Double take

About six weeks ago, or more, I had a warm and fuzzy memory of "the old days", when two good friends and I went to lunch once in a while. The lunch happened around my birthday, in the beginning. We lunched other times in a year, but we hit on my birthday often enough they brought me a gift.

One of us is an accountant, and her life went topsy turvy at the beginning of the last administration. Tax law went to the wind that year, and it was summer outside on a patio before she broke free, and even then she was distracted. The next year was even worse for her, and two of us lunched alone. 

The next year was no better for her, and then we know what happened and no one lunched out. So, earlier this year I thought of the lunches, and arranged for us to go to lunch today. "Be there or be square!" It was too pleasant for words. We even toasted my birthday.

They are very old friends, but as I looked at them today, it is like this. We have been friends a long time, but I am old. They are caring for friends and relatives my age, who need care. I did ask if they knew a reliable way to have old records shredded. I've lost track of that service, and have far too many records I don't need to move again. 

One of us, being an accountant, has a shredding service and offered me the excess room in her bin. And, she said, when it's time to get them into the bin, she will come and move them; I'm not to touch them. I'm really beginning to feel older than they are.

Speaking of time passing, Maurice Brassard et Fils are on vacation until August 3rd. Cest la vie.

When I came in from lunch I had a visual mystery. I even asked myself, has the Gerbera daisy planted a bit of itself in the zinnias?

I leaned over and gave its stem a little tug. It definitely was attached to the pot of zinnias. Then I took a good look at the Gerbera. No, not the same plant, but definitely the same orange.