Pre Birthday Saturday

I asked Matt to go to the post office and pick up the package Mia said she sent me for my birthday. He said, "It's your Birthday???" Realizing he doesn't know WHAT day my birthday is, and was totally unprepared for it anyway, I said, yeah it's my birthday. He was very nice to me all day, swept and mopped the floor in the apt., went into New Berlin to get me eggplant parmigian, fixed the light over the Milk Room steps I've had to feel my way up and down in the dark for a year, and even went with me for our nightly doggie walk up the hill. I figured I might as well be celebrating it on a Saturday anyway, since we both are working on Monday (my birthday.) We explored the apple orchard, which has quite a few ripe apples ready for picking. I want to make a pie from the apples in MY orchard. They are small, but taste terrific. There are plenty left for the deer who take shelter from the hunters. Mia sent me a beautiful picture of me holding baby Hannah on my lap on my wedding day. I washed a black fleece, then dyed another one, and cut out a bag. I'm going out into the Milk Room to make some Rosemary soap now. One of my favorite kitties, Lizzie, is on my shoulder. OH, she's so sweet. Lizzie loves to climb up my back and sit on my shoulders as I go about my business. The movie World Trade Center with Nicholas Cage is on TV. Omigosh, it brings me back to Voorhees High School, where I was making copies in the copy room on Sept. 11. The door to the media tech's workroom opened and he motioned for me to come in. Several people including the principal were gathered around a big screen TV. We were only 35 miles from Manhattan. Our guidance counselor's husband was killed, and many families were involved in various ways. The principal wisely would not allow TV's to be turned on in the classrooms, as many other local schools did. With a quivering voice and shaky hand I called Matt on the job site where he was working and asked if he was alright. He answered, in his own indomitable Blue Collar spirit, "Ain't no Towel Head gonna get ME, Baby!" It was beautiful. We feel so far removed up here in our peaceful little valley in Central New York. I like it that way.