Yesterday was the day my Dad flew back from Barcelona, after an 11-day cruise and a 4-day visit there. We drove in to pick him up at 4. It was also a 5th Sunday, one that neither Ray nor I had to be at the Fellowship, so we didn't go. This should have given me tons of time to do all kinds of things, but somehow I didn't do much.

Pancakes for breakfast, some time outside in the garden, picking off potato bugs for one thing. Radishes are coming up where I planted a few of them with carrots. I harvested and shelled a decent amount of peas and asparagus, which we ate for lunch with the last of the soup and chicken that were left over. A very satisfactory lunch that cleaned out all the leftovers in the fridge.

I ate all my white bean soup before remembering to take a photo

Ray went to feed the pigs around 2 and then took a shower. Before we headed out to the airport, I checked on line. His plane was expected at 3:22, 30 minutes early! This meant we were a little stressed, because if anything slowed us down, he would be wondering where we were--and he didn't have his cell phone. As it happened, we managed to park and get to the head of the escalator in time to see him arrive, in his wheelchair. He asked for a couple dollars to give the attendant, having spent every bit of his American money, although he still has a few Euros.

Captain's hair growing back; his appetizer: croque monsieur with salmon

He talked a blue streak in the car and all through dinner and on the way home. We didn't have much to say; nothing interesting has happened in Athens, except the garden is doing well, especially since the rain Friday night.

We had another lovely meal at Bistro Niko. I broke down and ordered gougeres, even though I planned not to. I had a sidecar, a delicious drink. I had the white bean soup, which is wonderful, except that it is too filling. My Dad had a salmon croque monsieur and Ray had a small salad. I hated to choose between soup and salad, they are both so good. Maybe I should have had both and no entree. As it was, I couldn't eat much of my delicious haddock, over greens, with baby potatoes and an exquisite sauce. Ray had steak frites and the steak was very flavorful, even overcooked (the way Ray asked for it). The Captain had coq au vin and he couldn't eat it all either. Plus we had a lovely bottle of Vieille Ferme, which I might try to buy the next time I want a case of wine. Then I had creme brulee and Ray ordered the profiteroles, 3 puffs with ice cream and chocolate sauce, one of the few desserts the Captain will eat, so Ray gave him one. And then my Dad paid, because of course that is the deal. If we drive in and get him, he doesn't have to take the shuttle.

It was an early dinner, so we were home just about dark. I worried some about my Dad driving back to his place, since he was exhausted, having been up for about 20 hours. I sent him with bread and eggs, so he had something for breakfast. I am waiting to hear how he liked the cleaning job. I wonder if he was too tired to notice last night, but he will surely see it this morning.

PS Amelia and Kevin bought a house!

Yesterday was fun, kind of like the good old days. Ray and I went to the Farmer's Market briefly. Sarah, of Gymnopedie, was doing a cooking demo, and I wanted to talk to her about desserts. She didn't seem particularly intenrested in having me make things for her, but she did encourage me to opoen my own place. As usual, we saw people we knew, including Will and Valarie T., with their son Alex, his wife, and their baby boy, Sebastian. Valarie was completely besotted about him. It was fun to see them.

I met up with Becky and Janna and Janna's friend Beth who just moved here in the last year. We went on the Tour of Kitchens, which is a benefit for the Georgia Children's Chorus. We got to see Lee Epting's house and many others. One really wonderful kitchen had Peter Dale doing a cooking demo of cucumber gazpacho. I like him a lot, so unassuming and pleasant. After all 9 houses, we even stopped at a real estate open house. Martha Henderson is still selling houses, I guess. This one had 5 or 6 bedrooms on three floors. I did not walk up any more stairs at this point, giving my ankle something of a rest, although it really did fine. I hobbled along with a cane and got lots of sympathy, even a ride on a golf cart at one point.

Then we ate at Harry's Pig Shop. I had a BLT croissant amd water. Then we went to Talbot's. I was pretty restrained, buying one pair of jeans on sale. Most of my jeans are now for gardening, so I thought it was good to have a "good" pair. Ray and I came  home and rested up for a bit. He went to feed the pigs.

We drove back to town and met the same people for dinner, plus husbands, at Farm 255. The menu has changed, there is a new chef. Becky and I had excellent mojitos. The salads were very good too. Ray and I had burgers and fries. Boring, I know, but there wasn't much on the menu that we wanted (and they cost half as much as some other entrees). It was all good, but not as out-of-this-world as I would like. The chairs are uncomfortable and it was God-awful noisy in there. Like many trendy restaurants, it was built in a salvaged old brick building with high ceilings--very cool and all, but not so good for chatting with the people at your table. Also had to wait in line for the rest room--even the men's! The rest of the group went to watch the bike race, but Ray and I stayed to split a flourless chocolate cake and then walked to our car. It didn't seem like I should subject my ankle to standing in a crowd and watching bike riders I didn't know or care about whiz past.

