Darkness Falls

Once a feisty cavalier King Charles Spaniel stood guard over the side yard. Nothing escaped his (or was it her?) eagle-eye. Low growls would become yippy barks as he/she defended the realm against all who would dare to walk upon the sidewalk in front of the house.

This is when I would see our neighbor; as she stood on her steps talking with the dog, telling her companion that "It's okay. They're nice people." I didn't see her often; sporadic at best. Yet, when I did, there was a pleasant wave and a quick hello before I would continue on my walk either to or from my own house.

She was elderly, but not too much so. She had a small frame, with curly hair the color of gun-metal. Her small white house was "cute", but only because it was so tiny when compared to others around it. Had she lived here all her life? Did she raise a family here? Was this where she chose to make a life for herself or was this the next stop after her children were grown with lives of their own? I have no idea. And now I never will.

I haven't seen our neighbor since December and the side yard is empty. No growls are heard; no wagging tail is seen, and no gentle admonishment is heard from the side door.

The house is quiet now.

No one who lives near us knew her. She lived ten houses away and I never even knew her name.

I like to think that she's living with a relative and the she and the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel are content in their new surroundings. But, I think I say that to make myself feel better.

Darkness falls over our neighborhood. There are no lights on inside the house to be seen through the windows from the street. At night the emptiness fills the air.

No dog, no lady and no chance to ever say "Hello" again.

I Got Nothing...

Ever since someone told her blog world that people don't keep up their blogging also are people who kick puppies I felt that I had to write something - anything - to spare me this label of "Puppy-kicker non-blogger". However, and as much as someone doesn't want to hear that school work takes precedence to blogging well, I'm sorry, it just does. I use my time before work to write the weekly summaries I have due each week for my "Tolkien as Translator" class. Between this class and "The Irish Hero of Myth and Saga" my writing dance card is pretty full. Still, I hate disappointing someone, so here we are.

What to write...?

Yeah...I got nothing.

This is the blog about nothing.

It is the "Seinfeld" of blog posts.

Speaking of Seinfeld, his new show "The Marriage Ref" is pretty piss-poor entertainment.

Although, for my money, Alec Baldwin is one funny bastard.

I think he's the biggest reason I watch "30 Rock".

That, and Tina Fey. Fey is funny and hot in that geeky, hot librarian way.

Hot librarians rock.

I haven't been to a library in ages.

I get most of my books in used bookstores.

I hope to own a used bookstore someday.

Jenna told me that when she writes a world-famous novel I can sell it in my bookstore.

Most of my reading is being done for class (see classes above).

I started to read "Don Quixote" but had to stop so I could re-read "The Lord of the Rings".

I'm pretty amazed at Tolkien's ability as a wordsmith. There are echoes of Norse, Old English and colloquial English throughout his work.

I love learning.

I love reading.

I occasionally love blogging.

So here we are.

More next week - promise.