The house is empty again, except for Ray and me, but I have a little carryover happiness still.

Amelia and Ray and I had breakfast together and walked. Amelia and I dropped him off at work and went to Plain Jane to have a final discussion about the invitations. They had the envelopes and we picked them up, so now I must address them all. They will be ready to pick up on Wednesday, and I paid the bill.

Amelia packing up the car

We went to Michael's and Amelia bought several things, I bought a few. We bought small terracotta pots in two sizes. Now it is up to my Dad to let me know which size he wants. Then I will buy 100 of them. He is growing herbs for favors for the guests.

Suddenly, it was noon and time for Amelia to get going. She had some lunch and packed up her car and left. It was a sunny but cold day.

Adah is dancing with a plastic chair at the pavillion

I had a little time by myself, with my computer, before my Dad arrived and it was time for me to pick up Adah. She is a 4-year-old neighbor of ours. We are very fond of each other and I have arranged to have her spend the afternoon with me every other week. She was very excited to see me. She is an incredibly high-energy child. The minute she was in the car, she wanted to know if I had any gum. Then she wanted the music turned on. She pretended she had homework and showed it to me. Then I was the teacher and she changed her name. Then we walkd over to the pigs, taking many detours. She waited behind the fence while I fed them. The goats wanted her scarf and she did not enjoy that experience. We walked home again and read stories and then I told her it was time to go. She cried heartbreakingly and complained we hadn't made the cookies. I said, "next time." When I took her home, her brother was very unhappy that he had to wait a whole week before it was his turn. He had that incredible sense of injustice and air of "it's not fair" that I remember well.

I spent a few minutes with Ray (my Dad had picked him up) and then spent the evening at a Kenney Ridge meeting. The new board president wanted to pass a statement saying that members should work things out before reporting someone anonymously. What happened is, there is a law on the books that no more than two unrelated people can live in one house. One of our neighbors rents the downstairs to one person and the upstairs to another person, while continuing to live on the main floor. That's three unrelated people. It is meant to prevent large numbers of students in single-family neighborhoods. It is a relatively harmless violation, but one that I object to. On the other hand, I would not report them for it and I am sorry that someone did. Nonetheless, I don't think the Board can "legislate" the requirement for people to be considerate and get along. We don't have proof that it was someone in Kenney Ridge, but some people believe it was done vindictively. I had trouble staying awake and left promptly at 9.

I couldn't even watch one entire episode of Wheel and slept well all night.

Molli helps Ray get the gift cards ready

We all ate pancakes with maple syrup and then played Hearts for a little while. Ray had to go to the Fellowship and my Dad went home to take his pills and get dressed, etc. Molli and Amelia and I walked to the community center and discussed where we would have tables for the reception and how many we would need, etc.

All of a sudden, it was 11:30. We had to hurry home, shower and dress. Molli finished packing. Ray came back and got us and we met my dad at Five and Ten for Brunch. It was really good and fun and not as expensive as most Five & Ten meals. I had Eggs Benedict--on potato latkes! I also had a great whiskey sour, Captain had a Bloody Mary and Molli had a Mimosa that she loved. We left there about 10 minutes later than intended, my dad to drive to my house, the rest of us to the Atlanta airport.

We had to stop at Kroger so Molli could buy big chunks of Velveeta for her co-worker, Deanna. Apparently, you can't get it in Mexico and she really likes it. Weird. Then we were another 10 minutes later than planned. Ray got really sleepy at one point and pulled off to lelt me drive, unusual, but I was glad to do it. I hate driving while fighting sleep and it's good to know that he was comfortable letting me drive. He did actually sleep for 15 minutes or so. There was horrible traffic where they are doing road work almost to the airport and we lost some more time, but fortunately, we had built in an extra 30-60 minutes, so we were fine. Molli got checked in and we spent a few minutes together drinking coffee (Ray and Molli) and talking.

Ray's fruit side dish

Amelia and Ray and I stopped at Ikea and looked at a few things for the wedding. There were some forks we would have bought that were about the same cost as renting them, but we would have to get spoons and knives too. And none of us really needs silverware for 100+ people! (It's the DRAGON pattern.) The little pots we were planning to buy were off-white instead of white and they are bigger than we wanted. As Amelia pointed out, that's a good thing because transporting 100 of them home might be challenging. We got a couple white trays that Amelia liked. Walking through IKEA is pretty exhausting and I didn't have my running shoes on. But we did find a few useful things and talked about buying a storage wall for the study. I hope I get a job this week or next! Ray was hungry, but the line was long to buy a hot dog, so we left. There were cookies and nuts in the car to tide him over. It was after 8 when we got home, but we had leftover rice and beans, macaroni and cheese and pork to eat.

But the day was not over. Amelia and I went to talk to Gloria about 9 when she got home from work--she said it was her hardest day ever! They have a 1500 piece puzzle of beer bottles that they have been working on since Christmas. It is a bear, but I put in a few pieces while we were tallking. She got herself a drink and we talked wedding. It's amazing. She has access to chairs and tables and lots more things. She knows a liquor store owner who will order whatever she wants. Lots of trays, chafing dishes and hotel pans, party lights and extension cords...She has bartenders that work for her we can hire for $10/hr, and she will make an incredible fruit centerpiece, using risers Tom built her, greens, and the carnations Janna is buying for the rehearsal dinner. She had strong feelings about everything and it was fascinating to see Amelia negotiating with her. She loves Molli and Adrian and would do anything for them and is really glad we are letting her do this...etc. She turns 62 soon and is glad she can start collecting social security. We checked the calendar and she doesn't have to work Friday or Saturday. Amelia and I finally got home and went to bed about 11:30, but it was awhile before I could fall asleep. I woke up at 3:30 and 5:30, but felt a little better when I woke up at 7 and it was starting to be light.

We are making tons of progress on our plans! And it's exciting!

I am so tired! and sore.

Yesterday morning was the workshop on Preparing for the End of Life. I got up and made muffins before Ray and I drove there. It was about 9:30 when my phone rang and it was Deb asking if I was okay. Everyone else had been there for a while, getting things set up and chatting with people. We held it in the sanctuary because there were so many people. Some people apparently were nervous speaking from the pulpit, so there was a podium set up down on the floor. We started right on time. Alison did a reading and lit the chalice. I read some introductory remarks and then Deb P. spoke about hospice, Geneva about the Georgia Health Care Directive, Victoria about wills, and Deb B. about the checklist of information you should have available. Then we took a 5 minute break. We talked about donating your body to science, funeral homes, and Alison spoke about memorial services at the UUFA and made a plea for people to gie her information before the fact. There was time for questions as we went along. A lot of great information. We put out handouts for people to pick up as they left and promised the links would be available electronically. There was a signup sheet for people interested in the follow up meeting. The response was very positive.

Then we went out to lunch: Ray and I, Deb and John, Molli and Amelia, and my Dad, at Last Resort. It was good, although we had to wait quite a while. It was kind of a madhouse on Saturday afternoon. They have changed the menu and our favorite hummus was gone, as well as the black bean crepes Amelia always ordered. We had a wonderful time. Then my Dad started to our house in his car, with Ray and me following. Molli and Amelia were going to run some errands before they met us there. Then Ray remembered he needed to pick up gift cards, so we had to turn around. I was so tired, I hated to do it. When we finally got home, he went to bed. My Dad played with his new computer and I sat on the couch in the sun and read. At 5, I put on my dirty jeans and went to feed the pigs. My Dad dropped me off and left. As I was walking home, Molli called. They would be here in 10 minutes.