I fell asleep during an episode of wheel of fortune.

I spent most of yesterday at my Dad's apartment. I arranged with Tonya W. to come clean it. He will be surprised when he gets home Sunday night! After I met her there, I went and had lunch with Becky at Viva, an Aregntine-influenced restaurant. I had loma--meat and french fries with sauce. authentic and a little different. tasty.

Still taking it a little easy on my leg.

We went to Flinchum's Phoenix for the geology dept. awards dinner. barbecue--on styrofoam plates, with disposable utensils. about 150 people! pretty boring--I went to all those awards ceremonies when my children were in school and they were bad enough--but my kids were getting awards! Now I know how the other parents felt when their kids didn't get anything and they sat there for hours!

As we were going to bed, there was a super thunderstorm that should take care of watering the garden for almost a week. Neat lightning too.

My ankle is healing really well--probably because I have kept it elevated most of the time and haven't done much walking or standing. I spent a little time in the garden yesterday morning, sitting on the ground. I planted a row of beans, and picked some more potato beetles off the leaves. We got three eggs from the chickens. Other than that, I mainly stayed inside and spent time on the computer, or read cookbooks and gardening books.

I tore up some lettuce in a salad bowl and chopped tomato and hard-boiled egg and brought them to the KR potluck, along with dressing and salsa, so people could choose what they wanted in their salad. I talked to Fiona and Bill and Manita and then spent some time with Adah. We played Go Fish.

Ray and I watched our maximum, four TV shows, and I read some and slept pretty well.

soup heating in microwave; potatoes, spinach: yum!

In getting ready for all the company coming to the wedding, we cleaned up the breezeway pretty thoroughly, which involved putting lots of the shoes in storage containers.

It just doesn't look as good as it tastes; more today for lunch!

While feeding the pigs on Tuesday, I noticed that my hiking boots, which I wear almost every morning to take a walk, plus usually when I feed the pigs, especially when it's raining, were cracked. Yesterday morning, I said, OK, time to get rid of these and wore some sneakers instead. They were cute black sneakers, but they have no tread on the bottom. While Ray and I were out walking in the morning, I stumbled as I have many times, looking at the trees and not the ground, tripping over a root maybe. I twisted my ankle badly and threw myself on him, holding on for dear life, so I didn't actually go down. Many other times, I have thought, oh, this is it, I've really hurt myself, but I've been fine. This time, I really did hurt it pretty badly. I hobbled back to the house and went about my day, but I have had this reaction before: I didn't appreciate how nice it is to be able to move around freely and do all the things I want to do. On the other hand, how fortunate that I didn't "need" to walk or stand yesterday.

I drove Ray to the bank downtwon; Barbara T. is taking over the grocery store gift card program and needed to be added to the check-signing card. Ray is off! Yay! I drove to Earth Fare and returned some codfish with a worm in it! Gross. I was preparing dinner Monday night, cutting up some nice fish I had gotten and there was a little waving worm. I never knew fish could have worms. I have read about it now and it is not really anything wrong; the fish is fresh. But I don't know that I will be buying fresh fish again...They gave me my money back and did not seem to know that it was "normal." 

This is probably their last day.

Then I went to Rubber Soul, where there are yoga classes that are supported only by donations. My friend Lisa had invited me and i was looking forward to it, but I could have let my ankle keep me from doing it. The teacher, John, approached me to introduce himself, and warned that it was a strenuous class. Lisa didn't tell me that! I was pleasantly surprised that there were few things I couldn't do because of my ankle (sitting cross-legged is one). There were things I couldn't do because of my lack of experience and skill--like standing on one leg, leaning forward with one leg up in the air. Also lots of downward dog, which reminded me of my Mom and made me think I should go take her yoga class at the Council on Aging. I really enjoyed the class, and afterward I put a few dollars in the box.

Lisa and I were originally planning to go to lunch, which we did at Ike and Jane's, an okay sandwich place that was in my coupon book. I really enjoy talking to her; it is rare to find someone you have so much in common with. Sometimes, I appreciate that my children are grown because hers are not. She is lining up summer camps (remember that?) for them and worrying about what schools they will go to.

I went to my Dad's and brought in his mail; his place seems fine (if pretty dirty). Then I went to the writers' workshop and saw Deb. She had written a short piece that I liked.

Then Ray and I went home and I sat on the porch (it was hot--over 80) with my foot up while Ray rushed around, picking lettuce for the salad he made for potluck and getting the trash ready. We drove over to the pigs, but I stayed in the car, and then on to potluck, where I sat with my foot up. And choir rehearsal.

