Well, I sort of have 7 volunteers for tonight, so they gave us a space at the Twilight Criterium, which then becomes a need for more volunteers. Laura the intern and I were there from 6 to 10 last night and we sold $35 in raffle tickets. I could have written a check for that much and stayed home. Although maybe the publicity about the bike ride is worth something too. I had some feedback that a) the ride was on a weekend that was too busy (too many other rides, we should move it to June) and b) it should be round-trip, with rides of varying lengths, which I had also thought. So maybe no one will sign up. Two people have. This wasn't my idea; I am just helping--it was given to me the way it is and I don't know enough about bike rides to have said, "we need to change it."

Ray and I were home for a couple hours in the afternoon. He went to sleep and I had to go without him. I called my parents as I was heading out and my Mom said my Dad is really sick: diarrhea and vomiting; he thinks it's the flu. I hate to think of her trying to take care of him or clean up after him; it's just physically too hard for her. And I sure hope she doesn't get it. I meant to call again later, but it was 9:30 and I didn't want to wake her. This is why I would like them to be in a place like Talmadge Terrace; I would worry less and have less of an obligation. Now I need to go over there early this morning (how early?) and make sure everything is all right. I am not sure my Mom can even call me on the cell phone.

I was supposed to see a show at Town and Gown and go to the homecoming picnic today, plus a couple of other things. There is the farmers' market and there was a protest of the new anti-immigration law. How can people be so hateful? The young intern who was sitting with me said, "if they are illegal, they shouldn't be allowed to go to school." I said, "when your ancestors came, there probably was no such thing as legal or illegal." It seems so un-American to me to be against anyone coming in to this country. She had all sorts of stories that the immigrants in Arizona were doing criminal acts, stealing from farmers who had to patrol with guns, which is why they had to pass that law. Funny, that's not what I heard...Oh, it's so hopeless. If I can't even talk to one quasi-sympathetic young woman, how can we ever change things?

The weather is gorgeous, the garden is doing well, and I want to bake some things and clean my house. Instead, I will go sit at a table for 10 hours, trying to sell raffle tickets for a bike, talk about the race in three weeks, and be friendly.

Up and down today. The weather was gorgeous: cool and sunny and breezy, high in the low 70s, and it must have been low humidity, because it felt great. No wind damage in our yard or neighborhood that I could find.

I dropped Ray off at work about 10:30 and went to the Land Trust. A community service worker (people with DUI, mostly students, can be sentenced to community service and are anxious to get hours) had agreed to come by about 11 and help me mail letters to potential sponsors. He never showed and I didn't quite get them all done before the mailman came; most of them were done, but a few more got postage after he left, because I was waiting for the community service worker to do it.

The good news is ALT can have a table at the Twilight Criterium bike race this weekend, for free, if we come up with 8 volunteers for 5 hours Saturday night. So far, I have only 3: Heather, Ray and me. And really, I am not that crazy about standing on my feet for 5 hours and telling people they can or can't cross the street between laps. Then we have to figure out how to staff the table we earned, and prepare materials for it.

Becky and I had lunch; she is heading out of town for a horse show this weekend, a big one for Lara. We had fun, but felt guilty for not visiting Bertha this week. I haven't even heard anything about her in the last few days.

At 5, I had a massage from Beth B., a choir member, who donated it as a prize to the person who recruited the most new tenors and basses this fall. I recruited Ray (or Amber did); Rosemary recruited Don, but his attendance is a little spotty and Rosemary didn't care about the prizes. It was a great massage, involving elbows and lavender oil among other things. I felt kind of bad, getting it for free, and didn't even have any cash for a tip. I thought $1 was worse than nothing. And writing a check for a tip seemed weird. I will have to go back and pay full price and give her an extravagant tip.

Ray had the Democratic committee meeting at 6; I went to pick him up and it was still going full strong, so we didn't get home until 7:45, at which point I was practically too hungry to eat and ate leftovers from the night before, plus some peas from the garden. It was practically dark while I was picking them and then had to shell and cook them. They were delicious and enough for a small serving, but not very filling. Also, the last of the chocolate torte with some ice cream. But I am starving now.

A little TV and a lot of sleep, but I am still tired and somewhat sore and feel stressed about this bike ride, 3 weeks from tomorrow. We have a few sponsors, mostly in-kind donors, and only two riders registered. Although they tell me that is normal; most people will wait, but we have to proceed as if we knew they would come. Phew.

I felt a little off today; maybe it was partly the impending stormy weather. Cloudy and warm and windy all day. There was a lot to do at ALT. The posters finally appeared--they are lovely. I took them to two bike shops. I also had a computer student to fit in. Ray had a late faculty meeting, so we didn't get home in time to make supper for potluck, but did make supper for us, using up the chicken we cooked a few days ago. We were a few minutes late to choir and only stayed an hour because we will be away when they sing the end of the month.

Lying awake at 3 am, I watch the sky. It is bright behind the interesting heavy clouds. Lightning flashes frequently. I can hear the wind through the cracked-open windows, in keeping with proper tornado precautions.

Earlier, we watched the Weather Channel. Tornado warnings were outlined on the map in red. "Take cover," the man said, gleefully admiring the size and shape of the storm in 3D--the traditional funnel-shaped cloud of a tornado on the ground, which we can see, thanks to radar and technology. It is tall and changes quickly. "It will be there in 2 minutes, go to shelter," he tells residents of Cedartown, Buchanan (pronounced Buck-a-nin), Polar Springs. Towns I have never visited or even heard of are in the path of destruction, an hour to the northwest. The announcer cannot help himself, he is as excited as a boy to have such awe-full weather to report. "Don't try to watch; you cannot judge the power and speed of a tornado by looking. Don't take pictures. Seek safety. This is very dangerous weather." he announces. Hail as big as baseballs, he says. The Birmingham weather station is closed, they have gone to their shelter and warnings are being issued from Tuscaloosa.

So we wait. We go to bed and wake up when the phone rings. A tornado has been sighted. The university warning system has called to tell us to go to shelter. Ray turns on the TV; it is in the southeast corner of the county; we are in the northwest.

As I watch the sky from my bed, I hear faint sounds, strange noises and people yelling far away, but then I realize it is the TV. "What are you watching?" I call down."Hellboy." he answers. I would rather watch the sky and I shut the bedroom door to block out the sounds. As I doze off, he joins me and we are safe. The breezes are cooler now and calmer. I am glad to miss the danger; my house will not be torn down, my chicken coop carried off, my life disrupted.

I was counting on the rain for my garden, though. The young plants are standing expectantly, waiting, weeded and mulched: the broccoli faces exposed, the tomatoes tied to their supports with white strips torn from an old t-shirt. The strawberries are small and not as juicy as they would be after the rain, the lettuce ready to eat will taste better with more rain. The asparagus is shooting up; we get a few stalks every day and have to save them up for a serving. Maybe rain will increase their number. Peas on their vines reaching toward the sky, climbing above the top of their fences. The flat pods will fill out faster and be tastier if we have rain.

But it is quiet now. For three days, storms have been predicted. Twice, I heard thunder, saw dark clouds, and felt wind, but no rain came. Today, the plants will have to be watered. It is a lot of work and not as thorough as a soaking rain, but it must be done.

We are lucky, we do not have to live off the garden as our pioneer ancestors did and people in poverty around the world. And we have water that comes out of a hose whenever we want. But it still must be done if the vegetables are to survive and thrive.

broccoli

 Yesterday morning, I did a little weeding, still waiting for the rain to come. Spent time at the Land Trust, working on the bike ride and the volunteer mowing program. Attended my first staff meeting and have some things to work on now.

