Oh, To Have Just One Day

How good it would be to have a deliberate day. It could be any day of a random week, or it could be a holiday. It would be better to plan it ahead a bit so as to enjoy its approach, anticipate its imminent arrival. We could savor it even before it arrives.

It would start with a comfortable morning routine. We would create the comfort, because it’s too chilly in the house when it’s time to get up. The first self-serving chore is to build a fire in the stove. I knew the day was coming, so there is plenty of cardboard, tiny sticks, pine cones, medium sticks, and different sizes of split firewood ready to go beside the stove. With the right materials, a cheerful blaze begins almost immediately. Draw the comfortable chairs up close and gaze at the flames that make the sticks crackle. One of us settles in with a throw over the lap.

By Barbi on 2023 11 26

Wow! I really liked this one. Maybe because I am so happy being able to live like this now. We used to work many hours and had a long commute. Sometimes breakfast was just coffee and a donut - and an apple. I tried to eat an apple every day. Helped my guilt over the donut.
The very best thing to us about being retired is that we started really enjoying a true breakfast every day. One of the simplest and most important pleasures of being retired. I know my grandparents always had breakfast, even when Grandpa worked. I never got up early enough for that. Lucky to grab my coffee and get out the door on time. We eat eggs all the time with the wonderful trimmings such as toast and bacon, etc. Never rushed. It is one of my favorite things about life now! When someone says how horrible it is to get old, they must not be doing it right!
I loved the way you described the process for getting your coffee and tea. I don't have a fireplace anymore, but I can imagine the comfort you must feel from it. When life was simpler, it maybe was fuller, eh?

By Barbi on 2023 11 26

Me again. I forgot to tell you when I was thinking about the grandparents. Although I hardly had a chance to know them, the little things I learned made indelible impressions on me. When they had lunch, I remember them having cheddar cheese sandwiches, a hot cup of tea, and there were always those Sunshine Cookies that were shaped like flowers with a hole in the middle that so you could stick them on your finger just like some people do with olives. I am sure grandpa wasn't thrilled that I was playing with my food. I never have a cheddar cheese sandwich without having the hot tea, and anytime I have hot tea I think about the sandwich and cookies. One of my favorite memories was that they took the TIME to have a sit down lunch and enjoy it. That would be good in front of a cozy fire!
Thank you, Dr. Smith for the memories!

By A A Ron on 2023 11 27

Well, it used to be that if you worked hard in your youth, you could retire and live like this, and not have to worry about things so much because your hard work paid off and you were taken care of AND you took care of your kids and they will take care of you.

Now, it's just a selfish world, everyone only cares about themselves, and the kids, they can't wait for you to die to loot what they can get their grimy hands on.

After the EMP, and subsequent war, it'll be like this again, mankind will once again, have to learn to live with it's self and work with each other to survive the winter.

ahh yes, the simpler times. bring em on !

By Barbi on 2023 11 27

Replying to A A Ron: If life were a lot tougher, which it will be in the not-so-distant future, then coming home to a warm fire and comfy chair would be a sublime moment in your day. Just sitting and sipping would be a moment of bliss. Remember the ad for International Coffee? A sweet moment in your day. Families might work together to help weather the storms. Something we don't do as a society right now. Even in the bad times, there are those things to savor and be grateful for.

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