Monsoon of Zenith

[ismo]

Our socializing went well last night. We put the flag out in the morning. When the guests arrived, we had chips and homemade guacamole, accompanied by a faintly alcoholic refreshing drink invented by our guests and using various flavors of LaCroix sparkling water dashed with rum. It was supposed to be vodka, but she picked up the wrong bottle. Rum works. Then we moved on to a grand dinner of grilled meat accompanied by baked beans, new potatoes and peas, green beans, plus a spinach salad and gazpacho contributed by the guests. The Sparrowhawk read the Declaration of Independence, as is his custom, and we watched "1776" while eating local strawberries. Keith, who collects coins, showed us some Civil War tokens with patriotic images on them. Stores made their own tokens, because there was a shortage of change due to the war effort. I showed Cindy my garden, such as it is. Then they kindly gave us a ride to the fireworks on their way home. We picked a good spot with a great view. Perhaps because I was already so tired, the fireworks seemed very dreamlike this year--fountains of gold and silver, flowers of red and blue. Then we had to walk home. It was only a mile, but it seemed a lot harder than it was when I tried it out in daylight a week or two ago. My legs were hurting, and the Sparrowhawk was moving slowly. It was still very hot and humid, and we got very hot and sticky as we trudged along. But we made it--and it was some satisfaction to watch the endless stream of cars going by and reflect that we were not in it!

On the whole, we felt good that we'd done something of note to celebrate the holiday. I paid for it with a lot of discomfort while trying to sleep, plus waking up with my knees all stiffened up and sore. I had thought I might go to the gym today, but that obviously wasn't going to happen. I went out in the morning while it was still pleasant and watered my garden with the hose. I enjoyed it, but my foray ended when I started feeling so wobbly I had to go inside and sit down where there was AC. I gradually felt better as the day went on. I came out in the evening when it was cooler and watered the front flower bed while the Sparrowhawk sat on the step and read the most outrageous bits from the daily paper to me. Then I went for a walk, which worked, but only if I walked in slow motion.

Then we went through two boxes of LPs from the storage unit. Did I find lots of things that I can let go of? Ha ha no. Instead I experienced transports of delight and nostalgia as I found things I'd forgotten I had, like my Tom Petty and Warren Zevon albums, the Barry Louis Polisar we used to play for the kids, Steeleye Span, the Pointer Sisters album that I used to dance to with the girls when I got home from work . . . oh goodness. So many things. Not to mention the Classical and Baroque Trumpet compendium and all those old Archive and Nonesuch productions. I have to at least listen to them again, when the turntable is fixed.

Comments

[oracne]

In summer, my mom would send me out to water the plants in the evening, because there was less evaporation loss overnight, plus outside being less awful. However, the mosquitoes would be out in force, and I'd return with huge welts all over my legs.

Sounds like good weather to stay inside and listen to music.