A Cool Day--in Everything.

Today's high temperature was: 60 degrees

Cloudy all day

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Autumn is on his way, Dear Friends.  I call autumn "HE" because he's cloudy and rainy and tearing the leaves off the trees.  Men are destructive that way, you know--and grumpy!

I sure didn't do much today.  I need another project!  I think I will swap out my clothes in the closet tomorrow--I think we are done with warm weather, until we get our freeze and then Indian Summer--around the 24th.

After my Soap (which is really good right now), I drove into Howell to go to the doc's to get my flu shot and my prescriptions renewed for another six months.  He wants to see me every three months, I think every year, so we compromised on every six months.  

As I walked into the waiting room, there was this enormous black man sitting in one of the chairs.  It startled me as this area is as white as snow.  I've only seen half a dozen black people in the 10 years I've lived here. He had on more gold then Fort Knox.  A big gold ring on all eight fingers.  A huge gold watch and bracelet on his left wrist and two enormous gold cuff bracelet's on his right wrist.  He stood up and the pockets on the back of his blue jeans were stitched with gold thread--gold eagles.  He talked about how he was getting ready to go to West Palm Beach for a few months, then on to California--spending all winter with friends.  I thought he must be a retired athlete or something.  When I asked if he were coming back in the spring, he said, "Yes.  I got me a new place at Oak Manor."  Oak Manor is a government subsidized apartment building for old people.  

Then, the nurse called me into the inner part of the offices and there was, standing in the hall, petting the doc's big Golden Retriever, a small woman with reddish hair.  She looked up and............

Recognize her?

She had on no make-up, no jewelry and her hair is shorter, but...I knew her instantly.  As I walked past to my appointed room, I nodded and said, "Hi."

Then I got in the room and fainted!  No, not really.  My nurse was all agog anyway and we whispered a bit.

Melissa Gilbert and her new husband, Timothy Busfield, got married early summer and moved almost immediately to Howell, end of July. I knew that, but didn't think I'd ever run into her.  They wanted to get back to "normal", small town living.  He is from Lansing, so they chose Howell.  I don't know why.  There are a lot of nicer towns near Lansing, but if they wanted small, they got it.  She just wants to live a quiet life, with neighbor's who bake casseroles and get together for coffee and talk about their kids.  They don't want to be hounded.

Of course, I wanted to gush and all that, but I stayed cool.  

At my doctor's office?  He is not the best known doc in the area, by far.  I just can't believe it!!

When he walked into my room, he says, "Why are you here?"

"Because you told me you wanted to see me, but I don't need seeing.  Nothing has changed since May, in fact, I feel better then I did then.

"Okay.  Get going.  No wait--as long as you had to wait for me, I'll see you."

"Just lay a stethoscope on my chest--tell me why my blood pressure and heart rate are low and that will do for today."

He left the room to go find his stethoscope.  When he opened up his practice seven years ago, I was his first patient, other then his referrals from the nursing home.  He is head of the nursing home in Howell.

He came back in.

I said, "My, my.  Doctor to the celebrities are you now?

"Did you recognize her?"

"Yes.  Of course."

"I didn't even know who she was!"

"By the way--was that guy with all the gold a celebrity too?"

"I don't think so," says the doc.  "He might be for all of me."

"You'll be so high falutin', you won't even want to see me anymore."

"I'll always want to see you!  You are my first and my best patient!"

So he said my blood pressure and heart rate are just fine and they are low because I am so healthy now.  Then he waved me out and said, "Be back in January!"

"I'll see you in March," I replied.

Michelle, the nurse came back in for my flu shot and I said, "Well, aren't you all coming up in the world?  A real life celebrity!  She didn't look sick to me."

Michelle said, "Well, I can't say--private information you know.  HIPPO laws and all that, but....." she whispered, "apparently she picked up a chipmunk and it bit her."

"After all those years on the prairie, you'd think she'd know enough not to mess with the critters, wouldn't you?" said I.    

We had a good laugh.

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Then I stopped at Wal-Mart, where I knew, I'd never see Melissa Gilbert--no doubt she shops at the Rich People's store.  I got some Diet Pepsi and potato chips and some frozen Taquitos.  Such a diet--no wonder I am so healthy!  Eh?

After watching the ballgame, I noticed how dark it was outside and thought, probably bedtime.  I forgot the game came on at 4:00--it was only 8:00.  I do not like these early dark nights!!!