Elisa's alarm is going off for the second time. It's a snippet of song, pretty and mystic-sounding. The sky is light over the trees, but it is still too d ark to see anything. It's 7. I have been reading e-mail for about half an hour, in my bathrobe. Everyone else is asleep. In Adairsville, an hour or two from here, some people are waking up with no homes, or they haven't slept at all. That's where a tornado killed one person and overturned 100 cars. I am so grateful and thinking of the people suffering.

We knew the weather was supposed to be bad. In fact, I took an umbrella to class--and left it there. A good, big umbrella--what are the odds it will be there tomorrow?

Molli and Ray walked. I managed to walk Elisa a little ways. Molli took herself to work in the truck and Ray and I got going in time for him to park at his office. I got a little reading done at Dawson before my class--about "hard-to-house" people and the evolution of public housing. They are tearing it down and building mixed-income neighborhoods instead. This is a good thing--except for these "hard-to-house" people--with disabililties, mental health and criminal histories, and even large families. Geraldine Clarke spoke to our class. Of the 1200+ families in public housing in Athens, less than 35 are "on welfare." Half are working, some are recieving disability payments or social security. Mosr are female-headed with children, of course.

I drove to the Council on Aging and worked hard all day, working on the Access database and the files. About 3, we started hearing about tornadoes and looking at the weather on the computer. Elisa's horseback riding was cancelled and Kate said I could leave any time. I called Ray and he picked me up. We got Elisa and went home. Molli was already there. She had finished her training and passed the qualifying test. Today, she starts work, scoring essays written by eighth-graders. She will find out how many she can grade in an hour, which will determine how much she makes.

We watched the television and the sky. I gave the chickens some feed. Molli made the carrot casserole and I started on a bean dish for tonight. I filled a pitcher of water and set it by the cellar stairs, along with my iPad and knitting. Elisa did her homework at the kitchen counter. She said it was "exciting." There were lots of heavy clouds and rain, but nothing unusual--no green sky or odd-looking clouds.

By 5:30, the red line on the map had gone by us and we were no longer in danger of tornadoes, they said. We got ready and went to UUFA for diinner and choir. We are singing "the Awakening" this Sunday and Molli and I really like it.

Went to bed before 10 and slept soundly until 6:30!

A little intense yesterday morning. I made crock pot roast, while getting breakfast and lunch. Elisa had to walk herself while I got dressed. I ended up eating some of my breakfast in the car. We got Molli to work right about on time and me there a few minutes early.

Lots to do at "work" because bad weather is predicted for today, so we had to call every one of the members to tell them we have rescheduled the cocktail party from today to tomorrow. In the meantime, I asked some of them a few questions about being members of the Village, based on a survey from another Village. Also, the board president, Madeline, was in the office for several hours and talked a lot about the big picture going forward. I entered information in the database about which members are interested in volunteering and which forms we are missing. New file folders arrived and I started putting the paperwork in them.

Ray picked me up and we went to get Molli. We were home a little after 5. E had come on the bus. The pot roast was well done. We made some mashed potatoes and broccoli to go with. Molli went for a run. We ate dinner and then I dozed in front of the TV during Wheel of Fortune. After that, though, we watched an episode of Castle about a serial killer...it was a cliffhanger, so we had to watch a second episode. That kept me awake, but I slept soundly when I went to bed, for a solid 8 hours.

Somehow I ended up reading until 1:30 in the morning--just not sleepy, I guess, but it was very foolish and I knew I would regret it today.

Yesterday was the big day for classes. It was the first day of Molli's temporary job scoring essays. Elisa had to get herself to her ride, which was not a problem, just a change in procedure. Ray and Molli took a quick walk. I kind of hung around the kitchen, not wanting to leave until Elisa was on her way. Four people had to have breakfast and something to take for lunch. As she left, I dashed upstairs and took a quick bath and dressed. We left the house at 8:10, not as early as we had hoped. Ray had to copy a test for his 9:00 class.

