Yes, I know. We’re into the “bleak mid-winter”. I step out the door, and my nose and hands immediately yell at me, “Quick – get back inside”. The weather is alternating a few hours of sun, followed by clouds, then periods of snow or freezing rain. The wind comes up and rattles the windows. The Super Bowl is coming up, and our beloved Patriots didn’t even make the playoffs. Nothing new really in Red Sox nation either, although it will pick up and we just know that they’ll be a contender next year. My gardens are covered in snow, but I know that underneath all that dormancy, there is beauty just waiting patiently for the warm weather to come back. The election cycle and the primaries are heating up, but I just know that the country will come to its senses and elect someone I like. Or at least one that I don’t think will be in jail by November.
My daughter refers to my condition as GOM – Grumpy Old Man. I personally don’t see it. I rather think that I’m a model of even-tempered disposition and pleasant exuberance. Understated exuberance, perhaps. I don’t dance around like those people in the prescription drug commercials, but as long as I’ve had a decent nap, I rather think I’m positively delightful. I had a doctor’s appointment this morning and he told me that I’m an amazing specimen. Not his words, exactly – I’m paraphrasing, but that was the essence of it. Perhaps I just need to have the Gallop people do a survey to reinforce my inner conclusions.
We’re coming off a quite successful and lucrative holiday season. Her Ladyship and I did very well in the Christmas present department, and the Princess again took in enough loot that it practically required a box truck to get her back to Boston. She was then off to LA to do some research for her dissertation. Personally, I think it was an escape from the cold. The official cookie bake went well again this year – so well, in fact, that relatives with whom we got together on Christmas Day asked – more demanded – that we leave the left-over ones with them. I’ve worn the new stuff, of course, but all of it is agreeable and notable additions to my wardrobe. Our dear friend, Lady Peacock, as had a couple of setbacks from which she’s been dealing with her usual dignity and aplomb. After a thumb injury left her incapacitated just before the holidays, she rallied to attend a formal wedding with her current significant friend, Mike on New Year’s Eve. Promptly on New Year’s Day, she came down with flu-like symptoms and tested positive for COVID. The timing leaves us with questions as to whether she was the “spreader” or the “spreadee”. So far, nothing on the nightly news about a major outbreak, and as it’s been a couple of weeks, she may be in the clear. All of this has, sadly, left her down but not out, and her ability to face adversity with a smile and bounce right back have seen her through this dark period. Truly an inspiration in this bleak season, a lighthouse on a stormy sea.
I have spent some time curating my houseplants. The Princess disputes the use of this word, preferring to save it for art shows and film festivals, but I like to think of myself as a lower level “curator”. I repot and rearrange, occasionally purchasing a replacement for something has died back or looks pathetic, strategically placing them in just the right light or shade, and generally squandering the Princess’s inheritance. That’s the way she describes my plant investments. My sister-in-law bought me a t-shirt for Christmas with a bold legend, “Life is short. Buy the Plant.” I take that as both incentive and challenge. A goal toward which I can be constantly edging. An interim step while I read gardening magazines and watch “Gardener’s World” on BBC. I can dream about building a greenhouse in the back yard.
So far, there is nothing to report on winning the lottery. Her Ladyship has won a few dollars here and there on scratch tickets, but not enough to buy that winter getaway in Tuscany or Malta. I’ve gone online and found several suitable, slightly extravagant possibilities, but the serious search is still on hold. Our appearance on “My Lottery Dream Home” is just in the waiting-to-fill-out-the-application stage. Her Ladyship’s beach house and my Range Rover are but visions on the horizon, moving farther and farther away. But no mind. The Princess has informed us that when we win, we need to win big. The proceeds need to be staggering as she would like to become a large-scale philanthropist, overseer of a massive charitable trust or some such. A smile on the face, even if it never comes true.
While the aging process presents challenges, it’s important not to make them “walls at the border”, or dwell obsessively on what we can’t do. We can gather joy in the simple things – our morning routines as we get up, putting on the coffee and reading the newspaper, getting breakfast, planning what we’ll have for dinner. We take care of each other, and there is great love and enjoyment in that. Each day is relaxing, because the schedules don’t change much – only the tv episodes do. Somebody might pop in for a visit, or not. I watch folks on House Hunters looking for places to “kick back and relax” because of their stressful jobs, family obligations, or lifestyles. We seniors don’t need to go out (unless the refrigerator is empty), with moments just to enjoy, and there are many of them. If it’s snowing, we can just watch it. Somebody else will shovel it for me. I’m enjoying writing this blog. Herself is watching “Law and Order” in the other room. These are moments of happiness for us both. In fact, there’s just as much enjoyment here for us as there would be taking a Viking River Cruise or taking off to an island in the Caribbean.
So, now we head into that time of year that I call semi-dormancy. If I were a bear, I would be hibernating. Outside work will have to wait. I’m noticing a couple of small inside tasks that I’ll get to – possibly tomorrow or the day after. A closet to be cleaned out, a spot of painting. Right after my nap. How appropriate that we’re entering the time of year that we can slow down from what was slow to begin with. We can stay reasonably safe and secure. No expectations, no “I really should be doing . . . . .” When the phone rings, it’s either friends and family or telemarketers that we can ignore. We can keep ourselves well fed, clean, and comfortable. Yes, there may be some things that annoy me from time to time. Inanimate objects that thwart me. Gravity that confronts me. And I may be heard to utter a mild expletive or two. A slightly colorful bit of profanity when something slips from my hand. But overall, I maintain my sunny disposition and my eternal smile. Grumpy Old Man, indeed.
I'm Thinking...No! 