A DIFFICULT WEEK

I have been on an emotional rollercoaster as I prepare victim impact statements regarding Milo’s death at the request of the court. Now that Milo is gone, they want me to say what he meant to me and how we are impacted by his loss. Couldn’t they have asked BEFORE he was sentenced to prison and subsequently murdered? Well, to make matters worse, they did ask, we did comply, they just didn’t care, and they probably don’t care now. Nevertheless, I’m doing my best in Milo’s name. These letters aren’t due for quite some time, but I’ve been writing obsessively. I can’t seem to let it go.

It was Mike’s birthday the other day (Jan. 23). I won’t tell you how many years. At some point, we’re better off if we don’t think about how old we are. We went to Subway for lunch, and I guess that was the celebration. When we got home, he discovered that the spigot at the corner of his shop was cracked and leaking. He had to turn the water off, which meant we had no water in the house either, lending urgency to the situation. As he prepared to dig out the pipe, I suggested he call son Clinton. I figured that two heads were better than one, and Clint knows about these things. So, Clint left work early and came to help. He did the digging and then they bought and attached a whole new unit – spigot and pipe. Before Clint left, the water was back on.

It hasn’t gone particularly well in my sewing room either. The little shirt I’m making turned out to be too small for one doll and snug on the others. Yes, I should have checked measurements before I cut it out, but I really would expect that a pattern promoted especially for dolls such as mine would fit better than it does. The fabric – just the cutest! – was upcycled from a bag that Silas’ sheets came in, and I didn’t have a lot left. Of particular concern was the fact that the cuffs were too small for the dolls’ fat wrists. So, I cut new sleeves and instead of an “authentic” cuff, I made simple cuffs. I think it’s just as cute that way, and as always, the dolls smiled through. I still have the finishing to do.

And then there’s the “icebox lemon pie,” Mike’s favorite, that I made as a birthday treat. I used an off-brand sweetened condensed milk from Grocery Outlet (the “used food” store, as one son calls it). And oh, what trouble we make for ourselves when we practice to save a few cents! The filling refused to thicken. It turned out that it was “sweetened condensed creamer,” and while it said it would be good in my dessert recipes, it certainly was not! It tastes okay, but it isn’t pie. KW