4 more dozen mini-quiches to freeze

My Dad called me again this morning. He had another pain in the night and had made an appointment with Dr. Park. I took Ray to work and picked him up and took him to the doctor. He was there about an hour. I was sure he was going to be admitted to the hospital or something bad. But they found nothing wrong with him; his EKG was the same as it was the last time he had one. They are thinking it may be esophogeal spasm...

So we went home and ate some lunch and he worked in the garden in the afternoon in the warm light rain. I went to my writing workshop. Then I zipped home to pick him up, fed the pigs, and went to see Hugo at the movies. It was very good. Then we took him home and went home ourselves.

Leftover rice and ground beef and cabbage dish for supper. Watching TV until 10 or so. For someone with not much to do, I seem pretty busy.

Five weeks until Molli's wedding! I made the first batch of 48 mini-quiches to freeze. Only 9 more batches.

I was working on the guest list and Ray was getting ready to leave when my cell phone rang. I often get poor service at home on my cell phone, so I encourage people to call me at home if they call on the cell. It was my Dad and he said he didn't feel well, but it wasn't a very good connection. I called him back from the house phone right away. He wanted me to come get him and (I thought) take him to the emergency room. It was a little scary. I didn't ask him for details because I thought we should go as soon as possible. Ray grabbed some leftovers for lunch and we headed over. It takes a good 20 minutes and it was hard not to be nervous.

He came right out when we got there and Ray went to take a bus to his office. He said he just wanted to go to my house. He had felt strange while eating his breakfast and now he felt weak. Then he remembered that he had run out of blood pressure pills and hadn't taken them for a few days. So we went to the drug store and got the prescription filled and he took one as soon as we got to my house. He drank some green tea. He checked his email and looked at the garden and seemed fine to me. He decided to lie down for a while. At lunch, he wanted canned chicken soup and toast. He wondered aloud if the blood pressured medication could be taking effect already and I said maybe. He felt better.

I took him home after lunch and mailed an invitation to England. I bought a few things at Earth Fare, like yogurt and bananas. Then I went to pick Soli up from school. It was 2:45 and he said he had been waiting for me 15 minutes. I apologized and he said it was okay. He ate a cookie from the cookie jar in the car. We played War and Save the Whales and he ate a banana, a quarter of a melon, and 3 nut cookies. And he watched one half hour of TV: Arthur.

Cori picked Ray up at Hendershot's after she got Adah from school and Soli and I started for the pigs before she got home. I fed the pigs and then remembered my Dad had called to say we needed to pick up the scraps from Porterhouse. I really didn't want to do it--driving all the way into town after making Ray take the bus home, for one thing. When I went in, they asked me if I had any buckets. I guess they are in Captain's car. I will remind him to take them by today, assuming he is feeling fine. They gave us two heavy buckets of good-looking stuff. Andy, the owner, was there, and he said, "we're going to get some barbecue out of this, right?" I need to send some cookies to Mike, the cook.

Ray and I had frittata for supper, the first we have had with the new season's eggs. Delicious--with onion and red pepper and potato. And some broccoli from the freezer. Time to eat everything that is in there from last year. 

We watched more TV than usual--2 of our regular game shows, plus a lot of the Academy Awards we had recorded the night before. It was still too much for one night and we'll finish it some other time. Slept well.

I was feeling pretty down yesterday. At the Fellowship, Alison announced that Joy S. is dying, which made me cry and cry. This death is especially hard because Joy is about my age. She and Harry have been quiet helpful members of UUFA for many years, especially during special events. Harry is having to move as the USDA closes their office here. In some ways, it is better that she dies now, in Athens, instead of having to go to a new location and get new doctors and services. But he will have to start a new life alone. They have no children.

We had Fourth Sunday lunch and it was delicious. My Dad was at the service and stayed for lunch. He came in the afternoon and the three of us worked outside. That was really good--it is raining now. I was pretty tired and sore, but don't seem to be too bad this morning. Ray's hip has been bothering him a lot, but he dug up a bed for potatoes and Captain went along behind him and pulled out the weeds. I did some weeding in the asparagus bed--and then lay on my back in the sun for awhile. The chickens have been laying well and I gave my Dad a dozen eggs. I have a few left and I am confident that there will be more.

We fed the pigs and walked home. I borrowed a couple onions from Manita and made a big batch of Bounty Rice, which involves ground beef, cabbage, canned tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. Tasty, although not gourmet. We have a lot left, plus a lot of cauliflower pasta from Saturday night, so we will have enough leftovers for lunch all week.

I had been looking forward to the Academy Awards, but they didn't start until 8:30. By then, we had watched Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy and Big Bang Theory. Of course, the first part is less interesting and I fell asleep almost immediately. Going up to bed was really hard.

Yesterday was sunny and windy, but cold. We had a fire going most of the day and it was pleasant, but needed some baking...

Ray slept late. I ate breakfast and took a short walk and got three eggs. When I woke him to go to pilates, he said he wasn't going. So I didn't either, feeling like we needed to spend some time together. His hip was really hurting. He ate breakfast and took his own walk and I took a nice bath.

