I am in St. Simons Island, staying with my parents. (And trying, in vain, not to be drawn into discussions of what I want to eat two hours from now, then six hours after that, and then perhaps for breakfast tomorrow . . .) This morning, I headed out to the local coffeehouse for a latte to have with breakfast.(Homemade banana bread from a cousin I will see tomorrow.) I was walking in my too-fast way when an older woman on the path stopped suddenly, so suddenly that I had to be careful not too bump into her.
“White wisteria,” she said, pointing. “You hardly ever see that.”
But I had already passed, so I called back over my shoulder: “Yes! Have a lovely morning.” And my brain was thinking: Coffee, coffee, coffee.
Walking back, I wanted to pause and look at the wisteria. But I knew if I did, I would then write about this, and wouldn’t that undercut the idea that we all need, at times, to stop and look at the white wisteria? Yet, hey — I really did want to study the wisteria. It was, for anyone who has read the new book, a very Cassandra moment.
I did stop. It’s white, but edged in lavender. Who knows how long it will appear to be white to the eye? Down here, many things are in bloom — azaleas, dogwoods, redbuds (I think). It is spring and the one thing I must do today is take a bike ride.
Writing anything is treasonous, to go back to the Kitchen Confidential quote I so love. (And, given my memory, probably mangle.) But, perhaps, in the 2-W day — which I have already managed today, thank you very much — there is time for wisteria, too.
And, later, Wal-Mart — my only hope of replacing my phone on a Sunday afternoon in Brunswick, GA.
Let’s make a list of other W’s worth adding to the 2-W day. I’ll start with — wine!
If writing is one of the three Rs, can reading be an honorary W? Definitely a crucial element of every day! If I have to stick to the actual alphabet, I think I’d say walking–not walking for exercise (although that’s fine too) but just walking and thinking and surveying my surroundings from close up rather than through the window of a vehicle.
Water
Watching the birds from my window.
Waking
Wistfulness
I’m partial to both Wallow and Waltz.
Whine. Some days I just need to whine and get it out of me so I can move on.
You didn’t ask for explanations, so here are some important W’s to me to visit on a regular basis to make life bearable and worthwhile (another W!):
warmhearted
welcome
whet
wink
wisdom
wit
wonder
woolgathering
–Marjorie
Wouk, Herman, Marjorie Morningstar. (Although not even I can read it every day.)
Whimsy.
Don’t i recall a conversation here a while back about super heroes? At the risk of being a wee tad obvious,
Wonder Woman?
I nominate WISH. A worthy daily activity.
well first, every day I’m always exceedingly happy to Wakeup, Wash (a particularly indispensible thing, really), Walk, and go to Work. Dealing with Women is a pleasant daily must-do (but don’t scratch ‘em), and since Diet Coke doesn’t begin with a “w”, seeking out Worthwhile refreshment with which to Wet one’s Whistle is always high on my daily to-do list!
White wisteria. Oh my, talk about memories. I have a memory that is similar to your white wisteria experience. Only I stopped right away. And yes, it also involves a white wisteria.
I was walking to the local 7-11 and when I crossed the street I could smell this incredible fragrance. I wasn’t really sure where it was coming from but slowed down looking for the flower that had this gorgeous scent. An older lady was in the yard and saw me. So I asked and she invited me into the yard to see the wisteria. It was beautiful and smelled heavenly.
A few years later I went looking for it again hoping to ask for a cutting for my garden but the wisteria was gone and there were young children in the yard. So I guessed that the older lasy was gone as well.
As for your W’s. Mine is a 3 w day–work, work and more work.
Kathy
PS. It was great seeing you Friday evening.
Wordsworth, a two-fer.
Winsome.
Wrangle.
Woo.
Willy Wonka? Okay, that’s a stretch; I must be needing some chocolate.
Horace Walpole? Not so much.
Wharton
Lady Wortley
Wollstonecraft
Wilde
Wharton
Woolf
Waugh
<enough already with anglophile week!>
Wrack
Whoop
Wall Street
William Wilson
and from the double-unplus-good collection, Dubya.
I am not sure what wisteria smells like; i am still stuck on ronnie’s honeysuckle…
//k
btw, this journal actually reads html code, i just discovered with my very first post.
so if you put anything w/in angle brackets, it ignores it. hmm. sure there is a joke there, but i won’t be the one to make it.
//k