I put on my chauffeur’s cap this morning, as I awoke from a deep fog. My poor working wife had gotten up at 4 a.m. on a Sunday morning to catch an early flight. I had planned on sleeping in and taking the dogs out in the morning sunlight for a change. It’s been cold here in Portland, with some snow flurries and icy roads. My wife’s boss thought it would be a good idea to arrive early for their budget meetings in Phoenix and get ahead of more anticipated snow. She was probably right in being diligent about their responsibilities. Unfortunately, there were no Uber drivers to take my wife to the airport this morning and I got the nod.

It’s no big deal since I’m retired and therefore do not distinguish Sunday from any other day of the week. They’re all the same in my world. I’ll fly out in to join her in the warmer climate once her meetings have concluded. In the meantime, I’ll save us a few bucks in pet sitting fees and enjoy life as a homebody. I’ve got an I.U. basketball game to watch in a few hours and I hope it doesn’t lead to late morning drinking. It’s been that kind of season, but at least with the West Coast early start, it will be out of the way for the day. I had honestly not planned to leave the house until my flight, but instead I got an early startle, dogs out, airport visit, daily run, and some writing in by 8 a.m. I’ll even have some time to do some “hunting” for Banister relatives on the Ancestry.com site. In all, that’s more than most people do all day…even the U.S. Army,as they like to boast!

I’ll probably need a nap after the game, but basketball adrenaline will boost me until that time comes. It’s been a tough week of bad decisions on my part that have only added to my wife’s work stress. Even an attempt to humor her with a Limoges box and poem went wrong. It was supposed to be a celebration for the 20th anniversary of our first “date,” when we typically observe Valentine’s Day. At least that way I get two chances to make it right, so there’s still time for a make good.

I have several themes that I follow when I gift my wife a Limoges Box. It’s been another of our 20-year traditions and I have bought hundreds for her collection. There are holiday boxes, those that are travel-related, romantic, and whimsical categories that I look for. I typically purchase them on-line from reputable sources since it’s rare to see them in the stores any more. For those of you that are unfamiliar with Limoges, they are French, hand-painted, porcelain boxes that are hinged to sometimes reveal a surprise inside. I put a poem inside each one that I give her and once proposed with a hidden diamond ring. In that particular case, the design included a rabbit with a carrot (or karat). (See Post #146). They also each feature a distinctive clasp as part of the hinged lid. The FOX BOX had a gold HEN where it opened and hens were painted on the inside. I enjoy “hunting” for the right one to fit the occasion, but I’ve also made a few mistakes.

I was probably trying to be too clever in selecting a FOX themed box. However, she used to enjoy collecting peacocks when she worked for the NBC affiliate. A Limoges box, on the other hand, is a bit too pricey for our $50 limit on this type of whimsical collecting. When she left NBC, she gave them all away, except for the Peacock Limoges. She now works for FOX, but the budget meetings, especially the early arrival, had her in a bad mood. As a result, she did not think the Fox Limoges was funny, plus apparently I had already given her a “Hunting FOX.” This is one of the predictable casualties of too much in a collection, despite the fact that I keep a list. The search function failed me, as I failed her. I sent it back for a replacement, but here’s the poem.

Fox and Hen

It used to be peacocks,
But those days have passed.
It’s amazing how many,
Of those we’ve amassed.

Now the channel has changed,
And it’s time to start anew.
The FOX transition,
Is two years overdue.

With the Valentine display,
Full of porcelain hearts.
The collection of foxes,
Now officially starts.

This box an exception,
To the less than $50 rule.
But the HEN on the clasp,
Makes this one cool.

The FOX & Hound,
Was an early rendezvous.
Back when I was quickly,
Falling in love with you.

Your love of Broadway,
As I learned to know.
“Light in the Piazza,”
Our first FOX show.

The Fabulous FOX,
For Spamalot, too.
Like the Jersey Boys,
“Can’t take my eyes off you.”

You have A FOX coat,
But fur it’s not.
Unlike those that I,
Paid Bill Wallace a lot.

You’re my FOXY Lady,
I’ve always thought,
A vixen of beauty,
That I finally caught.

Maybe you’ll see me,
As your “Fantastic Mr. FOX?”
While our love story continues,
Through another Limoges Box.

FOXES mate for life,
Let’s hope that’s true.
Now twenty for us.
With many more due.

That night at Eddy’s,
Opportunity Knocks. ‘
In a FOXY “Tan-T,
Red Sweats, & White Socks.’

We met through our work,
And it led to play.
You’ll join me in retirement,
And we’ll cruise away.

Throughout your career,
It’s been your tradition.
I know you’ll continue,
To OUTFOX the competition

Happy Valentine’s Day,
To the love of my life.
You’re a proud mother HEN,
And my FOXY LOXY wife.

Copyright 2019 johnstonwrites.com

The are references to several famous FOXES in this work of silly rhyme, including The Fox and Hound – a now shutterd Indy restaurant, St. Louis’ Fabulous Fox Theater, Chicken Little’s Foxy Loxy, and the George Clooney movie, The Fabulous Mr. Fox. There is also a reference to a poem that I wrote for her after that first “date” 20 years ago, and her love of Broadway shows. Ironically, I had also bought advance tickets on Fandango for a movie last night at the Regal Fox Theater that I forgot to include in the poem. As it turns out, the weather was bad so we couldn’t drive downtown to the movie. Just as I thought that I had made another foolish purchase, Fandango kindly issued me a credit. As we discussed, it did not make sense to spend $50 on an Uber ride for a $20 movie (Senior Citizen discount). I might not have been able to even hire an Uber, considering their lack of availability this morning.

With a new Limoges box on the way, a new poem to write, and the real Valentine’s Day yet to celebrate in Phoenix, I still have a chance to make this right. Let’s just hope that the budget meetings go well. At least she’s there in plenty of time, while I’m trying to be as constructive as possible in her absence.