We left about noon to go downtown and pick up our tickets for the musical and go by the bank before arriving at the Fellowship. I had brought some leftovers to eat for lunch. Rosemary and Geneva had set everything up.

Most of the people who signed up were there to fill out their Health Care Directive, but not everyone. It was somewhat depressing work, but helpful to know what the choices mean. Then we had witnesses on hand to sign each other's forms. My Dad came too, so now all three of us have signed health care directives (living wills). We need to make copies and give them to people who might be asked to make decisions for us and take it on trips.

After that, we came home. I addressed some of the rehearsal dinner invitations and decided what to have for dinner. As usual, when I leave it too late, I get cranky and don't feel very good. It was about seven when we ate. Then we had to rush to the Classic Center. Fortunately, it didn't start right on time. It was funny, but not as funny as I had hoped. People around me were giggling and guffawing and I was entertained, but I think it was not quite the kind of thing I like as much as some people. Ray liked it more than I did. It was Menopause the Musical and they had written new words to a lot of old songs. Four middle-aged women sang them, in a set that was meant to be Bloomingdale's. It was cute, but I prefer a little more story or a little more originality. Becky and Mac were next to us.

Went to bed when I got home and had my mask on most of the night.

woman in hoop

I was home all day, doing some wedding stuff and some computer stuff (entering old expenditures and filing them) and even throwing away some old financial stuff. Becky came for lunch, thank goodness, and we had a lovely meal of chicken tagine and couscous, followed by cookies I had just made (butter-nut chip that I had waiting to slice and bake). We talked a lot and it made a good break. Nonetheless, I was a little brain-dead by the time it was 5 o'clock. It had been really rainy in the morning, although not at all cold, and began to clear late in the day.

Tanya brought Miles to the house, with money and a water bottle and instructions. We were supposed to leave at 5, but Ray and my Dad didn't pull up until a few minutes later. Ray was starving and made himself a quick sandwich. I ate cookies. We drove to the Gwinnett Center, where the circus was playing, and got there before 6:30, when the doors were supposed to open for the pre-show. We ate some expensive food (grilled chicken sandwich $6.75) and went down into the ring to see some of the performers up close, mainly jugglers. Miles seemed mesmerized. Then we went to our seats, buying popcorn and a big drink (for Ray).

The Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey circus is glitzy and exciting and a little bit old-fashioned. It is grandly billed as "The Greatest Show on Earth" and maybe it is. I did feel a little ashamed during the animal acts. Really, the best we can do to show our superiority is making elephants and tigers and even horses stand on their hind legs? Not to question the skill of the trainers, but isn't it kind of embarrassing to make beautiful intelligent creatures do things for our entertainment?

stilt walker

There were three rings, of course, so sometimes there were three different groups doing roughly the same kind of act, so everyone can get a good view, I guess. Like jugglers, for instance. The horses in one ring were miniature. But the performers were amazing. They did a lot of difficult things, as they have for generations. Tightrope wire? with bicycles and people on each other's shoulders? Check. An amazing family of tumblers in orange and red costumes. Check. People on ropes and in hoops hanging from the ceiling with no net? Check. This is similar to what they do here in town, at Trapeze, and we are lucky to have them. But this was a dozen people or more at the same time a long way off the ground. Two guys walking in spinning cages (like hamsters) and jumping back and forth between their cages. Just incredible stuff, one after the other. And a live orchestra or small band playing constantly. Dramatic announcements and clowns that did lots of acrobatics too. The children behind me were laughing a lot. A guy on really tall stilts and a lot of people on shorter, springy stilts, dancing.

elephants on the right

trying to take Miles' picture

Miles seemed to love it, but it was so new to him, he practically didn't know how to react. He had money to spend on something, but the stuff was crappy and ridiculously expensive. A plastic sword for $20! He didn't have that much money. The souvenir program was $12, so we didn't buy one, but now I wish I had, if it had the names of the acts in it. He finally settled on a snow-cone in a plastic cup that looked like a tiger--$12.

I marvelled at the logistics of putting something like this on, scheduling and the support staff.

We were home about 11. Miles had fallen asleep on the way home, by the time we were looking for "J" on the signs, playing the alphabet game. A very satisfying outing...And I woke up to daylight.

tulip tip emerging

I finished up the soup that I had started for Potters early in the day. Potage Bonne Femme, something my Mom made often, with leeks from the garden. The leeks this year were pretty small and there was only about half as much as we needed, but they still made a tasty soup.

Somehow, Ray and I got going pretty early. He made a fire to take the chill off and we had breakfast in good time. The pears I bought before the dessert night are nice and ripe now and delicious in yogurt, with homemade bread toasted and good peanut butter from EarthFare. Plus a sprinkle of cinnamon on the yogurt and fruit. We had our walk and Ray was working on something on the computer up until he had to rush off for class at almost 11. It was pleasant to have him around, except that he was stressed.