We drove him to his office and then I took Molli where she was going. Then, oddly enough, I went home. I had forgotten a couple little things. This gave me a 15-minute breathing space that felt like a mini-vacation.

I stopped at the credit union on the way to class and was just on time. After that class, I went to Earth Fare and bought some meat and other groceries, which I put in a cooler I had gotten when I went back to the house. Then I met Becky for a quick and pleasant lunch. It is her birthday today, so we had to have a bit of coconut cake...and I was a bit late for that class too.

Three hours later, I picked up Ray and we picked up Elisa and then Molli. We were all home again before 6...and we had a plan for supper. We had taken some chicken tagine from the freezer the day before. Molli made some couscous and some green beans and we had supper 20 minutes later.

After supper, I made bread and we watched TV. Somehow I didn't fall asleep. No walking  yesterday, no wine. It could have been either of those or neither. I read an entire book and still lay in the dark for a while, but finally got 4 or 5 hours of sleep. Not ideal!

This is the beginning of a new phase. Molli has to be at work this morning and we wil still be using only one car. Four of us to get ready at the same time. Still dark out. Wish us luck.

Yesterday we went to the 11:00 service, even though we were not involved. We sat together in the congregation. The pews were packed and a man with a walker (George) had to get up so we could squeeze in. At one point, Elisa reported, Ray and I were both dozing. Hmm.

After the service was the Men's Lunch. All the food was brought by men, although I happen to know of at least one case where the wife did the actual cooking of the brownies!

After the lunch, I had to lead the Leadership Council meeting. There were only a few people there, but it went well.

By two, we were on the road to Greenville, SC. It was less than two hours and went smoothly. (I did not fall asleep, fortunately, since I was driving while Ray worked on his quiz.) We got to the Greenville Zoo about 4:00, paid $20 for the three of us, and spent an hour seeing everything. That was actually enough time, because it was very cold and we didn't want to spend more time than that outside. Lions, leopards, many primates (who made a racket), and Elisa's favorite, alligators. The reptile house was popular because it was warm!

Then we had an hour and a half to kill. We drove through a historic neighborhood, where all the houses looked like the one I moved to when I was 10, except in better condition. We parked downtown (for free!) and spent some time at the Mast General Store--a really fun and quite inexpensive store that has everything. Kitchen items, clothes, games...

The first restaurant I picked out was closed on Sundays. The second was a pub--in fact, a Belgian gastropub! We ordered something to drink and looked at the menu and enjoyed the ambiance. At 6:30, Ray strolled next door to the bus station. They were back in no time. Molli was happy to have something to eat!

three mousses

The menu was wonderful--so many interesting things. In fact, they have six different kinds of mussels with French fries (ok, Belgian fries) and sauces. She had coq au vin, Ray had sausages, Elisa beef stew (with fries) and I had a seafood dish I had never heard of before: waterzooi, a sort of Belgian ratatouille, served with crusty bread for soaking up the broth. We also had cheese croquettes while we waited for Molli (and I had an old-fashioned, not like my mother used to make--for one thing, there was no fruit in it!). Ray had a big salad and we all had dessert. There were too many that we wanted: waffles for Elisa, mousse for me (three kinds), waffle balls for Molli, and cherry crepes for Ray.

We were back on the road a little after 8 and home by 10, quite a satisfactory adventure. Riding in the car seems to be the worst for my back, though, possibly compounded by walking around in the cold.

Catching up on my financial records and working on my tax return, so no time for blogging. I also wrote a paper for my class tomorrow and prepared for a UUFA meeting later today.

Yesterday had some good and some bad. We all miss Molli terribly around here.

Ray and Elisa and I did go to pilates and we were there pretty early. The class filled up -- 12 people, I think. We stopped at the store on the way home and bought a few groceries.

After lunch, my Dad came and we worked in the garden. It was somewhat sunny and not very cold. Ray went for a walk and then we moved the chicken coop and put clean shavings in the nest boxes. I want them to lay lots of eggs there!

making brownies

I made chili for an early supper and Elisa made some brownies for me, the first things to be frozen for the next dessert night. The chili was a tad on the spicy side for me.

