Presence

An Unfortunate Episode with My Car’s Valet Lock

December 18, 2021

We had snow this week, first of the year! Another one of my good neighbor’s took this photo. I am lucky to have so many creative and well-prepared folks around.

It is good to have good neighbors.

How would I make it through my days without them?

This evening, it was my neighbor up the street (who is clearly more prepared for life than I am) who came to our aid.

Meaning, she had WD-40 I could borrow when I accidentally engaged the valet lock on the trunk of my trusty old Corolla, and then suddenly was unable to open it. My daughter, who is home from college for winter break, was just getting back from a three day mini-Tahoe vacation with friends from school, and we had stowed her gear in the trunk.

“Can you open it, please?” she asked, very politely.

Usually? I pop the trunk with the button by the driver’s seat. But since I was standing back there with her and had the key in hand, I thought I would unlock it that way. I’ve done that before. Except somehow, accidentally, I turned the lock from the upright vertical position to the horizontal. This? This I had never done before. And with the lock in the horizontal position? The trunk was locked tight. And the lock was not moving, apparently ever again.  I wiggled the key, and wiggled it. The lock stayed firmly in horizontal mode.

“Try the latch inside?” I asked her.

It clicked. But no cigar. Continue Reading…

Presence

Just at the Right Time (Sometimes)

December 11, 2021

 

This picture has nothing at all to do with the post below. But Biscuit got a new (to him) luxe bed, purchased by my thrifty, thoughtful neighbors at a nearby garage sale, and he looked so comfortable! Just had to share. Now, back to our regularly scheduled blog post…

One of the Sisters fell while out for her evening walk earlier this week at the retreat center where I work doing massages. She was heading down a rolling part of the center’s driveway with her walker and got going a little too fast.  The Sisters live at the retreat center, but their rooms are separate from the public part of the center. They have their own dining hall, their own bedrooms and chapel. There is also an assisted living area for them when they reach the point that they need extra care. People often ask me if I give the Sisters massages; I don’t. I have a good friend who does, though, so they are well cared for.

I was at the center talking to a newly arrived group of quilters in the big hall that overlooks the driveway, hoping to sign them up for many massages, when one of them shouted, “Someone just fell!”

So much for building a lot of massage momentum.

We turned to the picture windows and there was Sister, on her belly on the pavement, looking very much like she had decided to take a little rest, and if she would have had a towel below her, it might have seemed like she was on the beach, head in her hands,  elbows on the sand, staring out at the waves.

Except she was facing downhill and gazing at the blacktop . Continue Reading…