Marilynne's World

That’s all I can say I’m feeling right now – a feeling of wonder.  Our oldest granddaughter called this afternoon to tell us she’s pregnant.  PREGNANT!  I remember holding her when she was tiny.  I remember holding her mother when she was tiny.  How can this be?

Probably the first stupid thing that came to mind was “Whooppee!  I can shop for baby clothes!”  Followed by thinking about the feel of a tiny baby in my arms.  A mother never forgets, ever, the sweet feeling of a tiny baby cuddled in her arms.

Children have such power.  Power to bring out the softness in you and power to get you to act.  People change when they’re around children.  Children become the focus of your attention.

A long time ago, I was visiting people in a rest home on behalf of our church.  It was pretty low key.  I’d just go spend some time talking to them and listening when they wanted to talk.  Religion never came up unless they wanted to talk about it.

During that time I would sometimes bring my little daughter with me.  I talked to her about being old and what made old people happy.  I told her how much they missed children – well-behaved children, I’d add.  She was a great visitor.  She’d talk and she’d let them touch her.  They were so delighted to have this child visiting.

One time I was visiting an old blind woman.  She told me there was no sense talking to her because she was going to die tomorrow.  I thought that was close to the truth, but I sat and talked to her anyway.  She was really dwelling on dying the next day.  I told her that I’d make a deal with her.  If she could wait a while to die, I’d bring her something she liked, a surprise.

“Oh no,” she told me.  ”There’s nothing I want.  I’m just going to die.”

I told her “If you can wait until the next time I come to visit, I’ll bring you something.  Don’t die just yet.”

I could see she was intrigued.  I knew I couldn’t wait too long.

The next week I had my daughter with me.  I’d explained to my daughter that we were visiting an old woman who couldn’t see.   My daughter would be a surprise and would make the woman happy.  I’d told her about being blind and how the woman might want to feel her.  That’s her way of seeing you, I said.

So, we went to the room and sure enough, the woman was still there.  I knocked on her door and asked her if she remembered that I was going to bring her a surprise.

“I don’t need anything,”  she said.  ”I’m just going to die.”

“Don’t die just yet,” I told her. “I did bring you a surprise.”

I could tell that she was torn between telling me she was going to die and wanting to know what the surprise was.  I motioned to my daughter to be quiet.  We crept close and I asked the woman to hold out her hand.  She did and I placed it on my daughter’s long silky hair.

“What’s this?”  she asked puzzled and began feeling around more.  My daughter giggled.  ”A child!  You’ve brought a child?”  She was so excited.  I told the woman that my daughter knew she was blind and it was OK to touch her.

I’m not sure who was having more fun – my giggling daughter or the blind woman.  When she was finished “looking” at her she began asking my daughter questions.  How old was she?  Did she go to school?

We visited until the woman grew tired.  ”Thank you.” she told us.  ”That was just what I needed.”

I didn’t bring my daughter the next week because I suspected what I would find.  The old woman was gone.  She had died.  But I knew she had had one more happy day before she died.  When I told my daughter, she wasn’t surprised.  ”She said she was going to die.”

Today, I’m not thinking about death, I’m thinking about the new life growing inside my granddaughter.  I’m thinking of the fun of holding her baby and buying it gifts.  I think of the pleasure his/her parents will feel in this new adventure.  A whole new chapter is opening in the life of our family.  I’m excited.

That's me holding my brother Bill.

Marilynne

My husband, of greenhouse fame planted something like 37 tomato plants this year.  Since he’s a good gardener, that means we have lots and lots of tomatoes.  This is my gardener husband’s favorite time of year.

Everywhere he goes he takes tomatoes.  He is greeted with smiles and happiness because almost everyone he meets loves getting his fresh from the garden tomatoes.   Today he took with him enough tomatoes for the people he plays Pan with and enough cucumbers that I’m not going to have to eat them all.  He grows the cucumbers for me.

There is something wonderful about a tomato grown in a home garden.  It probably has something to do with being picked red and delicious just before you eat it.  Maybe with great slabs of tomato on BLT (bacon, lettuce, and tomato) sandwiches.  Maybe just eating one directly from the vine.

In addition to the big tomatoes, he grows the little ones for me.  Fat round cherry tomatoes, pear shaped yellow ones, and who knows what else?  Don’t ask me.  I just eat them.

I’m sorry, but you’ll just have to visualize his tomatoes.  The spammers are still after me and they’re tagging my photos.

I hope you have a generous tomato farmer in your neck of the woods.

Marilynne

This issue comes up because of free internet at the coffee houses.  They have challenged each other to provide more and more for the people who take them up on free internet.  How long does a cup of coffee entitle you to free internet and how many tables are you allowed to control?

Recently Starbucks faced this issue.  I tried to find an analysis on their web site, but was unsuccessful.  The issue is simply that Starbucks has invited you in to enjoy their coffee and food items and use their free internet.  It’s using the free internet that causes the problem.

Most coffee houses have a dining area designed for customers who sit, eat, maybe talk a little and then leave.  OK.  They never considered that someone might come into their establishment, maybe buy a coffee or maybe not, and then sit there for hours using the internet.

When you buy your lunch or your coffee and a treat, you turn around and look for a seat.  There was hardly anyone in front of you so you didn’t expect to see – every seat either occupied or filled with someone’s stuff.  The squatters often take up more than half of the seating.  They consider this your problem.