After supper, we drove to the Fellowship for games. My Dad was there, as well as Ange. Alison and a young man named Arthur showed up later. We started Hearts, but stopped when Alison arrived. We decided on Bezzerwizzer, with three teams: Ray and Elisa, Ange and my Dad, and Alison and me. We added Arthur to our team when he came. We tied and it was time to go home. I brought two kinds of cookies.

At home, Elisa suggested the Mentalist, with brownies and ice cream. A good plan.

It was definitely below freezing yesterday morning--about 26, I think. My fingers were cold inside my gloves! We walked E. out to the mailbox, but her ride came before we got there. We went back and got ready to go. Molli was up to say goodbye.

I dropped Ray off and took the car to his parking lot. I was worried because it didn't seem to detect my key (keyless ignition) and I thought it might die any minute. Then I was afraid to lock it, for fear I couldn't get it unlocked. I walked over to the building where my 10:00 class was and sat in the break area, looking at emails and brushing my hair.

In class, we filled out a survey about our preference for working in groups and our skills and interests. Then we practiced interviews by interviewing each other. I boldly walked to the back of the room and interviewed a football player. His name is Christian.

After class, I walked back to the car and it started right up, not giving me any trouble detecting the key. TG! I drove to the Council on Aging and went to my desk. Kate was meeting with a member. I checked the answering machine and updated the database.

The phone rang and it was my Dad! He was surprised to find me there. I had left an invitation to the cocktail party and he was responding, yes. When Kate got back, she explained to me that we had to send out forms to all the members. The officers had developed a "billing" form that must be signed, explaining all the obligations and rights. For instance, if you don't renew within 2 weeks, there is an administrative fee that is charged. Really? That seems like a bad decision to me. It sounds negative. It would be better to give them a discount on renewals. Anyway, I drafted a letter for her to send and developed a checklist form for the files, to let us know what we are missing. She is pleased with the database.

I went out to say hi to Ray when he came to get the car and I noticed my Dad's car. Of course! He plays bridge at the Council on Aging on Wednesdays. I went to find him and say hi. There were 10 people. I only knew one of them, at a quick glance, besides him. Many looked quite infirm.

As we were packing up to leave, my Dad stopped in to say hi and meet Kate. I sat in his car and chatted for a few minutes before Ray arrived. He had been to get new batteries, so I don't have to worry about my key not working! We went home. Molli had put together the casserole for potluck and let the chickens out and back in. The house was pleasant.

We went to pick up Elisa at horseback riding and then went to potluck. Lots of people, lots of good food. Great music in choir. Ray didn't stay; he went to a lecture on campus, and he was a bit late to pick us up.

At home, we went to bed after one Wheel of Fortune, very sleepy.

Maybe a little anticlimactic, but not terrible.

Walked Elisa part way, came home and bathed and dressed. Tried to pick out something that would look great, be professional, and be warm enough for this really cold day (high 45). Ray drove me in and went home again. Kate is very agreeable. I signed paperwork and then we visited a potential new member, Alison R., who lives alone in Cedar Creek. She has a dog and a renter, a young man who pays $100 for a room upstairs. Her husband was an art professor, and her house is full of paintings and books. She has some back pain and gets shots regularly, but still drives. Mostly, she seems lonely. Her children are in San Francisco, Savannah, and Greenville. We visited wtih her and left an application.

Back at the office, I called all the members (that we hadn't yet heard from) to invite them to a cocktail party next week. I got some more yeses, a few nos, and some answering machines. I studied the Excel spreadsheet and turned it into a database in Access. It took me awhile; there is a lot I don't know about Access, but was quite successful. Ate leftover pot roast for lunch.

