Whoa! That’s one huge wreath! You can hardly see the door!
People are already decorating for Christmas? Not me. No, sirree. Christmas is after Thanksgiving. Which is in just a few days! Eeek! I need to get back to the craft store! I need…stuff! I need furniture! I could probably get some really good deals this Black Friday. But I’m going home for Thanksgiving. Home? Isn’t this home? New house, Amy. New life. New responsibilities. But…
0 Comments
A feast!
Where has biryani been all my life? It’s DELICIOUS, a wonderful blend of rice, chicken, spices, nuts. I haven’t eaten much Indian food. Samosas… Anything else? Nope. That pretty much sums it up. And now, biryani. I wonder if there’s an Indian restaurant nearby? What a sweet family! And I couldn’t even offer them a seat. Well, I did offer Mrs. Patel my one barstool, but she pretended not to hear. How embarrassing! It was nice, though, that they all came inside. They just stood around chatting in my nearly empty house as if it were the normal way of things. I probably should’ve kept that old couch. But it was ugly. Worse, it was a reminder of an ugly time. I didn’t want to bring furniture from the apartment into my new home. My furniture budget isn't going to stretch as far as I'd hoped it would. That's okay. I can start small. But what first? What style? I don't have a style! Modern Farmhouse is beautiful and still very popular. Isn't it? But I’m not a very modern sort of girl. Wow.
One, two, three… Five people. An elderly woman with a long, white braid and gorgeous yellow and orange sari stands front and center, flanked by a man and a woman (no sari), a teen girl, and little boy. All beaming at me. “Hello?” Honestly, Amy, you were raised better. Smile! “Sorry. Hi!” “Welcome to the neighborhood!” “I’m Jenny Patel.” The elder speaks with a sort of British accent. “And this is my son Neal, his wife Samira, and my grandchildren, Tara and Amir. We live across the street, two houses down to the left.” Tara, looking shy and possibly a little embarrassed, steps forward, holding out a covered glass container. “My grandma made you biryani.” She has an American accent. “Oh, how nice.” I’m not too familiar with Indian food. I glance at Grandma. “Thank you. Thank you all very much. I’m Amy, Amy Munro.” The little boy steps forward, thrusting a pot of yellow mums at me with a little bow. “Thank you!” Holding the glass container and flowers, I look at them. The children’s mom has a bundt cake... I’m out of hands. Long day today, but it was good. I just wish I’d stopped by the grocery store.
Because options are really limited. Scrambled eggs it is! Hey, it’s better than fast food. Healthier and way more economical. Way to stick to that budget, Amy! You just bought a house, after all. Doorbell? My new workout tops? Yesss. Suddenly I can't stop giggling. Maybe my priorities are a little off… But I’m happy! Is that more than one person at the door? Oatmeal and spinach do not go well together, no matter how much hot sauce you dribble on top! But I didn’t waste! Nope, not me! I ate it. At least, most of it.
Gag. Spinach works in quiche. Why not oatmeal? And that’s why I bought the spinach. For quiche, not oatmeal. Obviously. Right. Quiche could have doubled as dinner, especially with a nice, little salad. I need recipes! Healthy, delicious recipes. I have my homework for tonight. Too bad I don’t have dinner. Okay, so, oatmeal is healthy. Oatmeal drowned in sugar, butter, and cream, less so. But then how am I supposed to eat it? Can’t do unsweetened. I’ve tried that before and it tastes like cardboard.
Think, Amy. I wonder how savory oatmeal would taste? Could be interesting… Let’s see what I have to work with. I wonder why they thought it was a good idea to have so many windows? A fishbowl. Surely not everyone wants to be on display? I know I don’t.
But this gym is really close to my house. I could ride my bike to it -- if I had a bike. Or I could walk. Nothing stopping you from walking, Amy. But I hadn’t thought of it before now. Anyway, this way I won’t be hot and sweaty in addition to being… Kind thoughts. Only kind thoughts. Two women deep in chat... maybe a little older than me… Did I see them at yoga bootcamp last week? Maybe they were in the gym when I peeked in? They could be models for all I know. That’s how they look -- like fitness models. Workout canceled. There’s not a chance I’m going in there. Another day, a different time… So, no exercise class tonight. Just the gym. Will I know what to do in there? At least I’m not wearing sweats. I like my new, bargain, spandex biker shorts. I feel like they’re holding me together. My t-shirt sort of covers the rest. “Cover” being a relative term…
Yep, still in my car. A whole group of high school boys jostling each other, laughing as they clamber out of the big, red truck. I can’t help but smile at their high spirits. But that’s lots of exuberant testosterone. Go on. Get in there. You’ve got this, Amy Munro. They’re just people getting exercise. Lots of people. “Morning, Amy!”
The little old lady, ball cap on top of her snowy head, waves at me. Three houses down, walks her little dog, a terrier of some sort, every morning. We just spoke for the first time two days ago and she remembers my name? What’s hers? Eeek! I don’t remember! Surely she has more years of thoughts in her head than I do. Aaagh. “Good morning…” Smile, Amy! Maybe she won’t notice! “How are you?” She smiles back. “Marge, honey. Call me Marge. I’m sure you’ve seen lots of new faces since you moved in. I’m fine, thank you. I wanted to tell you that your front porch is adorable! Just seeing it makes me happy.” I never thought… Did I? Was I decorating my front door just for myself? My efforts have made someone else happy. And now, Marge’s words have made me happy. What a great way to begin the day – for both of us! $99 dollars for biker shorts? With tax and shipping, that’s over $100! Even with today’s prices, that’s almost two weeks of groceries for me! I’ve never been the type to swear, but I’m considering it. I am not, I repeat, not going to pay anywhere near $100 for one pair of spandex shorts!
Figure it out, Amy! Like anything else, you need the right equipment to do the job. You owe it to yourself to be healthier and more fit. Fitter? You don’t need those rolls and you will get rid of them. Keep shopping. |
She loves people, books, poetry, baking, and is currently obsessed with her new house!
Unfortunately, she's not so crazy about herself. That has to change. You've Got This, Amy Munro! Archives
April 2024
Categories |