Because I’m a bold woman of a certain age, I often ask them to clear their stuff off of the next table where they’ve overflowed onto or even ask them to move their laptop a bit so I can share their table – there being no other seats available.

After the startled look they usually bustle about clearing a space for me.  However, I think that’s a special privilege afforded a woman of a certain age.  Perhaps they think I’ll die on the spot if I don’t sit soon – or worse yet, faint and dump my coffee on the table, perhaps on the laptop.

So, I urge you to be bold in this issue.  This is a problem with all coffee houses – in my area Panera, Starbucks, and Peets.  (Maybe Peet’s is the worst.  It’s an upscale neighborhood and those people tend to feel entitled.)

I’m asking customers to unite.  Fight this with politeness and determination. After all, some day you might want to plug in your laptop while you have a little coffee.

Marilynne

Later – I just dropped by Starbucks this afternoon and to my surprise I found only two WiFi ers  and they were sharing a table for two.  Maybe the world is changing – or maybe I just dropped in at an unpopular time.

I snagged a questionnaire from  lin and she snagged it from chauceriangirl.  It looks like fun.  Copy and paste away if you please.  Let me know if you did.  I’ll be curious to see your answers.

1. Were you named after anyone?
My Mom named me Marilyn after Marilyn Maxwell, a movie star she liked.  My Dad wanted a biblical name, so my middle name is Ruth (which is also the name of my Mom’s friend).
2. When was the last time you cried?
Any time I see a weeper of a movie you’ll find me sniffing and looking for my hankie.
3. Do you like your handwriting?
I do.  I spent a lot of time perfecting all those neat letters.  I might as well enjoy it.
4. What is your favorite lunch meat?
Lin doesn’t like lunch meat and I don’t either.  However, my favorite sandwich is chunky peanut butter on wheat or good artisan bread.
5. Do you have kids?
I have three daughters of whom I am very proud.
6. If you were another person would you be friends with you?
How could I possibly know that?  I think other people like me.
7. Do you use sarcasm a lot?
Who me?
8. Do you still have your tonsils?
No.  They came out when I was small.
9. Would you bungee jump?
No way!
10. What is your favorite cereal?
I do like cereal for breakfast.  Probably my favorite is whole wheat cereal (hot) cooked with fresh apples, raisins, and a lot of cinnamon.  Of course, you have to pour cream on it to make it really good.
11. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off?
Sometimes
12. Do you think you are strong?
I am really strong for my age and so is my husband.  When you consider my health issues, that’s pretty startling.
13. What is your favorite ice cream?
Those little mini Drumsticks that are just like the big ones, but are so much smaller and have a smaller calorie bite.
14. What is the first thing you notice about people?
I want to know if they’re looking at me and if so, do they like what they see?  After that I want to know the inner person.
15. Red or pink?
I like them both, but today I’m wearing pink.
16. What is the least favorite thing about yourself?
I get to talking and forget to engage my brain.
17. Who do you miss the most?
I miss my kids.  None of them live close.
18. Do you want everyone to send (link) this back to you?
It would be nice, but you are free to do what you like about it.
19. What color pants and shoes are you wearing?
Grey sweat pants with a pink stripe, a pink T shirt, and no shoes – just grey and pink short socks with birds on them.
20. What was the last thing you ate?
Roasted almonds.
21. What are you listening to right now?
Just the click of my keyboard.
22. If you where a crayon, what color would you be?
I agree with Lin here.  I’d like to be plum – maybe plum with a streak of pink and another of cream.
23. Favorite smells?
Home, flowers, fresh air (my home often smells of fresh air), clean laundry, but not my dog.  He smells like dog.
24. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone?
I have no idea.  Probably a telemarketer.  I’m not a phone person.
25. Do you like the person who sent this to you?
I surely do.
26. Favorite sports to watch?
Not a watcher of sports.
27. Hair color?
Grey so white people comment on it.
28. Eye color?
Grey blue.
29. Do you wear contacts?
No.  I feel that I rub my eyes too much.
30. Favorite food?
I like to eat.  It’s all my favorite.  However, my favorite for today is the fresh peach we ate last night.  I want more.
31. Scary movies or happy endings?
Happy endings.  I don’t see the point of being scared artificially.
32. Last movie you watched?
Salt.  It was scary.
33. What color shirt are you wearing?
Pink to top my pink and grey sweats.
34. Summer or winter?
I like fall here in San Diego.  Summer’s too hot and winter is cold enough to keep the windows shut.
35. Hugs or kisses?
Hugs AND kisses.  Why not have both?
36. Favorite dessert?
Angel food cake with strawberries and cream.  No icing!  I don’t like cake with icing.
37. What book are you reading now?
“Death in the Garden” by Elizabeth Ironside.  I’m reading it slowly because it’s an English novel.  They don’t approve of people who race through to the end.
38. What is on your mouse pad?
Lightning.
39. What did you watch on TV last night?
House Hunters International.  I wonder if I was as stupid when I looked for a house.
40. Favorite sound?
The birds singing in the morning.
43. Rolling Stones or Beatles?
Beatles.
41. What is the farthest you have been from home?
Australia.
42. Do you have a special talent?
I square dance, write mystery novels, paint in watercolors, and play the piano.  I wish I had enough time to do them all every day.
43. Where were you born?
Ontario, Canada.
44. What time is it now?
It’s almost 9 PM and I’m worn out.