up the leaves that we got too sick of dealing with last fall. And last week, it was time to mow the lawn, a sure sign that summer is around the corner. Not surprisingly, he wrote a poem about it. First Mow of the Season First pull, mower started! That, to me, is poetry …
It’s my birthday week, and spring is in full swing! The older I get, the more I enjoy spring. It wasn’t even that bad a winter. Still, I’m just loving every minute of it, even the rain. The world here in Mahoosuc Mills is greening up and just bursting with color. Of course, it’s not officially spring until my toe nails are painted. I’d be hard pressed to wear open-toed shoes without painting my nails, though I respect people who do. It’s a personal choice. For me, the minute the weather is warm enough to wear sandals (and that has to be pretty warm because my feet tend to run cold like the rest of …
We’ve had some beautiful days here in Mahoosuc Mills. In fact, I got so inspired by the warm weather, I switched my closet over to my summer clothes. Then, it got cold and dreary. Yes, it’s my fault. It’s the same in the fall. I switch it over, then we seem to get a hot snap. It’s bounced back now, of course, but when will I learn? I have gotten smarter. I keep medium weight clothes that work for spring in my closet until summer is firmly established. Then, I take those clothes and put ‘em in one of them big Tupperware type boxes marked “transition.” Awhile back, I’m in the bedroom with my niece, …