Month: March 2024

First Sunday Living Alone

For months I have attended my church in Asheville via live-streaming. Unlike the disheveled church-attenders pictured in cartoons, I was ALWAYS prepared for worship. I showered and dressed for the day before turning on the computer. I was unfed and un-coffeed. This first Sunday living alone was no different. What shocked me was the volume of my singing. I let loose and sang as if I were in church. Who knew I had kept quiet to avoid disturbing grandson David and put the damper on to protect Chrissie’s ears? I made a joyful noise to the Lord. He accepted the loud praise graciously, I presume. For the record, Kacey didn’t howl.

The temperature shocked me when I was ready to have lunch around 3 in the afternoon. It was 70 F (21.11 C)! The table on the porch was dirty, but it was a joy to clean it up for warm dining. Neighbor Logan came over to visit while I was eating. I was having my leftovers from a Mexican restaurant, which happened to be where Logan had eaten lunch. He had peanut butter and crackers while keeping me company.

Logan asked if I’d like for his mother to come porch sit when she woke from her nap. I was thrilled, because I hadn’t seen her since she got an awful sinus infection weeks ago. Her voice did get a little raspy as we talked, but she looked prettier than ever. I wish I’d asked to take a photo of her.

Bob joined us and took Kacey for a run with the golf cart. That’s the first time she has had a good run since I quit letting her loose. We laughed that she slurped from every water bowl here – in the house and on both porches.

The day ended with phone calls from both daughter Lise and son John $. What a lovely way to end the day!

Hiding from the Dog

At 5:30 nothing was stirring as I reveled in the warmth of the bed. There were two more hours to sleep before the alarm went off! My eyes popped open wide, thinking that if Kacey heard me, she’d be prancing about, wanting to go outside. Niece Chrissie tried to break her of getting up early, a habit she started after David moved out. I used to stay up until 11:30 at night to take her out, not knowing when David would come home, anywhere from 1 to 6 am. I’m still going to bed late, while hoping to sleep in the morning.

I carefully pulled one foot from the duvet, then the other. I tiptoed to the bathroom, hoping the floor wouldn’t creak. No dog in sight. The bed announced I was getting back in. Moving quicker than I thought was possible, I pulled the covers up to my chin and lay there holding my breath. Without hearing aids, I wouldn’t hear the quiet footsteps. Hoping my eyes wouldn’t squeak, I looked toward the door. Yes! The tip of Kacey’s tail moved past the bed. Hold still! Don’t move! If she suspects I’m awake, 45 pounds of dog will vault onto the bed and pounce on me! Slowly let your breath out and inhale silently. Ahh! Don’t make any sound as you relax. For heaven’s sake, don’t snore! Zzzzzzzz

The alarm chimed. Yes! 7:30! The dog appeared almost instantly “Get up and let me out, please!” said Kacey. We found rain falling on bits of ice on the front steps. The temperature was slightly above freezing, so the steps were not slippery. My third day of living alone was off to a well-slept start.