Last Night

Last night we parked at Jackie's and walked Romeo. We admired the planets and the stars visible from Milton Ave.  Blackstone is dark!  When we came around the block our friend Jackie got out of her car. We love Jackie. We haven't seen her in a while even though we park in front of her house to walk Romeo around the block nearly every night.

My car was in the garage she said, meaning her home garage.

Oh, I had no idea your car could fit in there. I thought it was just for the lawn mower.

Well the door was stuck for a long time, it was jammed at the bottom from the moisture, the wood swells and then the door won't slide closed. I love watching This Old House and I get so many ideas. I had a feeling it was the bottom that had swelled and told my brother-in-law. He came and fixed it. So I'm using it again. My neighbor Pauline still thinks I'm not home when she doesn't see my car.

We stood outside for over a half hour in the cold wearing our New England thermals and layers and vests feeling perfectly warm. Jackie continued: I used to go skiing and we all wore our Gauchi thermals under our ski pants. I love the cold. One night I went to Milford for an eye exam and a snowstorm erupted. When I went to drive home there was a fast four inches of snow. I pulled over because my car was conking out. I couldn't dial triple A because I could hardly see the phone because my eyes were still dilated. But finally I managed to get them but everyone was calling so I had to wait and wait. Finally I called them again. Two and a half hours went by. I finally had to use my age, which I hate to do, I said I'm 82 years old!! I'm very cold!!

I never like to do that because I feel like I'm 30. 

And you seem like you're 30.  But sometimes you have to pull rank!

Jackie wears bright red lipstick and has silver bobbed hair and dresses like an authentic slender New England farmer. She always mows her own lawn and shovels snow and plants flowers in the summer. She walks her neighbors'  and nephew's dogs and loves to be outdoors. She used to ski and she still plays tennis. She actually grew up in the Milton Street house with her parents and three sisters.