Day 44 -- The day almost felt routine

Although doing really un-routine things,  the day was a delightful mixture of experimental cooking, getting some correspondence caught up, having lunch with Lee -- and taking care of several pieces of  business and fun, an appointment, a long conversation with the lady at The Spring Boutique Shop, another delightful conversation with Nancy -- two old folks complaining about the loneliness of being left behind,  sharing clues to working strategies, and acknowledging the fact that we both wanted to be helpful and protective to each other, but were not really sure how to let that happen.
Got the information I needed about The Spring handling the nicer clothes that Margaret used for the dressiest occasions -- in keeping with Margaret's expressed desires about how these clothes would be used.  Will probably also take those clothes that are the newest outfits to The Spring also.  It is really interesting how it is easy to flip-flop between donating clothes and walking away, and wanting to know how the clothing was going to be handled/used.  Nancy recognized that -- said she still had some things of Tony's (he died 10 years ago -- his birthday is tomorrow= would be 95) and when her daughters asked, she would say she didn't know why she could give those things up -- she just couldn't.  I really understood that -- was just a bit surprised that it apparently continues indefinitely.  But then, that football jersey of Robert's (my brother) hung in my (his) closet until I went off to Divinity School and Mom moved to Euclid Circle.
With Lee's consultation, I got the text files posted on this blog.  They are listed on the right -- the "Pages" so if you are of a mind to, you can see the gathering of the family, the Committal, the Memorial service, the Reception, and read all the kind and caring words that came from three different sources.  I have copies of Danny and Bill's manuscripts, and I may give them a page also.
Dinner at the Kennedy's is tomorrow night (with the Landesbergs).  I'm really looking forward to that: I'm prepared for the mask to slip from time to time.  It's getting more and more interesting -- and surprising -- when it slips, or give me the early warning signal that I am getting near something pretty tender: usually a really subtle part of Margaret's presence, or a memory, or an event that has a strong feeling component that I have not yet recognized.