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Sunday, November 24, 2019

LIFE'S RICH TAPESTRY!

"Who?" they asked, when I asked if anyone was interested in a 'Meet and Greet' on Saturday, fairly far south at the Hill Country Galleria shopping center.  (I know, I would usually write 'centre', but this is a name!)  Not quite in the 'Hill Country' of Texas, but set in a very scenic area, the Galleria is an open mall, and very trendy. The responses were "Why not?", so I entered Samantha and Grant for the contest, and thought no more about it. 

Up and down the temperatures went.  Traditionally, this time of year is quite erratic, with the temperature being only one aspect.  Work tends to be up and down, due to Thanksgiving being around the corner, and Christmas approaching faster each year!  

After a long day at work, Dana and I returned home, and there they were!  The lights, the orange plastic bags, containing the ordinary light bulb, lighted our entrance way.  "Ooh", I gasped.  "What?" said my husband.  I could not believe he missed them!  Our beautiful decorations once again haunted the complex.  It was 'that time of year' again!

"I can't believe you didn't warn me!" said Samantha on the phone on Tuesday morning.  I was oblivious, making a peanut butter cheesecake from a recipe I found online, and about which I was slight dubious.  "About what?" I asked, naively.  "The lights! Driving up to something so magnificent, I needed warning!"  Ah, the lights!  I told her that I thought I would let her be surprised.  I know a warning would have been a safe option, but then the effect without the warning cannot be beaten!  The joke never gets old!  The lights on the other hand.....!


The contest pages were suddenly filled with opportunities to win tickets for 'Jingle Bell Balls', and 'Santa wants to send you....'.  Some were for local events, and some farther afield. I studied my options, and entered the three of us in those I felt appropriate.  I did not enter myself into the 'Meet and Greet' contest, as I thought Dana would be disinterested, and as it was on Saturday evening, I wouldn't want to go without him.  Of course, he would join me if I wanted him to, but I would not want him to if he didn't want to, etc, etc, etc.  

For some reason, Tuesday was 'clown day' in our office.  It appears that we had all missed International Clown Day, which is easily done, I would have thought.  I have no idea how the minds of my colleagues work, but the 'kids' office (as we refer to the room where Samantha, Grant and Blake work) is the 'go to' place if you want to 'chill'.  They wore big ties, hats and a red nose.  Their room is in the back and they are not visible to those who come in through the front door.  This allows the impression of sophistication to be maintained, despite my office having stars and spiral decorations hanging from the ceiling!  However, I digress.  Samantha and Grant went to empty the trash without removing their costumes, and met Jerry on the way in.  "She asked where Jerry's nose was", said Grant, talking about the Speech Therapist who offices opposite us. I looked, very straight faced, and said, "She is an educated woman! You would have thought that she would know where his nose is!  It is right there, in the middle of his face!"  I was 'clowning around' and this started the circus off!  The 'goodwill' season had officially begun, with five weeks and a day to Christmas!  

My house was full on Wednesday morning.  Samantha and Edward had a problem with their water, and both headed over to me to take a shower.  Wednesday was not the best day for early morning guests.  I was hoping to leave early and go to Joe, before heading to Michele to be pampered!  My daughter arrived early and was sympathetic to my predicament. She had previously messaged me to ask if 'Casa Tracie' had towels.  I replied that all amenities would be provided, as long as I was not expected to cook breakfast or make tea!  Edward arrived shortly after.  Standing on my threshold, towel under his arm, and a small bag in his hand, he looked like a waif and stray!  I had considered asking what he wanted, but thought that a joke at this time in the morning was probably not appropriate. I told him that I had towels and supplies, and he just shrugged.   Samantha left to get the usual 'Wednesday morning breakfast' for her office buddies, and I left to head south.  

Gail was at Joe's shop and we managed to fit two weeks worth of worthwhile information (some may say gossip) into forty five minutes, and after my nails were suitable adorned with three different colours, in a rather sophisticated pattern (sophistication has to come through in one form or another, to keep up appearances) I drove back across the river to the north side of town and our office.  Apparently, clown 'day' is for twenty four hours from start to finish, and it did not start until late morning!  Or at least if it did, Blake did not get the 'memo'!  I had a feeling this 'big top' was going to be here for a little while longer!

The wind started to pick up and by the time I got home on Wednesday, my carport was carpeted with a variety of leaves.  I felt as if I were walking in a forest, as I crunched my way through to my door.  I found Edward's towel draped over my washing machine and started to laugh.  "He brought his own towel, but left it for me to wash!" I told Samantha.  She explained that was probably her fault, as she told him to leave it with hers.  Thankfully, their water problem had been fixed and I would not be having guests again on Thursday morning!  I continued to prepare for my evening, and ventured out to check on my plants.  It was still warm, but the breeze was fierce.  Grant arrived on my doorstep with his mouth wide open.  "Look at these!" he said, pointing to the lights on the wall of my front porch.  "They are amazing!"  The neighbors, 'that had', had all put up their lights, and the 'girls next door' were no exception.  Fortunately, we are not the 'prime' holders for our balcony, and it is incumbent upon those 'who have' to place them on the shared walls!  I looked out and gazed in awe.  "It looks.....", I halted as I tried to find the right words.  "Awful!" I completed the sentence.  Of course, my opinion is my opinion, but I often wonder when new people move in, their thoughts when told, 'it's time to put out the luminaries'.  Does anyone ever question it?  