Ray got up, my Dad came back and we had a champagne tasting. They were all good. Maybe the expensive one was better, but probably not enough different to pay more for it. We had three open bottles of champagne and we couldn't drink any moe. We invited Nancy H. to come and drink some of it and give us her opinion as well. She liked them all quite well, too. We needed about 5 more people, but we let it go at that point. Not sure what I will do with flat champagne. Anyone who wants can have mimosas with breakfast.

We had a very late supper, macaroni and cheese from the freezer, pork roast and green beans. Some of us had mince pie for dessert. I went to bed at 9, even though we were supposed to play cards. The rest of them watched a funny movie.

Insanely busy day, in a good way.

We walked and I drove Ray to work and picked up my Dad to bring him home. We stopped at the grocery store to get a few things. It was between 11 and 11:30 when we got to my house and we needed to leave again at 12:30. I had mixed up bread earlier and baked it before we left. He hung out my laundry for me and fixed the arbor. The top had blown off in the storm a couple weeks ago. He got his email and checked the internet, because he couldn't get it at his house the last day or two. Then he took a bath. I knew he was definitely not leaving at 12:30, but I worked on my patience skills and told myself it was more important to be nice to my Dad than to get the places I was going at the times I wanted to. I sliced a couple pieces of really hot bread, which is not easy to do and put them in a container with salami and cheese. I ate some leftover salad from Teds the night before--spinach and beets, yum. We got in the car with all the stuff he had brought--change of clothes, food for lunch (which he didn't have time to eat), lettuce from the garden, two computers. The traffic on the way to his house was awful--Friday lunchtime is particularly bad on Hawthorne. I did not lose my temper at all.

I got to the invitation place at 1:25, approximately 25 minutes late, but it didn't matter. She had a sample invitation for me -- yay! it looks awesome. The colors are not what Amelia wanted, so I will have to let them know Monday what ones to use, but they can be ready by Wednesday. OMG, now to warm up  the hands for writing those addresses and buy the silver pens. Ideally, want them to go out by Saturday. Postage for overseas?

I was pretty excited most of the day, although somehow I didn't get a lot done. Ray and I walked--overcast and wet again, more mist than rain. I took him to work and then picked up my Dad and drove him to the computer store, where he bought a refurbished laptop (a Mac, of course). I brought him back to my house and he experimented with it, to make sure he knew how to do the things on it he uses: internet/e-mail, solitaire, and writing. We had to buy Pages, a word processing program, but it was only $20 from the App Store. I didn't realize the App Store was available on the computer too. So, most software is now available that way. The biggest problem we had was the length of time it took to download. After a while, we noticed a tiny blue line that was getting longer, so we knew something was happening. I gave him leftover chicken and offered cauliflower marrance, but he didn't want it, so I ate it all. There wasn't much bread, either, so he finished that up.

I worked some on the wedding on my computer and made a mince pie. It was too hot for him to take home when he left, but he will eat it today. He cut up some fruit to make fruit salad for me, which he will also take some of. Then I took him home, wearing my pig clothes, so I could feed them on the way back. Their yard was pretty yucky, my boots sunk in to the mud, but I didn't fall down at least. The pigs are not as well-trained as Cameron, but they kind of move when I tell them to get out of my way and act like I mean it. They will eat out of the buckets before I dump them, if they can.

The problem was, I was supposed to interview a student that wants to go to Middlebury--at 5:30. It was 5:30 while I was at the pigs, and I had to go home and change my clothes and drive 5 miles, so I was at least 20 minutes late. I felt really bad, and didn't have a way to reach her.

She was a delightful young woman, cute and interesting, wtih dark hair and glasses. She is taking a ton of AP classes, wants to be an interpreter and go to grad school at Monterrey. She plays violin, writes poetry and composes music. She has been speaking out in favor of the Dream Act. Because, it turns out, she (and her parents) are undocumented. They are very poor, they aren't allowed to have drivers' licenses (she thinks she can get one in VT). Her Dad is a photographer and works painting houses, etc. Her Mom works in a convenience store. She has two younger siblings who were born in the U. S. They come from Durango, where she has older half-brothers. How is she going to get financial aid, if they accept her, at Midd or anywhere? They can't fill out the FAFSA, which I think is required everywhere these days, or send copies of their taxes. I was crying as I drove down the road when I left. I was in shock. What can I do, how can I help? First, write up my interview so that she gets accepted.

I met Kent at Cine, where they don't have any real food--popcorn and cookies and lots of great drinks. I had orangina. Ray arrived shortly and Becky while we were watching the previews. It was fun to watch the movie with them. We sat in the back row and there weren't a ton of other people there. The movie was Carnage, which is an adaption of a play. All the action takes place in one location, so you can see how it would have been a play. It's really very funny, with great actors, including Jodie Foster and Cate Winslet. Of course, we were hungry afterward and went over to Ted's, where we got salads. Becky and Kent split a pizza. I had beet and spinach--yum. We left about 9:30 and went to bed when we got home.

The last few days I have had a lot of energy. What does it mean? I have been sleeping well (is it my sleep machine?), I have been getting a walk every morning, I have been eating pretty well...I am not depressed, but sometimes it feels a little like nervous energy or restlessness and threatens to become anxiety or stress. Hmm...I wake up really early and spend lots of time with my email and other computer work related to my projects at UUFA or the wedding. I am hungry long before it is light. I have the same breakfast almost every morning.

I slice some homemade bread and put it in the toaster. I pour some orange juice and drink it with vitamins. I scoop a half-cup of yogurt into a bowl and slice up fruit into it---these days it is a pear. I add a sprinklle of cinnamon. (I usually buy vanilla yogurt, which is kind of cheating, but I find I don't enjoy it as much if I have to put in the honey and try to mix it). I put peanut butter on the toast and I often work on a sudoku while I eat.

Sometimes I have a cooking or baking project. Yesterday I made apple cake from the Bakery Lane cookbook, one of my mother's favorites and something I plan to have on the menu of the dessert restaurant coming up.

Ray and I take a walk. Lately I tell him to walk faster. We pick up the newspaper at some point and head home. I take a bath, washing my hair every three or four days. I put on some comfortable clothes and spend more time on the computer when Ray heads to the university to teach. Sometimes I do a load of wash, but I usually let him hang it out. It is a little heavy for my back and I don't like to take chances with it. Plus, he likes to do it a certain way. Sometimes my Dad hangs our laundry out, but Ray doesn't like the way he does it, so I try to get it in again so he doesn't have to see it.

There are usually leftovers for lunch. Yesterday was cauliflower marranca, plus I ate a little bit of chicken left from the previous night. Often I spend time communicating with one or both of my daughters via Skype. Sometimes we actually talk, but more often we write messages back and forth. It is pleasant to have their company, even through the computer. Sometimes I let the dog into the house. It was pretty sunny yesterday, so comfortable in the house, although cold when we went for our walk.