Went to writing class, where I read the poem posted yesterday about Anger. People were very receptive and urged me to publish it widely and mail it to representatives. "The power of the pen." Another participant read a short story about working in Africa to prevent malaria that should also be published widely, saving children with mosquito netting.

peas

 After that, I went home and spent another hour or so working outside and some time on the computer. Then picked up Ray and went downtown to eat at NONA, the restaurant that replaced Harry Bissett's. Same chef, same manager, new owners. Great food, we had so much fun. Becky and Kent, Deb and John, Ray and I. We even were singing about dessert time, as we were the only ones in the upstairs dining room. I had exquisite scallops, a mojito. We had two bottles of white Cotes du Rhone and three desserts. The warm pecan pie with Chantilly cream was awesomely good. And we were still home by 9:30. I read for a bit to stop the room from swirling...I'm glad I had Ray to drive me home.

My anger is not the white-hot anger of justice, striding through the city righting wrongs and saving the world.

Mine is a bilious green, whiny and self-pitying, complaining and jealous.

Why is the world full of people who do the wrong thing? They drive big expensive cars that use a lot of precious gas; spend money on the wrong things and hurt others with words and guns.

Why can't they see it? How can I change this world? I am without hope. I will be long dead when the worst comes, but it is unbearably sad to realize that our society is too shallow to face our flaws and remedy them for future generations.

We can create so much that is clever and beautiful and inexpensive--surely we could create a society that is loving and safe and sustainable. Why don't we? Greed--does it all boil down to greed?

Most of the people I know are generous and compassionate--why would they want a world of hate and waste? How do happy laughing children turn into CEOs that make millions? Millions. How can one person's work be worth a million times more than another's? And how can I help make it stop?

We have enough food, we have enough money; we just need to find the way to share it.

I'm thinking of my friend Janna right now. Her Mom is in the hospital, her condition "tenuous." She may have pneumonia. One of the things I never thought about before--how do you diagnose someone who can't talk (Bertha had a stroke a few weeks ago). It is really hard for her to communicate; I have visited her a few times since then and it seems clear to me that her mind is pretty good, but her body won't let her get the words out or do anything: read, turn off the TV or change the channel. Every once in a while she would come out with a more or less full sentence that I could figure out and I had to wonder at how hard that was for her. "Do you like Janna's new hair color?" she asked me. I was kind of taken aback until I realized this had happened a few months ago. I said yes I did, very much. She said Ron liked it too. Anyway, that may be the last conversation I have with Bertha and I am comfortable with that.

But it has led me to think about many things, relating to end-of-life health care and money. I do not hesitate to say that if I am a vegetable and the doctors agree there is no chance of recovery, I do not want to be kept alive. But what if I am still me, but can't move or talk or eat or read--do I want to live? I think maybe the will to survive is pretty strong, even in cases like that. And who can judge for another the quality of life that they are living? But, the problem is, it costs a lot of money to help someone like that, trying to keep them comfortable (and alive) and even working on rehabilitation. Is it right to use that money for that purpose, when it could be feeding the hungry or keeping a baby alive who has health problems, but may improve and live a "good" long life? Who gets to decide? I'm sure we as a country have enough money to do both, if we stopped doing some other things, like killing people in far-away places, or paying CEO's millions of dollars. If we asked the billionaires, "would you like to use our money to keep old people alive a few more weeks?" what would they say? Not unless it's me...or my family... maybe?

There have also been more deadly tornadoes and I think the weather here today could be dangerous. I was weeding yesterday morning and evening, when it wasn't too hot, and hoping for rain. We had a couple episodes of thunder and wind in the late afternoon, but no rain yet.

Ray had another breakfast date and drove himself in the truck. Then he stayed late for a gathering with the same candidate at Little Kings, coming home about 7 or so, so he was gone 12 hours, which is fine but different. I dawdled in the garden, on my walk, in the bath, on the computer, and drove myself to ALT about 10:30. Not much to do there, but did have another conversation with Nancy about my job and she has prepared a job description for me, with my input, so that's good. Heather had jury duty, of all things. I had good leftovers for lunch from Easter dinner: roll with ham and jello salad.

I took some frozen yellow beans out to make supper with the chicken we cooked a few days ago. It was pretty good and low in carbs. (Except for the ice cream and brownie I had for dessert). I talked to Janna before bedtime and was ready to head over there, but her Mom was admitted to the ICU and stabilized and she hasn't heard anything yet this morning; the doctor should call soon. It's complicated because Ron is having surgery this morning to remove a growth in his foot, and maybe his sigmoid bone or part of it--a bone Ray didn't know existed. Ron has been in a lot of pain and it would be hard to reschedule. With a case like Bertha's, you just don't know how long the process will take. She could be stable for days and it doesn't always make sense to put your life on hold. Of course, this is the end of the semester for Janna (and Ray), so the last few classes, exams and papers to correct.

I slept pretty well, except for dreams of sailing this morning, perhaps related to watching the end of 2012 the other night.

Easter Sunday was pleasant, high in the 80s. I got up and made pancakes--and ate some of them before Ray got up. I made the frosting and frosted the chocolate torte, which was not very sweet. Is that what makes it a torte? I prepared the four pounds of asparagus we had bought Saturday night at Kroger. They were kind of sad, so I snapped off about half of each stalk before blanching them in boiling water with salt. I went for a quick walk and visited the gardens and chicken coop, garnering one egg. Then I put the rolls in to bake while I showered.

Ray and I headed out to the service, with chocolate torte, asparagus (blanched) and warm rolls. It was very crowded and went well. My parents were there, but they left before we got a chance to talk. We sang, "We rise again," one of my favorite songs with lots of high notes and multiple parts.

At one, we  headed to Deb and John's. My parents were already there. It was another lovely day. First, we dyed eggs. Then, we ate and ate. It was delicious. When we were thinking we couldn't eat it all, Janna and Ron arrived. Bertha was resting. Then we had desserts. Everybody gradually left. Ray and I stayed and walked around the block with Deb and John and the three dogs.

We were home about 6:30 or so and I worked some in the garden. I was a little hungry, but didn't know what to eat. Ate a little charoset and yogurt and a banana. We watched some TV, including the end of 2012, which we didn't really mean to, but it was on when we were going to bed. So we ended up staying up later than intended and then my adrenaline kept me up and I read for a while until I calmed down, until Ray said the light was keeping him awake. Then I lay there for a while and it was probably after midnight before I went to sleep. Then Ray got up about 4, but I managed to stay in bed and go back to sleep until almost 7.

I dropped Ray off to take 15 students to Providence Canyon. He wanted to be there at 7;30 and leave at 8. He was there at 7:45 and waited in vain for two who didn't show, leaving at 8;30. What college student would sign up for a field trip, not show up and not tell anyone? Someone who stayed out late the night before?

I had to register for the Run/Walk for Home and made it about 5 minutes before 8. I said, "it's not the last minute yet, right?" And someone said, "no, you're fine." It was Meredith. Maureen said, "Hi, Patty," as she took my money. And I rushed off. Becky and her friend Theresa had been waiting for me, but I told them to start. I went by my car to leave the t-shirt and handouts and caught them at the corner. Gloria, Kasey and Clarke were there too. We made it all the way, coming it at under an hour. Casey Mull was one of the winners, Kent got third in his age category. Becky and I said if we do it long enough, we will win by being the only ones our age. I think I was seventh for 55-60 (out of 7). But I was pleased.