Ray and Molli picked me up and we zipped over to the credit union, where I deposited some money and Molli opened an account. Then we picked up Elisa after chorus and drove home. Molli had mostly made dinner--beef stew cooked in the oven. Ray worked on the chicken for her chicken soup (our lunch today). I made some cowboy cookies that Molli and I ate with ice cream while watching Castle. I was not as sleepy as usual.

I have to admit, I'm a little nervous and excited to be starting my internship today. It's been a while since I had a regular "job," even if that is not paid. The impression I make today and in the next few weeks could profoundly affect the rest of my life.

Yesterday, though, we played. Saturday and Sunday were busy (and Friday, too), so I rested a lot and worked on the puzzle some. The house was clean and quiet after the party Sunday, although there were some dishes to clean up still. Molli and Ray worked on them.

My Dad arrived pretty early in the day. It was sunny, but cold out, so a great day for a card game. We played the second half of our Oh Hell game and then had lunch, lots of good leftovers to choose from. Molli and Ray and I went for a walk. My Dad started seeds, which made him happy. Molli and I did a little gardening too, but it was pretty cold, even though the sun was wonderful.

My Dad left. Ray went to pick up Elisa, who came from ATL on the bus. Molli made a wonderful dinner, with a little help from me. Roast chicken, potato gratin, broccoli, and a little turnip with sour cream, which I loved but nobody else seemed to.

Elisa joined us for a fairly intense game of Carcassonne. Ray won. We split the last piece of chocolate cake three ways and ate it with vanilla ice cream.

Some of us watched Wheel of Fortune and didn't quite make it through Jeopardy. I went to bed a little before 9:30, woke up at 2:30 with butterflies in my stomach about today, but managed to go back to sleep again until 5:30.

What fun! Molli had a dinner party and I was a guest.

We sang at UUFA for the MLK service, which was excellent. My Dad was there. Heard stories about people's experiences. Talked to lots of people.

Volunteered with the coming of age class--middle schoolers talk about their ideas of God.

Molli and I went to Earth Fare and bought groceries. Picked up Ray and Dan and drove home. Went to KR annual meeting. Ray and Molli cleaned and cooked. I helped some when I got home. She made: roasted cauliflower soup with dill whipped cream (from Hugh's book), a few boiled shrimp for me to eat early, small individual salads, using lettuce from the garden, with an excellent vinaigrette, pork chops, sweet potato, summer squash with herbs, and a cake with frosting. It was incredible! Very good food and lots of conversation. Drank wine.

It was after 10 when they left and somehow I stayed up to keep Molli company while she cleaned up and ran the first load of dishes. I worked on the puzzle a bit. When I went upstairs, I was shocked to find it was midnight!

Had an interesting dream, which, like most dreams, is hard to express. It was a "design" dream, I would say. Ray and I were staying with someone somewhere (Amelia and her family in NYC???). We visited this business, where interestingly dressed women tried to rent us a space--like an office, with a desk and chairs, so we could have clients come in. It was modern and bright, but there weren't any walls, so other "offices" were set up as we walked through them. Not sure what it was about really, but it made me think I need to be more in touch with my creative side.

Yesterday was so busy I didn't have time to write anything.

Friday turned out to be quite complicated.

Walk Elisa (very cold but not raining). Get dressed, go to UGA. Go to class. Go to volunteer at the soup kitchen with Molli.

Leave there before eating anything to babysit for Carter, who ws a sick baby. His Mom took him to the doctor and then got a prescription filled, so I was actually at their house foa about an hour before he was there. He was pretty unhappy. I gave him some pain reliever (as directed by his father) and he fell asleep almost instantly. He slept for a couple hours, waking up once and crying a little. I patted his back and he went back to sleep. About 3, he woke up and was clearly uncomfortable. I tried changing his diaper. Nothing there. I offered him some applesauce, but he wasn't buying it. I gave him a bottle and he definitely liked that. He fell asleep before he finished it, but woke when I tried to put him back to bed. I held him in the rocker for an hour or two before he seemed deeply enough asleep to put in his crib. I sat in his room and listened to his stuffy breathing. A sick child is sad and endearing. The medicine will start working soon.

