Rocking gently in an out-of-my-budget recliner, I feel completely at ease to just sit and be here, knowing doing so will not lead to a red-vest-wearing sales worker asking if I need help. It’s as if they trust me to keep them informed of my needs
There are days we head out, like to the playground or to get groceries and I’m not ready to go home. Like, I want to still be in the community. In those times, maybe a handful of times of the year, I find myself wanting to visit, like I am right now, The Old Cannery in downtown Sumner.
The Old Cannery is located in a quite comfortable but large warehouse-like building filled with l-shaped sectionals, chairs, side tables, and decor. Although ninety-five percent of the store is set up for selling furniture, there’s a fudge station, model trains running along the upper walls, festive decorations and lights throughout, and a kids coloring area in the back.
Besides the library, I can’t think of anywhere else where you stay as long as you like, not buy anything, get a bunch of free things and the people working there seem genuinely happy work there, and don’t care whether you come and go. And if you’re curious, we got a balloon, two bags of popcorn, a few pieces of candy, some excellent seats on some furniture, and a wooden train whistle. Speaking of the whistle, if parents are looking for non-annoying, very soothing gifts for kids, that is definitely one.
The Paw Patrol megaphone a family member showed me an idea for Evelyn for Christmas is a hell no.
Back at home, I load the final pan in the dishwasher and think about the far-off future living in Georgia. It feels far away like a dream you try to recall but can’t quite grasp. Out of our hands is the surveyor’s timeline, and weeks upon weeks it’ll be until the map’s recorded. Until then, we’ll live the Washington life we know and love.
At teeth brushing time, Evelyn does pretty well, but there are those deep-in-the-back molars I worry about the bristles missing. However when I saw her playing with the mouthpiece from the board game “Watch Your Mouth” and the way it permanently propped her chops in full display I knew I had to try it out in our evening routine. As you can see here, it did not disappoint!
I’ve been feeling less social lately. Which wouldn’t be a problem if the voice in my head would back off and let me be. I have this reclusive hermit man with a whiskery chin and a grumbly bah humbug that wishes technology were buried six feet in the ground. I like that image, and it does help to understand myself, and the way I tend to prioritize, maybe even overvalue my spirited and robustly connected cheerleader,
I’ll get to you cheery cheererton, right now it’s the old man’s crackling fire I want to bunker down next to.
Happy Friday. Love, Jaclynn
Going On 40 