Hallelujah! The windows are open and my ankles are cold! I even turned off the ceiling fan. Yesterday was much cooler; I think maybe 86 was the high. It was overcast and rainy much of the day, but in the evening, it was pleasant and breezy out. And now, it is below 70, I'm sure.

Yesterday, I took Ray to work and then went to Herb West's mother's memorial service at Highland Hills, where she lived for almost 10 years. It was very pleasant, learning about her history. She was 95 and lived a life of mother, wife, and volunteer, after she married. She studied library science and was an ecellent organizer, according to the speakers. She met her husband at VJ day in Casablanca, where she was stationed with the Red Cross, and he was with the Air Force. I liked Highland Hills--every room seems to have a balcony or porch and there are flowers and birds. So I talked to someone at the desk and picked up some information. For two people, the starting rate is $3050 per month. That includes rent, utilities, and one meal a day. It seemed like a lot to me. Housekeeping is extra and it's more if you need assisted living. Later in the day, though, Ray and I talked about it, and his pension will probably cover a little over that. Plus we have IRA's and social security for both of us. That will have to cover medical expenses and any travel.

My parents were at the house when I got home, surprised to see me. They picked and froze some more broccoli, and I gave them some food to eat, sliced tomatoes and leftover frittata. My mother had made rhubarb sauce and left me some. And it had rained on the garden. Now there are 4 melons growing, plus there are still fresh tomatoes, chard, and plenty of herbs. Then my Dad started reading news events out loud, one of the things he does that really bothers me: a house blew up in Salem and killed x people...a  young man killed his mother and stepfather...please, why do you want to know that? I don't.

After they left, I had a quiet hour to work on whatever I wanted and I submitted a couple more reviews and started on a science fiction project. It's certainly not very good, but it shows that if I sit down and work at it, I can get some writing done.

At 2:30, I went to Earth Fare to buy a few things and Ray met me there. We came on home and went to Sky's to pick blueberries, it was so pleasant--high 70s, overcast. She let us pick one to keep for every one we picked for her and they were beautiful. Mine have been over for weeks, but she has several different varieties. Her freezer is full and she is not selling at the Farmer's Market any more this year. We have four pints in the freezer now!

I cut some herbs and we got dressed and went to Clela's. She is back from her time in Romania with the Peace Corps and invited us to a cocktail buffet. There were margaritas (and other beverages) and lots of things she had made--dips and veggies and sweets. It was marvelous. And we enjoyed hearing stories from Rocky and Bill H. He was in the NSA in Greenland, 600 miles south of the North Pole. There were days of darkness and days of light--and polar bears and foxes and giant Arctic hares. He was there a year and had to be flown out because of a tumor on his lung. A woman pilot saved his life, waiting on the runway for the winds to drop below 40 mph so they could take off.