A quick recap of the week’s events---on Sunday, my first day back amongst the living, the afternoon was spent at the pool. There I conversed with one of my newer friends, Lee, who is single and not employed (i.e. ready playmate!) and is interested in art. Yay! Monday and Tuesday I enjoyed some company with Jamey who might soon be my neighbor. And today, I met and enjoyed the company of a lady named Mary, whom had already been coming to the exercise class with another lady, named Dale. We each felt like we had met before, and by figuring things out, decided it must have been at a musical soiree at the very same penthouse Jamey might move into!
Mary was discussing an interesting sounding book with Randy, our sole male exerciser, concerning the topic of stroke recovery. It is not really about that, however, but more about what the author, who experienced a stroke at the tender age of 37, learned about herself during the recuperation. It sounded right up my alley, that left brain/right brain stuff, which side controls thought, which side controls ego, and so on. The author could sense, being unable to communicate, what people were really thinking or feeling when they came to see her. Pretty revealing stuff! Yes, Amazon is bringing it to me hot off the press, even though my new ‘mother-earthy’ friend suggested I check it out at the library. She is too new a friend for me to explain my issue about used books!
After class we sat and talked for a bit, and then she said she had to go to the bathroom. As she got up, she said, “Hey, I don’t have any clients until about 3:00, wanna grab some lunch?” Of course, I declined---NOT!!!!! Madly I raced upstairs to change clothes and then we met in front of The Palace to ride in my car. I wanted her to meet and talk with Dee and Julia so we chose Koko’s for our lunch place. When we got to Hang Ups, they were just fixin’ to have their lunch, being delivered by Blair, Dee’s hubby, so we excused ourselves after a bit to have our lunch next door. But at least they met each other and Mary had a chance to look over the shop.
Our lunch and conversation were both delightful, and we made our way back to The Palace. We share having lost a loved one, hers being her husband almost a year ago, on Labor Day. They had been in business together in floor covering sales and installation, as well as her pain management practice. Her spouse of only 11 years just woke up dead one morning. That is a tough pill yet to swallow, as I am sure it is, being less than a year into her loss. Later on, as we were talking, I told her how much fun my sister, Kerry, was having on Labor Day last year, one of the finest in her life, while Mary was mourning the loss of her hubby that same day. It really makes you think….My sainted grandmother, Lily, used to caution us kids, as we laughed and laughed, that some day we might be crying. Talk about raining on our parade!
But, back to the water exercises---we had such a great time today, my two new friends and the old ones as well. As we did one of our more floaty-type of routines using the weights, Mary remarked how her butt floated up all the time. She is not heavy at all so it must be her make-up. Anyway, I told about how I had to use a concrete block on my weight belt when taking diving lessons, because I bob like a cork in the water---NOT in my make-up, but from being chubby. Mary said she always had this problem, claiming, “I was never able to pick up the penny from the bottom of the pool……” which prompted me to roar with laughter at the prospect. Mary said, “Oh, what a great laugh!” Thanks, Mary!
The conversation, all the while we are working out, turned to physiques, with one lady reporting that she has actually bought jeans with a padded seat to add more shape…Oh no she didn’t!!! I ordered her out of the pool, NOW!!!, in horror at the thought of someone having that need or desire. Like wearing a padded bra, for heaven’s sake, what?????
Later, when we came back from lunch, Mary had a few minutes before needing to get back to work, so she came up to see my place. 'Blown away' does not adequately describe her reaction, as she has seen many foreign countries and enjoyed my story about meeting Jeanne in Santorini, and re-meeting her in 2006 and 2007!!! She loved the chandelier and its story, as she tried to look at everything. (When my sister, Lori, was here a couple years ago, she said she needed time to take it all in…I love that!) Also, I told Mary about the waiter on the cruise ship who remembered me from a cruise two years before (“Oh, you wear your hair the same!), and how Justin is so thankful his rose-colored glasses mama secured a taxi and its driver to take us to Pompeii so he could find the address of a house he read about in Latin class.
It was a good day!
Marian takes medications which cause her to become drowsy so Biff sat nearby during the bingo game to keep her awake and help place her tokens. I took advantage of the snoozing to keep up with my own cards, but alas, I did not win once!
Marian and Biff waiting expectantly for the games to begin!