Whistle Stop Cafe: Elisa and ribs

I left at 5:30 when the Mom came home--in some ways, an easy way to earn $45. I also ate some of their leftovers, with their encouragement.

Then I had to stop by my Dad's and he wouldn't let me leave until we chatted for about 15 minutes. Then I drove to Winterville and picked up Molli, who moved all her things home again. Becky and Kent were home from their cruise and we had to talk some.

Molli in the reconstruction of a lodge

At home, Ray had made the pot roast and cut up all the vegetables, but it was 8 before we could sit down to eat.

Yesterday, we got up to another frosty morning. I ate some breakfast and took the dogs out to the mailbox. All four of us were taking showers (and a bath) within a half hour and there wasn't enouchg hot water. Ray drove my Dad's car to his house (he had borrowed it the night before so he could go home before I finished my babysitting and picked up Molli). The three of us met him there and we started on our road trip.

We drove through Madison to Eatonton to the Uncle Remus museum. The woman there, Georgia, is 72 and talks folks' ears off. Fascinating stuff. Joel Chandler Harris was a shy boy, whose father left the family soon after he was born. He apprenticed with a newspaper publisher at 13, who became a mentor and father figure. The older man, J. A. Turner, lived on a plantation and it was from the slaves there that he heard the Uncle Remus stories. There are lots of Turner artifacts as well as Harris ones.

view from the mound

We drove to the Whistle Stop Cafe in Juliette. Some of the food was better than others. The service was very bad, with wrong orders and slow refills. But the atmosphere is great--trains going by out the window and memorabilia all around.

We got back in the car and went to the Ocmulgee National Monument in Macon, one of my favorite places to take visitors. I figure you should start learning about Georgia history with the oldest people to live here. There are mounds and a reconstructed underground lodge. It was a beautiful sunny day, cool but good for walking.

Then we drove through the campus of Mercer Univeristy and to Ruth's house in Atlanta, where Elisa was spending the night. She dozed some in the car. We visited for a bit, then headed home. Lots of driving for not much sight seeing, but very satisfactory.

We ate leftovers, watched TV, and went to bed.

Yesterday, neither Ray nor I had to go to the university all day. Molli came a little after 9. I walked Elisa, Molli and Ray walked later. I did some reading for my classes. I'm not sure where the time went.

Molli shucked and roasted the peanuts. We had about a cup of good ones; I look forward to growing more in the future. My Dad arrived after lunch. We played half a game of Oh Hell. He talked a lot about the bridge he plays on Wednesday afternoons. It's really bad, but it's the only game in town. He usually wins a few dollars. This week he came in second.

Ray made the supper for potluck--bean tortillas with zucchini. I sat with Adah and Solomon, but had to leave early for my UUFA meeting. It went pretty well.

I was home about 9:30 and watched a little TV and read some before going to sleep. I slept until 5:30, with my mask on. 

Rain on the roof, train whistle in the darkness. Comfortable, familiar sounds. It's a little cool this morning, we had a fire for a bit yesterday afternoon. They were talking about the chance of snow today, but last t hing I saw didn't look like it would be cold enough here. Just more rain, followed by freezing temperatures...and then, at last, sunshine! Cold and sunny for a few days will be nice in the house, I hope.

We are gettting close to a "normal" schedule. Ray and Elisa are settling in. Now she is having the problem we have all encountered: too many activities. School choir on Monday and Thursday. Church choir and potluck on Wednesday. Obligations from Germany and AFS...and trying to fit in the horseback riding if she can. Not to mention homework to keep her grades on top.

Molli is still staying at Becky's...they come back tomorrow night, we think. Lots to do before she comes home--take the dogs to be groomed, wash the sheets, restock the groceries...leave the house in tip-top condition. She will be glad to be home and I will be very happy too. More people, more cooking and eating, more schedules to coordinate. She starts one job the end of January, but is hoping for other work, too, and working on her financial aid application for law school, not to mention preparing for Adrian's moving here, including finding out about his visa.

