It's a beautiful September day. The temperature is in the high eighties/low nineties. The best part of this day is that I do not have to work and I am completely alone for the first time in what seems to be forever with nothing to do. Nothing but housework that is.
I dropped my children off at school this morning and came back to my lovely little home to enjoy a cup of coffee. I then decided to change my clothes and attend a meeting with a friend in Richland. After this meeting, I went grocery shopping (without a list, which is a brave thing for me to do) at the Piggly Wiggly. It was nice to be able to walk around the store with just the lull of the music in the background to listen to, but what was nicer was the fact that when my little shopping trip was over, the store owner brought my groceries to my vehicle for me.
Upon arriving at my house, I unloaded my groceries and decided that it was lunch time. I scanned the refrigerator for something appetizing and finally came to the conclusion that I just had to make a grilled cheese sandwich. After fixing my sandwich, I brought my plate and the Stewart Webster journal to my bedroom and proceeded to eat my lunch and drink another cup of coffee in my bed while reading this weeks newspaper. This is a Friday ritual that I love, and I can never let my children know because "We never bring food out of the kitchen and dining room".
After my lunch, I was still not ready for the housework that I have been needing to do all week, so I decided to go for a walk. In order to do this, I must first make sure that the dogs are occupied so that I do not have visitors along the way. So I go out and fill two bowls with dog food and two bowls with water, close the gate behind me, and run as fast as I can towards the street before I am spotted.
I walk up the street, past my boyfriend's parents' house, turn at the corner and head towards Broad Street. Once on Broad Street, I begin to look at the houses. The one on the corner here was the "Cookie Man's" house, he was also known as Mike Bush. Then, a little further up the street is where my dentist's assistant lives, and next door to her is the superintendent for Stewart County Schools. It dawns on me that I know nearly everyone in these houses. And of course, while I'm out for my leisurely walk, the dental assistant stops me to ask me how my teeth are doing, which I'm sure that someone in a large city never gets. It's something I rather enjoy. As I approach the next street corner, I see someone that any newcomer would be weary of. I'm not sure of his name, but most people just call him Hawk, he used to play for the Harlem Globetrotters, until he came home one time and smoked some marijuana that had been soaked in embalming fluid. He hasn't been right since, but he's harmless. He asked me for the millionth time today if that was my uncle that owned the shop and where was he now, that he missed talking to him.
I continued on my walk after speaking with Hawk. I walked to the post office and was not surprised when I didn't have any mail. I then headed for the square, which was filled with businesses when I was growing up. Now there are few stores, and most of them are open for very few hours. I walked into the one place that I can count on to never change, the Lumpkin Drug Store. Ms. Mattie was still working there and greeted me with a hug. I spoke with her for a few minutes and then hugged her again before I continued on with my walk. I went down Main Street this time. Immediately around the corner from the drug store is a closed down restaurant called Michelle's and across the street is my one time dream house. I continue down the street and marvel at the beautiful homes. When I reach the end of the street I am amazed that I did not feel the urge to cross the street to avoid the house that as a girl I was always afraid was going to swallow me whole if I got to close to it. I will never understand why I found that place so scary, but I still do today...
Alas, I am back home, and yet again putting off housework. And I think I will put it off once more for a short nap, but then I will surely get it down. Maybe.
