HAPPY FAMILY---ONE ORDER, PLEASE

Yesterday was a different day, all around---I had an early appointment, and the leaves baring the big tree must have caused the sentry lights to really be bright in the back yard, for I woke thinking it MUST be after seven, and was brushing my teeth when I looked in at the clock---4:45. Too late. The coffee was brewing and I was up, and what the Heck.
The appointment, then I got my flu shot, then home with our little one for a good session of sweeping the leaves off the patio rug (see last year’s sweeping post---not much has changed---though this year she has her own small broom with about eight little yellow teeth that can sweep more leaves back onto the rug from the lawn than I can evict).

SO, in the afternoon her Mama came to pick her up and we got to talking, and her Daddy called and said he’d like to stop by, so before he got here, we called in our usual order to our favorite Chinese restaurant. Chris went off to fetch it.

We set the table with paper plates, poured the tea, and helped our plates, talking of this and that, and the Little One’s latest adventures. THEN the conversation turned to the dog’s haircut---Chris’ first effort after a year of paying a groomer fifty bucks every few weeks. Son said “Eye could use a haircut.” We took him to be kidding, but Chris jumped right in, telling about his previous experience in barbering.

Dear Daughter in Law and I laughed and scoffed, knowing they’d never do it. But when they pulled a lawn chair into the kitchen, got out an old oilcloth tablecloth for a drape, and the clippers started humming, I knew they were serious. Both of them.

DDIL and I conferred over every whirrrr and every pass with those clippers. Those DOG clippers. We ladies teased about great expanses of scalp showing, of great bald patches; we put hand to cheek with horrified expressions, gasping news of one sideburn completely gone.

No use---Son did not bite. And it WAS a really good, high, tight haircut---exactly like a Deep-South farmer likes it. The neckline even looked pristine and even---Who knew. This man has facets I knew not of.

So, from stumbling into a too-early day to hosting a haircut right here in my kitchen, it was quite a day. And yours?