The Former Boss and I had lunch at noon on Tuesday.  We sat and talked and ate for nearly two hours, catching up since it had been a couple of months since we saw one another.  We talked about books and grandchildren and town gossip.  Across the aisle and ahead of me, two women were having lunch.  I noticed that the one whose back was turned to me kept glancing at us over her shoulder, smiling.  I did not recognize her, but The Boss knows EVERYBODY, and I figured the woman might know her and was waiting for a lull in the conversation (which never happened) to come over and speak to The Boss, but she never did.  At about 2:00, the Boss and I stood up to leave and gave each other a hug.  The Boss started for the bathroom, and I started for the door, but the woman stopped us.  She said that she was part of a group of friends who had been there for one another through thick and thin - she talked about lost spouses and grandchildren (clearly she had been listening for some time!) - and said that we reminded her of her group and thought it was just wonderful that we were keeping in touch.  And that was it.  I said, "Aw, that's sweet.  We've worked together for 28 years."  The Boss piped in and said that we worked almost EXCLUSIVELY together, with no other people around, for 28 years.  Finally, we all made nice goodbye noises, and I left to go to the hardware store.  

(Got some vegetable and flower seeds to start in the house or the cold frame, but no dirt.  Give me a break, a blizzard was blowing, and I did not relish the idea of going to the outdoor part where they keep the big bags of dirt.)  

On the way home, I thought about how odd it was that the woman in the restaurant stopped us, not knowing either of us.  Not that there was anything creepy about it; she was a nice lady.  The Boss and I had finished up our conversation talking about book we'd recently read.  When the woman started telling us about her group of friends, I half expected her to invite us to join a book club, or something, but she didn't.  She just wanted to tell us that it was nice to see old friends catching up.  I guess she is just a nice person.  We don't run into too many of those these days, do we?

* * * * * * * * 

It is supposed to get unbearably cold, starting tomorrow evening.  Single-digit temperatures at night.  I can't stand it.  It's supposed to get a little warmer today - 47 at the moment - and when it does I need to get my lazy butt outside and cover up my good rose bush.  I also need to scatter some seeds that need to go through the winter.  There's a name for that, but I can't remember it.

Stratification, maybe.

Anyway, it's too cold to do it at the moment.  

I probably should go to the grocery store, too, if there's any food left there.  Maybe I'll do both things right after lunch.

Until then, maybe I'll paint.  ;)