Foo-Fah

The day was going so well.  I'd finished weeding the barrel (ta da!) for tomatoes before barn chores and was feeling pretty good about that.  Back in the house, I'd cleaned up the buckets and was sitting down to plan the rest of the day when Camille and Honey drove up with a surprise invitation to go to lunch.  Without a second thought, I hurriedly spiffed up and off we went to Toscano Winery down in Amador County.  The buildings are Italianesque, with trickling water fountains, roses perfuming the air, and Andrea Bocelli's glorious voice soaring in the background.  Camille and I enjoyed lunch outside and leisurely shared a bottle of wine while Honey enjoyed the attention of passersby.  The weather couldn't have been better.  On the way home, reluctant to end the day, Camille suggested a stop at The Pub.  Sounded good to me!  (I now can highly recommend their Kilt-Lifter beer.)  Getting ready to leave, I discovered an urgent phone message from Craig, my son-in-law; he never does this.  Cell phone service gets spotty in the hills and I couldn't get a signal.  There had been several recent tragedies in my extended family and I hit the panic button, imagining the worst.  Pulling up in my driveway, there was a car in front and as we stopped, I could see a man's silhouette inside my house.  Panic of another sort!  Joel came out and then I was sure something terrible had happened.  It hadn't.  It turned out to be a comedy of errors.

Joel had come over to bring me a gift of sweet cherries and baby carrots and found the truck there and no one answered the door.  Worried that something might have happened to me, he called Deb and Craig, who knew nothing of my plans.  They called Dave, who also was clueless.  Judy was contact central and was passing messages back and forth.  Joel, bless him, had gone all over the place looking for me, including the house.  He explained all this and I, so relieved that my family was safe, burst into tears.  It had never occurred to me to tell anyone other than Bessie Anne that I was leaving.  It is gratifying to know that, should something be wrong here, I've got dear neighbors and family who care.  Joel left, Camille left, and I was left to call the Kids to apologize and let them know all was well.

Until the very end, it had been a most excellent day.