Mark has mentioned a few times on his blog our unusual neighbors. My favorite today is our "smoker." Every time I come in or go out he is out in front of his door... smoking. When I get closer I notice that the two fingers that hold his cigarettes are orange from tobacco stains. He also has recently started wearing huge bandage looking things around his neck held on with medical tape.
Months ago - when I went out walking before the winter hit, he would stop me with Merrill every once in a while and give me nutrition advice. It baffled me. After he was talking to me and blowing his smoke in our general direction the mother bear in me flared up I said, "No offense, but you certainly know a lot about nutrition for a smoker." He kind of nervously giggled, acknowledged it sheepishly and we ended our conversation. I felt kinda bad about saying it - but it just kind of came out! He didn't talk to me or smoke on us for a long time... until today.
I was tending to my herbs and our one flowerbed and on my way back from the dumpster with a handful of weeds he stopped and talked to me. He mentioned how he noticed Merrill was getting teeth, eating well etc. and then I (stupidly) mentioned that we had another one on the way and needed to sell our place... that led him into a discourse about how my diet and nutrition at the time of conception would determine the gender of our baby. Apparently it has been proven for 50 years and it is a well know fact that... something about alkaline and acid and.... I kind of zoned out.
Anyway, my point is that as soon as anyone knows that someone is pregnant (and I am guilty of this too) advice just pours out. Sometimes in the most unusual places. I guess you just have to think about it and CONSIDER THE SOURCE.