Sometimes my Dad comes by to work on something and chat. Yesterday he called, but since I was heading out, he didn't drive out here. I went to a meeting at 3:00. This is a group that grew out of the One Athens poverty initiative. It is about housing in Athens. Generally not much really useful happens. We make recommendations that are not followed. On this occasion, someone from DCA explained how we need to collaborate because there is not enough money to fund the various agencies engaged in housing counseling. This is something we have known for awhile, but it is hard to fix, because no agency wants to say, "That's okay, you take the money. We'll stop doing housing counseling (and close our doors)." I don't have a good solution, but I think it is possible to determine who is helping the most people and give them the money. One group passed around a handout for their classes. They are charging $25, not an outrageous amount, but ALT does it for free and has been for a while. How does any of these groups pay their staff and their rent? It was really annoying to have this woman, who is probably trying her best, to hand out color copies to us (I know they're expensive) and talk about the conference coming up with the really wonderful (expensive) speaker...and how there is no money. And I asked my question that I often bring up. "With poverty in Athens over 30%, many people are not ready to be homeowners. What about them?" The answer was, "your collaborative will set its own goals." Which is good, but somehow the focus is always homeownership. Is that because of the banks and realtors?

After that, I went home and made frosting for the cake. At 6, Ray and I headed to potluck and choir. Unfortunately, there were three other people who brought desserts and not much dinner. This is a rare occurrence. I guess I will have to stop making desserts. Or bring a main dish and a dessert.

I was pretty sleepy by the end of choir and somehow left my purse there, I discovered when I got home. I had the bag with the knitting and the cake pan, but no purse. We decided to go get it first thing this morning, figuring nothing would happen to it overnight. I froze 6 pieces of apple cake to serve at the dessert night.

Hmm...what did I do yesterday? somehow it seems long ago, maybe I slept really well..

I was gone most of the day. I took Ray to work (well, to the bus and he rode it to work--yay!).

Then I went to the Hampton Inn to sign a contract for a block of rooms. I asked to see one and they are really nice! Yay! There is a pretty good breakfast buffet. I was kind of a little jealous that all my friends and family will be there together and I'll be home...lol.

I went to the credit union and made some deposits so I can pay my bills for the rest of the month until Ray gets paid. I am close to being able to close my bank account and just use the credit union. Yay for me. As treasurer of Kenney Ridge, I hope to move their accounts too.

I went to Cartridge World and got a new ink cartridge for my "antique" laser printer. I am excited that I can still get one.

I went to the library and worked on a very short story about falling in the mud to read at my writing workshop. I worked on my presentation for Saturday too, but it went away--darn that iPad!

I met Becky for a pleasant relaxed lunch at Gnat's Landing--cruncy slaw bowl with grilled fish. They make this great cole slaw without mayonnaise (it does have lots of oil), with raw ramen noodles and sliced almonds for crunch. I love it!

Then I went to the writing workshop. The piece on the pigs did not elicit much response--not sure what that means. It wasn't funny enough or pathetic enough--I need to decide what I'm going for. "Slice-of-life" by itself is not that interesting? In general, it was very enjoyable. I always feel better about myself and my life when I leave. Of course, most of the other people there are dealing with illness and I am not...The teacher, Sara, also has a daughter who's getting married (May 1?). She is a little freaked out about all the work to do...I told her I had a band and she was sad. Her daughter is having a DJ, so only the "kids" will dance. I said a DJ could play other music...the difference is her daughter has strong opinions on everythng. My daughter is generously letting me have a great party, using her wedding as an excuse!

Ray and I stopped at Kroger and got a few things. Paul fed the pigs. We made cauliflower marranca for supper--it takes a little longer than some things I cook, so we didn't eat until 7:30 or so. It was delicious, though. Not something my children like: millet, cauliflower, onions, mushrooms, cheese. Baked together for half an hour. One of the things I love about it is eating birdseed!

Talked to the photographer.

Fell asleep watching TV.

I was a little restless yesterday, maybe because the weather continued cold, dark and rainy. Ray and I took a walk under the umbrella before he left for work. I spent most of the day at the computer, but my Dad arrived about 4:30 to do a load of laundry. He usually doesn't do it until he is completely out of clothes, so the fact that it was raining did not enter into it. He will come back today to hang it out--it's supposed to be drier today. I started a batch of bread late in the day; I should have done it earlier, just wasn't in the mood, I guess. Well, that was dumb, because I had to go to a meeting at 6:30, so left it to rise. Then it was almost 9 when I put it in pans and 11 by the time it was done baking. Such a pain--and more flat loaves because I didn't have time to let it rise enough.

I made chicken in the oven and we had leftover rice. Ray cooked the broccoli while I was gone, so I ate it at 9, followed by ice cream.

I did run the vacuum a little and got some good computer work done. Fell asleep watching TV and Ray had to stay up to take the bread out...

cool, rainy, misty; we have had over 2 inches in the last few days. yay!

Pancakes for breakfast, yum.

Just time to walk to the newspaper and back, take shower, and dress. Oh, but I did make a double batch of Moosewood brownies in there somewhere.

UUFA service was good; Buddhist philosophy of being in the moment. The choir sang a lovely 3-part chant with the congregation: Gate Gate.

4th Sunday lunch. Violet sat next to me and talked about how she couldn't find anyone to help and advise her when her husband didn't seem to be getting the proper care in the hospital, nursing home or hospice. She said they didn't feed him and he had bed sores. She finally brought him home to die, where she could make sure he was cared for. It was awful to hear, but she needed to talk about it. Beyond the scope of our end-of-life workshop. I wonder if single-payer health care would improve that situation.

Manhattan

Froze the brownies after Ray cut them into neat squares for me. Went to the Kenney Ridge community meeting. I hate the way they make me feel; my stomach hurts when people are arguing about details of how we do things.

Then we rushed off and had dinner and a movie. The National and Cine share a building. For $29, you can have a 3-course meal and watch a movie. We had drinks too. Patatas bravas, cod and pineapple tarts. The movie was My Week with Marilyn. It was very enjoyable, set in England and made me want to go there. Also to watch her movies. The guy who played Laurence Olivier didn't look much like him.

Still in bed by a little after 10.

My Chance to be a movie star

Yesterday was crazy weather, lots of rain, thunder and lightning, but the sun was out some too. We were under a tornado watch, first until 1 and then until 8 pm, but the Facebook page said the shoot was on, rain or shine. Maybe the director thought the weather would make it look even more authentic.

 Ray and I were having breakfast and sitting around and the next thing you know, it was time for me to go. I didn't even have time to take a shower. I decided what to wear--a top of Bertha's that looked 60s to me, a shortish black skirt, my boots, my black raincoat, and a funny old hat. The big black umbrella we had was good, because it could be from the 60s, whereas the yellow and blue one that said IKEA on it could not.

As I drove downtown, there was no one on the road or downtown. I could see people walking toward the meeting place, the 40 Watt Club. I was maybe 5 minutes late. There were about 50 people there, I guess, black and white, young and old. Mainly college students, but another woman about my age and two teenagers. We waited, with our umbrellas, while the young assistants said, "we're almost ready" and "five minutes more," over and over. People were excited. One woman and her granddaughter went on and on about the movies they had been in: How much fun Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah were to work with in Joyful Noise and  how Jennifer Lopez would not get wet and they had to spray her hair with something to make it look wet in What to Expect When You're Expecting (really, they made a movie out of that?)...

