New Hampshire: The Errands Last Friday

This year’s Independence Day festivities were hosted by close friends whom I will refer to by their stage names—Woody and Clara Blackbottom. Last Friday, Clara and I had lunch at the Friendly Toast then ran to the health food store, the library, the fish store, Shaw’s Market, and the liquor store. We bought almost $250 worth of seafood and five bottles of Vermouth and a bottle of rum. “Are you feeding the troops?” The fishmonger had asked. While driving around town we talked about Clara’s third-grade students and the progress they made this year in spelling. We talked about book club reading for the beach. Another big topic of this year’s talk was about cervical mucus, morning temperature reading, and thoughts we have about a book for women on taking charge of our fertility. Yeah! Clara is trying to get pregnant, and I hope maybe someday to attain that state of grace, too. We made it home to the Blackbottom residence, unpacked, and waxed the floors. Guests arrived around nine. We ate lima bean puree with bread, fennel and olives in oil followed by mac and cheese with Peekytoe crab and chive flowers. Dessert was pure bliss: Manjari Chocolate-stuffed figs with ice cream. We supped, talked, and listened to the new Ice Cube and our favorite Fela Kuti tunes late into the night. The afrobeat jazz funk got us feeling all American and revolutionary, ready for our Independence Day weekend. Yes we do love world music, and we did follow the World Cup even though the US had already been defeated. Anyone out in blog-land thinking that’s Un-American? Let’s talk. Let’s sing! As Mr. Kuti would intone, “So I waka waka waka. I go many places. I see many people. Dem dey cry, cry, cry. Amen. Amen. Amen.”