It was very warm on Thursday, with the wind having dropped slightly, and the soft breeze most welcoming.   Samantha came into my room and started to play a recording of a voicemail.  "Hey. You won the meet and greet for Saturday......"  I asked her if she would go, and she shrugged her shoulders.  She would ask Edward.  As she returned to her room, Grant received a call.  "Okay.  Thanks", he said, and looked over at me.  "Me too!" he said.  "Might be fun", he concluded.  The event was to coincide with the tree lighting at the centre and it was 'sure to be lots of fun for the family'.  Samantha and Edward are quite partial to a tree lighting event! Grant offered me the place, if I could persuade Dana to come, but I declined.  

"Let's get rich ....", came the tune over Samantha's phone.  Apparently the song by Ingrid Michaelson is one that is set for an alarm on her phone.  I started to sing along.  "That's her!" said my daughter.  "That's who?" I asked.  "The meet and greet!"  I ran into Grant.  "Who are you taking on Saturday?"  He had not planned to take a plus one.  "I'm coming!" I announced!  

Friday was cold.  Very cold.  The warm breeze that I felt when I watered my plants a little before dawn, turned into a bitter wind that was accompanied by drizzle.  Samantha arrived early and took the dogs around the complex as has become habit.  She came in rather excitedly, and announced that she had a surprise.  Apparently, my neighbors who moved at the beginning of the year had bought extra luminaries and given them to the maintenance man to put them where he thought fit.  He decided that I should be the beneficiary,  Poetic justice?  I forgot to turn them on before I left home.  By the time we took our lunchtime constitutional, it was around forty degrees.  Before leaving the office, we finalised our weekend plans.  

Being the weekend before Thanksgiving, the supermarket was very full.  Parking was at a premium.  We were offered 'delicious alternative vegetarian snacks', such as fruit, vegetables and cheese, as if someone had just thought up the idea!  "It's gluten free!"  It's pineapple!  "It's vegetarian".  It's a brussel sprout!   The clue is in the food group.  It's a vegetable!  However, there is always one who will say, "Really?"  I mean not to offend anyone or any group, clan or association, but I am rather bemused as to why the suppliers feel the need to reiterate the obvious!  The offense should be taken by assuming our ignorance. I am not offended, just a little saddened.


We arrived at the Hill Country Galleria early.  The 'Meet and Greet' was at six, and we had a little under an hour to kill.  Grant joined us around five thirty and we wandered through the Christmas market, which took about a minute.  We picked up a variety of 'glo-sticks', and 'connectors', and Samantha made flowers, whilst I made bracelets.  She is always more creative!  Six o'clock came and went, and eventually, at around twenty past, we were taken to meet the lovely Ingrid.  I cannot say why she did not look amused.  Perhaps she had just been to Costco and was told that a pineapple was gluten free and taken offense,  As I approached her, I decided to be the one to take the bull by the horns, and start a conversation, in an attempt to make her feel more 'at home', and decided that it should be the Englishwoman who would be the one to give her a big 'Texas' welcome.  "So glad to meet you", I said.  She looked at me.  Instead of shutting up there and then, I continued.  "You sang at her wedding".  What I meant to say was that the short (but fabulous) video that was created by Samantha's friend Will featured her song, 'Let's get rich', but I had been compromised by the lack of positive facial features.  "I sang at her wedding?" she said to me, rather abruptly, looking as if I had just lost the plot, so to speak, which by now I had!  "Not personally", I added.  Then I really started to fall apart.  "Your song was played.  And on her video.  And, it's nice to meet you".  I stopped, had my picture taken, in which apparently I looked shocked, and left.  "What did she say to you?" my companions asked.  "What did you say to her?"  I responded that I did not think she was impressed!  We started to laugh. It had certainly been different!


The tree lighting was just that.  The lights went on.  Then they went off as Ingrid took the stage.  Her microphone was not working.  Eventually, all the faults were fixed and the concert began.  We did not stay long.  I will not make disparaging remarks about the singer, to whom I still enjoy listening, as everyone has an off day, or maybe it was me who was having the off day, but suffice it to say, we all laughed at having had a 'unique' experience.  Edward was rather confused as to why we enjoy the 'Meet and Greets'.  


I was dropped off at my house around eight thirty, and relayed the evenings events to Dana, who was rather pleased he decided not to go.  Although it was not cold, standing outside for a considerable amount of time had caused me to feel chilly and I was happy to sit back with a cup of tea and doze for the rest of the evening!  

It is Sunday again, and the sun is shining.  The trees outside are looking autumnal, finally, and the view from my window is rather lovely.  (Luminaries aside!)  The plastic bags that adorn the wall of my outer steps look like orange plastic bags placed on a wall!  I shall try to remember to turn them on each night, to keep up with tradition!  All that is left to say now is I wish all and sundry a very happy, and safe Thanksgiving, and would add that I am very thankful for everything.  I am thankful for my life here, for my family, and my friends.  I am thankful for the luminaries and all the laughter they bring, and  I am thankful for the opportunity to meet and greet people whom I would never had thought I would meet, and for the memories, all of which are good, because they all provide the richness that makes up my life.  I am thankful for the chance to write ......... another story!

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