Darn! I got up too early and it's still cold and dark! Not that I'm complaining, it could be a lot colder and I could be without power.

Yesterday I worked hard to try and get all my reading done before class--and the journal written. My Dad came by and I mixed up the dough for some slice and bake cookies. Had some computer issues that took too much time. Temperature in the house was about 65 or more, still no heat or fire. It was pale occasional sun and lots of wind outside--40s and 50s.

Ray picked up some groceries. Ate leftover chili during class and it was delish. Two guest speakers--had to run before it was over, to see the Capitol Steps (with my Dad)! Very funny, but hard to understand, some of their stuff is so quick.

I admit it; I have been watching the weather channel a lot, following Hurricane Sandy. I am thinking of Amelia, holed up in her apartment in NY. We were able to stay in touch. She hasn't lost power and filled her time by baking, a chip off the old block, if there ever was one. She did lose internet and the TV, and she doesn't know anyone in her building. Her main dangers are boredom and loneliness and I think she'll be okay. It was scary last night, though, as the wind was bowing the windows of her apartment on the 9th floor and she was wondering whether to sleep in the bathtub (no windows in the bathroom).

It was windy here and cold, but sunny, so very pleasant in our wonderful house: about 70. I had lab work done before breakfast, one of my least favorite things to do. Then I rushed back to get Ray and Dan to work. For the next fun activity, I had my gynecological exam, which involved also having blood taken (just a finger prick) and a urine sample. And those were the easy parts.

After that, I went home and hurriedly wrote my assignment for yesterday's class. I try to do it early most weeks, but here I am behind schedule with a huge assignment due next week. I remind myself I will not have to do three graduate classes in one semester ever again (next semester involves two classes and a practicum).

Then I was fortunate enough to meet my friend Becky for a lovely lunch. Because it was cold, I treated myself to a rich creamy potato soup, a dish my Mom loved at Transmet, followed by a nice healthy salad with baked chicken.

Class was a little long, with some interesting things and some more tedious parts. You may be interested in a book called Successful Aging, based on a study by the MacArthur Foundation. It's a little outdated and not representative, but there are some interesting ideas. Not surprisingly, the strongest predictor of cognitive health in old age is education. The second one was kind of a shock at first: lung capacity. If you think about it, though, getting enough oxygen to the brain is probably important. It is also something we can work on, closely tied to physical exercise and exertion.

It was a relief to come home and hunker down. We ate chili for supper and I made some bread. We watched a lot of TV, including coverage of the amazing storm.

Temperature dropping. Ray has a fire laid, but I don't think we'll light it this morning. There was enough sun (and cooking) to keep it warm in the house overnight, at least warm enough for sleeping. and we're not staying long.

When it got light yesterday (almost 8), I made blueberry pancakes--and a vegan carrot cake. It was touch and go whether it would be done in time, since it takes about an hour to bake. There was a potluck for Amber after the service. The service ran 15 minutes over--and we didn't sing the last hymn. It was also the bulb service and we sang two gorgeous and challenging requiem pieces. I spen most of the potluck in the kitchen. There wasn't much food left, but I had some fruit and a piece of cake. We were there until after 2, washing dishes, and didn't get to hear the program. Jane and Julene did a lot of the work. It was SRO (standing room only), so it was well attended. We need to figure out a system to distribute the work evenly. The problem is that many would argue for using disposables. I do not want that, so I am in the kitchen at every event.

I was home for less than an hour before it was time to head to the community center for the Kenney Ridge community meeting. It was an unpleasant two hours, but we did make some progress. I was starving when I got home. I had a drink. Ray cooked a ham steak and some green beans. We watched TV, mostly hurricane coverage, and went to bed. 

Yesterday was another busy day. After a short walk, Ray and I went to UUFA to set up for a Memorial Service for Barbara Dale, who died of cervical cancer 8 months after being diagnosed. It just didn't respond to treatment.

When we got there, five or six people were already hard at work. They had set up the tables and there wasn't much for me to do. I stayed in the kitchen and helped set out food at the last minute. The service ended up taking more than an hour. The reception included BBQ and pretty much a full sit-down meal. So, we couldn't start clearing for a while. I did several batches of dishes and almost everyone had left except the family. Ray and I left. We came home and changed our clothes and headed out again, to the Atlanta airport.

