Friday, June 27, 2014

A great day


What an incredible shopping trip we had. We went to Kmart for a blanket.  Found the perfect blanket, plus a faux mink one on sale - just for fun. We kept looking around, and as Wayne went off looking at something, I turned and saw a box on a high shelf, my hands moved to pick it up so I could look at it and I saw the entertainment stand we had been looking for and kind of forgot about. Checked the measurements, yep perfect. Then Wayne said to follow him because he found somethingIt was an ottoman. I completely forgot about needing an ottoman for the den. It was, of course, the perfect size for our needs.
We continued shopping, finding bargain after bargain of things we forgot we had been looking for. As we approached the checkout with our overflowing cart, Wayne said, "There's only one checkout open." I said quite casually and confidently, "Another one will open." I barely got the words out and a checker yelled, "I'm opening over here."
Later that day, after running out for ice cream, we drove through Kulpmont, Shamokin and on to Elysburg. Not sure how many traffic lights that is, but we got every green light. At one point, I said to Wayne, "Did we get every green light?"  He said "Yep, and there's one more yet." Sure enough, as we got closer to it, the red light turned green. 

What a day!

 

Winter in Pennsylvania


Most years, around the end of October, you can no longer walk out your front door without some bundling up. At least the roads and walkways are clear. The air is crisp. Not too bad. But in your heart, you know what lies ahead. 
It starts out so pretty. All white and pure, glistening in the moonlight. So pretty, indeed.
Then – it keeps coming and coming. Soon you can’t walk out the front door. You (or if you’re lucky, a spouse or paid neighbor child) have to shovel a path to your car or you’ll be trapped. 
If you have a dog in your family, that’s a whole ‘nother story. Where to potty. With several feet of that beautiful white stuff out there and short little beagle legs, where is she to go? She won’t go on the street; she won’t go on the path.  She looks up at you as if to say, “Where is my potty area, Mommy?”  More shoveling. Finally, you get a handle on it and realize it’s going to be OK. 
Oh no, more snow is coming. Another foot? Drifting? It all begins again.
And then there’s the soot, ashes, salt and cinders that the town spreads for our own safety. At the time, it’s a welcome sight. But days, weeks, months later, as the snow melts and the soot is all that’s left on the streets and sidewalks, it’s not quite that welcome. Your shoes, the dog’s feet, the floors throughout the house are all covered with the lovely black stuff. You’re constantly cleaning – your shoes, the dog’s feet, the floors. 
But it’s not over. More snow, and the whole thing begins again. This goes on for months and months, from November to March or even April. 
Finally, maybe around mid-April, you start to feel a little warmth of the sun. Not much, but enough to lift your spirits. By some time in June, you feel like it’s really Summer. Some years, you  may have to wear a sweater or jacket to sit out on the deck at night. Or you may have to fire up the chimnea, but you know it’s summer.   
Before you know it, it’s Labor Day. It’s all over. The leaves are turning beautiful colors. It’s lovely. Lovely, indeed. But you know what Autumn means. Winter is just around the corner. And it will all begin again.

 

An Innocent Drive to the Mall



I had to find a dress for a wedding.  A tough job as it is. We thought we’d stop at Kohl’s on the Selinsgrove Strip before hitting the mall.

There were a few open parking spots close to the store. We pulled into one, and as I started to get out of the truck, I heard a voice say, “Stay in the vehicle.” At first I thought someone was pulling in next to us and didn’t want to hit the truck door. So I leaned the door in.  The voice repeated, “Stay in the vehicle.” I looked back and saw the flashing lights.  A State Police car was parked right up on our bumper.  How in the world did I miss it?  My husband didn’t notice it either. The policeman came over to Wayne’s side and said to both of us, “Put your hands where I can see them.” We quickly slapped our hands on the dash board. He asked that we not move until backup arrived.  Backup? No problem. We were frozen with fear. 

 A second car pulled up. He then asked Wayne to “step out of the car, sir.” They finally explained that they were looking for someone driving a similar vehicle. One of them said that they realized Wayne wasn’t the perpetrator because he didn’t have a ponytail. He added, “Although your hair is almost long enough to get it into a ponytail.” I found that very funny since just that morning, I told Wayne he needed a haircut. So I yelled that out the window to the policeman. He chuckled. At that point, everyone realized we weren’t in any trouble. As the first officer was running a check on Wayne’s license, I said to Officer #2 how exciting this was, and that I wished I had my camera. He laughed and asked if I’d like him to cuff Wayne – for the Christmas newsletter. 

All this time, people were walking through the parking lot, staring at us. I really hope no one I know saw us. Imagine the stories flying through our hometown.