I used the burn barrel by myself, feeling confident I was doing everything right. Two days ago, the stage was set when I put in a few pages of newspaper, dry clippings, and small branches. Today I pulled the hose off the holder and was startled when I hit myself in the face – right on the bridge of my nose. I hoped it wouldn’t give me a black eye. I sprinkled the grass around the barrel with water. The paper lit immediately, followed by the garden debris. I sat on the garden cart, reading blog posts on my phone while the fire consumed everything quickly.

There was a reflection of myself on the screen, and I saw the rakish angle of the hat brim. A photo of that could be amusing. I was shocked when I saw the photo — discoloration under both eyes! The neighbors are gathering tomorrow to celebrate the Fourth of July, and they will see my face. They wouldn’t whisper behind my back, but would ask me directly if I should really be living alone. Not many people want to live near a person who appears to need an ambulance at any moment. Though Lise chose a concealer for my face while she was here, she knows I’m not skilled enough to cover major damage. Oh, well. Face the future with a smile and go on.

After putting things away outside, I took a shower and only then looked in the mirror. What a pleasant surprise to find nothing wrong with my face! The bruise was nothing more than a shadow!