Independence Day.

My thoughts are lost today,

wandering in the the world of the past

And in the world that’s around unseen

and the world of what might have been.

I visited ladies who are friends in my dreams-

Ladies who wear galoshes in the rain and have lace edged blouses and velvet skirts, and characters of steel and hearts of gold;

who speak in soft silvery tones; and whose rooms are full of prettys-- bronze swans and cut glass lamps, and mourning pins made of ebony, wedding tiaras, and crowns in feather pillows, and tapestries of all colors and tiny vases of lily of the valley mixed with large vases of peonies.

I took a nap on a soft bed, surrounded by shawls and lovely Irish lace throws and Japonesque pieces arranged on a dresser so old that the polish had become one with the wood, and combed my hair with an Ivory comb when I awoke.

I looked, as it were, into the beautiful eyes of my second cousin; the one I’ve loved all my life and never gotten to know; and felt that loss- the death of my father- in one more place in my heart. I wondered how not knowing one another had affected our lives and thought… that all is well. Surely another lifetime will bychance us. Maybe there is a heaven.

I stood on a yellow painted wooden porch, and watch 6 fat ducks march past me, headed for the pond in the rain, and then heard my husband’s voice saying, “Dinner is ready…. do you want some?” and I found I did. So I roused myself back to today with the decision made to start a shop, selling lovely wares and recalling my lady friends. But then on second thought, it might be

better just to write it all down and enjoy the happiness of my trip abroad.

And maybe let my cousin know that I was thinking of him today. There’s still time while we’re here, as far as we know.