Since I had such an early breakfast, I was ready for lunch before 11:30. There was leftover chicken and squash souffle--just nothing green. Then I ate a little rice pudding, still left from last Friday.

Sunset at the Ridge

I was back on the computer when my Dad called. He came for some potage and chicken and then spent several hours outside. I worked in the garden for about an hour myself--and I can feel it in my back this morning! Darn. There is a lot more to do. At the rate of an hour a day, I won't get it all done. Thank goodness I have my Dad!

The welcoming Community Center at dusk

It was mostly sunny and very warm all day--over 70. I had the windows open much of the afternoon. My Dad was tired but happy when he went home a little after 5. I was making ratatouille for the Kenney Ridge potluck. I left it a little too late, but it was surprisingly easy and delicious. As it turns out, I had bought eggplant, zucchini, and peppers on sale at Kroger, all $1/lb. Cut them up, saute in olive oil with salt and pepper, and bam! It's surprisingly yummy--I think the freshness of the ingredients was important.

I had been planning on driving to feed the pigs and then going to the potluck, but when I came out with the pot of ratatouille, the car was of course gone, since Ray had it. So I walked to the community center and leflt the food and walked on to Karen's to feed the pigs. It was still very warm, but windy and felt like a storm was coming.

new doors on the kitchen pass-through

At potluck, I had fun with my young friends, playing Junior Monopoly and War with Soli, and lots of complicated pretend games with Adah. I think her parents are sort of puzzled but happy that other people should enjoy their children. Not just me; others hold the baby and Adah can easily boss around more than one person. Soli usually brings his skates and helmet and pads and begs people to come watch him skate, which they do. There are other people here whose children have grown and gone. We enjoy spending time with them and letting them go home with Jay and Cori to put to bed!

Home by 9, we watched a little TV. Molli and I talked on Skype, going over the wedding list. It is surprising how many people have not returned their RSVP cards, although I had four yesterday. My cousin Norman is coming from the West Coast! We were reviewing the status of the ones we haven't received and getting a range of the number of people coming. Adrian prefers a smaller wedding and we are trying to keep it to 100, although Molli and I prefer to say, "everybody come on!"

It was a little after 10 when we went to bed and I slept well, except for waking briefly at 3. Maybe the dog was barking.

A friend and neighbor of mine, Tom Potter, now lives in Georgia, south of Atlanta. He contacted Ray because his daughter is in high school and thinking about applying to UGA. It was her spring break this week and Ray arranged for her to sit in on a class and talk to some professors.

We met them at the parking deck at 9 am and chatted briefly. We had invited them for dinner and I asked what they didn't eat. Betsy, the daughter, said seafood is gross. The parents decided to walk around campus and I went home to continue preparations. My dad and I had discussed a menu and he was joining us for dinner. I spent an hour and a half making the chicken tagine, which I love, and went to meet them for lunch at the Georgia Center. After lunch, the four of us walked around and Ray went to class. It turns out, they have an eighth grader as well and didn't plan to stay for supper. Which I totally understand, but I don't know why they didn't mention it earlier--afraid to hurt my feelings? We walked all the way up to the Arch and took a bus back to the parking garage. We drove around a little and then went to the house about 4. My Dad was there working in the garden. We had a lovely visit and chatted for about an hour before they left.

I was exhausted and so was the Captain. He left and Ray finished the chicken dish so we could take it to potluck. I still have the beginnings of the soup and dessert to deal with. We were a little late for potluck and so we brought most of the chicken and couscous home and I froze some of it. I went right to bed. Just before I woke up, I was dreaming we were driving and the Prius died and we left it somewhere and went off in another car and ended up in Lafayette Indiana and couldn't figure out where the Prius was. What this had to do with my day yesterday, I'm not sure. Except I had to stop and get gas because the car was telling me I had 0 miles left. It didn't even take 10 gallons, so I'm not sure what that means.

I think I am still tense from yesterday, but I don't have to do much today, so that's good.

I was looking forward to the writing workshop yesterday afternoon, so I wrote a poem about spring. But I got a call that it was cancelled--Sara was sick. I hope she is better soon.

My Dad brought a load of manure for the garden and stayed for about an hour. He worked on his computer and peeled a winter squash for me while I put some bread to rise. Then I drove him home and met Deb for lunch at Lumpkin Cafe. We had a good time and then we wandered down to Suska to look at clothes, since there was no writing workshop. I was half-heartedly looking for something to wear for the wedding. They had some fun things, but very few in my size. I did find a cute skirt for $15. Deb says I can wear it to the rehearsal dinner, but it is a dancing skirt...I could possibly wear it to the wedding with the right top. if my daughters approved.

I drove home. It was cloudy, breezy and cool, but nice when the sun was out. My Dad drove back and worked in the garden some more, until he got into fire ants and came rushing in, shedding clothes. I suggested he get right in the tub, which he did. He will be itchy today and tomorrow.

