When I was ready to begin the public part of my day, I took a selfie to show my new tee shirt. It says, “Not Lucky, Just Blessed.” Only one person saw it on me, because the day was not warm. I was wearing a sweater and a windbreaker over it.

This was errand day. Since there is no public garbage pickup out in the country, I took my week’s trash to the garbage center in town. It’s wonderful that it’s on the edge of town, so I didn’t have to share space with it while shopping. I had a notice that my library card was about to expire, and I had to go in person to renew it. The place hadn’t changed since the last time I was there, probably three or four years ago. I struggle to read large print books and use the card solely for checking out ebooks.

Next, I took the tax papers to the man who does my taxes. What a relief that was! There is always one form that is late, and I worry that he will have tons of people ahead of me that will push my returns beyond the deadline.

The last stop was my favorite supermarket, Ingles. One of the store employees was hurrying by, but she stopped in her tracks. She exclaimed, “I have to look at your earrings!” (Shamrocks) That gave me time to notice that she was wearing glittery green things over her store uniform. My holiday clothing was not visible, but she focused on the earrings. I celebrated by buying a green helium balloon that said, “Happy St. Patrick’s Day.”

Although the wind was chilly, neighbor Joyce and I sat in the sun on my front porch. I treasure times like that spent with my favorite locals. She brought me a bouquet of fragrant flowers from her garden that made my kitchen sparkle.