Drove home, took a bath, wrote a poem about Anger. My parents arrived and did their laundry. Vanessa and Cameron took a walk. My Dad went out to work in the garden and I joined him. The garden is a place of beauty and joy, especially this spring. Yesterday morning was cool and misty, great for the walk and pretty good for gardening, if you don't mind getting muddy. The potatoes are thriving, the onions, the broccoli, everything. We picked some peas to have with our lamb dinner-they were small and few, but they were tasty. The Captain dug up a potato a little bigger than his thumb, just to show that they are coming along. There is going to be a moment when we are buried in lettuce. Although there are many lovely strawberries, something is eating a lot of them, in spite of netting I put over them. We may go to Washington Farms to pick some. I added a little wood ashes to the beets after reading that is a good thing to do. Captain scraped up weeds with a hoe and hilled up the potatoes some more. The chickens laid three eggs and wandered loose for several hours. Captain and Vanessa left about 3; I did some computer work. And somewhere in there I made the rolls for today and started on a chocolate cake. Except I ran out of sour cream. My Mom picked some up for me while she was at Kroger. I went to their place for lamb cooked on the grill, mashed potatoes and a few baby peas. We had red wine and then ice cream with Kahlua.

Ray called me to come pick him up when he was about 10 minutes away. I got to the department just as my phone rang again. "I'm out of gas," he said. It's cheaper to get gas for the UGA vans at the motor pool and he almost made it. I went to the gas station and bought a gas can ($8.55!) and filled it and took it to him. Eventually, we left the geology building about 7 and stopped briefly at Kroger to buy lots of asparagus for today's dinner. Ray had leftover lentils and rice from earlier in the week. I baked the cake and watched TV and went to bed.

Naturally, I am a bit sore and possibly dehydrated from yesterday's exertions. But I'll be good.

When I got to the Land Trust a little before 10, Nancy was there and we talked some about the job. I need to bring my passport in for the work eligibility requirement, not knowing where my actual social security card is these days. I told her I needed a job description and she suggested I start working on one.

I had a quick lunch with Becky and then went out to Mr. C's house to teach him some more about his computer. Mrs. C. paid me for three sessions. I will need to report that when I sign in for my unemployment next week and it will reduce my benefit.

When I went to get Ray, he needed to pick up the van and go get gas, so I rode with him. Then we went home and made supper. It was cool and misty all day--it felt like Nova Scotia, and I kind of liked it. But not much happened in the garden. Even though I put netting over the strawberries, something is still eating them. Fortunately, only 2 or 3 at a time. I pick them a little less ripe than ideal, so it won't get them. I made the bok choy noodle salad, and Ray cooked the chicken. It was an okay dinner, but not as good as I had hoped. Only one bok choy left; this one had started to go to seed; maybe that made it a little bitter. Some of the broccoli are starting to make heads; it's amazing to watch the progress. Only one egg, I am sad to say, but I let the chickens out for an hour or two anyway.

Saw a little bit of The Running Man, maybe my favorite bad movie, with Arnold Schwarzenegger. If you haven't seen it, the premise is what I love. Convicts are given a chance (like the Roman gladiator fights) to be on a TV show, with Richard Dawson as the evil emcee only concerned about ratings. They run and fight "heroes" who are armed with all kinds of advanced weapons (like flamethrowers), and yet somehow Arnold manages to win (spoiler alert). Very corny, including a romantic interest, in a shiny spandex suit.

However, not good bedtime fare, so I was able to resist watching it all. Surely, I could write something at least that good...

I had to go to the Department of Labor to meet someone and review my job contacts. I told them I had a part-time temporary job starting soon, so that was okay. While I was there, we had a tornado drill, meaning we had to go into the rest room. It was a minor inconvenience, but also sort of a bonding experience. I think more public places should have drills.

I went to the Land Trust and was the first (and only) one there for a while. Never saw Nancy or Heather. Left at 12:30 to go to a computer customer a ways out. No one was home. I thought about calling first; wish I had. I left him a message and went to spend a couple hours with Bertha at Heritage rehab facility. While I was there, they took her in to a room with a bunch of other people doing various exercises, lifting weights, standing and sitting, pedaling a bike. Bertha was kind of dozing, so they didn't do a lot with her, massaging her left hand and arm (that she can't use right now). The rooms are small and she has a roommate in a wheelchair, so it gets crowded.

At 4:30, I picked Ray up and we came home. I spent some time talking to Molli on Skype and then we made supper: asparagus from the garden with our own eggs, and some potatoes on the side. Yum! It was tasty. I fell asleep a little after 9.

I thought it was going to rain, so planted the five sweet potatoes Sky gave me. Something (squirrel?) is eating my strawberries. Otherwise, the garden is amazing. We cut a few stalks of asparagus every day.

I dropped Ray off about 9:30 and went to Deb's, where we pulled weeds for almost an hour and talked. Then I drove to the Land Trust and hung around there until 2, not doing much. Nancy was off and Heather had a lot going on. It is frustrating for me to see people working so hard and not have anything that I can do to help. I left about 2 and went to Earth Fare and bought some things. I also left a packet of sponsorship info.

When I picked Ray up, we went to Kroger. He got gift cads and I got more groceries. Then we came home, I spent some time in the garden and with the chickens while Ray made macaroni and cheese. We no longer have a broody hen! So, we are getting three eggs again.

Potluck and choir were lovely. We didn't stay up when we got home, but I read a little bit. In the night (well it was 5, I think), there were lightning and wind, but no rain.

Work has not been that satisfying lately. There has been no more talk of my being actually hired, like filling out paperwork and getting a check. The volunteer coordinator position involves trying to find people willing to mow lawns on vacant lots. I am just not sure how excited anyone is going to be to do that kind of work, and how to find them. There is an organization that lists volunteer opportunities in Athens and I have listed it there, but no responses yet. As far as the bike ride, I am waiting for some other people to do the things they said they would and it is holding me up. Five weeks to go.

I am missing my guests terribly--how wonderful the world would be if I could see them every day; or at least it seems so. Lidet called last night and I wasn't here. I was at a not-very-important meeting of the community center committee. The building is about finished and it is a testament to patience and persistence and goodwill. It will be wonderful and no feelings were hurt in the building of it (I think). Over budget (a little) and behind schedule (a lot), but otherwise everything we wanted and then some.

I enjoyed yesterday's writing workshop a lot. Although I hadn't written anything I wanted to read out loud, I did some brainstorming about a science fiction novel, in which the world is secretly run by 7 old men, benevolent dictators who live in an outwardly nondescript apartment building and have control of all the media and computers and world leaders.

Weather was on the hot side, but very pleasant in the house still and okay to open windows late in the evening. More asparagus. Something--bird or squirrel?--has eaten some of my strawberries. Not sure what I can do about that.

Lidet wearing a bonnet I gave her for Christmas

at the UU playground

Sunday morning, I made pancakes that were very popular. Lidet and I started to take a walk, but we saw G&G's car arrive, so had to go back. Picked strawberries, checked for eggs. Lidet wanted to go to church, but no one else in her family did. So Ray and I went with Lidet. She was an angel. She sat in the sanctuary while we rehearsed, apparently entranced by the singing (and possibly Amber's antics). I told her she could come sit up front with me if she wanted, but she shook her head. When it was time for the children to go to their classes, she went right along and appeared to have a great time. Incredible child!

When we got home, it was time for them to leave, after a little lunch and the packing-up flurry. It was a beautiful day, the end to a beautiful visit. My parents also headed home and Ray and I did a little cleaning up, some laundry, some cooking. Ate supper, watched TV and went to bed. And slept very well. I didn't wake up until 7:30.

Yesterday, I went to Small Group Ministry, which was pleasant--7 of us. Then I visited Bertha at the hospital.

Slept in; computer issues; got to go. xx

A beautiful, but cool and breezy day. High 68, I think.

Jim and Lidet and Ray and I walked around the perimeter in the morning after breakfast. Polly and Nate and Lidet and I headed for the farmers market later. They had lovely lettuce and other things that I have too. But I did buy a couple small peppers. It was late, so most things were gone. Polly bought some empanadas for the kids. We went to Mom and Dad's, for Polly to see. And then we all went to Mama's Boy for lunch. Unfortunately, I forgot that it was G Day and there were lots of people in town. It's a sort of pretend football game that they stage in the spring--so people won't forget about them? There were lots of people and noise at the restaurant, but otherwise it was perfect. Everyone was able to get what they wanted to eat and we sat at a great round corner booth. There's a park just outside, where Jim and Nate played catch.

