Autumn Blues

Until recently, I found autumn to be the most depressing time of the year, colorful leaves and wildflowers notwithstanding.

I blamed it on the feelings that arise as another birthday looms amid hints of my own mortality.

Several years ago I was granted a reprieve. I don’t know why or how, but perhaps I should give credit to the two little boys that have been a part of our lives since 2003 and 2006.

Albeit from a distance. We haven’t seen them since springtime (when we celebrated “Christmas” with them) and they have not quite mastered talking on the telephone. Perhaps this Christmas will get us back on track. Yes, gas is expensive, but they’re worth it. There just isn’t room in that house for us to sleep or get away for awhile. This is a job for SuperRV!

Fall colors may be fading, but we travel in relative comfort and park in the corner of a Wal-Mart parking lot at no cost.

Two weeks are about enough for Dave, hence we won’t leave until December. That should give our son-in-law time to get over the presidential election. Well, yeah, Jean too. There are some things we just don’t talk about.

At least Dave and I are of like minds, politically. Honestly, admit it, can you remember a more bizarre election year? Pathos, scandal, hilarity, plain old absurdity? I thought it was among the “cleaner” campaigns I can remember, but they’re calling it the ugliest.

My son-in-law is subdued, indeed. The last time he sent me a blog that has been proven untrue, I e-mailed him back: “I’m so grateful you taught me about Snopes.com.”

* * *

Several years ago we had to start replacing household items simply because their life-expectancy had come and gone. New kitchen stove, microwave, refrigerator – their time was just up and they died right on schedule. This year the grim reaper struck again. This time it was the wash machine and, believe it or not, the bread machine. Bread machines have apparently run their course in popularity. Stores don’t carry them any more, not even Wal-Mart. Oh, they can order one for me, but I can do that myself. Naturally, I am craving focaccio.

When the washer inexplicably began to leak – big time – I simply went to K-mart (mere meters from where we live), pointed and said, “That one.” It arrived two days later. We’d have installed it ourselves except for not having a way to get rid of the old one.

The next day – honest! – Dave was applying a bit too much enthusiasm to running the vacuum cleaner when, SNAP! The plastic handle broke. Now, Dave has always fixed everything, but in his dotage, finds it easier simply to buy another. Did you know you can spend as much as $349 for a vacuum cleaner?

He didn’t, spend that much, I mean. And he researched his purchase in Consumer Report. I didn’t do that with the washer. We’ll see who made the better buy.

* * *

Dave answered the phone yesterday when Jean called. After the usual How are you doing? and How’s your little car running? he was quiet, evidently listening to a story.

Then laughter came by cell phone. Jean was telling him it was preternaturally quiet in the house and, as any mother of young boys knows, this called for an investigation. At last she found Uriah, 2 ?, lying full length on the kitchen floor, his face on the sliding door.

On the other side of the glass, nearly as close, was a squirrel staring back. For minutes, both were learning something about life and negotiation. Of course, Jean’s camera was out of reach without scaring the squirrel.

In a recent e-mail: “You shoulda seen [Samuel, 5] trying to fly with a blue jay's feather! Waving it out at the end of his arm didn't work. Neither did sticking it in the waistband of his pants.

“He was also baffled because he couldn't get a squirrel to come down and play: ‘I want you to come down here now!’”

* * *

Much angst has accompanied communication between here and Mannheim concerning Mary’s absentee ballot. We have seen mail and packages fly from here to Germany in less than a week.

But not a presidential ballot.

Finally, yesterday: “My ballot arrived today: for the Senate race in Dec. and for President… Somebody mailed the ballot Sept. 22. The thing I filled out in Feb. was the registration and application for all available ballots.”

“One is allowed to live where one wants,” she said. “You don't lose the right to vote.”

That cheered me up, so it’s time to lob this cross-county.