Not unusual, but I simply couldn't remember the date.
I originally thought it was my sleep deprived mind,
or my elderly brain.
Turns out, I think it just wholly stems from my
dependence upon electronic devices.
My digital clock displays the correct time, date and temperature of the room,
but I was reluctant to turn it on.
The CEO, was still blissfully asleep and the damned clock
glows an exterrestrial bright blue that would wake the dead!
I gave in to technology years ago when I purchased the clock.
First off, it's battery powered. In case of an outage, I wouldn't be late to work.
Second, it's an atomic clock. Sounds grand and slightly dangerous, but
I don't have to reset it when the time changes.
It automatically does it mysteriously at 2am.
How do I know that?
I stayed awake to make sure the clock changed so not to be late.
Yeah, I'm odd.
I digress.......
Anyway....
I consulted another electronic device, my phone.
Yay! Date and time, right there waiting for me.
What happened to the good old days of wind up, illuminated clocks,
wall calendars and dial phones???
All that gave way to progress?
Sometimes I question that.
All that got me to thinking. A kind of "remember when" nostalgia.
We didn't have much growing up, and I've touched on this before,
but we were unaware of it.
I don't remember a burning need for money either.
As I became a teenager, there was things I wanted to buy,
so we did chores and earned some money.
I had a part time job at 16, and gave my Mom most of my check.
As it turned out, she saved much of my paycheck so I could use it for a car later.
How clever of her.
I did love TV. We watched as a family quite a bit of the time.
Mama, Grandma, and us two girls.
Saturdays, we watched Saturday Hop
with John Plea.
He was soft spoken, tried to appear hip, and all around nice guy persona.
We listened and sang along to the current songs we heard on WTIX,
on our battery powered transistor radios.
The Hop is how New Orleans learned to dance.
That was no small feat to teach 2 teenaged girls with no rhythm.
Then there was Morgus!
I loved his campy show and dated horror flicks,
although my sister wasn't quite the fan that I was.
Poor old Chopsley, the strong silent side kick, and
Eric the Skull who spoke in a low baritone "Yes, Master",
peopled the slapstick scripts.
Occasionally, "guests" would be featured too.
Then, if a hurricane threatened our area,
we relied on Nash.
If Nash said we were safe from the onslaught,
then by God,
we were!
Yes, we all referred to him as Nash.
After all,
he came into our home every evening.
His marker was as ubiquitous as he was.
No fancy green screens,
No scripted banter.
All he needed was that map behind him.
He could have been Saint Nash,
for all my Mom and Grandmother thought of him.
The thing is.....
even before the power went out during Betsy in '65,
he never told his audience to leave.
He only conceded to remind the "low lying"
residents to make arrangements that they may have to evacuate.
When I was in college, we went to The Warehouse.
It was just as it sounds.
A warehouse.
No frills.
No seats,
only a stage with lights in the rafters.
We either stood or sat on the floor.
(no idea who this is,
just a pic from their website)
The venue is no longer there.
We went several times in the '70's.
It was great. It was loud and smoky.
We saw Blood Rock,
Big Brother and the Holding Company,
and The Allman Brothers.
Funny thing is.......
I had no idea who Janis Joplin was at the time,
she was just the lead girl singer.
The Allman Brothers weren't really well known at that time either.
We didn't see the headliners.
Due to our collective lack of funds,
we went to the "cheaper" concerts.
Then, after Woodstock,
there were free concerts with mostly local bands,
in City Park at the driving range, now the Meadow.
We went a few times to those too.
Outdoors, sitting picnic style on an old throw rug.
All this reminiscing from not knowing the date.
Ha!
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The chicken girls are still not laying.
All are molting though.
I really shoulda collected their feathers.
They would have made a great down comforter.
I just keep sweeping them up and putting them in the trash.
Last year, my granddaughter saved a few and made a small feather duster.
It was doll sized, but I thought it was neat.
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My soap speaks Spanish
but it seems to be trying to tell me it's in pain.
How sad.
**************************
The best dog in the world,
lays with her paws crossed like this all the time.
Just to see if it was coincidence,
I uncrossed them.
She replaced them in this position.
Silly dog.
************************************
1st installment of my silly children's book
Boodreaux,
The Little Cajun Ghost
Today was October 31st.
There would be a full moon tonight.
Boodreaux was so excited.
He waited all year for Halloween.
It was his favorite time of year.
The spirits could walk with the living.
He loved the idea of Trick or Treating with the children.
They never screamed and ran from him on this night.
It was all laughter and fun.
It made him feel less lonely.
It was also the night of the annual All Hallows Eve Party!
Everyone in the cemetery would attend.
The skeletons and witches had been planning for weeks.
They had the graves decorated with Spanish moss,
and the old iron gates would groan nicely when opened.
The spiders contributed beautifully intricate webs across the tombstones.
The bats brought in dead flowers to adorn the walkways.
The fireflies would light the way.
Even the cranky old black cat agreed to be nice for the night.
It was going to be magical!
Boodreaux was so excited that he woke up his best friend,
ThibBoodeau.
"Wake up Thib!"
"We need to get ready!"
Thib was not as enthusiastic about Halloween.
He didn't care if the people were scared of him.
In fact he kind of liked it.
He liked to lurk behind a tomb and materialize right in front of
an unsuspecting visitor.
They'd scream and run.
Thib would roll around laughing.
The other spirits frowned on his behavior.
They said haunts should be dignified.
Not silly.
**********
Second installment coming soon.....
Critique it and let me know what y'all think.
If it turns out well enough,
I may try to self publish.
Any and all suggestions are welcomed....
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