We all went back to the house, where the Captain peeled and grated the horseradish in the food processor for me. It was strong! It made him cry and me choke. He went out in the garden some. Nate and I played a game of Spider. I gathered up everything I needed for the seder and took Polly and Lidet with me to the Fellowship.

Denise was a whirlwind, setting up tables and tablecloths, while Bob set up the music. I put a giant pot of water on to boil, to cook the matzoh balls, and put the soup on another burner to reheat. I made up the seder plates: a little parsley, a little horseradish, a little charoset, bones, but the eggs had to wait until the last minute. Austin came in and needed a burner to boil the eggs on. Anyway, it was sort of disorganized, but we did have a passover seder. The soup was not great, the matzoh balls were a little better, the charoset was fine. The kids were pretty good. I think most people enjoyed it. Ray did some of the dishes, then I told him to leave them. We were home by 9, but I wasn't much good for anything; I was asleep before the kids.

Nate and Lidet's Crocs

Ray and I had a walk before the kids were up; Polly had a run. Vanessa and the Captain arrived; Ray left. Polly took Vanessa to the Y; the Captain and I worked in the garden, with some help from Lidet. Both the kids want to check for eggs many times during the day. The chickens were ranging far into the woods today; I am reluctant to rain them in because I am glad to see Sylvia off the nest.

Good blackberry season approaching

After lunch, Jim took the kids to the Y; Mom and Dad went to their house. Polly and I sat on the deck in the sun, talked and laughed, started on supper, called Bonney. It was great. Everybody gradually came back. I made pasta salad and thawed the pork kabobs from a month or so ago. We did a little tidying up. Amber and her two children arrived a little after 6. Lidet took over (not really). They had a good time. Other people arrived: Becky and Kent, Michelle and Brian (he is a friend of Jace's) and her daughter, who is Nate's age. A good time was had by all; lots of good food and drink. Deb and John. But not a soul from Kenney Ridge.

Look at the blueberries!

A storm was threatening for hours, but most people had left by the time it was actually raining. My Dad and Deb apparently could talk to each other for hours, which is fine. Polly was trying to get the kids to sleep. Ray and Jim and I watched Doc Martin after they were all gone. Lots of dishes to do. Thunder and lightning and wonderful rain for the veggies.

 While I was sitting here at my computer yesterday, about 7;30, Nate (age 8) got up and came out of his room. I said good morning and asked him what he was doing up so early. He asked me what time it was and said he usually gets up around 6 or 7. I didn't point out that it was only 4:30 in Seattle. He asked, "where's my Dad?" I said, "he's asleep in his room, I think." "Really?" said Nate. "I never wake up before my Dad." It was kind of cool and he was wearing a t-shirt and shorts. I said, "Do you want to get dressed and have something to eat?" He said, "I am dressed. I put on what I'm going to wear the next day the night before." This is a trick my sister Bonney used on her boys, after many mornings trying to tget them dressed.

We had some cereal and milk. Ray was sitting at the table working on his quiz on his computer, with a Snuggie on. It's a blanket with sleeves that he got for Christmas. I got my poncho out and draped it over Nate. He mixed two kinds of cereal together and poured milk over it. He didn't actually eat much of it. Maybe the cereals were a little old. I had my usual, fruit and yogurt (pear), with the last of some homemade raisin toast. Nate had a piece of that. About the time Jim got up and started making coffee for himself, Lidet came downstairs. She is not a morning person, so I did not offer her anything to eat for a few minutes. Eventually, she also had cereal but she wanted it with yogurt. I gave her a small bowl. She also did not eat what she took. No biggie. They were anxious to check for eggs, so we went outside pretty soon, but no eggs yet. We let the chickens out and Nate followed them around for a while. Lidet wanted to see Matilda (the tractor), and she climbed up and pretended to drive her, with vroom noises. It was a beautiful morning. My parents came and Captain worked in the garden. Lidet showed some interest, but both kids ended up back in the house, bouncing balls and making noise. Polly got up late; she hadn't slept well. During lunch, they decided to take the kids somewhere, just to go somewhere. Ray had gone to work about 10. Captain and Vanessa left too.

I enjoyed the quiet and did a little tidying. About 4, Polly and family returned; they had walked around downtown and then gone to Barnes & Noble. My parents arrived a little later and then Ray. I took the casserole out of the fridge and went out and cut some veggies: asparagus, bok choy, spinach. Jim decided to head to the grocery store to get some beer for himself, and I thought I should get some things too. The others started having drink and snack (light, so the kids wouldn't eat too much junk). We came back about an hour later, with some crackers and cheese, as well as a few other items. Polly washed all the veggies and I prepared them, one after the other, in the same pot. Well, not really, because I sauteed the bok choy with soy sauce, but steamed the asparagus and then the spinach. People chose the ones they wanted to taste--not really enough of any, but pretty satisfying nonetheless. On a sad note, the Captain reported I had left the garden open and the chickens out and they had completely destroyed one of the tomatoes. We do have 21 planted, so it may not be a problem, but I will need to be careful. Usually, I don't let them in the garden if I am not right there.

The casserole was very popular. I learned that Nate and Lidet really like to watch Wheel of Fortune, so excused myself to watch with them. Grampa joined us halfway through and then we watched Jeopardy (while others cleaned up, I assume). I was pretty tired by then and started upstairs. "Lidet," I said. "Will you read me a story and tuck me in?" She liked that a lot. Polly was concerned about finding a book she could read to me. I thought something she could tell me would be great. But no, she read "Grandma and Me" with a little help from me. It was lovely. I wanted to go right to sleep, but after a bit (while she was getting read to and tucked in, I presume), I tiptoed downstairs and had some pudding cake and ice cream. Ray watched an episode of Wheel of Fortune, feeling deprived. And then we went up to bed.

It's like Christmas--I jumped right out of bed because Nate and Lidet and Polly and Jim are here. Which is pretty silly because they probably won't wake up for hours. And I am pretty tired and didn't get enough sleep.

Yesterday morning, we had a pretty usual routine: breakfast, walk the dog out to get the paper, bath, get dressed. I probably did some tidying, but not much. Took Ray to work, went to ALT. Nathan was trying to give someone directions to some land. ALT has put in a request for a grant to do an archaelogical study for a piece of property where there was once a fort. Either Fort Mathews or Fort Hudson in Oconee County. I found the proposal on Nancy's computer, but no map or directions, just a fairly vague description--on the Oconee River, below the dam...Used the internet to read some things and looked at some maps. I'm pretty sure I found it, but would need confirmation before telling anyone else how to get there. Read a lot of interesting things on the way. The land owner wants the property to become a park. The adjacent property was to be a development, but because of the economic downturn, that is no longer the case--those owners are willing for it to be preserved as well. So, it's important to seize the moment. Apparently, there are some good things that result from a bad economy. But will it happen? I'll let you know in a few years, maybe.

I left at 12:30, not having accomplished much. I was a little sorry, because I won't be working there again until Monday, when Nancy will be back and I won't be sitting at her desk any more. I went to Earth Fare (I think that's shopping three days in a row, not my usual style) and got a few things I needed for my guests. Picked up Ray and we were home by 2-ish. I started by cooking. Enchiladas for potluck, to use up some of the tomatoes that were going bad (in a weird way, growing mold on the skin--I wonder what the sellers did to them). I had already started cooking the beans the day before. I also made a chocolate Eclipse cake (like pudding cake), because it uses sour milk and I had a lot of that around I wanted to get rid of, but couldn't quite bring myself to throw it out. I managed to use up the little bit left in two gallons, so there was room for the new groceries at the front and it didn't look quite so messy. And I grated the cheese and added it to the other ingredients I had already mixed up for chicken and rice casserole. Then I put it in a 9 x 13 pan and covered it with crumbs and aluminum foil and today's dinner is ready to go in the oven.

