Inspiration

I am inspired by my neighbor. I headed out yesterday morning to do some shopping. As I drove down my block, I came upon my neighbor cross country skiing down the middle of the street. I don't know this woman well but I do know a few things about her. She is married. She has adult children. She used to sing in a choir. All her children are in choirs or band. One of her grandchildren performs in the Army band. She is polite and seemingly tolerant of her husband who has a need to be right in every conversation I've ever had with him. She is a retired labor and delivery nurse. She has a very nice house on the banks of the Rum River. She and her husband walk and ride their bikes around the neighborhood. She adopted two miniature pinchers from a minpin rescue. Those dogs are totally spoiled. She thinks my dog's name is Chaos. I corrected her a few times but now I let it go because I think, the way the dog spazzes out when meeting others on the road, that Chaos is an appropriate name. I guess she is in her mid-eighties. And she had a hip replacement in June. She used her walker to walk around the block last summer. So yesterday, when I saw her skiing, I rolled down my window to talk to her. "How's your leg?" I asked. "Fine," she answered, "Doesn't hurt at all."