Going to town

Tuesday the library opens at 10:00 a.m., while the air is still cool and before the noontime sun drives me indoors.

So Tuesday was the day to combine a visit to the library with a bit of grocery shopping, - half an hour, I told husband, when I took him his mid-morning coffee. I should be back in half an hour......

Since #1 Son opened to us the mysteries of the CD player in the new machine we have been enjoying Scott Joplin, and off I went with the music escaping through the open windows, - with my Josephine Tey to return to the library and a smallish grocery list.

The library was a cinch - a new person behind the desk with whom I did the pleasantries in a brisk and timely fashion. I left with The Daughters of Time, another Josephine Tey Mystery/Novel.

When I came out of the library a good friend was coming up the lane, and we stopped to talk. A little gossip about a motorcycle accident, a few comments about the situation at the church, - the weather and recent visitors. Eventually I put my book into the car, and before driving off to the grocery store it occurred to me that this would be a good opportunity to pop in and see daughter-in-law at her store, and to get up to date on her role as New Grandma and the state of things with Granddaughter and the new Great Grandson.

Just for a minute.....or two....

DIL has some beautiful clothes in her store, and it has been in the back of my mind for some days that I really need a short dress, - something that slips on easily, is cool and casual. How could I not stop and look????

What an elegant variety, - but this one is too young for me, and this one too frilly. And the polka dot with the shirred back is, alas, not the right size. These are really beautiful clothes that people come from other towns to shop for, and midst such a variety it took me more than a minute (or two) to make up my mind.

Eventually I found an enchanting sea green drip dry, - the kind that you crinkle up when it is wet and it slides on and swirls around your slim body, if you are lucky, - or else covers up a multitude of bumps and humps and hollows if you are past the stage of being young and lucky...

Time was passing, and I had still not had the news from Grandma, who is so thrilled with her new role. Latest news, - the dear little boy slept until six a.m. and Maw and Paw were gratefully ecstatic.

In due course I found my way to the grocery store where I vowed I would hurry, when I glanced at my watch and noontime loomed.

Well, I did hurry, but there is this one to talk to, and how can you pass that one with just a short nod or hello. And there were questions to ask the clerk at the till about how her daughter was doing, and a friend I ran into on the way to the car. Ah well. I had stopped at the Deli and bought lunch, so I was not coming home late and empty handed.

Another stop for the mail, and I arrived home just as the hands of my watch passed twelve.

Full of news and gossip to entertain Husband at lunch, and glad to be home!

What small things it takes to make a day pleasant as life thins out, duties lessen and pleasures increase, and all is right with the world. And how absolutely delightful it is to live in a small town, where a trip to town can be so friendly.