Then it was time for some serious cleaning. Ray washed the screens and put them on and then mowed enough of the lawn to make it look inviting for young children to play on. It was pretty hot out. I tidied the downstairs some and vacuumed the whole house pretty thoroughly. I even dusted some. We decided we wouldn't go to potluck after all. Polly called and they were nearly to 316; it looked like they would be here before 8, so we decided not to go to choir either. Captain and Vanessa arrived as we were about to eat some enchiladas. Ray had 4... After that, I carried all the books from the study to the downstairs guest room. Ray had emptied one of the bookcases (at my suggestion) and moved it in there, sort of for decoration. Somehow, they didn't all fit back in. DId a little more work upstairs, and they arrived! Cameron was excited.

They liked the chickens and wanted to explore the gardens, but we herded them inside to eat something. I showed them the rooms and, as envisioned, Nate was excited about Molli's room (the red room) and Lidet liked the smaller Zen room (sewing room), with the mattress and box spring on the floor. The scale is right for her. They will share a bathroom and their parents have their own suite downstairs. I am so glad to see them happy here. Downstairs, they all liked the enchiladas (I am not crazy about them, but that's okay). Captain and Vanessa made martinis for those who wished and broke out the potato chips; others ate enchiladas and maybe some homemade bread. I was/am deliriously happy. The children were told they could explore anywhere, but must ask before touching anything. Lidet found the feathered masks and tried them on--adorable! They even went down cellar and Nate asked if he could bring up a game. "Sure," I said. It was Yacht Race. He and I and Jim started a game as my parents left.

Polly started helping Lidet get ready for bed (even though it was only around 7 in Seattle). I think she was excited about her room. Nate beat us at the game, perhaps the least exciting round of Yacht Race we ever played. Ray went to bed and everyone disappeared, although I could hear them. I watched less than one episode of Wheel and started drifting off before I moved up to my room.

I had to peek at Nate and Lidet as soon as I woke up--they make such little lumps in their beds! I really should have stayed in my bed a little longer, but was too excited. Nothing to do for three days except play with family!

Apparently, I have lost the ability to fall asleep.

I can't even remember most of yesterday. OK, meeting with Bob C. at 9:30, after a rushed breakfast and short walk. Beautiful morning; apparently it rained during the night, but the sun was at work and it was very pleasant. I love talking to Bob about our investments/retirement; I swear I could listen to him all day. He is so knowledgeable and smart about everything. You say, "socially responsible" and he points out that, although Exxon lost a suit for $9 million over the Valdiz spill, they haven't actually paid yet. Chevron is better, he says.

Dropped Ray at the building he teaches in, rather than his office, because it was almost time for him to teach. Went to ALT, not much going on, although Nathan was back from Haiti and wished he were still there. He said if the elections there had gone the other way, they would have had to leave quickly. They were all packed and had arranged to be picked up by boat, but the person who won was the good guy and it was safe to stay. They still had to stop and lots of checkpoints and pay lots of people when they drove anywhere. Not my idea of a fun vacation, but I can see why work might be boring after that.

Becky picked me up to go get lunch and take it to the hospital to eat with Janna. Her Mom was about to move to rehab, except she has an elevated white count now, so they have to figure out what sort of infection she has and treat it. Aunt Vi has left, but Janna's sister is here until Friday. Next week, I may take some turns sitting with Bertha. It was kind of fun, the three of us eating a hurried lunch together in the lounge on the fifth floor.

Then I went to Kroger and bought yeast, matzo meal, and horseradish. I looked for the Manischewitz wine; it's about $10 a bottle. Then I went to writing class, which was intense this time, with people revealing some personal challenges, like not being allowed to see her grandchildren, because she had some mental health issues. These are 12 and 14-year-olds and the grandmother asked, "what does my daughter think I am going to do to hurt them?" I thought it was a horrible thing to do to your own mother. If I had mental health issues, my daughters would be the first to rally round, I'm sure. xx

Ray, meanwhile, generously, took a bus to the building where the workshop is held, so we could leave as early as I was ready, and not have to drive back to the campus. It was really nice, and I had to spend a little time with the chickens and the garden, before coming in and doing some tidying and furniture rearranging. Ray took care of reheating the leftovers and I started on the chicken and rice casserole for later in the week. We managed to watch quite a bit of TV, in between working on the casserole. Ray shredded all the chicken for me, thankfully. Then it turned out we didn't have any cheddar cheese, so it is ready to go except for that.

I wasn't sleepy, so I made the upstairs beds and tidied the rooms within an inch of their lives. Still a lot of mess, but I am pleased with my progress. I went to bed and finished my book and I still wasn't sleepy. I got up and paid bills on line, just in time to avoid late fees. Then I went down and ate some bread and watched some more TV, until I found myself watching some unfamiliar guy who came on while I was asleep, I guess. This time, around 3 am, I was able to fall asleep once I was back in bed and slept soundly until 7, when the light came streaming in. I woke up feeling pretty awful, but it will get better as the day goes on. Unfortunately, I will want to fall asleep about the time the guests arrive here.

After not getting much sleep the night before, I was sure I would be a basket case yesterday. Worked a couple hours at ALT, answering email and not doing much because I'm waiting on other people. I ate my lunch and then drove to Mr. C's house for computer lesson. I was sleepy and did not want to go, so I stopped and got some sweet tea on the way. As usually happens, I enjoyed it and it went well.

Mr. C is 85, he has a cattle farm and raises hay. I know his wife from the library and she bought him computer lessons for Christmas. She warned me he was difficult (she must be 20 years younger), but he was not unpleasant. We talked about bookmarking sites and made folders for his mail and even business cards and set a time to come back. She said 5 lessons, but I am not sure there is that much to learn. He does the internet and email and already knows most of want he wants to know.

I left there happy and he said it was helpful. I stopped at Kroger on the East side, where I used to shop years ago, and bought some things, including a 5-pound box of matzoh. I didn't buy ice cream because it wouldn't stay frozen by the time I got home. I had to go get Cameron ($206 for kennel and shots and bath) and Ray before we went home. It was over 80.

Made supper and bread; finalized menus and tasks for weekend. Watched TV, went to bed.

Got up, Vanessa made French toast and bacon. Captain went to the beach first thing, something he loves to do, go for a swim before breakfast. Then he stayed there and sent his column off, while the three of us went for a last quick visit to the ocean. The tide was pretty low and we enjoyed playing in the waves on the sand bar (well, not Vanessa). Then Ray told me he saw a jellyfish and I went in. We were supposed to be packed and locked up by 10, but we were on our way at 11, with minimal stress. Dropped our keys off and were headed through Savannah again. Stopped a couple of times and got home by 6.

 Ray has been working a lot, even here. I played some Spider. We went to the beach before noon. Ray was in the water a lot. My Mom and I sat and watched him, but there were lots of people. Some of them were surfing, standing up and paddling. Vanessa and I went in twice. One time, she was knocked down by a wave, but she was fine. The water was cold enough that I didn't want to spend a lot of time in it, but not so cold my fingers turned blue or my teeth chattered. My Dad insisted it wasn't cold, and it couldn't have been too cold if Vanessa went in. We did manage to get a little sunburn, since it was the middle of the day.

We were back at the condo by one and eating lunch. I was ready to go out for a walk, but Ray took a 3-hour nap. I went by myself. There were cars everywhere, driving around trying to park and parked on the grass. I went into a couple stores, but they were pretty junky. I walked back. I finished my book (and cried my eyes out). It was excellent. I went down to the beach by myself for a while. When I came back, Ray was waking up and we went to dinner.

