Elvis with ladybugs

Please enjoy a few pictures of the Lighthouse while I tell a totally unrelated story.

Here's the calendar. Who needs to poke a hole in the new wall?

So Mr. Gadget asked me if I'd like to go out for breakfast this morning. "Duh!" I replied, and off we went up the road to a diner with the same name as one in our old neighborhood. We learned they're owned by brothers.

Remember Beatrice, the wingless bee? All of her friends have gone on to new homes and she's not at all pleased.

So the waitress came over and plopped down our menus with just a hint of attitude. As we were looking them over an elderly, whistling gentlemen with a spring in his step walked by with plates balanced up his arms and a pocket full of straws. He was wearing a vest made of Elvis fabric.

Mr. Gadget doesn't think I can get all of my crap, I mean arts and crafts supplies, into the Lighthouse. I aim to prove him wrong.

Elvis.....I'll call him Elvis.....looked to be past retirement age, but was clearly working the joint. He seemed very popular with the crowd. He was smiley and chatty and full of good cheer. I was dying to know about the vest.

Beatrice says that if I'm intent on keeping her grounded, I should at least make her a new friend. Maybe a ladybug or a frog. Definitely not a nun.

After we finished our meal and Mr. G headed for the cashier, I noticed him standing nearby. I caught his eye and we exchanged smiles.

"Are you an Elvis fan or is Elvis your name?" I asked.

"Oh, I love the guy!" he said. "I have lots of vests with all kinds of things."

"I was pretty sure it was a handmade vest." I said. "I sew and I noticed you have ladybug buttons."

"I tried to convince my wife to sew me a vest," he said, "but she couldn't be bothered. I ended up divorcing her because she was lazy and never wanted to do anything. So I took a sewing class and now I make my own vests."

I noticed he had quite a collection of pins attached to it too, so I asked about those. He pointed to a saxophone. "I took some lessons, but I wasn't very good," he told me. Then he showed me a dancing couple. "I'm pretty good at dancing and playing tennis though."

My Elvis encounter was a breath of fresh air and a perfect start to my new year. Maybe I should move out of my comfy rut and try some new things. And "blooming where I'm planted" isn't such a bad idea either. I'm already looking forward to another trip to the diner to see more vests. After all, it's just 3.8 miles up the road.....