One Wheel of Fortune, a little reading, and off to Dreamland...

wierd butterfly outside the car window

new owners of the Protege washing off years of pollen

eat up, girls

yes, I'm talking to you

you can't see the potato bugs I have to squish every day

lettuce and broccoli and leeks doing well

the peppers I set out

I think we'll have enough tomatoes

Adah needed a poncho, it was so cold yesterday

The three baby goats are cuter than they look in this picture

Beautiful, gentle rain! It sounds lovely on the roof (hard to get up when it's so dark) and cools the house down. I don't want to close the windows, even though it makes it damp. The plants will really respond to it. Also, I don't need to go out and work in the garden or feel guilty, since it's raining. Better for cooking, for instance.

Yesterday's only activity was a Kenney Ridge finance committee meeting, which went well. I did some work in the garden and cooked up some filling for burritos. We went to feed the pigs and talked about when to "harvest" them.

Watched the first episode of Mad Men, that so many people have recommended, thanks to Netflix. I didn't love it enough to plan on watching more.

Soli easily caught and held this anole; maybe it is sick?

Feeling pretty boring and depressed; not much to share with the rest of the world.

Garden is great; eating lots of good food. My young friend Soli helped me pick the first peas and some more asparagus after our now ritual game of Save the Whales. We ate them with cauliflower-cheese pie, a delicious variation on quiche with a crispy potato crust.

I drove to Town and Gown to audition for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. It was hard to get up the energy to go; auditions are one of the hardest things in the world, espcially since it is very unlikely for me to get a part. Lots of young skinny women; my only hope is that they need someone who looks older. Only 8 women's parts (and 8 men's--almost always true that it is much easier to get a part if you are male, because fewer men audition).

Feeling so useless I cried myself to sleep, in spite of Ray's attempts to comfort me.

Yesterday was the first day I've been out and about on my own for a while. It felt strange. For one thing, I don't know what I was thinking. I signed up for an OLLI class that meets from 11:30 to 1. What a wierd time! I had to eat lunch at 11 or wait until I got home again. I ate at 11, but it was hard to get on track to get going that early. Ray had driven himself in and I was kind of at 6s and 7s, not sure what to do. It was still pretty cold, so cooking would have been good, but there wasn't really anything I wanted to make that I could start and finish before 11. I worked on photos some and went up and down stairs several times, continuing to tidy up odds and ends from our crazy weeks.

I heated up the chicken and couscous again and it was still tasty. I was ready to leave, but my iPad was charging. After about 15 minutes, I decided I could leave without it. I got to the class about 20 minutes late and I didn't have my parking passes with me. The class was mediocre, involving watching videotaped information, interspersed with comments from the "teacher." There was little new information, about diet, exercise, and other things you can do to live longer independently. The one thing that I have heard before that I know I need to do is strength training. When I talk to my Dad about this, he says, "does gardening count?" No, gardening and other daily activities do not count. We lose 25% of our muscle mass as we get older, and we have to exercise to be able to continue to garden and do other things.

I felt kind of strange on my way there, like I really prefer to stay in my home, cooking and gardening and communicating on line. It would be easy to turn into a recluse, only going places with Ray. I woke up feeling sad that I have so much to offer and sure that there are people who need help, but I just can't connect with them. I try not to think about it, but it bothers me so much. Especially when I go to a class like this: I think, I could live a long time and have nothing to do with my life...I am concerned that Ray is at risk for health problems. I am, too, but less so. I have tried unsuccessfully to help him. He is working too much.

Captain's surprise haircut

I got home and spent a little time in the garden. I picked some lettuce and beets. I worked on the photo albums some more. My Dad arrived. He was too excited about his trip to do any gardening. We agreed the garden looked pretty good. I washed the lettuce and beet greens and put them in a salad bowl with spinach and a lemony dressing.

I went to feed the pigs and then to the Kenney Ridge potluck. There were few of us, but lots of good food. The board meeting was right afterward. It was painful and left a knot in my stomach. I didn't sleep very well either. But I do feel like we made some progress. Ray was home when I got there and we watched a little TV. He went to bed and I stayed up until almost 11.

newborn chick at the feed store

the pigs are eating well their last week or so

Daisy stands guard

peas will be ready to harvest within the week

baby lettuce can be eaten now

I made Easter baskets, but forgot to put them out Sunday AM

The weather has been so beautiful here for so long that it is easy to take it for granted. It is cool at night; we open the windows and I sleep under a quilt. In the middle of the day, it is sunny and hot enough to make me sweat if I am in the garden. In the house, it stays comfortable because we close sunny windows and shades. But it is dry and I need to water the garden; no rain in the forecast for over a week. I shocked little Adah several times and need to put more cream on my hands.