The restaurant was interesting; it tried to be a little more elegant than a beach restaurant like Sting Rays. The shrimp and scallops were very good and fresh. The bread was not very good. The drinks and the soup and tiramisu were okay, but not outstanding. The art on the walls for sale was not to our taste, but we enjoyed the experience. Ray went back to work. Captain and I played Spider. Vanessa watched TV.

The four of us are here on Tybee, in a soul-less, 3rd floor walkup condo. However, it is lovely in most ways. The sun is shining, the breeze is blowing in the back and out the front; it may be hot enough later that we will close up and run the AC. My Dad has already been swimming this morning and Ray and I were at the beach briefly last night.

Yesterday morning was a little intense, trying to take care of everything before we left. The computer froze and I got really upset at it, but eventually we got away. Took Cameron to the kennel for a few days, shots and a bath. Took Ray to his office. Went to the Land Trust, didn't do much. When Andy called me at noon to ask if I could go to lunch, I said "yes" and hurried off. The plants I had brought the day before looked great in a bed out back. It was great to see Andy and I was hungry, so I ordered a slice of quiche. It was wonderful, really light and tasty, although it took a while to get there. I was almost half an hour late picking Ray up and then we got my parents and their things. We drove to Milledgeville and ate in the Greek restaurant there where we ate before. It wasn't quite as good, but it was kind of a fun idea to have a favorite restaurant in lots of different cities. I bet someone has done a culinary tour of the U.S., but it would be really fun. Go to the best restaurants all over the country, driving from one place to the next. Hmm, I need to do some research.

I drove the rest of the way, with one stop for a little break, at McDonald's, in Metter, I think. Bathrooms and a McFlurry for Vanessa and some nice ice water for me. The traffic in Savannah was backed up and slowed us down about half an hour, but we were there by 7:30. Picked up our packet and keys at the rental office. Nothing to stop me from picking a different place to stay; it's kind of amazing, they were maybe 12 different packets in there; anyone could help themselves. Of course, someone might follow up and visit the unit...

It is a small condo, with everything we need, even two bathrooms. The beds are made; there are towels. But only one book and no games, no beach chairs or toys. We can see the ocean from our porch and walk to the beach easily. Ray and I went down in the dark; I just waded, but he went swimming, after we put the lasagna and the pie in the oven.

My mother had made an apple pie, at my foolish suggestion. The Captain peeled the apples and they put it together in the morning. Which meant we transported the uncooked pie for 6 hours or so, taking turns holding it. The Captain had it under his feet on the floor while I drove (and Ray worked on his computer) and every time we stopped or went around a corner, it moved and got a little more beat up. It was delicious, but I don't think I would do that again. Surely we could have found a box of some sort.

Ray and I took the master bedroom with the double bed and let my parents sleep in twin beds. I feel a little bad about it, but we have given them the best room many times.

Slept pretty well and woke with the sun to head down to the beach.

It was pretty quiet at the Land Trust yesterday. I brought some plants for the garden and dressed for gardening, but apparently they had other things come up that needed to get done. I hope the plants don't all die; I didn't pot them; just scooped them into pots in loose clumps.

I was alone some of the time and answered the phone a lot. I looked on the computer and read through documents. Just not much for me to work on at the moment. Went to lunch with Becky and that was good. Talked to Mary O. some about local politics; somewhat depressing, but good to know.

About 4, I decided I had enough and went home. It was over 80 degrees out and really nice. Ray had his seminar and then a Democratic Committee meeting. Captain and Vanessa were at my house. He was working in the garden. It is really doing well. We talked about this weekend. We hope it rains today for the garden.

We had leftovers for supper, eating up some things from our trip to Fripp (canned refried beans) and soup from the other night. Also, the few little beets I dug up the other day (mmm), some asparagus (mmmmm) and lettuce from the garden. I love eating from the garden--yum!

Watched TV, did a little packing, and went to bed at 9:30 to read (ha). Ray was up for a while and then before me this morning.

sunny, with a high in the low 70s and a slight breeze--a gorgeous day

On the good side, before she left town for 10 days, Nancy S. wanted to let me know that I will be the new very part-time, temporary volunteer coordinator at ALT! Yay! I'm employed. Don't know much more yet. The computer network was restored and I worked some on the mailing list and the newsletter, with a review of the Badcock proposal as well. With Nathan and Nancy gone, Heather went to a meeting before noon and never came back. In fact, when I left at 3:15, I was the only one there and had to lock the doors.

Ray and I picked Janna's sister up from the shuttle at 3:45 and took her to the hospital. Bertha seemed much the same. We took Janna home. She is getting pretty worn out and was really glad Dani would spend the night at the hospital last night. Dani is very entertaining and talks a lot; maybe that will be nice for her Mom.

We went home and Ray made the mac and cheese. I talked to my Dad a bit before he left and admired the garden extensively. There was not a single egg! so sad. Captain and Vanessa bought eggs this week. The peas are starting to blossom and there are green and white strawberries. We are trying to guess what will be ready to eat while Polly is here. I don't think she likes asparagus; not sure about peas, but they probably won't be ready yet.

Potluck and choir were pleasant. We are working on We Rise Again for Easter; one of my favorite things to sing, with lots of high parts. Molli sang the solo this year and Amber said it always reminds her of her. Me too. Really challenging rehearsal and my voice was tired by the end.

Watched a little TV and went to bed. Still didn't sleep that well; don't know if it's the weather, visiting the hospital, Ray's coming to bed late and getting up early, or the busy next few months.

Well.

We were a little late in the morning; partly because the iPhone was syncing and took time to cancel. Also, I booked flights to Seattle in May for Ray and me. It was stressful because one was paid and one was with miles (yay!). As far as I know, you can't book 2 and pay for them separately. And you know how flights can disappear on the internet. So, I was terrified that I would get one booked and then it would be gone when I went to book the second. Or that I would screw up and not get us on the same flights. But all is well about that.

It was about 10:30 when I got to the Land Trust. Nancy was meeting with Laura. I went to turn my computer on (Nathan's) and nothing happened. I tried the power strip. Nothing. I thought I might have done something wrong shutting it down or something. But eventually I realized all the lights in the place were off--and the phones! No power. They had already called Georgia Power and it came back on at noon. It was off in the church and the office next door, too. And probably lots of other places, from the wind storm the night before. Couldn't make calls or work on the computer. But it was a sunny day and the building is so open and light that we could see perfectly well. I worked on rewriting part of a grant for Nancy. When the power came back, I had some emails about the bike ride to respond to.

Then I left for my writing class, which was lovely, involving cutting pictures out of magazines to glue in a collage on the cover of our journals. Fun! I picked up Ray after 4 and we went on home. The Captain and Vanessa were there. It was cool and windy, but sunny. He was working on the garden, of course. I dug up the beets, which were mostly greens, and started the soup. They came in for a drink and snack (I was starving). Ray had gone up for a nap. While we were chatting, I had a call from Becky. Bertha had a stroke and she was headed to the hospital. I said let me know if I should come. A little later she called me and suggested I come on down. About 6:30 and I left my soup without eating!

I could write a lot about Bertha and being in the hospital. Time changes there. Janna and Ron went to get a break and some food. Bertha's sister Vi was visiting and she and Becky and I stayed there, chatting with nurses and technicians and taking turns touching Bertha and talking to her. Sometimes, she tried to talk and we were able to understand some of it. Okay was one thing she said sometimes when we asked her if she was comfortable. We even sang some songs. Trying to think of ones that don't have anything to do with death--harder than you would think. Go Tell Aunt Rhody? no Clementine? no Swing Low Sweet Chariot? no I've Been Working on the Railroad. White Coral Bells. yes. Kent came and he and Becky went to eat. A young woman named Stephanie who worked some for Bertha. Janna came back and Ron took Vi to Bertha's apartment. Janna held her mother's hand and talked to her. At one point, she started to cry and her mother tried to reach up and comfort her. It was pretty emotional. Becky came back and I left and went home to my soup, a little TV and my bed.

