My birthday present, a grape arbor

Sadly, we are back to the hum of the air conditioner. I'm actually a little too cold right now, sitting her in my summer nightgown, watching it get brighter out. I can start to see the lawn, which Ray mowed yesterday, so it looks really nice and park-like this morning.

I made quiches early yesterday and zipped over to the Farmers Market by 9:30. Ray was just getting up, so he didn't come. My Mom had made an apple pie as well, and we entered them in the PLACE pie contest. Two categories: sweet and savory. There weren't tons of pies--4 sweet and 3 savory, maybe. We only got 3 votes each, so I don't know what that's about. I didn't stick around to taste and vote, but my parents were pretty disappointed. Not sure what they were going on. For $5, you could enter a pie and/or taste pies. It seemed like a fun idea.

Ray met me and we headed to pilates class instead of eating pie.

When we got home, my parents cooked their corn on the cob and we cooked our corn on the cob (from the Farmers' Market), and we had a little pre-lunch together. Ray and I ate leftover tabouli, but they declined to join us. Of course, there were also sliced tomatoes with oregano. They left after a bit. I made some salsa, but it only used 4 plum tomatoes. I need to catch up.

zinnias

even the grass at Kenney Ridge is beautiful

another baby melon!

Another published review here. (Can I tell you how much I hate that title?) I spent another hour writing my science fiction novel. It is not particularly good. I am just trying to get myself to write for an hour a day and see what comes out. It will have to be rewritten and improved, if it seems worth doing.

At 5, we headed to UUFA. I had scheduled a going-away party for Rich and Janet Clapp-Clark. They are moving to Vermont in a week. I am jealous and sad. I really like having them at the Fellowship. Also, another family, Cindy and Trish and their two children are moving to Chapel Hill. They have been here 6 years and their family has changed a lot in that time. I will miss seeing these kids become teens and adults. The party was very low-key, a potluck dinner. About 25 people were there, and we just chatted. Some people wanted to have a cake or give them presents, but I was pretty adamant that I didn't want to buy anything, and it worked out well. We were a small enough group for people to all talk together for a short time about things we would miss about them.

By the time we cleaned up, there was not much time before bed. We watched one episode of John Stewart. I love him, he is so funny, but I do get discouraged because it is still current events, and the news is mostly bad. I truly believe that the economy will never recover and lots of people will suffer even more than they are now. The idea of perpetual growth is not realistic, and I don't know why we were not changing our expectations before the bubble burst. I am grateful to have a home and what we need, but I worry about the future.