Finally, we followed a young man across the street to a block that was closed off. They gave us signs (all uniform, the same writing on the same kind of paper--not realistic in my experience). Mine said "Freedom Now." Some people had done a great job of looking authentic--old glasses, slicked back hair and period clothing. One young woman removed her nose ring. The director was filming with a hand-held camera and trying to get them to turn their heads so it wouldn't show. He asked one of the granddaughters to take the feather out of her hat, but she couldn't, so just took the hat off. Another girl with braids was told that was not authentic, but I wore my hair in braids about that time. We marched down the street over and over, in groups of three, changing who was in front and chanting and singing. Some volunteered to be accosted by three "policemen;" middle-aged heavy set men in white shirts and hard hats. They looked like Georgia Power executives to me. They had batons. One shot had a group of people kneeling in the street praying while some were dragged away. I did not volunteeer to kneel on the wet pavement, mostly because I wasn't willing to possibly ruin the skirt I was wearing, but also because it would hurt.

After about an hour, it started to rain harder again and he let us all go. Look for the documentary, "Before the Memories Fade" and you might see me in the crowd scenes. Click here for the Facebook page. I was tired and cold and wet, but still had to go buy some groceries. When I got home, I got right in the tub and then had leftover Tamale Pie for lunch. I even took a nap after lunch, a rare occurrence for me. I woke up to the phone ringing and I couldn't even figure out what that noise was, I was so sound asleep. It was my Dad, letting me know he was headed my way. I got up and did some work on the computer, reconciling my credit card statement. We talked for a while and he helped me wind up a ball of yarn. I mixed up another batch of wedding punch to take to Deb's birthday party. I'm saving some for my Dad to taste. Ray got up and showered and quickly made a salad. Then we got ready to go and stopped by the pig pen. I did not get out of the car--I am sure it was nasty down there.

We had fun at Deb and John's. Becky and Kent beat us there. Becky had made two cakes, including one with flowers in the middle, like my Mom used to make for my birthday. (violets or lilies of the valley). Janna brought some sauteed veggies: kale, cauliflower, etc. John made a delicious pork roast with roast potatoes and wonderful gluten-free gravy. The meringues I brought were a big hit. I am definitely using them for the dessert night next month.

We were home about 10:30, but then I stayed up and finished my book.

This morning there is heavy fog again, kind of neat-looking.

A busy day and now I am feeling the stress.

We had breakfast and a walk and then I bathed and dressed in my good suit, complete with necklace and good shoes. We were running a little late, so Ray got out of the car on South Milledge. I had to find the office where I needed to take a test to be a housing processor for DCA. I got there with two minutes to spare, with my calculator, pens and pencils. I was the last of about 15 and we waited for the test administrator. I think I did pretty well on it, especially the part where you calculate 30% of people's income. There was a policy booklet to help answer the rest of the questions (true, false). Can you rent from your cousin using DCA funds? Does your monthly payment change--when you lose your job? It was a timed test, one hour, and they will ask people to interview based on their scores.

Then I waited around and Becky joined me for lunch. We had a lovely time eating at a sandwich shop owned by friends of hers. Unfortunately, it is closing the end of the month, driven out of business by another restaraunt that moved in next door recently.

It was a rainy dark cool day, not my favorite for spending a lot of time driving. On the other hand, it was not the kind of day that would have been really nice at home. I drove to the downtown post office and bought 200 Love stamps for the invitations, before the price goes up next week. Yay! for me.

Then I drove to my 2:00 interview. I waited in the car for half an hour so I wouldn't be too early. It was the typical, even grueling, interview. Three different people (all women) took turns asking me prepared questions and writing notes about my answers. Most of them I did well with (I think), but they did ask me to name developmental milestones at three different ages, which was suprisingly difficult. Can you name three between 12 and 24 months? 24 and 36? Even harder was a question about whether I preferred administrative or case management work. Of course, the answer is, I'll take any job...please hire me...which makes it hard to answer. I tried to suggest I was excited about working with children and parents again and away from homeless people. Also, that I was ready to leave the world of non-profits. I didn't get the impression that they were thrilled with me, but they did ask for a writing sample at the end. Now I wait. I'm glad that I have more than one possibility at the moment, although nothing says I will get any of them for sure. And, if I did, how would I get all this other stuff done??

I got some groceries at Earth Fare and picked up Ray. We drove home (in the rain) and stopped to feed the pigs. I would have gone home and changed, but Ray had his boots and grungy pants in the car to put on, so he did it while I waited. Captain Mudge was at our house. He had brought some pig food from Porterhouse and was watching TV. It was pretty cold in the house. Ray built a fire and I started on supper. It wasn't too long before we had a pleasant meal in a warm house. I whipped up some meringues for a party tonight--they looked good going in the oven, where I left them overnight.

We watched a few TV shows and then we reluctantly headed out to watch a band at a bar. Becky and Kent met us, but we were all pretty tired. The band was enjoyable, but Ray did not want to dance. It was more of a blues band than a swing band, so not right for the wedding.

It was about 11:30 when we got home and I sure wish I had slept longer this morning. Still rainy out but warmer.

Yesterday was the day I fell face down in pig shit. Other than that, it was a good day.

Ray took the car, as I was planning to stay home all day. I worked on the wedding invitations and other stuff. My Dad came late in the morning and made beef stew for himself (and me). It was tasty, but not ready to eat until about 1:30. In the meantime, we both had leftover ground beef with cabbage and other veggies. He gave me a big hug when he got here and said what would he do without me, he was so lonely. But otherwise, he was quite cheerful. He loves hacking chicken bones with his cleaver and making them into soup stock. I had invited him to come do that because of the accumulation of bones in the freezer. He is really more and more interested in cooking, which I love. He mentioned several times, "when I was living here," meaning when he stayed here over the weekend. He liked it a lot. I will just have to go away again!

While he was making soup stock (I assisted minimally by getting out ingredients and supplies sometimes and giving my opinion), I was making oatmeal-raisin cookies. I asked him before he came if he had any raisins and he did--two boxes of them. There were a very few left in the first box and we decided my Mom had bought them to make cookies. He didn't need them for anything. He never eats oatmeal, for instance. I was also making tamale pie for dinner. It was a little crowded on the stove at times, but I tried to work around him and it was fine. Maybe in my next life, I'll put the oven somewhere not under the stove top. And maybe I'll have more than four burners!

you can see a little bit of green back on the right where I fell (and spilled the food).

He rested some in the afternoon by watching TV while I was on my computer some more. After he strained the stock, it was about 4:30, time for him to go and time for me to feed the pigs. He drove me there and I prepared the three buckets with scraps from our house and the Porterhouse restaurant, as well as the mix of grains we buy for them. Karen was away and her farm sitter, Nessa, was there. So were Shannon and Steve from next door. And my Dad. It was kind of a madhouse. We set down the buckets  as I prepared to climb over the fence and one of the pigs came right through. Steve was trying to make him go back in, while I was concentrating on getting the food into the bins inside the fence. Somehow I lost my balance, bucket in hand, and staggered across the muddy uneven pig pen, trying desperately not to fall. As Steve said, it would have been better just to fall, since I worked up some momentum. It could have been much worse, but I did land face down in the mud and pig shit and there were some rocks. The side of my face is abraded and my left knee is bruised and I am sore in my back and left side. Even my neck hurts, but none of it is very bad. Of course, everyone asked me if I was all right and I said I was. I got all the food poured into the bins and the pig came back through the fence to eat. I'm not really sure how it happened, but it had something to do with too many people and Ray wasn't there to help me! Captain Mudge drove me back home and Ray arrived right behind us. I washed my face with a soapy washcloth and put on hydrogen peroxide. I am sure I will be fine, but it might look bad for a while.

