Smiles

Ever had one of those days that just makes you smile? I started the day smiling, and by the end of it I was grinning.

The day started late, thank you puppies. By the time I woke up the sky was actually light, which meant it was after 7 a.m. Unheard of for me, and the puppies were still sleeping.

Good puppies.

We had a brief cuddle and then I went back to finish my review of the magnificent production of Vivien, which we saw Saturday night. What a fabulous performance by actress Janis Stevens, as Vivien Leigh. I had finished most of the review before going to sleep on Sunday and had to just finish off the last couple of paragraphs and tweak it. I was working steadily when I glanced at the clock and realized it was 8 minutes to 9 -- and I had a dentist appointment at 9.

I love my dentist. I actually didn't see her much, but had a good session with the hygienist. I love it when they tell me I'm doing a good job. I didn't even mind that I was told I had a bit of decay in one tooth. I've been complaining about that tooth for awhile now -- the gum has been tender. It already has a crown and a root canal, so the decay isn't a big deal and it will be fixed next month. I left the office with shiny teeth and a big smile.

Walt went off to take the car in for an oil change (yes, he's driving short distances now). When he came back, he handed me a package which was addressed to Peggy c/o of me.

Now, Peggy still works at the Uralla Roo Haven, a sanctuary for orphaned kangaroo babies and as she has been giving more and more time to the joeys, she has been using the computer less and less. In fact, e-mail conversations are pretty much a thing of the past and now she calls once a month or so instead. It's actually a better way because it's fun to laugh with her again.

But I was a bit miffed that she hadn't warned me about the expected package. Our friendship flourished, before she ever came to the U.S., because I was willing to be the recipient of the camera equipment she bought on eBay, which couldn't be shipped to Australia. So I would get the packages and then mail them on to her and she would refund me for the postage.

It's been kind of fun, actually, but I had already made my big once-a-year Christmas trip to the post office to get stamps and didn't relish going back to the post office to send off a package to Australia, knowing how horrendous lines are at this time of year.

I sent off an e-mail saying "who is XX XX?" (the name of the sender) and told her that a package arrived and what did she want me to do with it.

Within minutes, the phone rang and it was Peggy. She told me that the package wasn't for her, it was my combination Christmas/Birthday present and she told me I could open it. I said I'd wait for Christmas, but of course I couldn't wait. After we'd spoken, I opened the box and this is what I found:

She has sent me a new camera. I haven't actually sat down to read the manual and familiarize myself with the new stuff (my current camera is also a Panasonic, so it was easy to operate right out of the box), but what I've tried I've loved. It's small enough that I could mount it on the dashboard of the car and make a test video....and the micro shot I did of my eye turned out amazingly clear.

This evening I'm going to settle myself in the recliner with camera and manual and play.

So I'm ending the day with a big smile on my face. I have clean teeth, the puppies were adorable today, I got a wonderful gift, and best of all, I got to catch up with Peggy, whom I miss very much. It continually saddens me to know that the chance of our seeing each other again is slim to nonexistent, but I'm glad that the friendship continues, despite the distance between California and Western Australia and our increasingly complex lives.