It's hard to find things to grouch and complain about when your personal life seems so comfortable, but if we try hard enough we can always find issues that irritate and sometimes even infuriate. And usually it has something to do with 'other people'. To put it more accurately on a personal level, peoples' foibles, or their sense of righteousness, or their rigid performance as 'professionals'. There are times when you just have to shake your head in wonder.

On the other hand, why bother? Especially on beautiful days when the sun shines, the ambient temperature is as close to perfect as possible and your close environment offers relaxation, entertainment and recreation at one readily accessible site. Link perfect weather with the perfect location and if there's anyone hesitating to make the most of such opportunities to enjoy nature and relax mind and soul, then they'll never know what they're missing.

 

We took Jackie and Jillie and our two selves out to the ravine for our usual pleasurable spin through the forest trails early this afternoon. And although the sun was fiercely hot on the street, the forest canopy muted the heat, turning the temperature down to 'just there, stop right there', and we ambled off, following our two little pups where fancy would take them and us. And on this most perfect of days we had the length of our perambulation to ourselves.

 

Earlier we had done the usual for a Friday. I decided to bake a strawberry pie for a change. I've baked raspberry pies often enough and blueberry pies, but strawberry, not so much. Once you've prepared and baked the pie crust, let it cool, and spooned the cooled strawberry-sugar-cornstarch-water filling into the shell, it awaits refrigeration until dinnertime and you're done. At serving time whipped cream can be added.

While I was busy in the kitchen and doing some light cleaning elsewhere in the house, Irving went out to run a few errands, among them dropping by at the pharmacy to pick up medication for him and for me. He had called them in a few days earlier and was assured they'd be ready for pick-up today. Trouble was, when he arrived, he was informed that only mine was prepared, his wouldn't be ready until tomorrow. And why would that be? Because he still had, the pharmacist sniffed, 9 days' worth left.

Adhering strictly to instructions that prescriptions are not to be refilled until the user is down to a few days' worth. Thus, despite the assurance it would be ready, it was not. And to satisfy the restriction to the letter of the law, another trip back to the pharmacy to pick up the prescribed medication on the following day, wasting both human and fossil fuel energy satisfying the sanctimony of 'the person behind the counter'. 

 

Irritation/disbelief number two for the day: Irving had brought my attention to a sales pamphlet for a nearby shop advertising a new shipment of fall clothing, specifically women's sweaters and pants and they looked promising. So though I really tend not to shop anywhere of late, whimsy took me there  and try as I might I could not find very much in sizes smaller than medium or large. Any small sizes I found looked no different than the large.

The design, fabrics, and workmanship were dreary beyond belief. What was more unbelievable, however, is the availability of large-size and extra-large-size garments, and virtually no small sizes. For that matter, 'small' now barely resembles what at one time such sizes  represented; whatever the size, they're uniformly huge. And shapeless. I walked into the store without any packages and walked out with no packages. Utterly dismal choices mean no choices.

 

No matter, as soon as we rolled up the driveway, the world turned brighter again, and the garden glowed. And as long as this is all I can find to complain about, I'm beyond fortunate.