I went to pick up Ray at the bus and we came home. I had a good start on supper: chicken teriyaki from the freezer and winter squash souffle, with frozen broccoli. Captain went home and Ray and I had an early supper. It was about 6 when we sat down to watch TV and I didn't fall asleep. After 3 programs, we stopped watching TV and went to our computers. About 9:30, I went up to read and that put me right to sleep.

There wasn't time for much of a walk yesterday. We had sliced strawberries with balsamic vinegar in our yogurt, having used up the fruit compote. Ray went to work and I picked up Deb and took her to our small group meeting at Barbara T's house in Bishop. We were about 10 minutes late, which is pretty good, considering how far it is.

They have about 30 acres way out in the country, wtih pine woods and rolling hills. They built a house themselves from a plan they ordered, using the internet to research the things they needed to know how to do. It is an octagon and very cool, with a screened porch and a woodstove and a delightful little room upstairs under the center. Lots of built-in bookcases and window seats and space. The discussion was about gratitude and compassion and very good. But I would trade it for a job. I am ready to stop talking and analyzing and start doing! something, anything. Although I may regret it if it ever happens.

Then I met Andy for lunch and we had a lovely time. I was there before her and ordered an antipasto plate. Some salad with an awesome dressing, tasty but not overpowering; olives and peppers, which she ate. Two slices of toast with pesto something on them, salami and cheese rolls in profusion. Then she ordered some goat cheese, two good-sized patties coated in flavorful crumbs, with more bread and salad. So we made a delicious meal of it for about $15 and not too many carbs.

I picked up Adah at Oglethorpe Elementary school and took her home. She likes to be the boss and I like to let her decide exactly what she wants to do. She wants me to give her homework to do sitting at the table. My Dad was there too, but we couldn't really talk much. It was a good day for gardening and he was planting more. Adah wanted to take lots of things outside to set up the school. We did in a limited way until I suggested we could get out more stuff if we moved inside. She wanted all the blankets she could find spread on the floor for "centers." I took a lot of stuff out of the cupboards and let her arrange it on the blankets. She wanted to go on a field trip, to the playground, after something to eat. I said we just have to clean everything up first and she did, eventually, with a little complaining. We played on the playground for about half an hour. It was sunny, but got colder as it got close to sundown. Ray came home (my Dad picked him up) and pushed her until she shrieked and they both laughed and laughed in the way only kids can do. Cori (the Mom) arrived with Soli and he played a few minutes too. Cori thanked me several times and I said "my pleasure" and I meant it. But I was tired and glad to leave them with her and go home to our quiet house for a while.

I made sweet potato and black bean burritos--they were yummy. We watched TV and ate carrot cake with whipped cream. And I fell asleep several times and slept 8 or 9 hours last night. I guess Adah wore me out!

We ate fruit compote and whipped cream with our pancakes. I walked out to get the paper in light rain while Ray slept in. Then we got ready and went to church and sang. Linda Lloyd talked about poverty in Athens and people signed up to help during the service. I took some brownies and apple cake that were leflt over and left them on a table with the menu and a basket. Only $10 came in. That is why I did not want to do that. I'm glad I didn't bring more. Chip had said she was going to sell her bread pudding, but she wasn't there and I didn't put it out.

We went home and had chicken cannellini soup from the freezer. Man, was it good! Also, more fruit compote, some rice pudding and whipped cream. The rice pudding was not great. It didn't taste bad, it just wasn't creamy and flavorful (it was vegan). The chickens have been laying about 3 eggs every day, so we have plenty, which is really fun.

We went to feed the pigs in the rain; fortunately, it wasn't heavy, but it is not fun. Ray has heavy rubber rain boots that are right thing to wear.

We had a semi-private dance lesson at 4:30 in Five Points, so we went a little early. We took my Dad some papers he wanted printed out and talked with him for a few minutes. Becky and Kent had agreed to join us, so we will be ready to dance at the wedding. Ray and I had a great time, and I think they did too. We found we could remember most of what we had learned in the summer and fall and added a new move as well. We really like Natalie, our dance instructor. In addition to dancing and teaching dance, she is a lawyer, so she recognized Kent from somewhere.

After that, we had a quick dinner at the Royal Peasant. They were going to Mountain Stage at UGA. It's a live music show on NPR, and we might have liked to go, but it is $35. We just have to stop spending money. I didn't hear a peep from any of the jobs I interviewed for, or the other one I applied for. There is another full-time job that was advertised and I need to send in my resume. I just can't get the energy up for it. It's an Executive Director position and I am afraid it would be exhausting and stressful, but I really should apply and I could always decide after (if they interview me).

Along those lines, I ordered the lamb stew, which was delicious. At home, we watched a lot of TV, making up for all the nights we have been too busy. And knitted. And ate carrot cake, with whipped cream. Ray had picked up the first Dorothy Sayers mystery novel featuring Lord Peter and Bunter at my Dad's house. He read a little bit to me and I went right to sleep.

