My dear friend, Pat Magee, just flew back to St. Louis, leaving me and my house in much better shape. I knew Pat in high school, although we didn't hang out because she was in the intelligent and directed tier at our school and I was a member of the smart and undirected group. Pat tells me they envied my group because we all laughed and got into college without appearing to concentrate, and they suspected we had sex. We didn't envy them at all, even though we knew they were our superiors and admired them. We did not suspect any of them of having sex.
Fast forward to our fortieth high school reunion. I walked in the door, Pat was right there, we started talking, and it was like falling in love at first sight. We have been tight friends since. She lived in the Bay Area (SFO) within walking distance of Oracle where she was happy to no longer work. Every time I went to SFO for biz, and sometimes just to play, I stayed at her magical apartment. She moved back to St. Louis last year, but I have yet to visit.
When I called a couple of weeks ago, at the height of the Grey Gardens fiasco, she volunteered to fly out and help me get things in order, and she did. We just finished a five day laugh-a-thon while we cleaned closets, and bought stuff the house needed to survive. (space heaters, vacuum cleaner capable of being pushed by a human, de-humidifier, innumerable baskets and storage things and, her very favorite, SPACE BAGS). I think our mere presence also scared the rat and raccoons away. The wonderful Mr. Ozawa, the contractor working on the roof, got rid of the squirrels.
I am so grateful. I am so lucky.
We even took the cushions for the banquette, which have been sitting in the basement for FOUR YEARS to the upholsterer.
The support from strangers is also a wonderful thing. In the last few days I've run into remarkable people working at Loewes. Even had the same happy check out gal two days in a row and she remembered us. The upholstery people, whom I haven't seen in years, were charming and upbeat, and the overworked gal at Boston Market, of all places, made me ignore the wait while I watched her handle three things simultaneously, remaining cheerful and competent. This is how the world should run, and it wouldn't cost a penny more.
The third source of joy in my every day life is the wondrous team of J and Quinn. I had about given up on my beloved nephew, Jack, ever developing sensible taste in women and then J appeared. I couldn't have created a more perfect partner for him. She is smart, strong (a professional firefighter), brave (went to Smith- haahah), beautiful, funny and ernest. She has produced a most gorgeous, happy, smart baby, the lovely Miss Quinn.
The amount of time, energy, creativity and love J. has put into this latest endeavor is impressive by any new mother standards. She did this while producing and storing gallons of mother's milk, working with her parents as a partner in their high level human development business, keeping in touch by Skype with Jack who is in Afghanistan, and managing three dogs and two cats as well as a zillion friends and over-interested relatives like me. Her blog is the first page I turn to every day, and I can't get enough of the pictures.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart to both friends and strangers for keeping the grace in circulation. I'll try to do my part.
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