Return to Leisure, Briefly

Wedding checklist check-in: shoes purchased (need dyeing); last straggler of an invitation sent to cousin; customized Stansbury Home Victorian fan favors on order; dress alteration appointment made; wedding bands ordered; list of what I need to accomplish on my trip to Chico, Ground Zero, created. I have sworn off socializing in May and June so that wedding to-dos will indeed be done.

*****

I came home from work this evening to a welcome and increasingly rare sight: M washing his truck. Lately, the props surrounding him have been books, a laptop computer, flashcards (how does one get an advanced degree with flashcards? Isn't that for elementary schoolers?), the despair of being a good salesman but a bad closer. It was good to see him TCB (that's "taking care of business" for you non-Elvis fans), just doing chores without feeling like he was slacking on school.

And I responded in kind. I cut a vase of "Angel Face" and "Mr. Lincoln" roses. Pinched off the withered pansies and camellias. Refreshed the sugar solution for the hummingbirds. Assembled my clothes for the gym, fed the cats, made salads for our lunches, boiled eggs (shudder) for M, washed dog towels, all at its own pace. I'm up too late and unfed, but I'm glad to be back on a manageable rhythm. I can hear M dragging the garbage cans to the curb--time for dinner, and to (gasp!) watch TV. My brother lent us "Deadwood," and now that I've been watching it from the beginning, enjoyed it.