Hunter

Today is my paternal grandmother Lillian's birthday.  Today is also an Hunter's Full Moon and Lunar Eclipse in my fourth house of home and family.  I have cried intermittently since Thursday.  Belle slapped me repeatedly for crying, and tried very hard not to cry too.  She kept me draped in hugs and kisses when she wasn't slapping and biting me.  It's been an emotional week.

I sold the antique radio that once belonged to my grandmother and her husband.  While it once stood so stately in the Longwood kitchen, it's been hidden in this garage since I moved here.  The man who bought the radio is coming back for the bar.  My tenant from the Longwood apartment sold me a gorgeous wooden bar that no longer fits my space or my life.  I will surely create a breathable living space once that dead weight is removed and I move other furniture around.

Tarot

Belle and I held a last minute tarot reading at home last night.  We drank tea and ate cake.  I learned this particular deck may not want to be shuffled by anyone but me.

You teach people how to treat you

Last Saturday I met a woman over fifty who was dressed like a man half her age.  She wore an oversize tee shirt, baggy knee length shorts belted low enough to display her boxers (which she graciously covered with the tee shirt), sandals with socks and an obnoxious wool cap.  I watched her butt heads with someone in authority and leave in a huff.  Since Alameda is a very small island, I saw the woman driving later the same day.  She pulled over to complain to me about an injustice at the market where I'd seen her.  I could have said, "You have a dead body drawn on your tee shirt.  Look how you look."  Instead I said, "Call in and complain."  It took all of me not to say it.

The writing life

I am now a contributing author at a tarot blog.

Prospectives

I met a thirtysomething couple and their nineteen month old son as Belle and I set out for our walk.  They were looking at the house next door where the creep lives.  I noted the husband wore the boy in a carrier, tummy to tummy.  They are just my type, at least superficially.  I wish for them or someone better to be our neighbors.  I can't live next door to anyone who needs to show me his penis.

Sunday ice cream

Today I loaded Belle into the push chair and took us on a long walk.  We walked past the new Target and on to Dollar City (Or is it Dollar Store?) and Lucky Supermarket.  I bought a ramen noodle family pack at Lucky, made especially to accommodate leftover meat and vegetables (I added last night's ham, kale and onions to this morning's beef flavored ramen, plus a hard boiled egg!  Mmm.).  I felt urged to leave a quarter at the remains of a railroad I found along the way in exchange for a pebble and dirt, and another quarter for a much larger pebble from the new and bustling Alameda Landing as we walked.  I wanted these pebbles for a little sympathetic magic.

A friend we visited on our way home clued me in on free fries being given at Burger King.  Burger King isn't really my spot, but I felt like a snack.  I ordered my free fries and noticed I could also get Belle a free ice cream cone if I answered a short online survey.  Belle loved every bite of her ice cream.  I loved being able to honor Sunday as ice cream day, per Belle's favorite song, "Today is Monday."  I attribute these unexpected freebies to the offerings I left today.  We put a little in and got a little back.  I also found ten cents.

Noodles

Top Ramen made an excellent lunch for an impatient Belle yesterday.  I drained the water and tossed the cooked noodles with butter and the seasoning packet.  We sat on the floor and ate delicious noodles.  Now I want more.  I want to be creative and add an egg or something.

I had my eye on whole wheat pasta earlier, and chose something else instead.  Imagine my delight when someone just handed me two pounds of the same whole wheat pasta as Belle and I walked home.  I look forward to trying them.

I am learning how to make smaller portions of food.  We get bored with our leftovers.  I am also enamored with a particular brand of canned chili with beans.  I must eat a can of chili over rice a week.  Belle has learned how to hunt for beans in my bowl of chili with beans and rice.