El And Me

Walked Kimball under cloudy skies. After breakfast, I forced myself out of procrastination mode and started putting the Christmas decorations away. Good grief, it took me almost two hours just to get  gathered, boxed, and labelled. This year (unlike earlier ones), I was determined to be more systematic and neater than I had been.
It took me an age, though, and I think somebody must sneak in here at night and add to my collection! (Um...or could it be I'm a sucker for things that glitter and shine, especially Christmas things, and can't resist buying them?) I was glad I had gotten it done, but now I was confronted with this problem: The only storage place I have for these holiday items is high up over one of my long closets. I have a step stool, but I was afraid to try to put them in there myself; I would have had to use both hands to hoist them up. If I did that while on the step stool--even the first step--I was afraid I'd fall and--
Called Ellen to see if she could come over and help. After lunch, she could and she did. By that time, it was raining, a rarity in these parts, and she had had to deal with a huge tree in her front yard that had to come down. What a bummer that was, but my girl came over and 1.) quickly got all the Christmas decorations, including my  outdoor wreath, safely stored in the high closets; 2. got the coin counter working and now I've got neatly wrapped coins that total more than EIGHT DOLLARS--wowee!!; 3.) tackled the VCR and got it running after a great deal of pressing this and that on three remotes, then was able, after a struggle, to get back to the T.V.
However, we came across the CD from Steel Magnolias and she wanted to see my performance. We watched the second act and, yes, I had some good lines. Unfortunately, we went back to the T.V., then couldn't get back to the video. Oh, well, I'll bring the show over to her place some day.
I was so grateful for her help and besides, it's such fun just to hang out with her and chat. She goes back to work tomorrow, darn it, so I probably won't see much of  her after that. By the time El left, it was almost 5:00, getting dark, and drizzling again.
I called Char, who said she hadn't gotten Jim's and my email messages because she's hardly ever on the computer. (I sometimes wonder why people have one, then.) Anyway,she'll be delighted to join us for lunch next Sunday. Called Jim to tell him and we had a satisfying chat, veering into the political. We're on the same wave length there, which is always gratifying, of course.
For the first time in months, I didn't go out at all aside from my morning mile and a half, but that's okay once in a while. It was a good day.