Thoughts While Waiting for Rain

Ever since I came down with a sinus infection almost two weeks ago, my creativity and curiosity about all things, including Internet, has tanked. I am no longer “ill” but I have a residual cough and some negative thoughts I’m trying to reverse. I’ve largely escaped into books and sleep. Knowing the economy is sliding and being in stores excessively decorated for Christmas, I’m working hard at happiness. I’m a big believer in happiness as choice, so I rarely dwell on the negative for long.

Now we are waiting for rain. This is a good thing for most of us and a scary thought for people in the recently burned areas. From my office window, I watch the clouds gathering over the L.A. basin. I’ve relocated umbrellas and put them into strategic places. Yesterday I stored all the patio furniture for the winter and I put away my summer and fall wardrobe and put my winter clothing in my bedroom closet. I’ve begun to write to my list of gratitudes I do this time of year and I’ve gone back to my Vision Board which has largely lain dormant for a month.

I reconnected with an old friend yesterday, Carol K. When both of us were newly divorced in the mid 1980s, we spent a lot of time together. She is the one who taught me how to find bargains at the thrifts and garage sales. For years she ran a clothing consignment shop and still works part-time in another. She supplements her income selling the things she buys. We both were in and out of relationships over the years and lost track of each other. A few weeks ago we serendipitiously reconnected—where? At a thrift shop! After lunch yesterday she introduced me to a new thrift in Carson called the Discount Center with 20% Monday senior discounts. I wasn’t in the market for clothing but got five articles of clothing for $10 and to my great surprise, all of them fit when I got them home. That means I have to recycle five articles of current clothing, but that will be easy.

At the request of an elderly friend who does not use the Internet, I have printed out pages of information from the local mortuaries about pricing, etc. Her husband, a long time friend, is in palliative care at a local long-term care facility and I’ve been bombarded with memories of better days. I remember my friend giving Tony a Big Wheel when he was four and now Tony is 41. Sigh!

Tonight another old friend is picking me up for a quick bite to eat and then we are going to the annual South Bay Interfaith Service. Tomorrow is my prep of the few dishes I am bringing to the family Thanksgiving at the home of my ex-husband and his wife. They say time moves more quickly as you age. Like a Japanese bullet train maybe.

Well, it hasn’t started raining yet but the wind is picking up and all the birds and bees who are usually in the trees outside my window have skeedaddled. Just some thoughts.