Traffic was fine and we were there at least 30 minutes early. In fact, my Dad landed a little early and we were at Bistro Niko by 4:30. It might have been early for dinner, but we had a great time: a good bottle of wine, French onion soup for me, a salmon croque-monsieur for Mudge. Ray had a salad nicoise and nothing else. I had scallops that were outstanding, with pureed potatoes and a few stalks of asparagus. My Dad had the duck. Then I ordered a Tarte aux pommes, which was flaky and delicious. I couldn't leave any of it, although I was awfully full.

We took Mudge home and then were at our house before 8. I had trouble staying awake for even one TV show.

Thinking of Amelia in NY and others waiting for Sandy.
 

Yesterday was good. It was an extra "free" day, thanks to the "fall break." UGA (and the Clarke Count schools) take a day off so people can attend the Florida game. So, no teaching for Ray. He slept a few extra hours, while I worked on paying bills. We took a long walk.

It was in the high 70s and sunny and lovely. We (mostly Ray) worked on the Amazing Chicken Fence and got the first section done. Then we moved the coop and tractor to be continuous. This required some amusing Rube-Goldberg style building. We used scrap lumber and metal and chicken wire to make sure the chickens stay in and nothing can get at them. Enjoyed sitting on the porch and watching them explore. I don't think chickens like change.

We had sausage for supper and asparagus from the freezer. Then we drove into town and met BEcky and Kent and watched Argo. It was great, but I was really tense. Too bad we didn't see it at Cine, where I could have had a drink!


Home and to bed.

I went to the library when Ray went to work. Thursdays he doesn't go in as early. He wasn't feeling very good, coming down with a cold. I read for class for an hour and a half or so. He picked me back up and we met Hunaid for lunch. The plan was to go to the board office and change Elisa's address. We had a great lunch, by the way. We were a little late and he had time to run over to the office without us. They said I need to go to Clarke Central's counseling office with my proof of address and a letter from AFS stating that Alisa will live with us.

We went home and spent some of the afternoon working to clear things out of Molli's room so Elisa will be comfortable there. Ray had to prepare a financial report for the Clarke County Democratic Committee and go to their meeting at 6. I had prepared a rice and sweet potato salad in the morning for the Kenney Ridge potluck. The sweet potatoes my Dad had harvested were largely rotten and it was a lot of work to peel and cut up 2 1/2 cups of them--a lot more went in the compost bin.

A volunteer from AFS, Joerg, was coming to visit and inspect us and make sure it would be okay for Elisa to stay here, at 8 pm. He thought it was ridiculous after all the hosting we have done, although I suppose we could have let things go since then. The good thing is it was an incentive for me to vacuum the house. So now it is nice and clean, with the bed made up and ready as soon as we get the official OK from AFS. Hunaid and Kavita are renting out part of their house next weekend for homecoming for $400, so they want her moved before then, which should not be a problem.

We had a pleasant chat with Joerg and watched a little TV and went to bed at a reasonable hour. Ray does not have to teach today and is still asleep at 7:45. I slept about 8 hours myself.

It's once again Thursday and I am feeling pretty good. In addition to turning in my paper Tuesday, I have found a paper that I can use for another assignment. It is about a new model for nursing homes that includes empowering the workers. I am excited about that.

Ray and I had a short walk before going to UGA. After dropping off Dan and him, I went to Kroger to buy the supplies Tonya needed for cleaning my Dad's house. I met her there and went to the EJC office, where I reviewed some statistical videos before class. At 11:45, I left to go back to my Dad's. They were still working away, but I left them a check and went on to lunch with Becky and Deb. It was a beautiful day and we had a pleasant time eating outside.Deb talked about her trip to South Africa and how scary it was there, with a very high incidence of robbery. People have gates and barbed wire and dogs to protect themselves. Apparently, your purse can be stolen from your car at a soplight, if the doors are not locked. So, I am glad to live here and I think it is an illustration of one reason not to have huge economic inequities in society.

