A self contained and self sustaining ecosystem

It's not what I do but how I think and talk about myself that is my definition. Perhaps I'm just the person behind the curtain. Or not.

I lose track of time easily; when and where it happened can get murky. Especially since, as Ellen pointed out, it seems as if everything is happening again, except cards with the Methodists. My major orientation remains missing.

Sometimes I have a bad leg night, with too much pain and too little sleep. I must say, those mizerble water pills sure do a job, even at the substantially reduced dose of 10 mg twice a day. I've lost three pounds, and it's not because I cut out the crostata. I even have two more at the ready, in the freezer. It occurred to me that raspberries on sale could easily wait for me in a puddle of sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice, in the freezer.

Anyway, there was a night with no sleep recently, and this morning I turned off the alarm and slept until past ten. I found and cleaned up another cat upchuck of excess hair. I know he won't miss the hair.

Lately his "end of the bed" routine has been the complete extreme:

After brunch this morning, I wandered out to the car. My plan for the day was a "dry run" to 224 West Exchange Street, where the vascular test will be conducted in mid July. Downtown Akron is undergoing the Big Dig these last couple of years.

Downtown Akron is consumed by several hospitals, a couple of universities and county government, all of whom maintain their version of complex and confusing campuses. Periodically county steps up and broadcasts money and rearranges the streets and roads. It was beginning to happen at the end of the time Laura was seeing Children's Hospital folks, and I could always drive out of any mess they threw at me, but two years later, better go look.

I've paid close attention to my pots and baskets this past week. It has rained so much my major obligation has been to cull blossoms. My yard of weeds is in great form, too, and I looked over the deck and took some shots of them:

I've kept close track of the "lettuce" accompaniment to the zinnia. Several days ago it showed the promise of a blossom, and today it has produced.

Who knows what this is? Its leaves are thin and flimsy. It looks like a ditch weed, except apparently its seeds were included with zinnia seeds by a dear and trusted seed collecting friend.

So, back to the self contained and self sustaining system of the title, I started the car and headed for 224 West Exchange. I found it, and found I can park there, conveniently. On the way down I admired the fine art put on old buildings by new and young coffee, beer and film entrepreneurs. I'd forgotten this fine stuff since the days of travelling several times a week with Laura. Parking is easy and so are pictures, that some day I may go park by the Sojurner Truth building and take pictures.

On the way home I filled the gas tank, and taking care to touch only the soon to be sterilized ecosystem of the car interior, I finished driving home. To my surprise, a man I did not know was mowing my weeds. I started across the street to ask Larry who is this man, but good old Larry was already on my side, and flagging down a new Dan, for introductions. 

This Dan said he was already hot and sweaty from two other yards and so he tackled mine, too. I thanked him and shook his hand. I must tell you, it's been so long, it felt just fine. Isn't it a lovely day!

And then I came in and washed my hands.

The End