I was a little off  yesterday. I guess that's not surprising, given the big build-up to Friday night's restaurant and the fact that it was not what you would call a huge success. Plus the weather in the afternoon was cloudy and it started raining.

I had leftover fruit compote in my yogurt and a quick bath, after putting away most of the things from Friday night. There wasn't time for a walk. 

I went to the first meeting of a Leavelight circle, which started at 10 o'clock across town. I was almost half and hour late. This is a group following the curriculum laid out in the book, "Leavelight." There are forms and exercises to help you through the process of having your affairs in order for your death. Perhaps I have been doing a little too much talking about death. There were some horror stories of people who didn't take care of these things and caused a lot of pain for their loved ones. We nibbled on cookies during the morning.

I was there almost three hours and came home hungry and a little sad. I was smart enough to call Ray and have him take something out of the freezer and heat it up for me. Then we had more fruit compote and split a piece of apple-peach pie (with whipped cream) and a piece of apple cake. Yum.

Later in the afternoon, after we got the chickens in and fed the pigs, I had a brownie with whipped cream. We changed our clothes and picked up my Dad and met Becky and Kent at A Tavola, an Italian restaurant that was running a special before the play. We saw Enchanted April, with Kelly and Bryn and Genevieve and enjoyed it very much. I had a whole Coke because I was afraid I would fall asleep otherwise. I stayed awake, but didn't have any trouble sleeping, so that's good. It was late when we got home, but I had a slice of carrot cake (with whipped cream). That's five or six desserts in one day and there are still a lot to get rid of.

Well, I did it. It was really fun and not stressful. I had lots of help and we grossed $187 for the Fellowship. This makes it not worth doing from an economic standpoint. That's without me putting in for any reimbursements for ingredients, or Pat for the decorations, and would value our labor at about a dollar an hour. The question still remains, though, if it would be possible or desireable to try to open a dessert restaurant.

Yesterday, I baked a couple things early in the morning: apple-peach pie and lemon squares. That is my prime time; they were both cooling by 9 and it was painless. We had breakfast and went for a walk, bathed and dressed, and packed everything in the car: all the frozen goodies and all the things I would need at the Fellowship. Thankfully, Ray did all the heavy carrying.

He drove me to UUFA and unloaded everything a little after 10 and then headed to work. I unpacked things, read my list, talked to Shaye, gathered my thoughts, set up the music, and started cutting up fruit for the fruit compote. Pat arrived and we chatted. She left again to look for flowers and I asked her to pick up some strawberries and a pineapple, which she did excellently.

I peeled and cut up kiwis and cantelope and put dressing on them. I checked my email and sent out a notice about the event and listed it on Patch. Susan C. came to help and I put her to work slicing and baking butter-nut cookies. The oven worked very well and the kitchen began to smell great. Pat came back and I washed and cut up strawberries, some for the compote and some to serve with balsamic vinegar. (that was the only thing no one ordered, so now we will have to eat them all!)

I took a break a little after 1 and had lunch with Becky, while Pat and Susan were decorating the tables. They were lovely! I enjoyed my lunch (shrimp quesadilla with spinach at Loco's).

When I came back, they were leaving. They had cleaned up after me and the "restaurant" looked wonderful. My Dad called and said he had locked his keys in his car. He did find a key to the truck, so he drove to UUFA and got my key to his car. I got him to peel the pineapple for me while he was there, in his gardening overalls...There were a couple things left to do, but I had to wait a little longer. Pat came back, Julie arrived straight from work, and Ray got there with the ice cream. I put them to work, cutting up the lemon squares and the pie. I cut the carrot cake and put in some more cookies. I cut up bananas for the fruit compote (with lime dressing). We reviewed the menu and Pat made some notes about what had nuts, etc.

Our first customer came, Aleta, and we all descended on her, hurrying her to order. She had come straight from work and hadn't had dinner. After a few minutes, I realized I was hungry too, so shared some of my curried chicken with her. The next person to arrive was my Dad! He ordered the peach-apple pie with ice cream and enjoyed the company as well. Talking with Julie, I told her it was fine for her to go home. All told, there were less than twenty people there. Some of them ordered more than one thing. Kay took $30 worth to go.

Then Ray did the dishes, Pat and Barb L. cleared and put away all the tables, and I packed up the food to take home again. We were done by 10, but Ray and I were really tired. Then we had to carry it all in the house. We have loads of goodies left to eat. I put half of the brownies back in the freezer, they hadn't really thawed, and some of the ginger cookie dough. People urged me to bring them back on Sunday to sell after the service; I'm not sure I want to. We'll see.

It's kind of amazing. Ray's internal clock is calibrated completely differently from mine. Given his natural inclination, he would stay up late and sleep late, while I am a morning person par excellence, usually falling asleep between 9 and 10 and getting up again about 5:30. Over the years, though, he has trained himself to get up--without an alarm clock! One of the things that used to drive me crazy was for him to set an alarm, which woke me up, and then sleep through it--over and over. Of course, once I was awake, I was awake for the duration. But these days, he often wakes up before me--without an alarm! I don't know how he does it. It reminds me of James Bond's ability to stop his heart. Today he got up at five. Sometimes, i hear him as he is trying to tiptoe and not disturb me--or just the click of the door as he closes it behind him. We both went to sleep about 10, so getting up at five is fine for me today. I have a lot to do, so I want to get an early start.

