So it’s lunchtime here in the Two Rock valley. I’ve decided to stay away from the campus cafeteria for beltline reasons – the food up there is just too darn good and too plentiful. So my morning routine has changed slightly – still making coffee for Bonnie and the girls in the morning; feeding the Lu-dog and allowing her to head on outside, feed from her bowls and then a jaunt outside where I’m now watering the new vegetable garden each morning and watching its progress. The hours for the new job are pretty much the same however there’s always something different each day which makes each day exciting and a true pleasure to think about as I make the non-hectic 10 mile commute while navigating the many, many potholes of this farming community.
When I awoke this morning there was an oh-so pleasant email on my phone from our dearest friends on Cape Cod who writes “I’ve become accustomed to your daily blogs … How is everything out there in wine land? Has Bonnie begun the reconstructive surgery yet? And how’s the new job going …”
I met Wendy and Tony back in 1987 and worked for both of them as a bouncer and bartender at one of the greatest locations on the Upper Cape known as the Hotel Falmouth. It was a pleasure working for both of them and reading an email nearly twenty-five years later with her concerns made me realize just how important this little info-blog had become. I’ve always held the relationship with these two in very high esteem and now in my new office, with the lights dimmed, the Rolling Stones playing in the background and today’s lunch of roast beef sitting in the refrigerator gives me an opportunity to catch you all up on how things have been going out here in “wine land” along the river.
This weekend was Petaluma’s salute to George Lucas’s 1973 making of American Graffiti which was mostly shot here in town. The vintage cars, the mock Mel’s Drive In, and the entire history of the movie takes place right downtown and it’s truly one of the spring highlights for Petalumans; another great reason to live here. While the majority of the downtown streets were closed for this weekend to host this regal event Bonnie and I buckled down to wrap up the second straight “house” project in sequential weekends. Last week we planted our first vegetable garden in the backyard where we hope to start harvesting some California Bell peppers, roma tomatoes, cucumbers and green onions. This week we tackled the front yard. Mind you, when you read the word “yard” you probably assumed grass, right? Well – we don’t own a lawn mower any longer, and with that we don’t possess a weed-whacker, an edger or any of those other tools commonly associated with back breaking yard work. Nope – when the two of us purchased our wonderful little home, we delighted in the fact there would be NO noises of power tools EVER when working in the lawn. So this next project consisted of a dozen bags of mulch, a potted geranium, four confederate-star jasmines, a hanging basket with multiple varieties of flowers, a couple Adirondack chairs, thirty paving stones and finally a fire pit.
At the conclusion of the Red Sox / Cubs game on ESPN yesterday afternoon, dinner was served …and then I headed outside to fire up the firepit – however the only one who joined me was my hardy 15 year old Logan as the other ladies stayed inside as those valley winds arrived and brought the temp down into the 50’s. That may not sound cold but after an idyllic weekend’s worth of gorgeous sunshine I even tossed on a heavy sweater and my BOSOX hoodie to take in all the hard work we had completed and to sit, relax and watch Logan roast a few marshmallows.
I received a text from our oldest earlier this morning alerting me there was ten hours left before the next season of the Bachelor. THANK GOODNESS FOR THE FIREPIT. My new home away from home! Nice.
Bonnie is back to being the girl I remember … when her energy is surging you know it. When I don’t hear from her over the course of twenty minutes I look at the clock … knowing full well it must be time for her afternoon nap. Napping in the afternoon has become her comfort zone now that she’s back to work part time. Her arm is still somewhat sore where the lymph node dissection was done though she showed great improvement with moving her arm above her head this weekend. All in good time.
Her reconstruction is schedule for August. The plastic surgeon wants to wait until she’s FULLY recovered and then Bonnie will finally get what she’s always wanted; small breasts! Good things really do come to those that wait!
So that’s where we are right now. Wendy – thank you so much for that wonderful little email this morning. It means the world to me to now you and Tony are as concerned today as you were when we were playing euchre until he wee hours of the morning and making recycling buckets look like something from Sanford and Son. Love you both.
Love you all … and thank you all for keeping “my bride” close to your hearts.
I’ll be at the fire pit tonight … the girls will be inside watching that ridiculous television program “The Bachelor”.
I’ll bring the Lu-dog with me so she doesn’t get any ideas.
Cheers from the river …
Paul
