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.