I went to class and we talked some more about public health and statistics. In this case, it was about a possible correlation between smoking rates and the death of the subject's father. Really. Hypothesis: people who have smoked in the past and quit are likely to take it up again when their father dies. I tried to argue that they might be more likely to quit, if their father died from lung cancer. Our final group project is to prepare a brief about murder and suicide rates. OK, very interesting assignment, but not too relevant to gerontology... She also handed out the syllabus for the class next semester and asked for our feedback.

After that, Ray and I met for dinner and were able to enjoy sitting outside again. I had a glass of pinot grigio and an antipasto platter, plus some butternut squash soup. Pretty moderate. Ray had caeser salad.

Then we went to Robert's piano recital. He is the accompanist for choir. Incredible to sit in an excellent performance space and listen to that quality of music--for free. There were 20 of us from choir, plus at least as many others.

Choir started much later than usual and was not as long. We rehearsed for Sunday, with a harpist! We will sing two beautiful Requiem pieces. I think I have sung them enough to be all cried out, but we'll see on Sunday.

We watched a little TV and went to bed about 10. I woke up at 5 feeling energetic.

Well, I did finish my paper and turn it in, but it was 9 pages (10 pt type) and I'm not sure how well it matched the assignment. It wasn't completely clear. We spent the entire class period summarizing our experiences. I didn't understand that's what she was planning to do, so I kept mine really brief.

We had a walk. The weather has been gorgeous--sunny days with cool nights. I did water a little to try to keep the garden alive. Ray made progress on the Amazing Chicken Fence, but it was dark when I got home, so I haven't seen it yet.

I spent most of the day on my class work, the paper and reading for last night's class. Still much to do. 

We ate leftovers for lunch and dinner. I was tired and fell asleep early, while trying to watch Jeopardy. Perhaps it was the glass of white wine.

Worked a lot on a paper due today, but there's still a lot to go. For once, I'm glad this class doesn't start until almost 5. I have most of a day to get it whipped into shape. Mainly,  I have to reduce it by about half, which is easier than coming up with stuff. I do need to make sure, however, that I am doing the assignment and not just hemorrhaging words and feelings.

Rode to Dan's with Ray and Cameron. Cameron and I walked back. It is one way to force me to walk, at least half a mile. Took my Dad's car in later. Had lunch with Janna at her house. She is not eating much these days, so going out didn't seem like a good plan: toast and scrambled eggs is what she had. I brought some leftover pasta salad and a couple slices of ham. Also an apple.

I was a little late to class; traffic wasn't great. Watched some pretty sad videos about Alzheimer's last thing. Particularly hard on the family members. Drove to my Dad's to leave his car there. Ray and Dan picked me up when they were through. Called Tonya and arranged for her to clean there on Wednesday.

Got home about 6 and started dinner: jambalaya. Unfortunately, I was supposed to be at the Fellowship to lead a Green Sanctuary meeting at 7. There was no way we would be able to eat before 7 and I was just exhausted. I called several people and left messages, but at 7 they called and asked if I was coming. I told them I had a paper due today, which is true. On the other hand, I didn't actually work on my paper at all last night. I was just worn out and couldn't do much of anything. We had a nice dinner, watched some TV, and were in bed before 9:30.

Apparently, I walked three miles yesterday. That's good. We're both sore, but pleased.

We had pancakes for breakfast, our weekly treat, and the last of the bacon from our pigs. We picked up Elisa and went to UUFA to sing, just a few minutes late. I had to run the Leadership Council meeting after the service, and it went pretty well. Ray took Elisa home and picked up some lunch for us--salads from Loco's. He was working on his computer when I finished the meeting, and we changed our clothes.

We drove to Watkinsville for the Alzheimer's Memory Walk, but it had started by the time we got there. I was very upset, because it was my intention to have time to spend with my professors informally. I passed a lot of people, but did not see anyone I knew. I almost stopped after 2 rounds, but kept going. At the very end, I could hear Dr. Emerson talking--not sure how I got ahead of them. Maybe she paused at some point. She introduced us to her parents from Germany and her husband. She said Dr. Glass had stopped after one lap and had already left. It seems to me she had injured her foot and was wearing a boot earlier this fall.

