The Daily Breath - January 31, 2022

 

Monday

 

I always imagined that once the last day of January

has come and gone

the year is almost over.

Especially now

with the pandemic

the days rip by

Just a flash and they’re gone

 

I measure time

by the garbage pickup

which is every Wednesday at 6 am. 

We began officially recycling January 1

so now we have three bins with different colors

organic (green) recycle (blue) trash (grey)

You’d think that would slow us down

          But no

                   the week flies by

                             and it’s garbage day again 

 

I can never grasp how it got here so soon

I guess I should be grateful

I am still here to experience

this strange acceleration

 

Maybe it’s what happens when you grow older

 

 

The Daily Breath - January 30, 2022

 

January 30

 

Sunday

 

Mark and I have been walking the streets of Leisure Town

the streets are cul de sacs

two long blocks

with houses on either side

and a few on the top

          of the curve

 

He likes to chronicle the trees

on the streets  

in the yards

I like to look at landscaping   

There isn’t much variety

in the style of the houses

almost all have two-car garages

which means they are two-bedroom houses 

Once in a while you see a one-car garage

which means one bedroom

We almost bought a one-bedroom

but it fell through

fortunately

          They look so tiny

 

It takes four days to walk the complete horseshoe

of each named street

The blocks are long

our ambulation is limited

we only do half a block a day

We walk every day at 1 pm

It turns out this is a good way to visit

          with each other.

 

 

 

Just a wee note

Before I go

 

we actually do walk the streets

or more accurately

we walk in the streets

There are very few cars

the street is more uniform in contour

we can walk side by side comfortably

          and chat

 

Chatting is something we don’t do at home

Very much

For some reason

Too much tv news

I guess

so it is a real treat

we give each other

an affectionate adjunct

to the fresh air

and the painstakingly

                             painful

                                       walking

 

 

 

 

 

``

 

The Daily Breath - January 29, 2022

 

I am grateful for the sun

I am grateful for the balmy

winter weather

here in vacaville

I am in the yard again

raking leaves left over from the fall

grieving over plants who didn’t make it

through the extreme rain

making plans for new plants

sowing wildflower seeds

my granddaughter sent me

for Christmas

from Seattle

where there is little sun

and lots of rain

she loves the weather

she grew up in it

she has learned to live with it

walking in the rain

is one of her favorite

exercises.

 

I am grateful for the sun

believe me

I am worried about extreme weather

in the northeast

we have family there

but I know

our turn will come

again

in the form of flood

or fire

or more likely

drought