I usually only mention these thing because they are somewhat amusing to me, and thus I must share. I can’t quite get it out of my head — It rolls around until I suppose I just can’t take it any longer and tire from thinking about it. This is just wondrous and strange. At least it is to me. Which is all that really matters I suppose :::smiling and wrinkling nose::::: This particular recent Saturday morning, was a very good one (most always are actually) – for reasons that make me smile very much –the sky is a bit bluer and the sun incredibly shiny as of late. Isn’t that a great feeling. :::beaming:::::: Ok. So. Back to my story here. I awakened to let the ‘fat girls’ out (the pugs – Olive and Finn). I stood outside on the patio stretching and rubbing my eyes much like a 4 year old does upon waking from slumber. I revert to a 4 year old in the mornings — I’m usually somewhere between 8 and 12 in my internal workings on any given day. Morning coffee rapidly takes me to my usual 8 year old state. So you can see how important that first cup is. My hair was probably Einstein-like at this point. I did have on pj’s which is a norm in our neighborhood. We are a pj-kind of wearing crowd. Many times I’ll see a neighbor walking up the street to visit another neighbor in PJs. Tastefully of course. Or at the grocery store. That’s a given on any weekend especially if I’ve run out of creamer. I wear sunglasses as to be incognito. They always manage to greet me by name. ::::looking sheepish:::::
As I stood watching the ‘fat girls’ sniff and putter around looking at flowers, wishing they would be a bit more hurried so that I could go back inside and make my coffee…. I noticed someone looking over my roses. A very pale face hovered between the Knockout hedge. She just stood there staring at me. I blinked back trying to figure out if she was a neighbor and then slid my glasses off my head and onto my nose where they belonged to look further and more accurately. The person who continued to just stand and look at me was a very elderly Asian woman. Chinese? Japanese? Tibetan? She was stooped, with a very large walking stick taller than her head. She wore a dark brown robe much like a monk but with pants underneath. Belted. An old back pack slung over her shoulders. She had on some type of hat – reddish orange although I can’t be sure because the sun was up and in my eyes. I smiled at her which she did not return. I continued to smile wondering if I was inadvertently exposing myself somehow and quickly looked down to make sure I wasn’t putting her into shock from seeing a naked Kimy too early in the morning. Nope. All was covered. I looked back up to find her pointing to my little Buddha statue I have nested on an old tree stump in the front garden area. I looked at the statue then at her again. I smiled again not knowing what to say or do so I just continue to look happy that she had discovered my Buddha. I haven’t even had coffee yet at this point I would like to share again.
She finally put her hand down and said ‘You must turn the Buddha to the sunlight. You must do that. Turn him to the sunshine. It will bring you good luck’. I stood blinking trying to take this in considering I could now smell the finished coffee aroma I so longed for tickling my nose from just inside the door. She pointed to the statue again. I smiled. She repeated her instructions again and I said ‘Oh…Ok. Thanks. I’ll do that’. Blinking and thinking about coffee. I smiled to make sure she knew I understood and appreciated her concerns for my little Buddha.
I turned to head in for coffee because I couldn’t stand it any longer and glanced over my shoulder and she was gone. I think I must have turned my head sideways puzzled as to how she scooted off so quickly. I’ve never seen this woman before in my life. I know most everyone in the neighborhood.
The next day it still rolled around in my head. Her creased face, with lines running deep. It was so round and sincere. Her small black eyes. The way she just stood there pointing. The gnarled walking stick was held upright and about a foot taller than she. Her instructions were so pointed and adamant. Hm.
Thus, that day, I toddled out to the little statue and turned him towards the sunrise. The ‘fat girls’ sniffed at him as if they’ve never seen him before (lie). I think Olive may have licked him a few times which is her modus operandi. I hoped the small woman would walk by again and know that the goofy blonde lady in her pjs-(who is 4 in the morning) living in the little yellow chalet respected her instructions. I hope it made her happy. It was an interesting interaction with someone I did not know. A wondrous and strange moment. Those are the best kind I think.
Cocktails at Seven 