I did not sleep well, couldn't get comfortable, and had visions of the hospital and Bertha. I think she will probably recover to some extent, based on the efforts she was making to talk. But thinking about death is hard for me and important.

Incredible wind and rain in the night. The clock was blinking, so I don't know what time it was, but I woke up several times. Ray was up working most of the night.

Yesterday was beautiful, highs in the low 80s and windy, so not too hot.

I was a little muzzy in the morning and it took a couple hours for my head to clear, and me to figure out that I was going to be late to SGM. I had small group ministry a ways south of here, but I had to go by the rental place and return the things, and, of course, to drop Ray off at his office. We didn't have yogurt for breakfast, and we only had the strange flat raisin bread I had made Sunday night. So we ate the two eggs we had, fried in butter. A short walk and a bath. My phone needed charging. It was just one of those Monday mornings.

I was about 30 minutes late, because it took a while to get to Lisa's house after I dropped Ray off. But she lives in a beautiful old house in the country. We had a very pleasant time talking about books, which we clearly could talk about a lot more. Pomegranate green tea and banana bread. I stayed a little later to admire Lisa's gardens. Her husband died and she is clearing and creating gardens of his favorite trees and flowers--river birches, Lenten roses, lilies...It seems very sad to me; I would rather she were doing something a little more constructive, but it is surely better than staying inside and watching TV or reading. She is a very quiet and private person.

It was after one when I got to ALT. I was tempted to go home instead, because it was such a beautiful day. They were glad to see me. Nathan is gone this week and I could sit up front and use his computer and answer the phones. Laura, the intern, sent me another draft of a poster for the bike ride. But I have heard nothing from Christy in a week. This was her idea and I am supposed to be helping. I am waiting on her for several things. Also talked some about the newsletter.

I left before 4 to go to EarthFare and finally get some orange juice and other things. Made a few phone calls while I was waiting for Ray. My sister Polly and her family are coming in 8 days! I am looking forward to seeing my niece and nephew, as well as their parents.

When we got home, it was wild and windy. I lifted Sylvia out of the nesting box and two eggs fell onto the ground. She did forage with the others, though, until they settled down in a corner of the garden for the night and I shooed them back into their coop (not quite as easy as it sounds). I cut us a few stalks of asparagus and admired how well things are coming along. My Dad has been working like crazy every pleasant day. This is the time of year when there is a lot to do.

Eventually I came inside and made dinner. Ray had already peeled the shrimp, thank goodness. I had some broccoli left from the reception that I wanted to use before it went bad, so sauteed it with onion and some of the carrot sticks, as well as some seasonings and the shrimp. Served it with brown rice. It was fine, nothing too wonderful. The asparagus tasted delicious, though.

TV and bed, falling asleep about 9 and moving upstairs to read for a bit, while waiting for Ray to join me, which he must have at some point, because he is there now.

These are the daffodils I just planted--can't believe they bloomed!

Wow! Everything went well yesterday, but my shoulder really aches.

Ray singing with the men--in Hungarian.

We had pancakes for breakfast and had a short walk. It was a beautiful day, but we didn't really take advantage of it. Ray and the men from the choir sang in the morning and I sat in the congregation.

After the service, he went up the street to get us some lunch from Loco's. It took him an hour! Meanwhile, we waited for people to stop chatting and clear out so we could set up. We moved things out of the Fellowship Hall that are always there, like a tree that was shedding all over the floor. Pat M. arrived with beautiful big snowball hydrangeas from her yard. She had found some fabric on sale at Joann's that was green and black, the colors Alison had requested to match the pennants Stewardship had used the year before. We moved some things into the back of the sanctuary and some things into the administrative office (3 boxes of lost and found, for instance). It took me awhile to get everyone to cooperate, but patience is good. Meanwhile, Pat was a whirlwind, moving tables by herself and cleaning the floor. Heather K. helped too, but we kept wondering where Ray and other helpers were. Of course, they all arrived at about the same time. But Ted had to sit; his back was bothering him so much. Bob and Denise were there to help, too. And Caryl S. The new bulletin boards are designed to be flipped over during special events. There are three holes at the top that hang on three screws that go into the cement block. Unfortunately, it is not that easy to get it lined up right, and some of the screws come out when you try to take the bulletin board down. It's still a very clever system, but not as simple as I would like. There's an old sideboard that is in the foyer, which is often used as a bar. We moved that into the Hall and covered it with a tablecloth. Pat had some green ribbons she used to loop up the corners of the tablecloths. It looks pretty and keeps people from tripping over them. Other people arrived to help, but some of them were working in the sanctuary under Myrna's direction. Of course, I took no pictures, but Pat did a great job.

They set up a projection screen and folding chairs, in case there were too many people to fit in the sanctuary. Ray went to the house to get the frozen mini-quiches (and some toothpicks). A lot of the food arrived at the last minute. I rehearsed with the choir for about 15 minutes, in between answering questions and giving instructions. Hank was there and Kay arrived. Most of the food came at the last minute, but we arranged fruits and vegetables on trays to be passed. One woman brought a tray of bananas, in their peels, with things written on them (au naturel, yummy). She instructed that they were to be passed like that and not cut up. I ignored her, but the tray ended up on the coffee table. Not quite embarrassing, but definitely odd.

Someone decided we had to have coffee. We had to rearrange things and add another table. (I think about 4 people drank coffee, in the end.) Ray arrived with the mini-quiches, having completely missed the rehearsal. I explained to Hank and another guy how to heat the mini-quiches and preheated the oven. They heated a bunch of them (earlier than I wanted) and laughed about leaving the guys to cook. Of course, they were just reheating, but apparently that was a lot to ask. I went in and sat with the choir and stayed for the beginning, until we sang the anthem. (Lift Up your Voice, very upbeat). Then I snuck out and waited in the kitchen and hall. There were not as many people as we expected. I don't think any other ministers from Athens were there, although the mayor was on the program and said something nice. Mostly there were other UU ministers from far away, charging Alison and the congregation and congratulating us. It was nice, moving, but way too long. Several of us watched on the screen, but we put away the rows of folding chairs. We didn't heat all the mini-quiches. We were ready...and we waited. I actually proofread the whole membership list that Shaye printed out for me.

Eventually, the people came out. Deb and John manned the bar. Rosemary served punch. Kay and I and Jane and others passed trays of food. Bill H. made cheese straws. They were delicious. The quiches were a big hit. There was probably twice as much food as we needed. Someone brought out plates and someone else put out bins for dirty dishes. Next time I will have carefully selected and trained helpers, but it was okay. Many people complimented me on how nice it was and what a good idea it was to pass the food. So, it was a success. Kay bought the extra frozen mini-quiches and we distributed all the leftover food. Cleanup was not too bad, because the wine glasses were rented and we didn't use many plates or coffee cups, just punch glasses. And all we threw away were napkins. People spent their time chatting and didn't cluster around the food tables. We ended up leaving about 7:30, the last ones, with some cut-up veggies. I need to figure out what I need to be reimbursed for (rentals and booze).

But I hadn't eaten much and was hungry when we got home. And I had foolishly started some bread in the morning that I had to get out of the fridge and finish. I think that is what did my shoulder in. And we didn't have enough flour, so I used corn meal. Kneading cold bread dough made with corn meal took a long time and I got hungrier and hungrier. Ate some soup. And half a banana and some ice cream with a brownie. Watched TV while I ate and the bread rose (not much) and baked. Small flt loaves. So sad.

But I am glad to have that successfully behind me. It really wasn't that hard and now I know more than I did. And I can look ahead to my next activities.

I did it! I walked 5K and still managed to function more or less for the rest of the day!

