When I'm expecting company, I usually do a lot of prep done the day before. Yesterday, I really hadn't--just lazy, I guess, so I had to hustle. I ran the Shark over the hard floors, but didn't wet mop, dusted the flat surfaces, and otherwise gave the place a "lick and a promise," as the old saying goes.
Ran over to Von's for lunchmeat and lettuce, hard-boiled some eggs, and got the crystal pickles out. Made devilled eggs, set the table, and put the wine and sherry glasses in the fridge. That took me to almost twelve when Diane called to say the Access Van had been early, so she was almost at my place a half-hour early. Good, I told her, I wanted to hear the lowdown on Stella and son before Jim got here. I told her to just call me when she got to the front entrance.
She did and I met her out front, then guided her to my place. She presented me with a bottle of Merlot (great; Jim likes red) and I poured her a glass of white. We sat and chatted happily. It seems Stella and son, Joshua, had been the only ones at her presentation--I can't remember what it was about, but something other-worldly--and they had a disagreement going. Stella is not in perfect health, J. is her only child, and lives in Spain. He wants her to move over there and she doesn't want to. Diane was totally on her side and was surprised when I said if I had only one child, and he or she lived far away, yes, I'd move there. Family trumps all in my book and, in fact, that's essentially what I did myself seven years ago. Okay, not to another country, but I would.
Jim got here at 12:30, we chatted a bit, then sat down to eat. Diane raved about the crystal pickles, so I'll give her the recipe. After, we three read scripts and Diane was so good--animated and expressive, in contrast to Jim, who was his usual bland self. It was fun. Diane got the call that the Access Van would be here in six to twelve minutes and I walked her our. However, it was late and she had to call; I waited with her for about a half hour, then Jim came out--I was sorry I had left him alone, but he was okay with it.
The amaryllis Ellen gave me is now a beautiful, four-blossom plant:
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