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SOLC 2019 Day 1: A Nice Quiet Afternoon At Home

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March 2019 SOLC–Day 1
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My husband, Kurt lay on the couch, dozing, fighting off a nasty virus. He’d been miserable for a couple of days and had settled in for a nice nap.

Outside our old farmhouse, winter continued unabated. I wasn’t even slightly tempted to get outdoors and enjoy the fresh air. Instead, I sat, curled up in a chair, swaddled in a blanket, and utterly content. I had my book in hand, a cup of hot spiced tea nearby and a bowl full of dry cereal, one of my favorite snacks. Ahhhh …. vacation!

As I read, I munched contentedly, enjoying the long peaceful stretch of a rare unscheduled day and seemingly unlimited time to read.

This is wonderful! I thought.

Kurt stirred on the couch, then resettled a bit more comfortably. Poor guy, I thought, he really isn’t feeling good. 

I grabbed another handful of  cereal, popped some into my mouth, and snuggled into the chair and into my book.

A moment later, Kurt shifted, half opened his eyes, and looked around.

“Molly,” he said groggily, “What are you eating?”

I started in surprise, stopped chewing, glanced at his disgruntled expression and laughed.

“No, really,” he repeated, looking bemused, “What the #$@! are you eating? It sounds like there are barnyard animals eating in here!””

His face was a picture–sleepy, grumpy and slightly horrified. I couldn’t help it. My mouth still full of half-chewed cereal, I started to laugh. I was soon laughing so hard that I couldn’t finish chewing, and that made me laugh even harder. I leaned back in the chair, and I laughed and laughed and laughed. After a minute tears gathered in the corners of my eyes, and my sides started to ache. At some point, I heard Kurt begin to chuckle, too.

Finally, I was able to settle down. I finished chewing and swallowed the cereal. I wiped my eyes and took a deep, shaky breath.

“OK,” I said, regaining control. ” It’s just Oatmeal Squares, and I’m almost done.” I popped another few in my mouth.

CRUNCH! CRUNCH! CRUNCH!

Oh.  I guess these are pretty loud. I started giggling again.

Kurt harrumphed and muttered something else unflattering about pigs or horses. Then he lay down again and rolled over, facing away from me. I quickly shoveled the last few Oatmeal Squares into my mouth, and crunched away.

As he dozed off again, I hurried to finish chewing, now fully aware of the sounds emerging from my mouth. Unexpectedly, a refrain threaded through my head,
“And on that farm he had a wife…..
“…with a CRUNCH CRUNCH here …
and a CRUNCH CRUNCH there!”

I giggled again, teetering on the edge of hilarity.

Ruthlessly, I squashed the giggles, swallowed the last piece of cereal, and took a deep sip of tea. I picked up my book and settled myself down, resigned to the fact that I wouldn’t be snacking again anytime soon.

Leavened with a bit of shared laughter, the quiet of the afternoon seemed richer now and settled around us. Within moments, Kurt had slipped fully into sleep, and I had slipped back into 1930s Los Angeles.

Ahhh…vacation…

 

22 thoughts on “SOLC 2019 Day 1: A Nice Quiet Afternoon At Home”

  1. TammyB says:
    March 1, 2019 at 5:48 am

    I love the case of the giggles…esp when you really shouldn’t be laughing. It just makes it funnier.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  2. Christine says:
    March 1, 2019 at 5:51 am

    Ahhh vacation indeed. Something about that break that gives us the freedom to enjoy and giggle at these simple small moments!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  3. Debbie Lynn says:
    March 1, 2019 at 6:03 am

    I laughed right along with you snuggled into your warm, cozy house shielded from winter. Enjoyed your story! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  4. terierrol says:
    March 1, 2019 at 8:59 am

    So happy to hear you are enjoying your vacation too. It is often those crazy moments shared that are the best!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  5. Dan Rothermel says:
    March 1, 2019 at 10:30 am

    Love your family slices! Vacation on!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  6. Anonymous says:
    March 1, 2019 at 4:48 pm

    Enjoyed your slice! Couldn’t help but smile. Sometimes you can’t help your giggles!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  7. jcareyreads says:
    March 1, 2019 at 7:54 pm

    I found myself smiling, imagining you laughing. A lighthearted slice of life.

    Liked by 1 person

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  8. Leigh Anne Eck says:
    March 1, 2019 at 8:06 pm

    I laughed out loud at his comment because anything my husband eats sounds like that! You captured the silliness and the spontaneity perfectly!

    Liked by 1 person

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    • mbhmaine says:
      March 2, 2019 at 9:26 am

      It still makes me smile whenever I think about this. I grabbed a handful of Oatmeal Squares last night and before eating them, I looked to see where my husband was! lol

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      Reply
  9. kd0602 says:
    March 1, 2019 at 8:12 pm

    I love the story of the crunches! Your writing always brings me into the moment…and gave me a few giggles right along with you.
    Kim

    Liked by 1 person

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  10. Alice Nine says:
    March 1, 2019 at 10:00 pm

    Told by a master storyteller! Love your line, “Leavened with a bit of shared laughter, the quiet of the afternoon seemed richer now and settled around us.” BTW, I remember my elders saying that we need one roll-on-the-floor laugh a day to be healthy. Oh, I mentioned you in my post,.

    Liked by 1 person

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  11. pbeuke says:
    March 1, 2019 at 10:31 pm

    Love your description of what rich quiet sounds like. So many wonderful features of text that drew me into your story and brought a smile to my face.

    Liked by 1 person

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