out of limbo

My dear friend and co-worker Sue is liquidating her antique business and will soon close one of the most popular eateries on Highway 51, the Main Street Tea Room. She and her husband George built the business together going to estate sales and cleaning out attics. The last Christmas that he was alive he bought some old woman's entire attic full of Christmas trees for the shop. They were everywhere!! Following his death two years ago, she realized that it was too much for one person to handle and slowly came to the decision to close and move into the next chapter of her life. We've been holding hands most of the way, so I know that it was a very hard decision for her to make. Life goes on, in spite of itself.

I was pulling into a friend's housewarming party this afternoon, laden with "stuff" to take in, and the neighbor decided to go all bad cop on me about parking in front of his house. This, I did not need at that particular point in time, if you know what I mean. Poops lost her cool and slammed a bag of ice into the sink while calling him several nasty names. I guess it was better than smacking him in the head with it. Dude was waiting for his mail and was afraid I had blocked the access for the postal truck to his box..I saw the mail run right before I left, and was tempted to go out and get it for personal delivery at his door. Yep....I can be a real bitch when you push me.

Elsewhere in our hood, trees are slowly disappearing as pasture is turned to farmland. My brother used to live close to the Mississippi River and remembers how depressing it was there in the winter with no pasture to break up the monotony of dirt. The farm actually looks BETTER in a lot of ways because the fencing is ancient there are very few tree lines affected. My cousin-in-law Ronnie took his beagles out to hunt rabbits and invited Daddy to go. That lasted about five minutes and he was ready to go home. But that's a whole 'nother story.

I have read and listened, like most, about the recovery relief effort in Haiti, my jaw dropping at the horror being faced by these poor folks who have already seen so much misery and pain. There are no words for something like that. Yet, there is a spirit among our country men and women that will fully embrace such a natural disaster and forget about themselves for awhile to help someone in need. I only wish we did it more for our fellow Americans. Big Ernie would like that too.

This week has been a spring teaser, warm enough to not wear a coat everywhere but not to do much outside. I spent the balmiest afternoon picking up limbs yesterday and having a little bonfire by the swing. Yes, I am sore and out of shape. This too shall change.

Ya'll enjoy the rest of your weekend. If you need me I'll be eating breakfast with the fam at Mel's Diner, or as Daddy says "The place where all the guys in overalls eat."

^j^