The Captain left, I finished making the caserole and put it in the oven and went to the computer. There were some things I needed to read (and write) before a 7:00 meeting. I took my supper and left in time to get there 5 minutes late. The meeting was long, but interesting, as usual. I still question why I am there and if I want to be "invested" as a lay minister in May.

When I got home, Ray was in bed asleep. I read a chapter and went to sleep myself. This is the first night, I think, that I have worn the sleep mask all night.

Sorry, there are no pictures of me face down in the mud.

Yesterday morning I stayed here. I baked the rest of the slice and bake cookies from last week to give to our neighbors whose house burned down. Ray drove to town and caught the bus. I did computer stuff and ate leftovers for lunch, with a little cheese in a tortilla, since we had used up the bread. I didn't know whether I might make more or take a loaf out of the freezer. After lunch, I started a casserole for supper to use up a cabbage we had picked and put in the cold room. The outer leaves were yellow, but there was a good small cabbage inside.

I drove to Athens to meet Janna at her house and we drove out to Winder to a
party rental place. They had lots of nice things and their prices were better than here. We won't  have to go there again; they'll deliver everything. The idea is that Janna will use some of the same things. The rental place will set up the tent on Thursday and leave everything here for us. Then we will put the dishes and tables and chairs and tablecloths in the pickup truck and take them to her house. She (Ron) will wash the things we use for the rehearsal dinner and we will bring them back Saturday morning. So, one job will be to put them in the pickup truck, bring them over here and set them up. We will have lots of people around, so it will not be hard to find someone to do that, I assume. We just want to do it early enough that we can decorate the tables before we have to get dressed for the wedding. Time to start working on a schedule. We also stopped at the florist, Always Always Flowers. The woman who runs it is from Holland. Her name is Desiree and she is so cheerful and loves her work, it is fun to talk to her. Janna ordered red and white carnations for the rehearsal dinner, 100 of them. I said we would bring them back for her to make into boutonnieres. I was just kidding, but I think she would have done it. We can use the carnations at the reception if we want to, or around the house.

I dropped her off and got to the house in time to pick up Ray and the dish he had finished making and head to potluck and choir.

Back home, I started a new book. I guess it's a murder mystery. I didn't know what to expect. It was a little gruesome for bedtime. My Dad recommended it a while ago. But I was able to put it down and go to sleep before too late.

Cold this morning, even with a fire, but the sun will be out after a while.

Ray left for work and I had a lot to do. I talked on the phone with the woman from the Memorial Society, who will send brochures for the End of Life Workshop. I arranged a date for the poverty simulation Feb. 4, which involved 3 phone calls. I did some work on the dessert workshop, too. I learned that I will take a test Friday for a housing counselor job with DCA on Friday.

I ate a sandwich and put away some things for our weekend away. I drove to the bank and made some deposits and then to the writing workshop, which I enjoyed. The first usually involves doodling and cutting pictures out of magazines. How could it not be fun? Then I took the clothes and jewelry in the back of my car to the Project Safe Thrift Store. I bought some yogurt and fruit at Bell's, so we would have breakfast today.

When I got home, there was my Dad's car in the driveway. He had brought some great pig food from Porterhouse and was watching Dean Martin on TV. Some of it is pretty funny in a dated and sexist way. Classic slapstick/vaudeville type humor. Ray called and I grabbed his jeans and boots and put on my pig-feeding clothes. Captain gave me a ride and we met him at the pigs. He had been to the feed store and got the 5 50 lb bags of feed that we buy every 2 weeks or so (more and more often of course). Paul was there too. He is building a root cellar for Karen. He and Ray carried the bags in and mixed the feed together. We poured the last of the old feed into three buckets, with some of the scraps from the restaurant and took them down to the pigs, who were happy to see it. My Dad hadn't seen them in a while and was happy to notice how big they were.

Ray and I went home in the truck and fed Cameron and ourselves. We watched TV, but I was in bed before 9.

I'm really late today. I sure miss the beach and Ray's company.

Yesterday was warmer and we might have put our feet in the water if we had stayed later. We took a walk and packed up, playing a couple Spider games on the way. I won! So did Ray...

We went to eat at Bubba's on our way home. It's good Southern seafood. We've eaten there a couple of times with family--made me miss my Mom some more...I decided it wasn't that great. It is a big place, with a really nice view of the marsh. The fried shrimp in my po-boy were really good and so were Ray's scallops. The salad had been in the cooler a bit. I think they specialize in running a huge restaurant really quickly, so a few things suffer. I would say the dressing was bottled, probably. Most people don't mind these sorts of things. The dessert we got was chocolate creme brulee. Chocolatey and delicious, but not quite authentic.

this was a picture of an armadillo, back near the sandy patch

Then we drove and I knitted. We stopped at a State Park Ray had found, about an hour further on. It was an old mill and we walked for about an hour. It made a good break. It was still a long way home. We stopped at a Subway in Sparta for a little something. We had salads. We were home by 8:30, time to get a little bit settled before bed.

Hi, I almost forgot about you. I want to get out and walk on the beach, although I suppose it is pretty cold. It's sunny again and I can see the expanse of sand left at low tide.

Yesterday we headed to Savannah and drove around some. We were hungry by the time we got there, so went first to Elizabeth's on 37th...I think it's my favorite restaurant in Savannah. But the sign said "opens at 6 pm." And I remembered having that problem before. Then I looked at Urban Spoon and our Garmin and decided to go to Mrs Wilkes. But they were closed for the month of January--a good plan, but one that did not work well for us. Not far away was something called SOHO South cafe, rated #8 in Savannah by Urban Spoon. So we went there, found a free on-street parking spot and got in line. 65 minutes to wait! Man...they had books everywhere and art work for sale and we spent some time looking at them. It was probably only 35 minutes before they called us and we had time to glance at the menu and decide it was probably worth the wait. If we found some other place that was good, it would probably have long lines too.

It was really good! Of course, they were serving brunch, so I had an omelet with mushrooms and potatoes and some very good grits. Ray had a salad that he liked a lot. We had wine. And then we ordered dessert. Mine was good--a brownie sundae. But Ray's was amazing--a berry shortcake that was as good as homemade. In between courses, we read bits of the paperbacks shelved near our table. The next table behind me was a family discussing a wedding..."Because you refuse to wear a tuxedo," is one line I caught. Amusing.

Can you read the sign at the top of the steps? Fine fabrics

By now, it was sunny and almost warm. We walked around one of the gazillion squares, admiring a stuatue of Oglethorpe. We had intended to visit one of the amazing historic houses that are common in Savannah. But it seemed a shame to be indoors. We went back to our condo and sat on the porch in the sun until it got dark and cold. If we had planned to drive to Savannah, eat lunch, and come home, I would have said that was not a good idea. But we enjoyed it. Late, we ate the rest of the wonderful casserole, and remembered that Amelia and Molli had helped make it Christmas eve. It was really good--thanks, girls! We watched some of the Golden Globes and some of a Columbo episode and went to bed. I was almost to sleep when I woke up and was a little restless. I moved out to the couch and finished my novel. It was good!

