0730blog

Oh Happy Day

This is a day for thinking about only happy things.

I was walking outside, listening on my earbuds to a symphony by the great Russian composer, Dmitri Shostakovich, pure beauty.

The meadow grass down the street where I begin my day with a morning walk was green and yellow and gently blowing like a painting by Monet.

My son was on the telephone and I could hear him chattering away with a friend and laughing loudly.

The warm summer day wrapped me up like a loving blanket, the sun brilliantly shooting out its heat.

An unusual and colorful assortment of birds including a blue jay, cardinal, three cat birds and gold finches stopped by for their morning meals in the back yard feeders.

Outside, the air was filled with the welcome smell of charcoal burning from the neighbors’ barbecue to be followed soon by the aroma of sizzling steaks.

I watched a frightened rabbit run from me in the meadow, amazed at how fast his tiny legs could move if only for a few moments before he was out of sight and safe.

I sat outside and put my legs up on the chair, kicked off my shoes and took a long drink of cold water and got back to reading the third book in the Chronicles of Narnia series.

A neighbor was outside walking her two black, Labradoodles and her two young children and I waved at her and she waved back and smiled.

The thought of going to Sandy Hook next Monday crossed my mind and I smiled and could feel the warm sand between my toes and hear the hypnotic and gentle sounds of the crashing of the waves and the distant calling of the gulls.

My aging but reliable Honda motorcycle is calling me to escort it on a long ride through the colorful Warren County countryside and I realize I don’t want to disappoint my bike.

I can taste the IPA beer, the banter among friends, the relaxing moments of being together, at once joking, and then in some serious discussion while enjoying snacks.

Ok. These are the annoying things that I will not mention today:

I’m not going to mention COVID 19 (68,460 new cases and 1,420 new deaths); or the economy (more than 1 million unemployment claims and record decline of U.S. economy); or President Donald (maybe we should delay the election) Trump; or Sen. Mitch (let them eat cake) McConnell; or Major League Baseball (now you see it, now you don’t); or Syria (what war?); or school bells (fingers crossed); or the death of Herman (I was at the Trump Tulsa rally) Cain; or Attorney General William (rubber bullets don’t really hurt) Barr; or Melania (I’ll just work on the rose garden) Trump; or climate (ostrich in the sand) change; or Sen. Tom (slavery was a necessary evil, pick a bale of) Cotton; or Rep. Louis (COVID 19 is a hoax, I won’t wear a mask, oops) Gohmert; or Vladimir (what bounties?)Putin; or Mike (I’ll fight again and who cares?) Tyson; or Arkansas state Sen. Jason (COVID 19 hoax, masks anti-American, oops) Rapert; or Dr. Stella (sex and aliens) Immanuel; or Donald (hand me my endangered animal-killing rifle) Trump Jr.; or Ohio Rep. Larry (I didn’t do it) Householder; or ……………

Nope, not going to talk about any of that negative stuff.