Another overcast morning arrived, and since I had pressing chores to do before I drove to office, my arrival was greeted by a very dark N. Federal Avenue, and since I normally park out back where there’s better lighting, I had to park in front, just so I could pick up a few things and head back out to where I stopped to get gas, and then headed over to St. Paul Lutheran Church to drop off the goodies I made for them last night.
By the time I’d finished with my various stops, it had grown much lighter outdoors, so I figured I might as well once again, park out at the front of my office, but only on the other side of the street, just so I was facing the direction of St. Paul. Well, wouldn’t you know, one of the various street walkers was walking on the sidewalk across the street, and thank goodness he was far enough away from me because as I was crossing the street, I could hear someone hollering but I didn’t turn around to look, and by the time I got my front door unlocked and then stepped inside far enough to where I could re-lock the door, I just happened to notice that questionable pedestrian must’ve quickly crossed the street and must’ve been walking towards me, but since I didn’t turn around before heading inside, I could see he was walking back across the to the side of the street where he’d been walking when I pulled up, which creeped me out a little bit.
Like I’ve said many-a-time, the character of the sidewalks in our Downtown have been changing dramatically. That particular person must be a recent addition because I’d never seen him before, until his arrival in our Downtown about three months ago. I don’t even have to see his face to know it’s him because of the way he walks. In years gone by, I used to see some of our familiar resident natives walking our Downtown in the early morning, but not any more, and I fully understand why.
My Sunday morning contemplative session went even better than last Sunday’s, and likely because I was able to fully communicate some long-harbored thoughts I’ve had, directly to a person who committed a great wrong, so now I’m more fully able to move forward in an upward and more fulfilling direction. I’ve insisted many times, the fact that I’m not an angel or saint, but at least I truly work hard at becoming a better person, but being the human I am, there’ll never be any sort of forgiveness given to a person who intentionally altered my future in a very mean-spirited way. But what’s done is done and there’s no going back, so all that was left after it happened, was for me to turn it all into an extended period of acclimation and adjustment. Yes, in spite of that unplanned ‘derailment’, life will go on just as it always has.
The music and Service over at St. Paul went as well as expected, and to my surprise, there were a number of their members who’d come together and created a ‘bell choir’, and this morning just so happened to be the first time I’ve ever in my life, had an opportunity to hear such a choir in person. After it was over, everyone clapped as well as myself. Yes, it was indeed quite the pleasant experience.
As soon as their Service was over, I headed back to office to prepare for the appointment I had with the seller of Prairie Place on 1st, and a good thing I got back earlier than planned, because the seller ended up arriving shortly thereafter. Once we had a good chat over the terms and conditions, the seller agreed to accept the offer, so just before Noon arrived, that unit was under contract. Having met the buyer on Friday, I was near certain she’d be a good addition to that wonderful senior community.
When thinking back on the number of ‘dodged bullets’ we had over these recent years with potential buyers who’d considered purchasing one of those units, and just now thinking about one of those ‘bullets’, I’m now ever-glad I didn’t show any signs of encouragement for that woman to buy it, because as time passed, I discovered her to be either bi-polar, demented and/or neurotic, and believe me, such a person living in that building, would’ve been disastrous. Yes, karma does work in mysterious ways.
Once I had the signed purchase agreement dropped off at the selling agent’s office, I headed back to office to get some additional deskwork completed, and once finished, I called it a day and headed home to where I had many buckets of black walnuts needing to have their outer skins removed, which always ends up being a long and dirty task, but at least I have my trusty turn-of-the-century corn sheller which I motorized, just so I could flip a switch and start loading its hopper. Of course there were a number of times where I’d have to stop, just to hand-remove some skins that didn’t come off after being run thru that sheller.
By the time I had that nasty chore done and everything cleaned up, it was way past the quitting hour, so all I have left, is to give all those nuts a good hosing-down before I take them to the basement of my office where I’ll have large pieces of cardboard laid out for them to dry.
Thank goodness I didn’t get as crazy as I was last year and end up with far more than expected which took weeks longer to crack. I’d say I likely have half the amount than last year, which is just fine by me. Unfortunately, I won’t be gifting black walnut meats to anyone this season, and only because I’ll be putting them to use as ingredients to various treats I’ll be creating and gifting around the Holidays. From the sounds of it, that black walnut banana bread I took over to St. Paul Lutheran this morning, went over very well. We must always remember, it’s not so much the recipe, but the best of ingredients which can turn the simplest of foods into the sublime. Now that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
Tonight’s One-liner is: Neither comprehension nor learning can take place in an atmosphere of anxiety.