Thursday 13: 0712.13

Thirteen Things about MISS MELISS
Things that are Red

1. Cranberries. I love them as decorations, but I like them as food, as well. Tart. Sweet.
2. Tulips. Among my favorite flowers. Classic elegance.
3. Chianti Sunflowers. Bold, more red than orange. Vibrant.
4. Syrah. I like it so much more than any merlot.
5. Tea Kettles. My current one is blue, but red is my preferred color.
6. Keds. The first pair of sneakers I remember wearing were basic red canvas Keds.
7. OPI Big Apple Red: One of my favorite nail colors. I also like “I’m Not Really a Waitress” and “Dutch Tulips” but the latter really straddles the pink/red line.
8. Bing Cherries: I eat them as if they were candy in the summer. Equally delicious chilled or warm.
9. Brick walls. Our house, like most in this region, is wood with a brick veneer. I love the brick. I love it with ivy trailing over it, sun warmed, rain dampened. I just…love brick.
10. Grandma’s Living Room: For most of my life, the carpet in my grandmother’s living room was deep red. She changed it when I was about 17. I liked the retro look with the red carpet and the black and white couch better than the beige and Berber she changed it to. I’m sure it’s just me, but I think she lost some of her zest for life when that carpet was changed.
11. Red Hats. I have a red beret that I wear a lot, but I also have a rounder red hat with a beaded ribbon. It’s from the 50’s but I love it.
12. Classic Red Blazer. With jeans or black pants, and a perfectly pressed shirt.
13. Kicky Red Shoes. To add a touch of color to any outfit (almost). Flats or heels, it doesn’t matter. Every woman needs red shoes.

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A Clam Chowder Kind of Day

I woke this morning to the soft murmur of thunder high overhead, and the answering sizzle of cold rain falling into the pool. My dogs were huddled against my back for warmth and comfort (they hate thunder, and I lower the heat at night).

In the gray light of a cloudy morning I can never judge the time, so I turned around, craning my neck to see the clock. 7:30. Two hours before my late alarm, ninety minutes before the optimistic one. I could have lazed about in bed longer, but no, I got up, I got dressed (or as dressed as I was willing to get, which, today, is ratty sweats and an ancient red t-shirt), made coffee and oatmeal, and then started writing.

An hour later, a paragraph away from the end of the article in question, my laptop went “pffft” and I lost the text. I rebooted, recovered, hated what I wrote, and then rewrote it.

I had a virtual meeting with the guy who pays me.
I chatted with my aunt.

And then, because it’s still cold, icky, and gray, I made clam chowder. Oh, it’s from a can, but it’s Progresso, not Campbells, and it’s so tasty.

I poured it into a lighthouse mug, and carried it back to my computer.
It was delicious, but I knew it would be.

Because it’s a clam chowder kind of day.