we all scream for....

My patron was an older man ( I learned later as we were on the computer that his birthday was 1935), and he was searching for an old book which we of course didn't have in our public library collection. I explained the Interlibrary Loan system to him and he listened carefully and then attempted to do it on his own at one of our Internet stations. 82, frail, hesitant, but determined as rock. His cane dropped out of his hand en route to my desk and another patron asked if she could pick it up for him and he uttered a decisive "No!" and proceeded to bend over bit by patient bit to retrieve it. It took a long while but my internal hands were clapping when the mission was accomplished!

Later he stopped in at my desk on his way out, saying he thinks that he successfully completed the ILL form and would see what happens. He said he knew it was at the Library of Congress - and I said, " Let's wait until we see if ILL can find it for you before you make that trip." To which he replied with a great deal of force, "Oh my yes, I'm not going all the way down there even if they got ice cream."  !!!

One day, that may have been a draw; these days that's a pretty funny pot of gold!

camphor ointment

In all my childhood days, resting in the drawer of a little side table beside my mother's bed was a round tin, decorated in blue, white and gold flowers, with the inscribed words, "Rawleigh Medicated Ointment, Famous Old Fashioned Formula. For Cold Discomfort, Congestion, and Nasal Irritation.'' And everything else that ailed you! There was scarcely a bodily scrape that didn't improve with a dab of "Camphor Ointment" as we used to call it. There has never been a time that I haven't had a tin tucked into my belongings somewhere - 70+ years later!

Number one - it is soothing - to all kinds of inflammations. But more importantly, its application always feels like a little bit of Mother. It was her go-to solutions for so many of life's rough spots.

So,now in the midst of  21st Century woes, I rub on a bit of Rawleigh's magic and still feel the cool comfort of her love.

vive la difference!

Family reunions are a quirky business.

Even if you like your relatives, there is always a Squibs mixture of excitement, dread, guilt, pleasure threading through the planned visit. And no matter how successful they are, for people of an age or socially reluctant disposition, constant conversation and relating to people is hard work! And, yes, one can go off on one's own to read, hike, meditate - but then there is the nagging thought that one can do that at home without the cost and effort of a gathering. Thus the conundrum!

Nevertheless, though I was grateful to get back to the relative quiet of our personal space, I look back on our conjoined family time as golden. New shoots of communication will green and nourish the coming months and years until we gather again.

And somehow the divergent Facebook postings are now viewed with different eyes, because you remember the night under the stars with that cousin that were magical - despite the fact that he probably voted for Trump!

Retrieval

On my morning lake walk, in a park by the path, a young woman was throwing a ball to her dog. The green was splashed with early August sunlight and the dog was ecstasy in motion! As the ball left her hand he shot across the sunlit park into the bushes to retrieve it, completely oblivious to any hazard in his path and streaked back again for round two, three, four as I strode by.

I smiled and gave thanks for color, energy, pets and people, and health. Life is meant to enjoyed and pursued like a tennis ball flying through the green on an early morning.

tucked among the books

Little boy (holding stuffed toy): “I want to take this penguin home with me because I like him.”

Mother: “But this penguin lives here.”

Little boy: “why?”

Mother: “Because he lives on books.”

Wow, do I love that mother! So, do I Mom, so do I!