My Dad is dealing with a fairly traumatic event. He filed his income taxes electronically for the first time ever, with the help of an accountant. The IRS rejected them because someone had already filed with one of the social security numbers he used, either his or my Mom's. He has talked to people at the bank, the social security office and Clark Howard's office. He has called credit bureaus and credit card companies. He thinks he has put a freeze on his credit for 90 days. My Mom's credit shouldn't be a problem, because there is nothing in her name any more. It was very stressful and aggravating; at least one of the people he spoke to was in another country and didn't speak English well. But he thinks he has done everything he can now. He will file his taxes on paper instead. And I need to get mine done, too!

Ray and I are digging out from having lots of company for two weeks. The good thing about no rain is I can do the laundry that has accumulated. We have leftovers to eat, which is not a bad thing. I invited Becky to join me yesterday for some more chicken tagine and couscous. Sure tasted good! Last night was ziti--and spinach salad from the garden, which is doing very well. The days have been pleasant enough for me to spend some time weeding. My Dad has been clearing and planting. We have to spray with insect repelling solution, and we have to water to keep them growing.

I crashed watching Jeopardy last night.

The clear nights and full moon have woken us up several times, but it is waning now and should be better for sleeping soon.

It's very quiet here, not that there was ever a lot of noise at 5:30, but I know that it is just Ray and me in the house now. I miss my children very much, and all the activity that goes wtih. But it is nice to know that I do not need to entertain or cook for anyone else today. In fact, we have lots of leftover food, so I don't even need to cook for us right away. I will have Adah to entertain this afternoon, but she usually bosses me around, so I don't need to plan much for her. The garden is starting to produce, so that will shape my meal planning for the next weeks and months.

I want to sing the praises of a new bus service, Megabus. Because it is new, it only cost $1 for each of us to ride to Atlanta. Ray and I went with Molli and Adrian and his family. We did have to leave at 7 am, but it was very comfortable, with two levels. We had a great view from the front of the upstairs, and there is free wi-fi and electric outlets for charging phones and computers. We left from the UGA Campus and were delivered to midtown, to a MARTA station. It was easy to transfer all the bags. The biggest problem was the wait for a train, since it was before 9 on Sunday morning. We were at the airport in plenty of time to have a leisurely breakfast buffet at Houlihan's. It was a strange way to celebrate Easter. After they went through security, Ray and I took the subway to the High Museum and enjoyed the work of Picasso, Pollack, Warhol, and more. We were at the bus stop 30 minutes early and got seats at a table. He corrected papers all the way back to Athens, while I read e-mails.

The weather here was been lovely for weeks, with highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s.. We do need rain and my Dad has been watering the garden. He is planting an setting things out furiously, before he leaves on Friday for a cruitse to Barcelona. He lelft as we arrived home. I spent a short time weeding. Tehn we ate leftover chicken tagine--it was great--and watched TV until I started snoring about 9 o'clock.

This morning, there was an e-mail from Molli that they arrived home safely, with minimal stress.

pineapple, by Adrian

my accidental bunny rabbit

Amelia finishes sewing The Dress

Emily's hair

Francesca at the Salon

Francesca, Kristen, Becca Leathe, Bridezilla (jk)

Ian and Christine were awesome helpers

Groom's cake, made by Gloria O.

ring photo 1 (this and following by Cookie)

ring photo 2 (amelia made the flower)

It's been a whole week since I posted! Obviously, I've been really busy with Molli's wedding. And most of the people who might read this blog were here, in Athens, so I didn't have anything more to say.

Molli is married! My daughter is a bride. Wow! It was amazing--the service and reception were the best ever! Yes, it was all worth it. There are things I might do differently, but it is worth pulling out all the stops and having lots of people. On the scale of weddings, this one was relatively inexpensive, but we did totally splurge on many things.

the Kiss

All Middlebury grads

Maybe the best was a five-piece jazz band that played for 3 or 4 hours with one break. They said they had a great time too. Gloria made an awesome chocolate groom's cake in the shape of a book, with a quote from Nietzche on it. We bought three cakes from Cecilia's--one 14" coconut cake, one 10" tres leches cake (my favorite), one 10" lemon cake. There is a lot left. They looked great. I had no idea how to cut and serve them, but Gloria did. We had plenty of champagne and marvelous toasts by the best man, the maid of honor, the father of the bride... We had plenty of delicious and interesting food...although I'm not sure Molli had time to eat much of it. I was too tired and too excited to really enjoy it, but people raved about it. Not sure what is left, but hopefully we will eat some more today.

Many very happy people dancing when I went to bed, and slept well for 8 hours.