I am writing with Maeve standing in the chair behind me wielding a rubber basting brush and stomping her feet. She's teething and will not let me set her down. Incredibly charming when touching my body -- leaning her head around my shoulder, tilted to the side, dimpled smile, in a high singing voice: hi! -- but as soon as her feet touch the floor, she throws her toy, crashes to the ground and cries, hence our double-deckered seating, which, even now, is deteriorating....
Today is our first cold day. 53 and raining makes a cold that sinks through clothes and skin. This is the kind of cold that requires a shower to get warm. What, I keep wondering, does everyone do who lives outside, who sits tucked under overhangs wearing wet sweatpants? I talked to a man like that earlier today, John, who had accumulated a couple Starbucks cups -- people's gestures toward warmth and well-wishing. What can I do for you, I stood there wondering, knowing a laundromat, a new set of clothing, a hot shower would all do wonders but were not possible.
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That is as far as I got that day with teething Maeve.
Now is it several days later and teething Maeve has turned to fevered Maeve with a sore throat that makes her stick her tongue out and leave it there while she wrinkles her forehead and yells. She's taken to falcon calling -- short sharp shrill screams (maybe not at all what a falcon sounds like) all day long..........
It's after 9:00 and I can hear that quiet wise voice in the back of my head telling me to slam my computer and run to bed. I need sleep. So I shall. The house looks mildly like we've all walked around for two months throwing everything we've touched on the floor, so I hope I wake up in another place, maybe a hotel.
2 comments:
St. Columba's Church (Tenley) has a "shower ministry" where homeless can bathe, do laundry, get a meal. Weekdays at lunch time.
I keep hoping I wake up at fat camp - gave up on the floors months ago : )
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