The Morning is glorious. The air is fragrant. Everything shines in the bright sunlight. Patches of blue frame the tree branches in the backyard. When I went to get the paper, I watched a pair of cardinals chase each other. When I walked by my front garden, I was wonderfully surprised by the unexpected beauty I saw. Three hibiscus have bloomed, giant red hibiscus. How splendid.

The dogs have finished their usual morning routine. First, they took turns going out the dog door. Henry quickly ran to his tree while Nala ran to the backyard. Both came inside for their morning biscuits then they ran back outside. When they finally came back inside, they impatiently waited for their morning coffee, about a tablespoonful, and then we shared a banana. Now it is time for their morning naps.

When I was a kid, as May ended, School was winding down. We had end of the year exams. I especially remember one year. My sister had a habit of asking to go to the bathroom then leaving school and walking home. I was in the middle of my music exam and had reached the Gregorian chant part when I was called out of class. Mother Superior told me to walk home and fetch my sister. I said my exam wasn’t finished, and she told not to worry about it. I was elated. I got to leave school on a warm, sunny day, and I didn’t have to finish my exam. I walked slowly!!

I don’t remember my father doing much barbecuing when I was young, but after we moved to the cape, he was the designated grill cook. The window in the dining room facing the yard was always open in case he needed something. If I closed my eyes, I can still see him holding tongs and leaning into the kitchen saying, “Pop me.” My mother or one of us would pour him a pop, and he’d get back to the grill. Nobody grilled meat as perfectly as my father.

My friends Bill and Peg are coming on Tuesday. I can barely wait to see them. We met in 1969 at our Peace Corps staging in Philadelphia before we left for training in Ghana. In 2016 we traveled together back to Ghana. It was the most wonderful trip. We still share our immense love for Ghana, Ghanaians and Bolga where we lived. Bill and I also share a love for jollof rice which we ate every night in Bolga at the hotel restaurant. We laugh a lot when we are together. We have shared memories. We have inside jokes still funny after all these years. Did I mention I can hardly wait until Tuesday?

Today is dump day.