how to buy an apple, old photos and a miracle

There are two ways to shop for apples-  go to the Coop, buy local organic and choose carefully which apple to bring home - sort of an adoption process. Bring it home and set it on something pretty until  ready to eat. Appreciate it's beauty, its fragrance, its shape,  and the little imperfections that say "I grew on a tree in an orchard with butterflies, fairies,fancy worms and magical beings ."

Not waxed or altered in a any way, just a beautiful apple.
 

Dennis's way is to go to Cosco and for the price of one magnificent Co-op apple he can buy eight industrial apples in a box with a warning on the side. He can not  eat apples so I know that he had me in mind when he bought them, which is thoughtful....or is it. Benefit of the doubt...yes, thoughtful. some folks just do not appreciate or bother with the aesthetics of buying an apple.

This morning I went through a photo album that is returning to dust- found it under the bench holding the ficus, a few photos in it from long ago just barely hanging on. 

We were 18  years old, going to college in Northern Wyoming- we drank beer and took photos. We participated in children's theater for fun, not much else on offer.

I was Toto the dog in our little production of the Wizard of Ox. I made a fine dog. Surprisingly had many lines that dog's do not usually have because I was the go between, sitting on stage  explaining and setting up the next scene, to bewildered children.

In another play I was the child being pushed into show biz by my mother, Trudy. There were five of we girls that went everywhere with one another, did everything together and no one had a real boyfriend.  Boyfriends ruined the mix.We did theater, we drank beer, we smoked camel straights, we ran all over the dirt of Wyoming and sometimes we had sleep overs at Trudy's Mother's house, A tiny place with built in beds like the old country.  Best of times.

Here are four of us lined up on the stairs. Trudy at the top.  We did a  bunch of plays and were usually lit  while doing so. The amount of beer consumption was great! Trudy was awesome- I sort of worshiped her if you want to know! She had it all going on!

We  graduated and went hither thither. I  went to California  one day, and found Trudy in 

Santa Barbara  with her new husband, We had dinner and I thought they were without doubt the coolest people ever born.Their friends were coming over with their Wok to make a curry- How exotic! How worldly! How non- hamburger! Her husband was also a musician and a poet, he wrote me a poem...I went back to the ranch where I was living/working and they went, I  know not  where. We lost touch entirely. Life happened and you know how that goes.

So I was thinking about Trudy and wondering , after all this time, over fifty years, where she ended up, if she was still alive even. I googled, came up with zip...Well, then, I guess she is lost...

I continued to search not willing to accept, an address came up, a phone number came up- I called but it had been discontinued, the google images only showed women with the same name in obituaries. One address was particularity interesting- Bellingham. That can not be ...I could not find the owners of the property  or an email, so I got in my dykemobile and tootled on over to the house, knocked on the door, a very suspicious person came up to the door window and asked what I wanted. I said " I am looking for , her name, from Ralston Wyoming", I said who I was, my old name. and she said "just a minute"... Calmed her dog and let me in! My TRUDY! It was She! And her husband was there and they are still cool! OMG!

Holy shit, what a thing! We talked for way too long and got on just fine and she is still the most splendid  human in the universe and has been in this same town as I , for seventeen years!

She has worked (managed) the whole food organic  bakery that we have frequented faithfully for years1 I never saw her. I am gobsmacked utterly. Anyway, we sort of caught up  but to cram fifty plus years into three hours is a reader's digest version of an entire  lifetime...Still reeling.

At home now, fed my one legged gull, Peg. ate some corn chips because you know, just not fat enough...and looked out at the sky and the sweet mysteries of life!  I marvel! Small big little crazy world! What are the chances? The odds? WOW. Crumbling photos lead the way, I should say! And there you have it.