It’s a rainy day. I began the day making a list of rainy day stuff to do, including, of course, to lie on the couch and read. I finally decided to actually get a few things done and first on my rainy day list was a pile of old clothes in my closet that needed to be donated. So I gathered up a double arm load of old clothes, all of which I have fond memories, and into which at one time in the misty past, I could actually fit.

There were also two shopping bags filled with old telephones, cables, Palm Pilots and their associated chargers that needed a new home at the transfer station.

The biggie was this old ugly filing cabinet in my kitchen – I should say kitchenette – it’s not really big enough to warrant the full title. I realized that the stuff in the two drawers that was worth keeping would fit in one file drawer in another cabinet with room to spare. And the stuff I could trash, which included six boxes of 3.5 inch floppy backup diskettes from my painful PC days, was enormous!

You have to be careful when cleaning out old files. Look at each piece. In one folder I found the official copy of my mother’s death certificate. There was information there that was actually valuable to me, and only me. If you had asked for it I would have said I don’t have it. I would have said my brother probably has it. Well, it was there and now it is re-filed and retrievable.

So with that old filing cabinet emptied out and taken downstairs I suddenly found the possibility for a reconfiguring of that corner of my little kitchenette that would open up room I never dreamed of having. The centerpiece of this project is a little trestle table I have had for nearly 30 years. In it’s present position it is a collection place for whatever can be piled on it. There was my toaster, a charger for my 18 volt power tools, a pair of pliers, a rasp for shaping ceramic tiles, a bag of rocks from some beach or other, a couple of bottles of booze, a fly swatter, several empty spice bottles and among a few other pieces of everyday detritus there was also a tin of saltine crackers I haven’t been into for over a year at least. The quality of my life would not be diminished one bit if I never had another Nabisco Saltine Cracker.

In it’s new configuration my little table is home to several of my frequently used appliances. Toaster, bread machine, vacuum sealer and the afore mentioned bottles of booze. The wide board that connects the ends of the table serves as a convenient storage shelf for some larger pots. I’m excited.

I had no idea about the emotional energy I had invested in this little project until as I stood there admiring this new arrangement when the bottom board of that little trestle table let go with a bang and all those items that had looked so serene resting on it came crashing down and onto the floor.

I was incredulous. How could a kind and benevolent god permit such a calamity to invade my serenity? I turned up my hearing aids so I might hear the murmuring of angels who usually, I am told, have answers. I even listened for the doorbell announcing one of my more spiritual friends who might come up and say something reassuring, like, Namaste! Which means, of course, “Come get your grits”. Just the thought of a big bowl of hot spicy grits made me feel blessed already.

I’m not sure it was an angel but something told me to get off my ass and clean it up and fix the damned thing. I had to laugh. It wasn’t in my plan, but what ever is? So, I cleaned up the mess and fixed the damned thing. It is now much better than it was.

You ever notice how such an event can actually make your day? Amazing!