Yesterday, I was pretty much cooking all day. But the secret is not to be stressed. Standing in the kitchen is bad for my back. Ray got me a mat to stand on and that helps. But if I space things out and take lots of breaks, I'm fine. If I get intense and trying to get something done in time, I am more likely to end up hurting. I made a carrot cake, finished the slice and bake dough, cooked a small batch of rice pudding (glulten-free) and a delicious cauliflower-cheese pie for dinner. In between, I spent some time studying my schedule for today and revising the list of things I need to bring with me to UUFA. I also had some reading and writing to do for my lay ministry class last night.

I didn't have any company--unless you count Molli chatting with me on Skype, which helps a lot. But Ray had a dentist appointment at 2 and he came home after that and worked at the dining table. About 5 or so, he took a break and finished up the dinner for me. (I had delicious leftover lasagna for lunch). We got to the Commons about 6:20 (we were supposed to be helping to set up). There was a Mardi Gras theme and two (delicious) kinds of rice and beans, as well as shrimp and some delicious sweet potato biscuits. Sky had made blueberry tarts and they were wonderful. So I ate as quickly as I could, but of course, I was 10 minutes late to the lay ministry class. They were well into the discussion by then and I felt bad--but perhaps not bad enough to wish I had bypassed that supper.

The lay ministry classes are interesting. The other people are awesome and I really enjoy the process of thinking and talking about things and listening to each other. But they last two hours and I begin to long for some action. This is not a group that solves any problems or makes any decisions or plans. Apparently, I am an action person, not an academic?

At home, I had a taste of ice cream and watched a little of Downton Abbey--strange to come in on at the end. There was a funeral and an arrest and a few tearful scenes. Then I went to sleep and slept well.

I slipped and fell yesterday morning, face down on the little wooden footbridge that is near our mailbox. I got up again slowly and am fine. My elbow hurts and so does my left shoulder, but I am more concerned about being careless. It was frosty on the walkway, but I should have realized it.

Now it is raining pretty steadily. One of the good things is we are getting one or two eggs every day. The gray chickens still bully the black chickens, which makes it  hard to put them away. If it gets to be dark, they will all end up in the coop, but we generally want them in there before then. They look pretty healthy to me and my Dad especially enjoys the fresh eggs. They taste better and are oranger and probably better for you. Chickens lay less and less as they get older, so commercially they get rid of them after the first year. We will need to decide at some point what we want to do with ours as they age. I guess they still eat bugs and make fertilizer.

I was on the computer for the most part, in the morning, and trying to decide what to make for potluck. We had these fresh plum tomatoes that needed to be used and the best thing seemed to be to make tomato sauce with them. And then make something else with the tomato sauce. Or make something different entirely for potluck and freeze the tomato sauce.

My friend Deb was coming to have lunch and spend some time baking with me. I thought she was going to be done exercising at 11:30, but she didn't call by 12 or 12:30 and I started gettng worred. I tried her home and cell phones and got nothing (which, of course, would be the case if she was working out). I tried to find someone who knew the name of the person she was exercising with. I knew it was Lee, but that didn't give me enough to go on. A friend and neighbor from the UUFA, Kay, told me the last name and I found it in the phone book and called. I got the husband who gave me her cell and work numbers. She wasn't at work and didn't answer her cell phone, so it seemed likely they were together. Eventually, Deb called me about 1 and headed here for lunch. There was some chicken and couscous left and she seemed to enjoy it. She helped me mix up the slice and bakc cookies scheduled for yesterday, but I didn't have any dark brown sugar, so we had to stop. We had some green tea, sitting on the porch in the sun, and chatted a bit, and she went home.

Soon after that, my Dad arrived. He was excited about a class he took and we  talked about it some. It was about estate planning. The federal estate tax is only an issue for people who have estates of over 5 million. Odds are, no one in the room falls into that category. There is no Georgia estate tax. He called my friend Kent up right away and made a date to meet with him at 8 am tomorrow. Then he headed out to plant some more peas. It was a good day for it.

I peeled four pounds of tomatoes, good for me! I made tomato sauce and decided to make lasagna. The ricotta I found in the fridge was bad, so I threw it out, but there was some cottage cheese that was unopened and looked fine. I had some of the lasagna noodles you don't have to cook in the pantry. So that was pretty easy.

Ray came home and went to feed the pigs. We rushed off to potluck with our lasagna and got there just as people were starting to eat. It was really delicious.

Sadly, only four people have signed up to come to dessert tomorrow night, although I hope there will be some walk-in's. In any case, it looks like I can not make a few of the things I had intended.