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Really well-written, engaging story. Our heroine is an obstetrician by training who works at a pharmaceutical company. One of the mysteries is why she changed careers while still in med. school. What does that have to do with the research being done in the Amazon?



View all my reviews

It's much too cold for swimming, but we can see the ocean from the condo and admire the beautiful view. I see two palm trees and sparkling water, a little sand and beach grasses across the neighbor's porch. And we walk. Yesterday, we walked down to the south end of the island, bundled up against the cold and wind. and back on the road. There was a house there for sale that we were curious about. When we got back, we looked it up on line. $750,000! It must be a lot nicer that it looks on the outside...

We sat indoors and didn't do much until we decided to go for lunch, just a couple streets down, to Bernie's Oyster House. It was good, but it was definitely a bar, with two big TV sets. I enjoyed watching the other patrons. One couple ordered a bucket of oysters, which came with towels and knives so they could shuck their own. A lot of work! My mother liked oysters. We had a pleasant lunch. I had some delicious chowder and Ray had a shrimp po-boy. Then we walked to the Marine Science Institute, a really small aquarium that cost $4. We enjoyed the fish and turtles and the gift shop. WE walked out the giant pier and enjoyed the sun, even though it was still pretty cold. There were people sitting on the beach, but they were not in their bathing suits!

We went back to the condo and Ray slept for a while. I read and played solitaire and knit. When he woke up, we went for another shorter walk along the beach in the setting sun. At the condo, we heated up a pasta casserole I had taken out of the freezer, with eggplant and red pepper and ricotta. Yum. We didn't bring much else except breakfast food and not enough of that. Somehow we haven't been to the grocery store yet. The ice cream shop is not open. And I didn't even pack a bottle of wine.

After more solitaire, we looked for something good on TV. I wanted to finish my hat, but I need to switch needles for the last few rows. I brought a hat, but it is rd and green striped. This is a more sophisticated gray hat, like the one i made for Bonney for Christmas. But I will have to wait. Patience is a virtue...

Ray's right hip was bothering him and my left one has been for a while, so we decided to try sleeping on the opposite side of the bed. It was hard. We'll try again tonight and decide if we think it helps. I woke up at 5:30, but went back to sleep and it was sunny when I woke up again!

Here I am in a condo on Tybee Island, Looking at the sun rising over the ocean. Beautiful, but really cold. I wonder how many other people are here this weekend. A few cars have gone by and I can see people walking on the beach. It's even too cold to go out to breakfast. According to the computer, it's 37 out. And it's windy of course.

There's something about being at the beach, or on vacation, that makes me want to write oodles and oodles. Perhaps it's because there is not much else for me to do. No dishes to wash yet. No dog to feed. No laundry or cooking.

Yesterday morning, Ray and I packed our suitcases, made up the bed for my Dad, and tidied up in preparation for being away. We took time for a walk and went by the site where the fire was. There was crime scene tape, so we didn't go down the driveway. There were at least 3 fire department cars there, figure out the cause, I suppose. One of our neighbors heard an explosion at 7:30, but whether that was the cause of the fire or the result, I don't know yet. And probably an insurance company investigator too. We waved and went on home, keeping Cameron close. It kind of makes you hate to go out of town...thank goodness my Dad is staying at our house with the dog.

We drove to Ray's office and left him there while I went to what we call in Georgia, the tag office. Where you get your tags, or license plates--the DMV. I had a call earlier in the week from the dealer where we bought our new (used) Prius. There was some problem with the title--the mileage was wrong--so they can't get the license plates before the expiration of the temporary tag (Jan. 13). I thought about saying, "okay, why does this mean I have to go to the tag office--shouldn't it mean you have to?" We couldn't go the day before or the day after and we had to bring the bill of sale and proof of insurance. As it turns out, we also needed Ray's driver's license number. I know his social security number and date of birth, but since they protected us by not letting us use our social security numbers on our drivers' licenses, I don't know that. Fortunately, it was on some of the paperwork for the loan, which I had brought with me, figuring it was better to have too much extraneous paperwork than not enough. Alternatively, I might have called him and if he was not in class, he might have answered the phone and given me the number. Also fortunately, there was not much of a line on a Friday morning. Good to know. Now I have a new temporary license plate and a stern admonishment to get onto those people at the dealership before Feb. 11. Oh, okay.

Then I went to Plato's Closet. I had promised to get rid of the clothes and jewelry I had in the back of the car. So I parked illegally and briefly in a handicapped spot closest to the store and carried in two loads of things, mostly on hangers.

I went to Schlotzky's, where I was meeting Becky for lunch. She knew she would be late and I wouldn't have much time, so she texted me her order. I gave her order and the lady asked a question that I couldn't answer about which turkey sandwich...the drink cup was styrofoam. "Do you have any sizes that are not styrofoam?" I asked. "No," she said. "But we do have some bottled water (plastic) and (expensive) fruit drinks in glass." "I have water in the car," I said. I guess I won't be eating at Schlotzky's again. It was at least half an hour before Becky came. I had ordered a small pizza and kept eating small slices of it waiting for her. By the time she got there, the potato bacon soup was cool enough to eat--and pretty yummy too. We chatted a little and then I had to get going.

The OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) Back-to-School Bash was at Central Presbyterian, a church 2 minutes away. My Dad was not there, so I called him. "I figured I didn't need to be there for the business meeting," he said. "I'm in my car on my way." I sat next to Mary Jean. Ron was in front of me (in his suit and tie, representing the College of Education). I worked on my knitting. After the business meeting, my Dad found me and we chatted with some people. We went into the gathering space. There was a long line for coffee and snacks. We wandered around the room, introducing each other to people we knew (all women, I think). He signed up for the group that gets together to sing old songs and the new vegetable gardening group. By the time we left, it was after 3.

I zipped back over to Plato's Closet, but had to park a ways away. When I went back in, they said they did not want any of the things I had brought. Darn! I had to lug them across the parking lot and put them back in the car. There wasn't time to take them to somewhere to donate before I was supposed to pick Ray up...okay, so much for my promise...

Ray was ready to go, but he wanted to stop downtown and turn in some paperwork he had been carrying around all week. I was adamant that we should start driving right away and turn in the paperwork next week.

One of the problems with going to the beach from Athens is that it is really too far to drive without a break. Generally, you'll want a meal during that five hours. And there is not much you would want to eat. It's a lot better than it was 20 years ago when we first drove to the coast with two small girls. But then, we were happy to find a fast-food chain we could eat at. I have eaten pretty well in Milledgeville and Statesboro, but that is thanks in part to the iPhone that lets us know where every restaurant anywhere near our route is. On this occasion, we decided it was too early to stop at Milledgeville. It was still light at Dublin and I really wanted to drive in the light as much as possible. I was making some progress on the hat I was knitting. By the time it was really dark, there was not much to choose from. We could wait all the way to Statesboro, but I kept asking my trusty phone (Urban Spoon) if there wasn't something sooner. I managed to located Bevrick's Char Grille before the battery died.

For some reason, Bevrick's, the best place to eat in Metter, amused me tremendously. I should say that I actually had a ham and cheese sandwich that I ate when it got to be too dark to knit. It was fine, but I wanted a little something more. Bevrick's (probably two people's first names) is a large new building. I expect they outgrew their old location. It is reminiscent of a barn, with high ceilings and a big open floor. Needless to say, at 7 on a Friday night, the place was jumping. I saw one big guy with a Stetson hat, a bunch of men with baseball caps, and one guy with big shoulders and biceps and a bright orange, tiny knit cap on top of his partly-bald head. He looked like a cartoon character. In fact, the scene looked like something from a movie.

