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Bills and water diamonds

As I walked to the bus stop this morning the sun was at the right slant to hit the grass that was still beaded from the sprinklers and it was like diamonds sitting on the grass. I wanted to take off my sandals and run through the grass but I had already spilled garbage on me while tipping it in the dumpster and had to change my blouse, so I decided to just look at it in case I slipped and ended up with grass stains on my pants and having to change them. It was still beautiful.

I'm watching Civil War on PBS since the West Wing premiere is so boring. The Civil War show is so sad. War is sad but there is something about the Civil War that is just heart rending. We fought a brutal, costly war against ourselves and that alone is terribly sad, but the number of people who died is beyond belief. It's also the last time we fought on american soil and we've forgotten what that's like which was part of the shock when the World Trade Center was hit. We subconsciously didn't think anyone would attack us.

I finished reading "The Last Blue Plate Special" by Abigail Padgett. Blue McCarron, a social psychologist gets involved with a murderer who is killing women in politics. Blue is a very interesting person who lives in a motel she bought out in the desert, cheap because water cannot be piped to it. Her partner, Roxanne, a African American forensic psychiatrist and line dancer, joins her to follow the clues that involve Blue Willow china. This caught me as I've had a soft spot for Blue Willow china since I had a set of cheap tin ones when I was a kid and I loved them. It's a very good book with well drawn characters that come alive.

Paying Bills

I open the envelopes
Hoping there's no surprise.
There's always something.
A purchase I forgot to write down.
Amnesia about what I spent.
But I'm better at that now.

Now I have money to pay bills.
I didn't always.
There were other things
That were more important.
Food, shoes, a field trip
A halloween costume to enjoy.

Now I have the money and
They have more than me, but
I miss the other things.
Now I spend what I shouldn't
On me and I'm glad I have it.
But I don't have faces that light up.

© Rachel Aschmann 2002.
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