On the way home, we bought some more groceries (including dark brown sugar). We were both sleepy, but had to take the trash over to Nancy's, put away the groceries, put away the lasagna (enough for a couple servings--yay!), and Ray had to make up a quiz, before we could go to bed. No TV tonight!

Unfortunately, I still woke up before 5. A little achy, especially on my left side. Worrying about the desserts. Excited about the wedding. Waiting to hear about jobs and need to apply for another one that was in the paper, but it's had to get psyched over and over.

OK, now I am on that other planet again, the one where the days are a little shorter than 24 hours, because I fall asleep earlier and earlier and then wake up earlier and earlier. This does not bode well for choir tonight...

Yesterday, I went with Ray when he went to work and went to the library for a bit. My Dad was there and we said hello. I checked out a couple books. Then I went to the Hilton Garden Inn for an OLLI lunch. There was a game where we tried to identify famous lovers in history and fiction (and OLLI). I had no trouble with Romeo and Juliet, but Eloise and Abelard were hard. I didn't really know anything about them besides their names. I've already forgotten, but I think he was a philosopher in the twelfth century.

There were maybe as many as fifty people at this lunch and the restaurant could not really serve that many. It took forever for our table to get the first course--lobster bisque. One of the people at my table left before it came. The other person eventually got her soup--and her salad at the same time, while I was still waiting. When I got mine, it wasn't even lukewarm. They took it back and heated it up, but it still wasn't hot. Then we waited another long while before we got our entree. It was tasty, grilled chicken, mashed potato and vegetables. People all around were complaining and trying to leave. I wasn't concerned because I didn't have to be anywhere until 2, and I was trying to be the one person who was calm and pleasant. It was hard. They announced that we could have free dessert. My table-mate and I had ordered dessert when we ordered our dinner: bread pudding. She said she had had it before and it was excellent. We waited and waited. Nobody brought us dessert. There were lines of people trying to get their bills and pay them. I went up and asked and one waiter directed another to bring me two bread puddings. Two o'clock came. I asked again and she said to give her two seconds. I said sure. A waiter came and said, I would love to give you bread pudding, but we are all out. (this is what happens if you wait politely). Your dessert is free, but we don't  have any more! Would you like apple pie? I said I would like apple pie to go, but not in a styrofoam container. Could you put it in a paper cup for me? He did and I thanked him and gave him a ten dollar bill, asking him if it would cover my lunch and he said it would.

I was more amused than anything. It was the worst service disaster I have seen in many years, but the food was very good and it only cost me $10. I was about twenty minutes late for my writing workshop, but others are often late. In fact, another woman came in after me. The workshop went well and I read another installment in my story, which was well recieved. Sara said my sense of pacing was good...I would like to figure out a way to publish it serially. I want a website that people could visit to read the latest installment. I don't think there's a way to copyright it, though, and protect it from someone copying it and passing it off as their own. Can I charge 25 cents every time someone visits? Or put a donation button, so people can give me money if they enjoy it?

I waited for Ray for awhile and then we drove home. He made a reservation for a nice dinner, but it wasn't until 8:10, so we decided we'd rather eat leftovers at home. Happy Valentine's Day!

Then we watched TV, including the first installment of a show I had borrowed from my small group: Doyle and Doyle. It is a private eye series from Canadian TV, set in Newfoundland. Pretty good. Love the accents. I managed to stay awake during that, until almost 9:30.

Gentle rain on the roof as I wake up this morning. This is good news, because there was some possibility of sleet or other wintry precipitation.

I have been trying to keep my spirits up while waiting to hear about any of the three jobs I interviewed for. It is starting to be harder to hold on to the confidence I had that I would get at least one offer and that I would soon be employed again.

In the meantime, I am cooking, especially desserts, for a big fund-raiser at the Fellowship on Friday night. And catching up on boring paperwork, like entering the amounts from the pile of receipts around my computer. My goal is to have everything done within a month, so the whole house can be thoroughly cleaned before people start arriving. I also spent about an hour yesterday adding to a story I am writing.

My Dad came early yesterday and I made some cookies to try and warm up the house. He left before lunch. I baked the chicken from Saturday night for an hour or two, so it was completely done and I had some for lunch. It was pretty good.

When Ray came home, my Dad came back to get his laundry. He dropped us off at Karen's and we fed the pigs. He split some wood while I started supper, an asparagus omelette. We had leftover potato soup too. Man, is it good! Somehow, it was after 7:30 when we were finished and we were pretty tired. I fell asleep watching John Stewart and went to bed about 9:30.

I enjoy waking up the morning after a party and surveying the remains and rememering how much fun it was. I usually am left with a relatively clean and tidy house, although there are still dishes to clear and wash. But I appreciate the work that went into cleaning up beforehand and admire my expanse of counter and mostly bare coffee table.

It was very cold out, but sunny. We had to run the heat for a long while. We had a walk anyway, wearing our warmest scarves and coats. There were two more eggs. One was cracked; it may have frozen. Hooray for chickens that lay eggs!