We were pretty tired, but stopped at Earth Fare to buy a few things. At home, we worked on the chicken run some more. It was another gorgeous afternoon, a little on the cool side, but sunny with a bright blue sky. They had a roast on sale at the store for $3.99, so we made pot roast for the first time in ages! We both enjoyed it very much. We watched TV and I drifted off...except I had started some bread and had to wake up enough to bake it.

My favorite day in a while. Pilates was at 9 am, so we picked up Elisa about 8:45. After a good class, we went to the farmers' market and bought potatoes and said hello to some people. We took Elisa home and chatted awhile with her "parents." We went by my Dad's and picked up his mail. As we got close to home, we stopped to check on Nancy's chickens and picked up a couple eggs. This is good because our hens don't seem to be laying. I walked back from Nancy's.

We had some leftover pasta salad with ham for lunch and I set to work on my "big" assignment due this week, a paper about my Dad. I wrote quite a bit, although it is not quite the assignment. I will have to make it shorter and more in line with the outline in the syllabus, which is a little vague. One part of the assignment I have completed, which is to meet with an older person for at least 8 hours and make note of our activities. I probably have spent at least 10 times that much time with my Dad.

About 3, I stopped to go outside for a bit, since it was beautiful and Ray was out there splitting wood. We finally started work on the chicken run/fence that I have had in my head for a few months. Naturally, it was not as easy as I had hoped. He did most of the work, cutting the wood with the electric saw (I'm kind of afraid of it), pounding stakes into the ground, trying to nail boards together that split and break, possibly because we bought them at the salvage store. We didn't get very far, but it was still satisfying to work on the project, partly because of the weather.

Liz brought Cameron back from a walk to the river and we put the chickens away. We had some wine and I made supper: pork chops with peppers and onions, mashed potatoes, and yellow squash. (Liz went home). We really enjoyed it and felt very full, since we have not been eating that way for a while.

Then we bathed, dressed, and rushed off again. We picked up Elisa and headed to Memorial Park for their contra dance. It was really fun. As usual, Ray danced at least twice as much as I did, never taking a break. Saw some people we only see at square dances, like Charlie Jameson. Dr. Kimmich was there and so was Theresa Carson. She admired the photos from the wedding. She seemed pretty good and asked about Gerald.

Elisa wore out early on and we left about 10:15. Ray was in a lot of pain from his hip. He had been to pilates, split wood, built a chicken run, and then danced. But he still hated to miss any dancing.

More beautiful fall weather in Georgia--sunny and breezy, highs in the high 60s or low 70s, cool at night. Looks like it will continue this way at least all week...which means I need to water the garden. Baby spinach and lettuce, garlic, and a few older things I'm trying to keep alive. The funniest thing is some big healthy tomato plants, with not a single blossom on them. Guess they need longer, hotter days to set fruit. It is dark so late in the morning. This is when I can't wait for the time to change.

My Dad is in Seattle. I haven't spoken to him, but had an e-mail from him and one from Polly that suggest all is well. I have to write a paper about him this weekend and I need to do a good job on it.

Yesterday when I took Ray to work, I went to pick up a couple women from Nellie B and took them to vote. That is always a very interesting thing. One of these women talked a lot and the other barely spoke, except after she got back in the car, she kept saying over and over, "I'm not sure who I voted for." The other woman (her daughter) said, "stop saying that, you voted for Obama, I saw." It was quite amusing, but clearly there is some confusion and other mental health issues there.

Then I went to the library for a while. I didn't bring my iPad or my computer, just did some reading on my phone. I couldn't quite get comfortable in the chairs and came out to my car after a while. I  read there too. The sun was lovely, so the car was warm.

Eventually, I drove to Last Resort and met Heather K. and her friend Margaret from Chicago. Margaret is very involved in the Village and is trying to start one in Hyde Park. She is also the President of the Older Women's League and wants me to join. After a really nice lunch, which Heahter paid for, we had an appointment at the Council on Aging. We were a few minutes early, so I stopped at the Institute of Gerontology and introduced Margaret to Dr. Miles, to their mutual pleasure, I think.

At the Council on Aging, we met with Jill, who is the president of the Advisory Board for the Village. Heather ended up joining for herself and Scott and her daughter Catherine. Catherine has MS, but lives alone, except for a series of aides. She is 46, but they are making an exception and letting her join, even though she is not 50 yet. I mentioned that I would be needing an internship, and they told me to tell Anne (Dr. Glass). They could use the help, but I have to figure out the best way for me to eventually get a good job.

