Connie's Corner

Beware the ides of March

March 12th and 13th have special meaning for me. They were the birthdays of my grandmom and pop-pop, not that anyone attached that warning to their days, just that later in school I learned about it and always connected the two forever after. I can't remember which was which and I only remember celebrating my grandmom's 80th with one of the money trees popular then, around 1976. Eighty one-dollar bills clipped with clothespins to a three-foot fake green Christmas tree. She had the biggest smile and her little dog went crazy over it, one of those Jack Russells.

My pop-pop died in 1960 much earlier than grandmom and I don't remember a whole lot about him except that I get that warm cozy feeling whenever I think about him so I know he was one of the "good guys".Little kids always know the good guys. I remember him letting me comb his hair, somehow I thought that was fun and a big deal. I'm getting the urge to try drawing a portrait of pop-pop though I don't have a really good photo, maybe a memory portrait.

The ides of March in Florida are usually windy and stormy, but that's normal for March here. This morning it is very quiet, everyone is recovering from the clock advance. I would be too if it were not for Mopsy. She wakes me at 6:15 regardless of dst or est. She has her own clock. A cardinal is drinking and chirping just outside my window and tiny sparrows are gathered on the feeder. Everything is waking up. It's overcast and looks like rain as I drain the last of my coffee.

until next time...c