I called Barron's about renting glasses and tablecloths and found out they close at noon on Saturday and aren't open at all on Sunday! Not sure we could be back by there before noon, we stopped on our way to the MS Walk. Charlie (Junior) was there and we chatted with him briefly about his parents, who were our neighbors on Glenwood Drive. We rented 150 glasses for .50 each and 3 big white tablecloths. Depending on what kind of disposable glasses you buy, it may be cheaper to rent them. It's certainly better for the environment, and you can return them dirty!

We still got to the walk in time to register (after standing in line). It was sunny but cool, perfect for walking. There were lots of people and dogs and I was a big claustrophobic at first, but enjoyed talking to John and others. Halfway through the second time around, I rested for a bit and got behind. When I went by the pavilion the second time, Heather said to me, "only one more time around." I kept going, but didn't see many other people. My cell phone rang. It was Ray. He said, "where are you?" I described where I was and he said he couldn't see me. I said, "where are you?" He said, "we're finished." I said "3 times around?" He said, "it's only twice." So, I turned around and headed back, not sure if it was quicker to keep going or go back. So, maybe I walked 7K instead of 5K! We had some orange slices and waited for the pizza to arrive. The UU group was about 15 people and Catherine and her family were very pleased. Wouldn't it be amazing if they discovered a cure?

We went home and admired the garden. Sylvia, the hen, is broody, I believe. She has stopped laying eggs and won't leave the nesting box, hoping to hatch something, I guess. I keep picking her up and making her leave the coop, but she ends up back there as soon as she has a chance. The book I read says if she doesn't get over it, I should "cull" her. Meaning get rid of her. But I don't think that's going to happen, at least not soon. Three laying hens is about perfect. I don't think many more would fit in that coop.

There are some tiny peaches on the peach trees, and green strawberries. Bok choy and lettuce could be harvested small. The first asparagus shoots have been harvested. Most other things are just getting going, but they like the combination of lots of rain and sunshine.

My parents arrived and worked in the garden in the sun. It didn't quite make it up to 70 degrees. We had a little drink and snack. I made spaghetti sauce and the fourth batch of mini-quiches. Now I have almost 200 in the freezer.

Watched some TV, went to bed just after 9.

A busy day yesterday, which I didn't enjoy as much as I would have a few years ago. As I get older, I seem to appreciate the quiet days more.

Beans planted beyond the baby broccoli in the early morning light

The morning was typical: computer time, breakfast, walk, bath, getting dressed. I wore my suit with a white blouse, since I had an interview at 1:00 at the Land Trust. I figured I didn't really need to impress them, but thought I should show that I can dress up if need be, and I wanted to respect the process. I worked some on the newsletter layout, which is interesting work--tedious but challenging. I was able to  fix a few things, but was stumped for awhile by a picture. Nathan was working on it, but he needed to finish up some things, because he is leaving for Haiti this morning, to participate in a volunteer building project. I was very impressed and a little jealous, but afraid it may be depressing there. I feel oddly exhilarated that he will be away. I moved his monitor after he left, so I can sit at his desk all week, answer the phone and greet people who walk in. His desk has a place where the computer and keyboard are the right height, so it will be better for my back, I think.

Tomatoes set out to the left of the old beets and one boy choy

About quarter of one, I realized I hadn't eaten my lunch. Nancy was eating too and we had a pleasant few minutes together. Then Heather arrived, we put our dishes in the dishwasher, and moved to the back room for the interview. I think it went well; at the end, Nancy said "you certainly know more about working with volunteers than I do." Of course, running IHN involved hundreds of volunteers, trained to do work that required some high-level skills. The program they want to set up at ALT is for yard maintenance. The hardest part will be finding and recruiting the volunteers. (I never want to help other people with yard work; I can't get to my own.) They said they need to interview two or three other people and then meet in executive committee. When they asked me why I wanted to do this job, I said that I was committed to the Land Trust and was going to work there until they were able to pay me. Nancy said thank you.

I worked some more on the newsletter and asked Nathan if there was anything I should know to do while he was gone. He explained to me what happens when someone calls who wants to buy one of ALT's houses. There is a phone intake form; the biggest question is about their income. They have to make less than 80% of the median (which is about 52,000 for a family of four). Someone had called and I returned her call after he left. C is living with her in-laws near a house that ALT has renovated, with her 2 year-old daughter. I did not ask about the father/husband, not at this point. She says her credit record is bad and she may be interested in a lease/purchase. I answered a few of her questions and made sure her income qualified ($22,000 as a CNA--certified nursing assistant in a nursing home). Then I sent her an application and information.

Nancy and Laura and Heather all went to visit a property. I locked up and went to get Ray. We went home briefly. On the chicken front, Sylvia seems to be spending all day in the nesting box. Either there is something wrong or she is what they call "broody." She wants to hatch an egg. Since there is no rooster, the eggs are not fertile and will never hatch. I have to read up about what to do about it.

We had a big night planned--dinner at Five and Ten with my parents and then a concert at Hodgson Hall. The dinner was very good, but, as my Dad pointed out, not as good as Bistro Niko and at least as expensive. Of course, we do keep ordering things like drinks and appetizers and dessert. First, we had four dates stuffed with celery and Parmesan cheese, but not overwhelmed, served in a long narrow divided dish. And a whiskey sour made with bourbon for me. Martinis for my parents. It makes the Captain especially happy when they have onions as well as olives at the bar, so he can have his the way he likes it. I had a spinach salad that was excellent, with blue cheese and pear. Ray had a different salad that he loved. My Mom had crab claws, which she really enjoyed and took her into the entree time to eat. The Captain had steak tartare, which he doesn't get to order often, with a raw egg. Then he had lamb, she had Caesar salad, I had flounder, nnd Ray had chicken. Followed by 3 desserts and coffee for two. It was almost $300, over 300 if you include the tip. And the service was very good. The place was jumping.

We paid up and left and drove to the concert and found a place to park and walked in and sat down, with about 5 minutes to spare. There were people we knew all over the Hall. Mike and Todd behind us; Morgan and her husband right beside me. Katherine K. with a helper and her parents. Rosemary, Herb & Myrna, and lots more.  Our seats were in row B. Only where we were, there was no Row A, so we sat in the front row, way over on the left side. http://www.uga.edu/pac/strings.html

 

Bela, Edgar and Zakir from our seats

The performers included Bela Fleck, a very attractive and pleasant man who played banjo, wearing jeans and sneakers, with his plaid shirt tucked out. I really wanted to meet him and get to know him better. There was a bass player named Edgar Meyer. He was taller. He wore dress slacks, with his shirt tucked in, and a little bow tie. He leaned over that bass like it was an extension of himself, dangling his arm down to caress the strings and change the notes with his meaty but delicate fingers. He went from long fluid notes to very fast ones, constantly changing. He brought the bass out front for a solo at one point and the music was so beautiful. Of course, I remembered Molli playing cello and the many high school orchestra concerts I had been to. The third person was Zakir Hussain, apparently massively popular in India. He sat (cross-legged, I think) on a platform surrounded by silvery drums, with ropes. Several times, he took out a little silver hammer and tapped to adjust them and trade them around. Bela and Edgar even played a snatch of Maxwell's silver hammer... His hands were amazing; the fingers moved so quickly, you couldn't really see them sometimes. He had very expressive eyes and was facing us, so we saw the faces he made to his fellow performers as they passed tunes back and forth.

As far as the music, it is hard to identify. I guess you could say it was very modern jazz. It felt like improv and was mostly fast with dissonances. The drums are amazing, and actually had some tune as well as percussion. I admit to dozing off a little, my usual method of enjoying music late at night. Sit down, relax, fall asleep. I hope no one was offended.

We chatted with people on our way out (no hurry, since everyone had to get in the cars and leave at once) and were home by about 11:30. Ray worked some, but I went to bed. It looks like a beautiful sunny but cool morning.