Afterward, I picked up Ray and Dan and we drove home. It was a nice afternoon, but I had trouble getting energized. I read a little and stood around outside, looking at the garden.

When it was dark, we watched a lot of tV and went to bed about 9.

Looks like I missed another day and I'm not really sure why...I guess I slept latish yesterday. I took Ray in to his office and then picked Janna up at the dentist. I sat in the car and read email on my phone for about an hour. Then I spent 15 mins or so at her house afterward, before she had to leave for a meeting.

I meant to go to the Ramsey Center after that, but somehow ended up going home instead. I didn't have any lunch plans, for one thing. I was able to hang up the laundry and do some reading for next week. I had a ham and cheese sandwich for lunch, maybe not ideal, but it was sufficient. It was a beautiful day and Cameron was glad to have me. The chickens really wanted out, but I was sure I wouldn't be able to get them back in. I sat on the porch in the sun some of the time.

Class was long and somewhat tedious. We were looking at statistical tests for significance, which are something of a mystery to me. We are halfway through the semester and some major projects are still to come. I have a B+ average in one of my classes and very few grades in the others. I am sure it will work out, but I am a little stressed about it. Also trying to figure out about next semester, which involves deciding what to do after that as well.

We picked up Elisa and went to the Fellowship for a pleasant dinner and challenging choir rehearsal. She seemed to enjoy it. We spent a few minutes at her house, chatting wtih Hunaid. So it was a little late before we got to bed, again.

Stayed home in the morning, worked on class work. Small walk. Met Becky for a really good lunch at Siri Thai, although they were busy and service wasn't good. Went to class, seemed long. Knit most of a hat.

Supper was a zucchini frittata and green beans. We headed off to pick up my Dad and were at the Performing Arts Center with 15 minutes to spare. Enjoyed very much the performance by Leahy, a group of 8 brothers and sisters from Canada, playing really fast fiddle, step dancing, singing some of their own compositions, with drums, guitar, and awesome piano. They also showcased a few of their children under twelve, mostly step-dancing, but Xavier played French Canadian accordion amazingly. We all enjoyed it very much. No bagpipes, though.

So, late to bed, but sadly woke up at 4:30 and couldn't go back to sleep. Sigh.

Overcast all day. Ate breakfast. Took a walk. Bathed and dressed. Organized knitting and started a new green hat. Picked up Elisa and took her to the Fellowship. It was a rare Sunday; we were not singing and did not have other obligations, so we all sat together. Introduced Elisa to lots of people. She is interested in joining us for choir rehearsal.

Took her home, went to the grocery store and bought over $100 worth of stuff, mostly because the coupons were expiring. Went home and had salad nicoise. Went to Southern Surplus to buy scrap wood for my chicken run project. Ate leftover sausage and ratatouille. Went to KR board meeting, which was painful and unpleasant, but we did set an agenda for the community meeting.

Ate some broccoli, watched TV, went to bed. 

That was a fun day! There was no home football game yesterday for the University of Georgia, nor an away game. That's why there were lots of activities scheduled.

It was cool in the morning and it's dark so late now, but we managed a walk to the mailbox and back, bringing in the newspaper and giving Cameron a little exercise. We thrashed around and drove off just as my Dad arrived. It was a beautiful sunny day.

We picked up Elisa at the home of her host family in Five Points. She was ready to go because I had called her, dressed in shorts and a t-shirt. We took her to pilates class with us, something she hadn't done before. She is 15 and quite thin, so I don't think it was hard for her. There was a full house at Balance. In the same complex, the Democrats were having a party. We stopped and listened to the music and said hi before heading to the farmers' market. We made one tour around and decided not to buy any $3/lb veggies. Ray talked to Richard Saunders, as he does most times.

Elisa is very sweet and agreeable and didn't talk much, although her English appears to be excellent. She seemed interested in everything, but not one thing more than another--not jewelry or soaps or any kind of food. Our next stop was the Lickskillet Market at the Lyndon House. There were many booths, with arts and crafts of all kinds. Our friends Le'Ann and Merdyth were there, selling crocheted items. We saw lots of other people we knew, mostly from the Fellowship. We even looked around the original Lyndon House, which is now a historical museum, restored as it might have been about 100 years ago. We managed to resist buying anything, atlhough there were some photographs that tempted me.

