It’s the kind of week where you find a squirrel in your car, very belatedly celebrate Christmas, drive to Goodwill, kick yourself for not driving there sooner and celebrate.
Well, in all fairness, around here we always find a reason to celebrate.
Let’s get to it!
Happy something to me!
Bag Lady recently celebrated a milestone birthday — for the sake of anonymity, let’s say I turned 90 — and it was blissfully pain-free. In the existential sense, at least.
Milestone years can be so loaded: There’s pressure to take stock. (Are you living up to your potential? No, really?) There’s pressure to celebrate in some blowout-able way. There’s realigning your perception with reality. (Does this mean I’m old even if I don’t feel old?)
But not this time.
It was just another day except that it was lovely and celebrated, in part, with a trip planned by Mr. Bag Lady for my oldest friend and me. I even brought along a dusty photo album to crack open and reminisce about our teenage years.
By that I mean an actual photo album, with yellowed cellophane pages. Clearly, I did just turn 90.
Christmas in . . . June. Late June.
It finally happened on June 24: The last two gifts from Christmas 2015 left the Bag House and hit the hands of the intended giftees!
*Smiles* Yeah! Go Yuletide!
And just in time: Only 170-odd shopping days left until Christmas 2016. Let’s savor each of them.
There’s so much to enjoy in the meantime. I understand there’s a presidential election coming up?
Check engine
So Mr. Bag Lady opened the hood on his car the other day to add a quart of oil and found a squirrel. Alive. Startled. Doing squirrely things. It immediately scampered off.
I had him check my car — it was squirrel-free.
Given that he could have popped the hood and found Wessie, I’ll take it.
Adventure around every corner, this life. But while we’re on a vehicular streak. . .
Things no longer found in Bag Lady’s trunk
Two winter hats. One broken sunshade. An ancient map of the Maine Wildlife Park. Random brown leaves. (Were they left by squirrels? Discuss.)
Most importantly: Two bags of clothes destined for Goodwill that had been in there — no kidding — for at least six months.
Awesome that I’ve been all about cleaning out our closets and letting go of things we haven’t worn in years. Now, to work on that follow-through . . .
For those about to rock, see you at midnight
Lastly, please consider this a sort of public service announcement.
Thinking of catching any of the free outdoor concerts at L.L.Bean this summer? It’s a pretty great lineup, including Lyle Lovett on Aug. 6. (Thanks, L.L.Bean!)
In case you’ve ever watched one of those shows while standing in the shrubbery or squeezed between a hipster and his black Lab, trying to catch a glimpse at center stage and wondering how those people in the lawnchairs on the grassy knoll got such fabulous seats, here’s the trick:
They get there and place their chairs on the grassy knoll at the stroke of midnight on the morning of show day. Then they leave. And then they come back 18 hours later and the chairs are still there because it’s all about the honor system.
It works — and it’s so Maine.
And if that’s not worth celebrating, I don’t know what is.
Bag Lady’s true identity is protected by a pair of stylish, sweater-wearing Doberman pinschers (who are increasingly white around the edges but never look in mirrors so don’t know it) and the customer service counter at the Sun Journal. You can reach her at baglady@sunjournal.com.
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