RubyThicket of Zenith

So this morning I resolutely got up and set off to have lunch with Madame. Last week, we changed our time from Wednesdays to Tuesdays, because her daughter has time off on Wednesdays so it's better to keep that space open for doing things with her. I texted Madame this morning to remind her. However, she didn't look at her phone, because she was otherwise occupied. I had kind of expected this to happen . . . . I hung around the bookstore for awhile, then Facetimed her from the back room. Oops. She had forgotten. But she still wanted to come, so I waited . . . . She was about an hour late. I guess she had a frustrating morning. She really is losing her memory a little bit. She knows it, but can't help it. This saddens and worries me, but it is not my problem. And when I say that, I don't mean that I don't care, but that there is nothing I can do about it, so it is not my problem to solve. I'm basically her only social contact at this point. That also troubles me, but again, there's nothing I can do about it. Her lateness gave me time to indulge in buying a used book: The Pilgrimage Road to Santiago: the Complete Cultural Handbook. Including art, architecture, geology, history, folklore, saint's lives, flora and fauna. I've read people's memoirs about walking the Camino, and I'm looking forward to reading about all the things they forgot to put in! I love to tour my imagination of places I've never been.

Then I got home and the texting began. I have two family members with health issues going on right now. It's worrisome and distracting. We sat outside and I tried to work, but got nowhere. I need a more peaceful day to settle back in. Or maybe I'm just lazy. We have a volunteer black raspberry bush growing near the bird feeder--no doubt a gift from one of our avian guests! I picked a few ripe berries off it to have with our tea. I tested myself for covid in the aftermath of our trip: negative, of course. I feel fine. I cooked dinner: ham, sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, cabbage, carrots and onions. After dinner, we had a Zoom with friends.