Our last stop was at Farm 255, where Slow Food was having a fund-raising event. For $10, we had lots of hummus and homemade crackers, hushpuppies with honey, and kale chips. We met my Dad there and he bought a bottle of good Pinot Noir to go with. Elisa had water, but she seemed to enjoy the food. There was music, too, and people we knew to talk to, although they were mainly older.

Although we enjoyed the appetizers, we decided we needed more. The restaurant was not open, so we walked up the street to the Last Resort Grill, where we had to wait about 10 minutes for a table. We all enjoyed our lunch. Elisa had my favorite, vegetable grill. I had a chicken and pasta dish, Ray had enchiladas, and I don't remember what Mudge ordered. I also had a piece of Bailey's chocolate cake, which I ate all by myself! It was delicious. We wandered around the block--Elisa had never been downtown or anywhere else in Athens or the area, except Clarke Central and a variety of Indian and Chinese restaurants that her host familly patronizes. We will change that!

We left her at her house and drove home to a beautiful fall afternoon--sunny and warm in my living room, cool outside, especially in the shade. Ray promptly took a long nap, while I worked on reading about long term care, Medicaid, and Medicare. It was very depressing, but I got a lot done.

When he got up, we had some salad and watched a little TV. We are trying to stay up later, as we have a couple events next week in the evening.

Saturday morning! It's always been a time of possibilities--what fun things will happen today? Yesterday I was home and got my preparations done for my Monday class. I also went to a Kenney Ridge finance committee meeting. Thursday's board meeting was pretty intense. We can't get anything done because the president has strong opinions that are different from everyone else's. Some members of the community doen't think we should obsess about the bylaws. They don't want a lot of complicated rules and regulations--they want to go back to a simpler time...sound familiar? But the lack of clear rules and procedures makes it hard to get anything done, so we keep spinning our wheels.

The weather has been lovely, cool at night, sunny in the middle of the day. Yesterday it was downright warm, in the mid to high 70s. There was some thunder, but I don't think it rained. My Dad was here for a while both days, but hasn't done much in the garden.

The big news is the missing chicken showed up again when I went out about 5. There were three chickens in my front yard! I wanted to hug her, but they are not much into that.

I have been making things with our homemade sausage all week, since we thawed a great big package of it--5 pounds! Yesterday I cooked it in the crock pot with eggplant and zucchini and onion and tomato--sort of a ratatouille with sausage. That might be the best. Thursday night was sausage and sweet potatoes and apples baked. That was better than I expected. We have lots of sweet potatoes, but they have been eaten by something, so the biggest ones have big bites out of them (or lots of little bites). Mice or chipmunks?

Last night we worked at Town and Gown, selling tickets and concessions during the show, See How They Run. It was quite funny, but maybe not their best work. People near me were laughing a lot, so maybe I just wasn't in the mood.

It was such a feeling of relief to come home last night and know that classes are over until next Monday. I have four days to do all the reading for them. One class I have no written assignment, but must review the basics of statistics, which we went over yesterday. Do you remember factorials? The formulas seem like a parody to me, math run amok. I understand the big picture, but the details are incredible.

I have been away so much the last few weeks that I am thrilled to be able to cook and relax and maybe even garden some. The weather is lovely, cool at night, but sunny and warm in the middle of the day. Someone told me she turned on her heat, but we have been toughing it out with 67 degree mornings (in the house).

Yesterday was one of those days. I took Ray to work and didn't feel like going to Ramsey. I have walked every day for about 5 days and decided maybe I could take a day off. But I pulled it together and drove over there anyway. After parking about three levels up, I realized I did not have my ID with me, so drove home instead. On the way, I decided to swing by the Fellowship to pick up the bag with my notebooks I had left there the day before. I was going by my Dad's, so I gave him a call. He was lying down, said he felt a bit dizzy, so I picked him up and took him home with me. At the Fellowship, I realized I did not have my key and there wasn't a soul there. But I found the email on my phone that had the code for the key box, so I could go in and get my bag.

