Little Angel’s Preschool Graduation

Two Italians

The line for subs stretched back four or five people deep.  At the front to one side were a trio of twenty-year olds, two girls and a guy, clad in sorority mixer t-shirts, tank tops, and boat shoes.  The guy looked bored as he readjusted his Costa sunglasses then stuck both hands into his burnt orange shorts embroidered with blue crabs.   He refused to speak and looked past the workers, allowing a thin perky blonde, who appeared to be his girlfriend, to conduct the business of constructing his lunch. A taller, thicker, awkward female friend stood next to them. Pigeon toed in black flip flops her toe nails were  the color of a robin’s eggs.  She wore a baggy white t-shirt and tugged on her long dirty blonde hair.

Behind the counter a trio of deli workers mirrored the three customers.  Aprons, hair nets, and clear plastic gloves provided them with a less stylish look.  One served the needs of an eldery man, the second a mother of two, while the third was at the beck and call of the three twenty-somethings.  Following the commands of his well heeled patrons he turned meat, cheeses, and toppings into beloved Pub subs.  White paper bags were packed with sandwiches and handed across to stoic looking faces that appeared to be in a rush to some more pleasing destination.

“Where are y’all headed today?” asked the short dark headed deli worker to the taller of the two women as he carefully arranged a handful of banana peppers.

“Dog Island. I don’t even know where that is,” she replied curtly while trying to select a bag of flavored kettle chips without letting her oversized sunglasses tumble from the top of her head.

“I do, it’s near St. George Island, real pretty down there. Y’all should have a beautiful day.”

Brushing the geography lesion aside she stood back up and moved a strand of hair from her face. “There was one more sandwich, an Italian. Do you know where it is?

“The Italian? Right here.”

“Right where? I don’t see another sandwich. Did she order it already?”

“Me. I’m an Italian, I can call my cousin if you need two,“ replied the man with a half smile.

Rolling her eyes she turned, walked off, and left. The man in the blue crab shorts and his blonde headed companion gave a condescending huff before walking away and leaving both Italians behind.

Friday Confessions

I confess… I am really looking forward to this weekend. On the way into work Becky texted me an idea for a spontaneous weekend getaway with the kids.  They are going to be so surprised, and it should be a blast.

I confess… I received the Order of Discharge concerning the estate of my mother-in-law and I finally feel a deep sense of loss.  I probated the estate pro-bono and it took over a year from the filing of the petition to discharge.  While the process was going on I felt like Charlotte was still with me as I cursed her for not having a will and various other frustrating actions I had to sort out along the way.  I feel like I can finally have a good cry.

I confess… I am really looking forward to picking the first ripe tomato of the season.  The two Stupice plants we put in our raised bed are loaded with fruit, and one is on its way to turning red.  It should be ready this weekend.

I confess… I am listening to Pushin’ Against A Stone by Valerie June. Her music is a mix of folk, soul, blues, and traditional Appalachian elements and I love it.

I confess… I totally stole this idea from my friend Claire who blogs over at Incognitus Scriptor.

Baby Gopher Tortoise

Dandelion, Courtesy of Mason

Our Little Ballerina

Special Delivery from Nana and Nanu

This afternoon I picked up the kids from school because Becky had an evening full of parent/teacher conferences.   When we arrived home I checked the mail box and discovered two manilla envelops covered in stickers and addressed to the kids. Getting mail is a big deal and they excitedly carried the two packages into the kitchen.  With a little help they tore them open to discover a t-shirt sent to them by their Nana and Nanu in New Hampshire.

The t-shirts were from Weirs Beach, a tourist attraction in the Lakes Region.  Miss Julia got a pink one while Mason got a blue one.  Julia loved her new pink shirt and stripped down in the kitchen so she could wear it around the house.  She loved it so much she ended up sleeping in it.  Mason on the other hand thanked Nana on the phone and then carefully placed it on a hanger so I could put it in his closet.