Ray and I got to the Fellowship just at 11; he was teaching RE. He enjoys young children so much, I wish we lived in a world where that would be considered a good profession for him and would pay appropriately. I attended the service, sitting with other women, knitting, and, I admit, dozing, on the sunny side of the sanctuary. Afterward there was a reception for the mystery friends, of which Ray was one. His mystery friend wasn't there (sad face), but he teamed up with a young man whose adult mystery friend was also missing. There were snacks and games. I sat and knitted with a couple other women, enjoying watching the fun.

Then we had lunch with Deb and John and my Dad at DePalmas, having a really nice time. Captain and John discussed wines and tasted and orrdered a bottle for us. I had chicken soup and a steak salad. We split two delicious desserts among five of us, a Zuppa di Inglese and a chocolate tart with vanilla ice cream.

Ray and I drove home, spent a little time in the house, and then left again. We met Janna and Ron at the movies to watch Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy...At the end of the movie, I felt like I didn't know much more than I did at the beginning...except more people were dead. It was very intense in a reserved British way. Gary Oldman was excellent and so different from other things he's done, like being Zorg in the Fifth Element. I wouldn't have known it was the same person, except for Ray telling me. We saw Kent there, and Mike and Todd (his wife). She had seen it for the second time, and recommended doing that.

After chatting a bit, we drove to the Hotel Indigo and went down to the Rialto Club to listen to the A-Train play jazz. It was $12, which was a bit steep. I have been living a little high on the hog for someone who doesn't earn any money, partly in hopes that I will soon have a source of income--wishful thinking. And it had to be cash. So we went back upstairs to an ATM and paid $4 to get out some money. The band was wonderful and we even danced a few times. There were some really good dancers there, so Ray was only willing to dance when there was a crowd, mostly on ballads, where we did not actuallly put into practice anything we learned in our dance classes. There were plenty of people, the majority older than we are. It was strange to be at an event in Athens where we didn't know anyone. We stayed until 10. I had a drink and ordered dinner upstairs and brought it down. It was pretty good, kabobs with pineapple, mushrooms, peppers, and mashed potato. And steak and chicken.

We came home and went to bed. It is cold again and the heat is running, but it promises to be sunny again, and a little warmer.

I had fun yesterday. One of the most exciting things? A small egg, laid by one of the chickens. Hopefully, it is the harbinger of things to come1

In the morning, we took a walk and went to pilates, where we had a good workout. After that, we went to Earth Fare and bought the things we needed for our dinner party. Even before we left home, I had begun to prepare. The pie crust was chilling in the fridge and I had sliced some onions and peppers.

After lunch (leftover Pasta Provencal), I browned the chicken pieces and cooked the peppers and onions. I started the potato soup as well. My Dad came and I had him peel and slice the apples for an apple pie. I rolled out the crust and put it in the pan. Ray went to feed the pigs and my Dad left.

Adam and Jennifer arrived a little after five. Ray had just finished showering and getting dressed and I ran upstairs to change my clothes. I like Jannifer right away. It was very cold out, but clear and still light. We put the chickens up for the night and Ray took them on a long walk. While the were gone, I took the pie out, pureed the soup and reheated it. I dusted and vacuumemd a little and finished clearing off the kitchen counter.

It was almost 6 when Lisa and Geoff arrived--actually early. She claimed they were so excited to have a night away from their children that they couldn't wait to get here. Both couples brought wine and we drank almost three bottles of it before the night was through, all pretty tasty. Lisa brought some chips and hummus, which were mediocre. I got out a few crackers and some cheese too. Ray built a fire and the house was warm and pleasant.

We served the soup (with homemade croutons) and it was wonderful. I served up the chicken with peppers and couscous, but it wasn't really done. Ray put his back immediately and I only at a couple bites of mine. No one mentioned it; some were able to eat more than others. I am so sad; I could have had it in the oven for hours if I had been concerned. This is a recipe I have only made once or twice before and I was doubling it, but it should have cooked. I wonder if my oven is misbehaving again.

The pie with ice cream was a big hit, although not as good as my Mom's, I have to say. It also boiled over onto the floor of the oven and made a mess that I need to clean up.

There was lots of good conversation and everyone had fun, just talking. But I feel a tiny bit old, telling stories from when I was in college and just married. We didn't have cell phones or computers...don't I sound like an old person? At 10, everyone left. It was bitter cold, in the 20s, and predicted to go down to 18, so Ray drained the solar water heater. We did some cleaning up, but there is a lot more to do. I really don't want to look at that uncooked chaicken leflt on all the plates!

Yesterday was another stay-at-home day. It went pretty well, until about 4 in the afternoon, when I was too bored and restless to do anything more. I spent time on the computer and prepped for our supper. It was a cold and gray day and I couldn't quite get the house warm enough with the fire alone, so ran the heat all day. I finally made some cookies, just to warm it up, and that did the trick. Once it got above 68, the heat stopped running.

Ray came home about 5 and we went to feed the pigs. He had bought grains for the third time, about $100 each time.