The cashier, about 17, had blond hair and a tiny waist. She wore a short black dress with a wide belt and black tights--and cowboy boots. She probably thought she was the most fashionable thing in Metter. And maybe she was. The real hostess was about 10 months pregnant, still rushing around busing tables and sweeping the floor and keeping everything going.

The Friday night buffet featured seafood--low country boil, fried and boiled shrimp, fried fish and even crawfish for $14.95. Ray was not in the mood and I just had the salad bar. It reminded me of places we ate when I was growing up. Green salad, cherry tomatoes, sliced beets, with ranch dressing, bacon bits and yes--French fried onion crumbles. Also cottage cheese and canned peaches on the side. I resisted cole slaw, potato salad and macaroni salad. Ray ordered a chopped steak with fried okra and a Caesar salad. He enjoyed it very much. There are few things that I would refuse to taste when offered, but I admit fried okra is one of them. Of course, we both had sweet tea, which we have learned to order half and half (half unsweetened). The first batch was pretty good, when I stirred it up with the straw, but the refill seemed to have two halves unsweetened...I was entitled to soft ice cream, which I had on top of some sweet rich peach cobbler I scooped out of a big pan into...a styrofoam bowl! The whole meal cost us $19.63...plus tip. The experience? priceless.

Back on the road in full dark, we had a little over an hour more to go. I remembered a CD Rosemary had given me of a Canadian radio program called Vinyl Cafe. The two episodes on it were Polly Anderson's Christmas party and Dave Cooks the Turkey. Pretty funny stuff...google it. That took us nicely to Tybee Island. Our instructions about the condo were clear and it was tidy and well appointed, not cluttered as some are. We unpacked and sat down on the couch. Looking through the TV options, we found the Dr. Who Christmas episode, with some homage to A Christmas Carol. We enjoyed it very much, but it did keep us up until 11:30. The bed was good and I slept well.

It was warm enough in the house when I woke up, because Ray had built a fire the night before and gotten up before me to light it. After breakfast, we took a short walk. Ray headed to work. I spent some time on the computer and some time cooking. There is a job with the Council on Aging that I am interested in, so applied for that. The application was a PDF. I could fill it out on the computer, but had to print it before I emailed it, so I could sign everything. My printer needs ink and I have no paper. I managed to squeak out 4 pages, copied on the back of old letterhead. Then I used the old scanner (connected to Molli's old computer) to scan it, copied it from that computer to mine, and emailed it in, along with a cover letter and resume. Whew! I also printed, scanned and emailed the forms to reserve a place at the beach for 3 nights!

Leftover chicken and green beans with rice for lunch. I started a veggie stew for the Kenney Ridge potluck. Ray came home pretty early, not long after my Dad arrived. He was auditioning last night for a part in Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors, so he found the play on line and read it over. It is the silliest one, maybe, involving two sets of twins and lots of Shakespearean humor.

I made icebox cookies and put them in the fridge to cut and bake this morning. We fed the pigs, walking over and back. My Dad left. Ray and I drove to the community center for the potluck dinner. There were only about 8 of us, including Jeff, who is 2, I think, and his Dad, Dave. There was a barley dish and 3 veggie dishes and sushi (which I didn't sample). We had finished eating and were teaching Jeff to play cards when Heather rushed in, saying, "265, who's 265?" None of us could really understand what she meant, or remember which house it was when we figure out what she was asking. O.C. and Manita's house was burning down! The fire trucks had been called, the owners were out of the country, and we called the neighbors. Most people in the community rushed down there, but Ray and I went home and stayed out of the way. We were both upset and wandered around the house, aimlessly tidying. It's good that no one was hurt. I looked at all my "things"--furniture, cookbooks, clothes--and thought how sad I would be to lose them. But there is nothing I can do to protect them from something that happens when I am away. I am sure they have insurance. The other impulse I had was to get rid of stuff that I care about, so it would be safe. Someone told me their car exploded for no apparent reason. Bizarre. Their daughter came; she was thinking about not trying to get in touch with them, so they could enjoy the rest of their trip. I am not sure how I would feel about that.

Eventually, we calmed down enough to watch a couple TV shows and go to bed, and, surprisingly, to sleep. 

Yesterday I stayed home while Ray went to work. This causes problems because we don't pay for a UGA parking pass, so usually he parks at my Dad's and takes a campus bus, but sometimes he is running late and takes a chance on a ticket and then moves the car later. Anyway, it's a pain. The city buses don't run as far out as we live; they stop 5 miles from us. So I could drive him to the bus stop and drive home again, but that's not too convenient or good for the environment. Yesterday as he was driving in, a city bus was in the lane beside him, so he drove into a parking lot and caught it at the next stop.

I walked by myself, only about 15 minutes. I made lemon squares for potluck--there were not any left over, so I guess that is a "yes" for the dessert night. And I made a couple loaves of bread. The weather was gray and wet, but not very cold, in the low 60s. I spent a lot of time on the computer. There is a job that I really want that someone pointed out to me. It is a grant the Council on Aging recieved to start a program called the Village, providing supports to allow older people to stay in their homes and recieve some of the services (and social activities) that they would in a residential community like assisted living. Naturally I am excited about this and I think I would be an awesome candidate. Now to convince them.

Jean B. died about 3 in the afternoon. I was a bit sad, but there was not any reason for her to stay. She was in a lot of pain, and in and out of consciousness. Her sister and cousin were with her.

My Dad came by and worked outside a little in the afternoon. It had cleared some and gotten windy. He had lost power at his house.

Ray came home, my Dad left, and we went to potluck, stopping to feed the pigs on the way. Choir was good; we sang a Buddhist chant (Gate Gate) that I found very calming. A little TV and then bed.

This is where the pigs live.

This is us, arriving with food for them.

Mincemeat

Sigh. Showers outside this morning, with random flashes of light. Kind of interesting.

I was home in the morning, working on the End of Life workshop and spending quality time with my computer. Ray and I took a short walk before he drove to UGA. My Dad was here briefly to bring us some quality pig food. I had great leftovers for lunch.

I had a interview at 2 for a part-time temporary case manager position. It went okay; I know a lot more about the job than the guy who interviewed me. It only lasted 30 minutes, which can be a bad sign, but he already knows me and my qualifications. I was surprised at how unexcited I am about working for this organization--especially at $12.50/hour for 20 hrs for 6 months...but...

Then I went to the Fellowship and met with the lovely women who are working with me to present information on Preparing for the End of Life, a workshop on 1/28. I was a little concerned we wouldn't be ready, but I think it's in good shape. Hospice, Health Care Directives, wills and powers of attorney, a detailed checklist, donating your body to science and my topic (funeral homes), plus the minister talking a little about memorial services. A lot to cover in 2 hours--we will plan on revisiting some of the topics.

Almost dark when I got home. Time to feed the pigs and then make supper. It was after 7 by the time we ate and I was crabby and hungry. I try to avoid that, but sometimes it happens. Then TV and early to bed.

