A memory like a steel sieve

There are ways in which Lauralea and I are good for each other. For instance, she helps me to be present. Sometimes I am present in body, but absent in spirit, or mind. She notices and calls me to the present.

Another way is that she seems to really like cooking, and I seem to really enjoy eating. See, like two bookends!

And she has this usually loveable quality of forgetting things, kind of just not aware of her current surroundings. This causes her to forget where her car keys are, or her wallet, watch, scarf, mitts, messages, etc. Usually I am around and I have space designated in my brain that stores that kind of data. I know the paper is in my inside coat pocket. I know the cell phone is on and is in my outer coat pocket. I know I saw her put a can of MountainFizz pop in her coat pocket to take to the last church meeting, just in case.

Well, she forgot about the can of pop. Apparently she arrived home without it being in her pocket any longer, and I'm not sure she was consciously aware of this... change.

Till this morning.

Off I went to start the van because it got cold overnight. It was -23C and chilly. When I opened the van door, my mind could not make sense of the winter wonderland my eyes beheld.

There were ice crystals and ice chunks everywhere. It was amazing. Where did all the ice come from? Was it all broken glass from a window? Nope they were ok.

Sparkling ice was everywhere, on the dashboard, the steering wheel, seats, ceiling, floor, in the vents, doorhandles, ...E V E R Y W H E R E ! ! !

And finally, finally I saw a torn apart pop can, the top half missing. And in an instant I knew what it was and what had happened.

She had not realized or remembered she had taken a can of pop to church. And it had fallen out of her blissfully unaware pocket, to sit in hiding till the temperature dropped when it would explode into a fountain of frozen freakin Mountain Fizz.

So, I cleaned as best I could, in -23C temperature, thinking how pleasant it will be in summer, without air conditioning and the windows won't work, and the temperature is +35C...

I was already beginning to stick to the steering wheel, and I could smell the minty freshness of Mountain Fizz blowing refreshingly through the air vents.

But its ok, bookends her and I. She balances me out nicely.
Besides, today she's making KeyLime pie.

I feel the warmth of forgiveness rising already from deep within my heart.
Or maybe its my stomach.