Beyond the South End

Sonny’s Sunshine Corner

This month I am still sitting among boxes. This Saturday, Nanci and I will wander up to the office again to see if we are go for moving into a cheaper apartment in this complex so that we can contact our favorite movers, “Two Men and a Truck.” I’ve packed all I can pack at this point and still continue to stay here. At this point I’m feeling like a red-headed step-child as they say here in the South. If you need me to explain that later, I will.

The men who are painting all the buildings in the complex have kept us amused this month and have terrified Butchie. He just gets settled down into his favorite chair out on the balcony and then some man appears over the railing to paint the porch and he once again runs and hides under the bed. I know he’ll be happy when his patio porch overlooks the woods in our new place. Should be a much less stressful place for him to veg out.

This month, Ted’s column features Matinicus. By the way, this month marks Kendall’s first anniversary as the “South End Poet” on this blog spot. Congratulations, my good friend. See his seven new poems plus an added treat at the end.

I don’t have any plans for specific stories yet, but I’ll think of something to entertain you with, I’m sure. If you follow my loyal reader, Randall Achorn’s advice of last month and submit a story of the South End or of Rockland you’d like to share, I’d be glad to share it with the rest of the class.

I heard from a few people this month. My good friend Bill Pease of the RHS class of ’52 commented on the Courier site about my ode to summer, “Those Last Days of Summer.” See his comments at the end of that story.

I also heard from Harriet Sleeper Miles, a cousin of my good friend Sandra Sleeper Zimmerman. We reminisced back and forth a few times. She enjoyed my “Braids and Ink Wells” story, having been a victim of such an ugly deed. She was nice enough to order my book. Thanks, Harriet. Nice to hear from you.

I also was glad to hear from Kit Harrison, a columnist for the Courier regarding some questions I had about the state of education today. She explained her four Cs to me which is needed today as much as the three Rs were in my time. Her Cs are: Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, and Critical Thinking. Good things to consider for sure.

I hope you are all supporting your local pro team, the Rock Coast Rollers. They are not just a team but are caring individuals who look for organizations to do benefits for. Kudos to all of them and for volunteering to clean up the garbage left behind by coming last in the Lobster Festival Parade. WTG girls!

Health wise I just got two, count ‘em, two cortisone shots today. One in my right knee and one in the left foot which has some tendinitis in it. Doc told me to go ride the stationery bike and come back and see him in four weeks. Let’s hope things are better by then.

Wish Nanci and I luck as we make the transition with our buddy Butch to the new apartment. One good thing, if we have the same layout as this one, we’ll know where everything goes and it shouldn’t take us long to get settled.

Butchie says as long as he has his favorite blankie on his favorite spot on the couch he guesses he can stand the mess a little bit longer. Just don’t bother me when I’m trying to sleep.