Monday, January 23, 2012

Hello, I'm Back

Where have I been? Floating around, mostly, though I did take a trip down to Atlanta to give a speech. It was a quick trip--I left on Thursday, came back on Friday--but any kind of travel, especially travel that includes flying, makes me anxious for a couple of days beforehand, and so I just sort of wander around the house and worry about everything. I'm a terrible homebody, and though I know many fellow moms who would swoon at the thought of their own hotel room, even for just one night, I get very lonely when I'm out on the road by myself.

But I'm home, and I've finished a draft of a novel, so I actually have a little time to do this and that before starting on another project.

The weather has been gloomy. Some winters January is a bright and cheerful, even chirpy, sort of month, but this year it's been overcast and gray. Today I went out to have coffee and write in my journal, just because I knew if I stayed home I'd feel blue. I like being around other people and eavesdropping on their conversations.

Yesterday I went to church by myself. I ended up sitting next to a woman wearing jeans and these great cowboy boots with flowers painted on them. I was wearing my cowboy boots, too, as I usually do. I am a graduate of Killeen High School in the great state of Texas, which means cowboy boots count as formal wear if I want them to.

Anyway, I liked this woman immediately, as she smiled a friendly smile as I slipped into the pew a few minutes late and later greeted me with a cheerful "hello!" when we passed the peace. She left right after communion, which is easy to do when you sit in the back, because you take communion by the back door (I go to church in a huge Gothic cathedral, and there are always lots of folks, which is why some of us go to the rear for our bread and wine). She took communion, tucked her bulletin in her back pocket and was gone.

We only exchanged two words--she said "hello!" and I said "peace!" but I really liked her, and I was sad to see her leave. It was like we'd spent an hour being friends in a quiet, comfortable way, admiring one another's cowboy boots and wishing each other well.

That's all I have to say right now. I hope to have more to say soon.

8 comments:

magsmcc said...

Hello, F? Just popping over to catch up and apologise for vitual absence- please excuse any inadvertant O gate-crashing that I seem to be perpetrating!! Oh my, I'll slip quietly out again before they notice I'm here. Did I wipe my feet?

magsmcc said...

Now, what happened there? This is a whole other post? My head is too small...

Pom Pom said...

Oh, I like the sound of those flowered cowboy boots.
In our little after school book club, a group has already finished Chicken Boy! They loved it!

Leslie said...

Glad you had a good trip and it is over. My dd's boyfriend is from Killeen...and he wears boots to church, too. :) Anna, my horse loving girl, just bought her first pair of real boots, which she always likes to wear to church, though she wore motorcycle boots this past sunday. Her boots are beautiful with purple stitching cross with wings on weathered gray leather. I've been meaning to get a picture of her in them.

Tracy said...

Flowers and boots - what a perfect combination!

My girls will be very excited when they hear you've got another book on the works - they love your novels. They love that I know you! There are just a few times here and there where their Mum is one of the cool people they know. Thanks for that!

Melissa E said...

I get anxious when I go out of town too...of course you know I am a homebody as well. I agree with getting out of the house this month, these days have made me awfully gloomy. Oh, just started reading your book recommendation, "The Forgotten Garden"...I love it so far, great recommendation...keep 'em coming!

Angela said...

I made the mistake of wearing my 4" killer stilettos to church on Sunday. So many people commented on them [kindly and favourably] that I worried I was distracting them from their worship!

Heaven knows what would happen if I word cowboy boots. [if only I had a pair...]

The dB family said...

*Sigh* I would love a pair of cowboy boots, but at 5'10'' already, I'm afraid I would look like a giant :oS.

Blessings!
Deborah