My Dad enjoyed using his computer for a bit, but he still didn't feel very good. I made him some soup and gave him the leftover squash I would have enjoyed. He called the doctor and made an appointment for this morning. I ate leftover jambalaya and a little bit of the cabbage salad. Good lunch.

I took my bath and did a little class work. Mudge lay down and rested. I told him it was time to go, but it took him a few minutes to get up and get going. I called the chickens, but they didn't come. One was in the nesting box, so I shut her in. As we drove in, we were listening to a CD of Appalachian music I had bought at the Mountain. When we got to his house, he wanted to listen to the end of the song, which seemed to go on forever. I was afraid I might be late for class, but I didn't say anything. Then there was a truck in my way. I still got there about 2 minutes late and it wasn't a problem. Might as well be nice about it.

After class, Ray and I drove to UUFA for the first in a series of dinners prepared by the kids in the Coming of Age group...and their mentors. Ray and I are mentors, so he helped with the dinner this month. It was tacos. Pretty good, about what I used to make at home: ground beef, refried beans, lettuce, sour cream, tomatoes, etc. It was a big success, which means it was really hard to hear each other. We look forward to more fun activities with young people.

After choir, we pretty much came home and went to bed. One more chicken was sleeping on top of the run, but I couldn't find the third one anywhere. I went around the house a couple times, calling and shining a light into the woods. She was probably roosting/sleeping somewhere she thought was safe. I hope she was right. I left Cameron out all night. Maybe he will protect her.

It was heavily overcast all day yesterday and never got above 60, but it didn't rain. Today looks the same, but the forecast is for some sun later. It's a little cool even in the house with no windows open. Great for sleeping. We went to bed early and I didn't get up until almost 6.

I dashed off my paper for yesterday's class, the Psychology of Aging, before breakfast. Every week we have to write our reflections on the readings. Ray and I walked out to get the paper before picking up Dan and driving to campus.

Becky and chicken pot pie

I went to the Athens Library, which is under construction. I enjoy trying to figure out what they have done since the last time I was there. I did a good bit of reading for yesterday's and today's classes. A man and his young daughter came in about 11:30. They sat at a table near me and their talking made it hard for me to keep focused. I headed to the Institute and sat in the car there for awhile. Becky called and I walked over to meet her for lunch. It was good, but did not have any vegetables: Roast Beef sandwich to dip and French fries.

I walked back to class. We had a guest speaker, Dr. David Block, a retired neurologist. He was fascinating and brilliant but loved to try to shock us, referring a couple times to his winkie and generally being pretty crude, for which he apologized.

We took Dan home again, and had an early and satisfying supper, which included green beans and winter squash as well as peppers and onions to make up for the veggie deficit at lunch. That menat we started watching TV early and went to bed early.

We had a lovely weekend at the Mountain, a UU retreat center in North Carolina. Most of the time when I come home from a trip, I am glad to be back. I usually want to stay longer at the Mountain, though. There is a cottage you can rent where I could live for a few months and write my novel, walking around the mountain top and having people cook for me.

On Saturday, we hiked down the Mountain and up Mt. Chinquapin, with several others from our group. It was a couple hours and I was pretty much out of breath, but we did it! We also spent three hours working on music for choir performances later this year. We are singing two pieces from a Requiem by Clif Hardin. They are very beautiful and difficult, with high notes. I just cried and cried. We also started work on our holiday music. This year it is jazzy stuff from the Peanuts Christmas shows. It will be Dec. 16 and I hope my children will be there. They are fun to sing.

The other thing that is nice about staying there is I never have to think about what we are going to eat for dinner or do any work to prepare it. The food this time seemed better than previously, although like all instittutional food, it was a little heavy on the starches. I hope the exercise I got balanced out the cake and pasta I ate. The new head of the kitchen staff is Brian. He used to be a lawyer and a judge, but now he prefers to prepare delicious healthy food for us. Lee is the interim director and he is delightful. He engaged Ray in discussions about a new well having to be dug.

We managed to squeeze in some Boggle and Scrabble games and a bonfire, as well as an awesome folk singer named Lee Knight, who grew up in the Adirondacks and now lives in the mountains of North Carolina. My Dad would have lived to hear him and meet him, but he was here taking care of our home and animals. I think he enjoyed it. There was food residue on the coffee table.

