* Just weeks ago in this journal, I was lamenting the lack of a personal washer/dryer, which necessitated many undesirable trips to the Laundromat. I am happy to report the delivery of my new washer/dryer on July 4th at approximately 2:35 in the afternoon. A friend of mine who moved on the Fourth of July had a set, only a year old that could not be accommodated in her new place. She offered them to me on a “payment plan.” Her two mover men brought them to my house, but of course there was a glitch. The dryer had a four-pronged plug. I have a three-pronged outlet. They offered to install the washer while I ran out to Lowe’s for a new cord. I paid them and gave them beer.
* Psssssst (she said, whispering). There are running water noises and hammering noises coming from the apartment next door. It’s been empty for a month. I wonder if it’s just a work crew or if someone’s moved in under my nose. It could happen. I’m so busy doing laundry.
* Several weeks ago when I was teaching the Religion and Feminism course, I went to “my” Starbucks before class to get my usual morning double tall soy latte and as I stood in line, dressed more professionally than usual, my co-workers and friends shouted from behind the coffee bar, “Hey Louise! Where you going all dressed up?”
And I responded, in a voice loud enough to hear across the five feet to the espresso bar, “I’m off to save the world…one feminist at a time.” The atmosphere changed- to a hush.
* I was at my hair salon the other day. It's a very intimate, small place. There was only one other woman there along with my hair stylist (who is also my friend). The other woman having her hair done was...uh, ok, I'll say it- she was as redneck as anyone I've ever seen. Her beloved daughter (about whom she is very possessive) has just gotten engaged to a Muslim man. Of course, the woman knows NOTHING about her own religion, let alone Islam. She just wants him to "believe in God and Jesus. They believe in them don't they?" I tried to explain in the simplest language I could about Islam. (I WANTED to say, "You know... there are BOOKS."). Anyway, I really do have tremendous patience and tolerance with ignorance, but THEN she said that sometimes she sneaks pork into her future son-in-law's food "to see if he'll notice." Yes, I can tolerate ignorance but NOT deceit and mean-spiritedness. I said to her, "Would you step on a Cross? Would you smash a Cross with your feet?" She said of course not. I said, "Well sneaking pork into that man's food is like someone sneaking a Cross under your rug to MAKE you step on it." And I THINK I saw a night-light size bulb go off. I think she understood. Like Nathan confronting King David (OK...not quite), she understood her actions when she was placed in the center of the story. When she left she touched my arm and thanked me saying, “There was a reason why we were here today.” Well, I don’t know about her, but I was there was for a trim and highlights. My friend needless to say, almost bust a gut trying not to laugh out loud.
* I went to the beach yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that. I am drawn to it like iron to a magnet. It is my place of peace and calm. I walk and think. I think and sit. I write poetry here and ask questions. Odd, that someone who suffers from hypo-phobia should love the presence of the ocean so much. I don’t go in the water. I never go in the water. I will walk on the shore and feel the coolness of the water on my feet but that is not my greatest pleasure there. My greatest pleasure is the sound. There is no other place on earth that has quite that sound. And smell. And feel- the sand on the body and under the feet. The beach is a sensual place. I cannot wait to be back to the Rocky Coast of New England; to visit First Beach in Newport, so different from the South Carolina beaches.
* I can’t help it. I hate that the 7th inning stretch of Major League baseball games has become the “God Bless America moment,” instead of the “Take Me Out to the Ball Game moment.”
* I had a weird dream this morning. My daughter (she was a child again, not the age she is now) and I were in a two story, brown tenement house on the second floor. I don’t know why the color “brown” is important to mention except that I noticed it in the dream so it seems to be. We were awakened by a noise. The noise came from the complete collapse of HALF of the house; like someone took a knife and sliced it down the middle and one side of it began to fall. We found ourselves standing on the edge of the wide open, gaping hole of a second floor staring across at our kitty, still perched on the side about to crash down. Just before this significant part of the collapsing side finally went down, my daughter leaned precariously over the edge and grabbed the kitten to safety. My she-ro.
* This time next week I will be in Maine and three days later, in Rhode Island.
I cannot wait to see my family.
Note to Paulette and Roger: Fire up the hot tub and the blender!
Note to Ben and Sue: See you at Buddy’s!
Note to Bert and Liz: Don’t even TRY to get me on that golf course.
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