A New Day On A Gorgeous November Fourth

It's a balmy 72 degrees today in Iowa, with a wonderful autumn breeze that keeps leaves falling. I just got back from performing my civic duty to vote, and that was a pleasant experience.

I stopped off on the way home to grab a sandwich, and then made it into a picnic for one at Union Park, across the street from my house. At the park, I found solace and sun at an empty picnic table facing south.

A few cars passed by the lane in the park, obviously on a pleasure drive. From my table, I could see the little grove of cedar trees, and every breeze wafted the heady smell of fresh cedar into the air around me. I lounged in the sights and sounds of the trees and fallen leaves rustling in the wind, as my face warmed in the bright sunshine. I noticed a pile of acorns that were half-cracked open on a patch of concrete in the grass, where a squirrel got interrupted before he buried the acorns for winter.

A little further down the hill, I could see the Des Moines River winding it's way downtown, and an occasional jogger running by. Fall is definitely my favorite time of the year!

I must confess that I have been negligent on posting for the past couple of months here on Imbroglio. Lots of things have come to pass in my life recently, and it overwhelmed me too much to live through it and write about it. But I will make it up. Soon.

I must steel myself for this evening's event and tomorrow's too, for I must go to say good-bye to a dear, dear friend of mine for the last time. My best friend since the second grade died on November 1, All Saint's Day. Ironic, I guess.

She called me on her deathbed in October on my birthday this year to wish me Happy Birthday. It was the last time I heard from her. I wished her Happy Birthday, too, although her birthday isn't until December 10th.

Dawn didn't like having her birthday so close to Christmas, you see, because so many people would just send her a Christmas card, and not one for her birthday. So she made it a point to always acknowledge her family and friends special days with a card- and she became known as The Card Lady.

I knew this birthday/Christmas dilemma with Dawn, and so in our adult life with kids, I tried to manage to send her a birthday card in December- even if I didn't get my Christmas cards out till January.

However, Dawn could not remember MY birthday until this year when she called. She sounded so proud that she had figured it out and that she was correct. This year is a big milestone for us both, being the big 50. I just wish Dawn would have been around for another 50 years.

Dawn Will Always Be My BFF.

Sheila