I felt this way the last time we were here to some extent. Spending time with my sister is like looking in a mirror--a funhouse mirror, maybe. We are the same, but different. She has the same cookbooks and the same style of meal planning. She buys the same brands of groceries--some of them were the brands our mother bought, but others she buys for the reasons I do--cost or taste or politics. Not everything. She is more conscientious about buying organic than I am, and there are different choices here than at my house. But they are probably the things I would buy if I lived here--and I was more her and less me. Her reasons usually make sense to me; she doesn't have to convince me of her logic. Sometimes we say the same thing at the same time. Our brains kind of work the same way. I think she is me on steroids--or me if I had more money or was more thorough (or compulsive). Where she keeps things matches where I would put them, even though I usually open the wrong drawer first.

It is cold here, even though local residents are complaing of the heat. That is one of our favorite things about coming here. I have worn a sweater or a sweatshirt much of the time (and been laughed at, but that's fine). I love having to bundle up. They do keep their house much cooler than I like, but that's okay. I am so ready not to be hot. The heat at home saps my energy and keeps me from doing anything. Here I can cook--and there are people who will eat everything I make! I brought a few cookies from home, but they are gone; time to make more. I need to make bread. Polly buys a certain kind of healthy store-bought bread for herself, but the kids pretty much only eat white bread in spite of her efforts to change that. I am hoping some homemade half-wheat bread may entice them.

We arrived on Saturday after spending the day in the airport. Sunday I was awake early, after maybe 5 hours of sleep. Lidet gave me a big hug; she was happy to see me. Nate was a little slower. He had to have his computer time (half-hour a week) before he could casually saunter downstairs. Polly went off for a walk, one of the many ways she stays in shape. She was glad to be able to go before Jim got back, since we were there to stay with the kids. Lidet helped me make pancakes--with raspberries. They are in season here and growing in abundance--right in the yard and up the street at a neighbor's. I will have to plant some at home. They are delicious; picking them is so easy! No bugs, no sweat, practically no thorns. We spent many hours picking as children and it was worth it, but this is so much more pleasant, it practically takes the satisfaction away. Their family has already been picking them for weeks and frozen many packages, but there are loads of them. The bin sits out for anyone to help themselves all day. Lidet especially is a grazer and what a healthy tasty snack!

I didn't make quite enough pancakes--Ray was asleep until late and ate the last few while Jim was getting his exercise--maybe riding his bike. Lidet and I went up the hill and picked two quarts of berries, saying hello to the people we went by. The weather was sunny and warm, in the 70s, and I loved it. All the yards are bursting with flowers and ornamentals--they are small yards; the houses are close together, but every space is carefully planned and planted and maintained. I don't know what happens if you are not a gardener--maybe you hire someone else to take care of the planting for you. And the view is magnificent--the city down below and the mountains beyond. You can see them sometimes and not others, depending on how clear it is. Yesterday afternoon, the drawbridge was up. I'm sure the people waiting the cars did not enjoy it, but sitting on Polly's back porch with a glass of wine and watching was pretty nice.

Polly and Lidet showed me the vegetable gardens and harvested some lettuce and peas as well as more raspberries. We made shortcakes to have for dessert, with raspberries and whipped cream, after Jim grilled some sausages and we made a bean salad. Polly and Lidet had been to the store and bought corn on the cob, too. Yum. We ate outside. I fell asleep sitting on the walk looking at the mountains and got myself awake and put myself to bed.

I woke up early, but managed to go back to sleep, until a strange unpleasant dream woke me.

It was light so early, it was hard to stay asleep, plus the time difference. Jim was up and having some coffee and reading the paper before he went to work. Polly zipped off to go for a swim before the kids woke up. We had to be very quiet, since the sounds from downstairs can wake them early. I made raspberry muffins and they were still warm when the kids got up. Lidet even ate one; she is a notorious not-breakfast-eater.

Watching Polly and Jim negotiate what the kids want to take for lunch is amazing. They don't want to pack something that will go to waste, but they do need a balanced nutritious meal. There are so many options. Bagel with hummus, bagel with cream cheese, fruit, packaged snack...And all packed in reusable containers, of course. Jim left for work. Polly did the final preparations and took the kids to camp at 9:30. Then she went off to work at a coffee shop, even taking a sandwich herself.

Ray lay down and went back to sleep and I studied cookbooks for hours. There was a baseball game that evening and we needed something we could take with us to eat for supper--something healthy that everyone would enjoy. I finally settled on quiche, which my kids loved (and still do)--plain eggs and cheese in a homemade crust. The recipe was on my phone, not in any of these books, and it was tried and true. When Ray woke up, we had lunch--leftover bean salad for me, with a little salami and cheese added. And a raspberry muffin.

When the quiche was done, we took a little walk. Several blocks out, one up and several blocks back. I jumped in the shower and got dressed while Ray watched for the kids. They were brought home a little after 3. We gave them food--a quesadilla for Lidet--and unpacked the lunch boxes. Lots of leftovers. Nate went right to a book and didn't stop reading the rest of the day, except for the ball game--and helping me play Spider. Lidet took Ray to pick berries after Polly came home. She admired the quiches and we made a salad with potatoes and beets. Jim came home, took some quiche and drove Nate to the game. Ray went with them. Lidet went to spend the night with a friend. I finished the salad and Polly did some chores. Then we sat and drank wine and enjoyed the weather. We had some good conversation and went to the ball field, salad in hand. It was a lovely pleasant evening, not much in the way of bugs. Polly and Jim knew a lot of the other parents. Nobody knew the score and we watched in a very desultory manner, but we were there for Nate and we enjoyed the ambience.

At home, I whipped the cream and mixed some berries in--raspberry fool. Nate didn't respond to offers, so we ate it all up. At bedtime, he wanted some dessert--sorry, we didn't leave you any. He could still have berries, just no cream. Polly worked on her computer. Ray and I watched a little TV, a very little, the end of Masterpiece Theater--and went to bed about 9:30. It was still light out, but I slept like a log. Until 4:15 or so...dreaming about dinosaurs this time.