Janis's First Full Day in Lafayette

0500 arrived as usual and I remain thankful that I can still make that statement. You start appreciating those kinds of things as you move along that path well worn by the aged ones before us.

I padded to the kitchen where I slipped the coffee grounds in place and poured the carafe of water into the pot. I stood watching the dark liquid drop into the clear pot, my coffee cup grasped by the handle, creamer hugging the bottom of that cup. I'm always impatient for that first cup of brew. Some times I steal a cup; pulling the pot off the warmer, I slip my coffee cup onto that warmer and let the coffee drip directly into my cup. Slipping the pot back into place as I remove my cup, I head for the living room and some morning CNN while I wait for the husband to join me.

He leaves for Oklahoma this morning and he will be up earlier then his usual time. While waiting for him, Janis joins me with her coffee and soon the husband steps into the room to wish us a good morning and a goodbye.

I have errands to run this morning but first I'll have to bath Carrie and get her dressed. This is never a speedy task especially the combing of her hair. Just as I finish brushing all the tangles from her hair, a knock sounds at the patio door followed by the daughter stepping into the room.

I'm peeling the sofa cushion covers off and pulling the foam out where I will strip off the batting.

This foam will be taken to the foam shop where 3 inches will be sliced off the thickness. I'm still trying to get the sofa cushions comfortable. I've given up on the Michelin treatment on those cushions. To recap, just in case you haven't been following this blog and I don't know why you wouldn't,  let me direct you to the story of the sofa cushions.  I'll Get Ya Yet!

I'm all done in. I know when to quit. I will make a trip today to pick them up and take them to the upholstery shop. Hopefully, sometime this week I will have them back on the sofa and my life can move forward!

Our first stop was to the big oak. Since my last visit there have been some changes made. A black iron fence surrounds this magnificent tree. Years ago when I moved here one could walk right up to the trunk of this tree and have their picture taken while leaning against it. Now the visitor is kept back and not allowed under it's spreading boughs.

Our little crew of happy folks ended up at The Olive Garden for the soup and salad lunch. April and Carrie soon departed our company. I think I heard April mentioning some thing about a nap.

It's now late afternoon when I decide that we should go for a roadster ride. The rain that had been predicted all day had not shown it's face. Bravely we ventured forth beneath the dark clouds, top down, we headed for the swamp. Not noticing the time, we crept along in rush hour traffic while trying to get to the four lane highway. The clouds overhead, those same ones that had been dark and swirling all day, were still following us. As luck would have it, a train stalled us at the tracks so we sat patiently waiting for it to scream and screech it's way through the intersection. We crossed the tracks and again stalled behind traffic that had caught the red light. That's when the sky decided to make good on the threat it had held back on all day.

At the first rain drop, I slid my seat back, opened my door and hit the trunk release button on the keys. The trunk lid popped open and Janis, on the passenger side  was bailing out out at the same time. She grabbed that side of the rag top and we hauled it into position. We snapped it into place, slammed down the trunk lid and was back into the car before the light changed.

And the rain came down. The slapping of the windshield wipers as they removed the raindrops kept us company for the next 5 miles.

I was hesitant about crossing the swamp road in the rain. The rain had abated by the time we reached the swamp but I was still worried about the condition of the road. It can get quite greasy after a rain.

We turned onto the graveled road and found the road almost dry. The area had missed much of what had happened a few miles back. Once again we climbed out of the car and dropped the top so we could cruise the swamp. Janis had her camera and as I cruised slowly along she took these pictures.

And so ended our day of chores, errands, food and frolic. Strange word..that "frolic" huh? I always imagine little girls in long white frilly dresses playing on a huge green lawn while their nanny keeps any eye on them sometime in the early 1900's. Strange how a word can dictate what you will see.

It's Tuesday morning here now and I sit in the darkened living room sipping on anther cup of coffee and grateful that I am allowed another morning to enjoy. I have plans for today and this evening I will share with you if those plans materialized. I'm off to the shower and to do something with this frizzy hair. Yep, the humidity is raging and so is the crown on my head.