I was out in the yard just messin’ with what’s there when I saw his vehicle coming down the road. He parked in front of the arbor and I started walking toward him, but noticed him laughing so hard just by seeing me that I was perplexed. Then, he said, “I love that shirt, Barb!”, and I’d forgotten my shirt said, “Don’t be a dick”, in all caps across the front. It’s easy to forget what clothes you have on.

He’s one of my neighbors and I call him Seadog. The other day we were texting, and I told him, “You know I’m a little weird, but you seem to embrace my weirdness and that’s what makes us such good friends!” He agreed and said, “That makes two of us!”, as if it goes both ways. He asked where I got the shirt and I said, “Feathers and Frosting’, and to that he didn’t know what to say, like ‘Is she for real?’ That’s the name of the shop I was at when the Dirty Horchata fell from my truck named Steve.

It’s all a part of the fairytale.

Recently, another neighbor stepped into my backyard to borrow something, and I don’t pay much attention to the backyard, unlike the front. It’s where the doggos run, play, and rest, so it’s neat and tidy, but I cannot plant anything because of the dogs. It’s a small price to pay for their companionship, but when my neighbor stepped into the yard, she paused and exclaimed, “This house is like something out of a fairytale!!” I smiled and nodded my head in agreement. It was the same day as the solar eclipse, so I’m going to credit the unusual lighting that made it look even more magical.

The happiness level is high when we seek what the day has in store instead of what we have planned for it. I’m reminded of this quote by George Bernard Shaw, “We don’t stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing.” I hope to enjoy many more years of playing my part in the fairytale.