Friday

Noreen called me at 6:30 (we're both early risers) to suggest lunch and I enthusiastically agreed. Since I'm booked so much of next week, we decided on yesterday. Although I don't get home until after 10:00 from T.O.P.S. and breakfast then, she and I meet at 12:30 and I'm well able to eat again at that time. 

As for T.O.P.S., I managed to gain back close to the 1.8 pounds I lost last week: At home, I was 1.4 up, to 128, at T.O.P.S., .05 more than that. The meeting was one of our usual therapy sessions, this time leader Lennie introduced aging and death. Sounds morose, but it really wasn't. I introduced to topic in literature, citing When Breath Becomes Air.  Farmerette Bev brought me three nice little succulent plants, which I'll eventually put in the ground. 

Home, ate breakfast, did my crosswords and cryptograms, then Suzanne dropped in to show me pictures of her new little great-nephew. Good grief, he's been named Huxley, of all things--it's a brave new world, isn't it? (Only the literate will get the allusion.) She asked if I'd take her rent check to the office, as she won't be here on November 1; she's going to a cousin's second wedding (Sister Gerald must be spinning in her grave.)  

I then took my cart and bused to town. I was a tad early, so stopped at the library to return When Breath Becomes Air, then went on the half-block to Dargan's to meet Noreen.

I'm always happy to see her. As I've mentioned here before, she's one of the kindest, least self-centered, most self-effacing person I've ever met. Unfortunately, what she told me may be an example of her character, which sometimes causing problems. It seems that one of her T.O.P.S. group (she attends a different chapter) has moved into her house--and now Noreen doesn't know how to get her, Michelle,  to leave. How can that be? Well, there are complicated circumstances: the woman has a job, but as a clerk at Target, so makes little, so presumably, can't afford to rent. She had been living with another member of T.O.P.S., but they had an argument and she left. Good-hearted Noreen offered to take her in and now, it seems, she can't bring herself to ask her to leave. She asked if I had any ideas to remedy the situation. I suggested she pick a time to talk to Michelle and, without being nasty or heavy-handed, ask what her plans are, then gently tell her she was welcome to stay for another, say, two weeks, but would have to work toward that end date. If Michelle isn't gone when the date nears, Noreen needs to get more emphatic about it. Sounds good, right? But I'm afraid Noreen doesn't have it in her to stand up for herself.   

Now we're not talking about a frail elderly woman here--Michelle is in her  fifties and in good health. Noreen mentioned that she also talks incessantly, puts on her own shows on T.V. and has some other unfortunate traits. As happens with mild-natured people, Noreen, almost never having a back and forth conversation. I hope my friend gets rid of this parasite, but it's doubtful. We'll see how this works out.

We said goodbye after 3:00 and I headed back to the library. Took out two books on Elvis, a current interest, but am disappointed in the larger one, as it's in a kind of daily diary format. The other's called Don't Ask Forever: My Love Affair With Elvis, which tells you all you need to know about those who jump on the celebrity band wagon.