Yesterday was my Mom's birthday, but it turned out not to be as hard as I was afraid it would be. It was also the first day of classes for UGA's spring semester, so Ray had to spend most of it teaching. He headed off pretty early, about 8:30. I worked on preparing for the workshop at the end of the month. I am really excited about it.

My Dad arrived at 10:30 to work on the mincemeat. Let me tell you the saga of the mincemeat. He likes mincemeat pie, especially at Thanksgiving and Christmas. He and my Mom used to make this special mincement and can it, 7 jars at a time, which would make 7 pies. So they only had to do it every few years. We were all out, however, so talked about making some this holiday season. My kids don't like it all, so there was less motivation. I like it, but would probably let it go. It seemed important to my Dad, so I tried to make it happen. There were some green tomatoes at the farmers' market we talked about buying. But it requires citron, a specialized kind of candied fruit (like they use in fruit cakes). We couldn't find that in the stores. Then we found and bought that, but there weren't any more green tomatoes. Then my Dad bought some suet, which is basically beef fat and used to be given away and put out for the birds. He had to explain what it was and they said they would save him some at Earth Fare. Then we found green tomatoes at Kroger, right before Christmas. He was sick and I was sick and we had lots of people and lots going on, so we didn't get around to it. Yesterday when he went to get the green tomatoes from the basement, lots of them were rotten and all of them were red. What a complicated thing (and expensive). We decided even though they were red, they were still firm like the green tomatoes and he went ahead and cut them up. He suggested we use a few more apples to balance it out. We only had about 6 or 7 pounds of apples, though, so we used them all. I cored them.

Then I headed out to have lunch with Becky. We had a good lunch and then went to talk to Plain Jane Designs about invitations. That was pretty fun and successful. We had to leave a deposit and she will send a proof. I hope we like it--the designing is $50/hr. One of the challenges is making it bilingual.

During lunch, my Dad called and asked about the suet. I told him where it was in the fridge. He said, "I was afraid of that. It doesn't say suet on it, it says soup bones. And it's rotten." I think real suet would keep, but now I had to stop at Earth Fare and get some more. The butcher showed me the pieces of fat that he had trimmed from some beef (steaks?) and I said "yes, that's great." He only charged us 99 cents a pound, and, sure enough, it said soup bones on the label. The computer system must not have "suet" in it. I was going to attend a lecture at 2, but I went by Kroger first to get a couple things I needed. I called my Dad to tell him I had the suet. I said I was going to Kroger. He suggested I get him some bread and eggs so he didn't have to go by there. He urged me to go to the lecture, but I knew he couldn't finish making the mincemeat until I got there with the suet (and more oranges and lemons and brown sugar and cider vinegar that I bought for the mincemeat). It was 20 after 2, anyway, by the time I got out of the grocery store. The first day of classes at UGA is not a good time to go shopping, especially after lunch. So I went home instead and helped my Dad finish making and canning the mincemeat. By the time Ray got home, the jars were boiling in the kettle. And there were a lot of dishes to do and a sticky mess on all the counters. But my Dad was pretty pleased and we look forward to mince pie soon. I have a little that didn't fit in the jars. Maybe I'll make mincemeat cookies like my Mom used to do.

Ray and I went to feed the pigs. Captain left when we came back, after we took the jars out. They popped nicely as they sealed. Ray and I got a pizza out of the freezer and ate that for supper. We watched TV, knitted, and went to bed.

Yesterday I gave the sermon at a well-attended service at the Fellowship: Living and Dying. People were very appreciative and supportive. It's great to be part of a community. Ray and I went to lunch with Deb and John and my father joined us. Ray went back with him to try to fix the DVR remote again. They are both frustrated and in the end Captain told him not to bother fixing it. He will watch his DVD's at our house! Ray thinks he is messing it up. I think it is the remote that keeps losing its programming. My Dad feels stupid that he has so much trouble with it.

At 4, I went to the community meeting about whether or not we should allow fund-raising events at the community center for outside organizations. It was stressful. Evenutally we voted against them. I was in the minority, but I understand the concerns of others about traffic, etc. People are just passionate about things and they get their feelings hurt badly. Living in community is not easy.

Ray fed the pigs and started a fire in the woodstove. It was foggy when I walked home, which made for some pretty views. We had leftover chicken and rice casserole, watched TV and went to bed.

Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage by Elizabeth Gilbert

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I really enjoyed this non-fiction, sociological and historical study of marriage, mixed with her own experience. Travels in Bangkok and negotiating what her marriage will be like. Quite different from her other books that I've read.



View all my reviews

It was pretty overcast yesterday and it was supposed to rain. Ray took the giant Christmas tree to be recycled. Since we thought it would start raining soon, he touched off our "burn pile"--blackberry canes, an old pallet and a stump too big to burn in the woodstove that he couldn't split. Then he spent the next couple of hours tending it, because the rain did not come. There was no pilates class--the teacher is away getting training. I read cookbooks.

We ate leftovers for lunch and then went to UUFA for Ruth Koch's memorial service. She had cancer for 7 years, at the end of a life of amazing goodness, teaching special ed and suffering the loss of two of her children--one to AIDS and one to terrorists. She was a role model for me, embodying grace and strength of character. She was an anti-war activist who started the Women in Black protests in Athens.

We went by the Captain's afterward and Ray got his TV remote working properly. It was almost dark when we got home. Ray started a fire and cleaned up the dishes while I made supper. Then he went to feed the pigs in the dark before we ate.

He listened to my sermon and it was much shorter than 15 minutes! So I am ready for the service on dying today.

The rain came. We watched some TV and went to bed about 10.

Ray and I met with our financial advisor to talk about his retirement, still many years away, and his investments. Ray did some work to get ready for the start of classes Monday, while I went to Earth Fare and bought some things. Then we had a nice lunch with Becky before we came home. My Dad was here and feeling a little better. The weather was sunny and warm, so he finished the gate for the lattice work around the deck and then went home. Ray and I fed the pigs and then walked home and changed. I made a small batch of cookies and took some of the old ginger cookies and the last of the vegan carrot cake. We had a great time and were home by ten.

The sleep apnea machine has a little disk in it, so the doctor can tell exactly how much I have used it and whether it is leaking or not. I went to his office yesterday morning, after a walk with Ray. In the time I have had it, I have not worn it 4 hours a single time. 3 hours once. They asked me questions, like, "are you still snoring?" "How much better do you feel now?" I could not really answer them. I don't know if I still snore. I didn't feel bad to start with. Not surprisingly, he wants me to use it more. He offered a sleeping pill. I said, "I don't need a sleeping pill. I usually turn it off in my sleep." Then some spray for my nose, which I really don't want to use. I tried to do better last night; I don't know how long it was, though, before I took it off. My nose is stuffy and my mouth and lips are dry. I will try again before I use the spray.

I went to the drug store and got our prescriptions refilled and was home in less than an hour! Most of the day was unremarkable. I paid bills and cancelled auto-withdrawal in the process of switching accounts from my bank to my credit union; Ray got his printer to work. Now we can print in color.

He went to the Democratic committee steering committee meeting downtown and I went to Minx and sold some more jewelry. I also sold a coat of Amelia's she hasn't worn in many years for $12.

We hurried back to Kenney Ridge for the community potluck. There were only about 20 of us, but we had a nice meal and some of us stayed and played cards.

I was pretty sleepy after Wheel and missed most of Jeopardy dozing.