1) Start with a sketch...
2) Study your subject...
3) Approach your subject with deliberation and thoughtfulness...
4) Copy your sketch onto your subject...
5) Take a minute to admire your good taste and decision making skills...
6) (Not shown) Have Dad remove the guts.
7) Keep cutting and... voila!...
Epilogue...
 |
| One lonely (but happy) pumpkin, sitting on the steps. |
This October has had more than it's share of foggy mornings. Here's just one example.
The photos below were taken from a spot overlooking the cove, near one of our walking paths. Nothing spectacular but kind of peaceful. Especially when you're alone.
Daylight savings ends a little over a week from now and with it goes the lovely views of our evening walks. Sam and I usually leave for our walks sometime around 4 P.M. and in these remaining days of rapidly diminishing daylight, the sun is currently setting at about 5:45 PM. With the loss of an hour, well, you can do the math. And as we all know, it will only get worse from there.
So, in preparation for the dark months ahead, we've hauled out the reflector vest Sam got for Christmas last year (or was it the year before?) and we've checked the flashlights (which we'll be needing for Halloween, anyway). Beyond that, there's not much more we can do - other than accept the inevitable and trudge through the darkness of the coming months.
In the mean time, here are a few last-of-the-season views from the other side of the canal. It's probably not enough to carry us through the winter but it's the best I can do...
As I mentioned yesterday, I finally managed to reach the voicemail of Ms. Other DDS. Despite my stunned elation, I somehow had the presence of mind to leave her an actual message inquiring as to the status of Sam's medical reevaluation. Well, shock-of-shocks, Ms O. DDS returned my call today.
Not only did she return my call but, a) she was seemingly very nice, b) she said that Sam's all set - he still qualifies for assistance* and c) she added, "Sam's revaluation was completed BACK IN JUNE- June 8th, to be exact... Didn't I get a letter?"
Are you kidding me?
She suggested I call SSI and find out what happened to it.
I thanked her and called SSI to find out what happened to it.
After multiple re-dials and hang-ups (apparently this tried-and-true phone system of theirs, also shared with Other DDS, is designed to separate the weak from the irate), I managed to speak to someone not quite as nice as Ms. O. DDS.
"That's strange." Ms. Not Quite As Nice said. "The "system" shows it was mailed out MONTHS AGO. Was I sure I didn't get it?
How am I supposed to respond to a question like that?
She punched a few keys on her keyboard and then asked if I might like "another" copy.
"Sure," I said. "Why not? What's another couple of days after waiting several months."
She said no problem and asked if there was anything else she could do for me.
I refrained from offering any suggestions.
*In fact, he more than qualifies. More on that some other time. Maybe.
After who-knows-how-long of calling the Other DDS every-single-day, and getting a busy signal before getting cut off, every-single-day, today (Wednesday) - Good News! I finally managed to get through to the voicemail of the person at the the Other DDS.
Granted, this was only her voicemail, but that's further than I've gotten before.
I feel like this is almost a victory.
FYI- her voicemail says she doesn't work on Wednesdays.
It was so heartwarming, to have the family around for a weekend. It's not within my limited writing abilities to express my appreciation for all the coordination it took, and all the effort it took, for everyone to be at home.
These brief moments are so few and far between. This was true in those not-so-long ago, pre-pandemic days, and it's true today.
I'm painfully aware, as I've always been, that life is so short - and as time goes on, the chances of us being able to share our company will only become more and more difficult. So I treasure these moments and I carry them with me.
As I always have.