Now to get back to preparations for class.

Well, I didn't get completely caught up yesterday, but I did a good bit. Ray and I had a walk. He went to work. Mudge came by and dug up the sweet potatoes. We have a lot of them, some good-sized, but something has eaten part of most of them--a mouse or something similar. I'm sure they will be usable after we cut that part off. He left about 11:30. I had early lunch, leftover pasta bean salad Ray made for potluck the night before.

I chatted with Molli on Skype while I listened to dementia videos on line for one of my classes. Not very cheery.

My Dad picked me up about 4:30 to go to the movies with Becky and Kent. Robot & Frank was playing at Cine, but it was the last day. Ray had to go to a Democratic Committee meeting. It was a good movie, but it made my Dad really sad. It was about a man who had some loss of memory and his son got him a robot to take care of him so he could keep living at home. He became fond of the robot. Since he was a jewel thief, he taught the robot to pick locks and help him steal things. Then he had to wipe its memory so it couldn't be downloaded to incriminate him. Then his family sent him to the residence for people with memory loss.

My Dad went home and Ray and I had dinner at Heirloom with Becky and Kent. It was pleasant. Then we watched Wheel and Jeopardy and went to bed.

Sunny. three inches of rain in the rain gauge! yesterday to town with ray. reading articles. lunch with Becky at Weaver D's because she had never been and it is threatening to close. Lots of people including Chris and Le'Ann. Spoke to Megan in class and she was happy and sends her love. She has a fiance too. Class went okay. Next assignment more doable. To potluck. Ray made pasta bean salad. He slept through choir. At home, we watched debate with Mike and Liz. He went to bed about 10. I was up until 11. Slept well until 5:30. hmm, not enough. Catching up today.

birthday swim at Horsehead Beach

OK, I'm way behind...and today is not the day I'm going to fill you in. I'm behind on my school work, too. It rained off and on all day yesterday and last night. It's very dark, even though it's after 6:30.

I finished my book review last night, which I will present today in class. I have reading to do and I have an assignment for tomorrow's class (that was due last week).

wind patterns in the sand of the empy parking lot

view from Dinda's

birthday lunch--clams and lobster

wild turkeys

I had a good trip and I'm glad to be home with hubby.

Some pictures from the first weekend, where we buried my Mom's ashes and went to my cousin's daughter's wedding at the Rod and Gun Club in Maynard, are gone. My phone jumped out of my pocket into the ocean Sunday evening when I was canoeing. It was really dumb of me to take it, and especially leave it in my pocket while I was paddling. The good news is that I was able to get an upgrade, so I have a 4S now, a "better" phone, and it only cost me...$178. The phone is $99, a deal, but there is a big tax on phones in Massachusetts, plus I bought a case, plus the $36 upgrade fee...

Weather was not great most of the time, but I love having a view of the ocean. My Dad and I played Scrabble three times. Once he won by a lot, twice I won by a little.

Last weekend I spent with 4 close friends from college. We lived on the same hall freshman year, most of us got married right after graduation and went to each other's weddings. That was before Facebook and we haven't done a great job of keeping in touch. Two are divorced, two are very wealthy, all of us have kids, but only one has grandchildren. One lives in California, one in Pennsylvania, one in NY, and one in Massachusetts. Katie invited us to her family's summer home in Rhode Island. It is gorgeous, many rooms with private baths, and a public area with a stone fireplace, and tons of windows with ocean views in every room. Katie and I went swimming on the last day, in spite of the weather. She has two Newfoundlands. One is only three months old. They are big, but gentle and pretty darn lovable, except for the slobber. Only Katie doesn't ever tell them no. So they will steal food off the table or counter if you turn your back. Or go in your purse to eat snacks if you don't keep the door closed.

rainy view from Katie's house in Rhode Island

Claire and Deb

The puppy, Blue

The  traveling went well, but I was pretty worn out when I got home. I forgot to mention that I had a bad cold from the day before we left, the kind where you take cough medicine and eat cough drops and don't sleep very well. I am pleased, though, that no one else apparently caught it from me.