Land of Osbourne

There is a small doll sitting on my desk right now. She is worn. Her fabric has aged. Time has softened every inch of her. And yet somehow… she still feels like home. Her name is Granny. My Grandma gave her to me when I was six months old. She found her at a nursing home sale, tucked beside a tiny little canopy bed that made her seem impossibly elegant to my baby eyes. Even then, before I could explain emotions in words, I knew Granny was different. She was never just another toy. Other dolls came and went. Barbies lost shoes. Stuffed animals disappeared into closets. Toys were traded, donated, forgotten. Not Granny. She stayed close. When we went on vacations, Granny came too. Camping trips? Packed. Sleepovers? Absolutely. Teenage years filled with invisible storms and growing pains? Still there. Even when I was “too old” to need a comfort object, I brought her anyway. Just in case. Just in case I got scared. Just in case the world felt too sharp. Just in case ...

Some dates don’t fade. They don’t blur into the background or get lost in the years. They stay lit up—bright, electric, unforgettable. Like Las Vegas at night. Like the Riviera. April 17, 1993. 7PM. DeGidio’s. That was the beginning. April 17, 1997. 7PM. Las Vegas Wedding Gardens. A limousine ride from the Riviera… standing in line at the Clark County Courthouse… and somehow, it all led right here A kiss that didn’t just belong to that moment— it belonged to every April 17 that would follow. And somehow… every single one has felt the same. Completely happy. Completely loved. No matter what life did in between. 33 years since our first date. 29 years married. And still… If you asked me what I wanted to do? I’d choose something simple. A walk through Cambridge City Park. Coffee in hand. Side by side. Because it was never about Vegas. Or the limo. Or the lights. It was always about us. And somehow… it still is. Every year. At 7PM.

A few days ago, I caught a boxelder bug taking a very bold sip of my coffee. Yes. My coffee. I shooed him away and figured that was the end of our strange little encounter. Apparently not. Over the last few days our Blink security cameras have been lighting up with motion alerts outside my office window. Suspicious activity! Movement detected! So naturally I checked the footage. The culprit? The same curious little boxelder bug… apparently trying to make his security camera debut. At this point I’m starting to suspect he has a plan: Step 1 – Drink coffee Step 2 – Gain energy Step 3 – Achieve fame Honestly, if he starts asking for a tiny director’s chair and a contract with Netflix, I won’t even be surprised. The Land of Osbourne continues to attract the most interesting visitors. 😄

This morning I learned something new about the strange little world we live in. The other day I glanced down at my coffee and saw a bold little box elder bug literally taking a sip from my mug. I yelled at it, shooed it away, and went about my day. Today… it happened again. So naturally, curiosity took over. I placed a tiny drop of coffee on a mirror and waited. Sure enough, the little explorer wandered right up and inspected the drop like a tiny coffee sommelier. For the record, I am  not a fan of bugs . At all. I tolerate them. However, box elder bugs are granted  winter clemency  in my office. They don’t really bother anyone, and if you look closely… they have surprisingly cute little feet. Apparently they also enjoy a good cup of coffee. Strange little world we live in. — Land of Osbourne