Yesterday, Ray and I walked Elisa part way, in the rain. Then we went to UGA. After my class, I walked back to his parking lot and took the car to another meeting at the Economic Justice Coalition. They are trying to start a worker coop to do cleaning. I was mostly an observer at that meeting. I left at noon to meet Ray and Molli for lunch at Siri Thai, where I had a $20 coupon we used.

After lunch, Ray took our car back to his office and Molli and I drove (Becky's car) to our house. After a moment of rest and gathering our strength, we tackled the breezeway. And by we, I mean mainly Molli. She took everything out and washed it, walls and floor included. I am still working on the gardening counter, where my father and I both contribute to the mess. Some is organic--seeds and decomposing bulbs...Now to only put back the things that really need to be there. Of course, the mess is transferred into piles in the house. The dogs were very confused and unhappy to be kept out. Molli washed Osa, too.

Meanwhile, Ray came home briefly. I baked the macaroni and cheese we had taken from the freezer Tuesday and started on some bread. He picked up Elisa at school and we all met at UUFA for potluck and choir.

When we got home, the bread had not risen a bit. When I thought about it, I knew why. I never put the yeast in! So, I stayed up late trying to mix in some yeast and more water and flour, letting it rise in the pans, just once, and baking it. It looks pretty good. We'll taste it soon and see.

So, lots of TV and late to bed. Woke up before 5:30 anyway.

I like the sound of the rain when I am waking up and going to sleep. And I love what it does for the plants. I am really happy that we have had so much rain--I hope they will announce soon that the drought is over (at least for now). However, I would really like to see the sun a bit more. Interestingly, warm rainy days are colder in the house than sunny cold days. I want the sun to shine in my windows again! That day is coming, according to the forecast, but not today or tomorrow. In fact, as the temperatures are going down and the rain continues, we have a chance of snow for Thursday. This is fun and exciting, but we will have to see what happens. Everything will stop if it snows in Athens.

Yesterday's really good news was my positive meeting with Kate, the coordinator of the Athens Village. I will start my internship there next week, and will work about 12 hours a week, Tuesday and Wednesday. There is a lot of variety and challenge that will be interesting, but nothing very difficult in my book. She is excited to have me, so that is great.

We walked a little in the morning, meeting Elisa's ride on the road. Molli came about 11, after a crisis with one of Becky's dogs getting loose. He was gone about an hour, but came back and all is well now.

Ray went to class. Molli and I spent a little time working on cleaning the sunroom. My heart wasn't in it, but it is much improved although there is more to do for sure. She drove me to the Council on Aging and then we went to Earth Fare and got some groceries. We had to stop first and eat some frozen yogurt because she didn't have any lunch. She took me to Ray's building, where the car was. I started to get Elisa, but Ray called to say he was ready to leave. We picked her up and drove her to Oconee County so she could ride. We were there right at 4:15, but she probably needs to get there earlier if possible, so she can be saddled up by then.

Ray drove me home and I made some soup with sausage and zucchini while he went back for her. The soup was well received. Ray had time to do all the dishes--and we watched Wheel of Fortune--before we headed to UGA to watch the ballet. Russian. Cinderella. It was lovely. Sadly, I dozed a lot. I don't believe I snored or bothered anyone, except Ray, who tried to wake me up from time to time. It was really warm in the theater.

We had to watch a little more TV and eat popcorn when we got home. Elisa appeared to be asleep.

Mondays are long around here. We are often surprised at how tiring cerebral activities like going to class can be. But good.

Rainy and gray. Elisa and Ray walked out to the mailbox with an umbrella and met Skipper and Valley coming here. I was a little late and met Ray coming back, just enough walk to wake up a bit. Gave the dogs breakfast, quickly bathed and dressed, and we were off. Ray to his first class, I to mine. I get an hour before mine. I spend it in the break room in Dawson Hall, usually reading e-mail or articles for class.

Yesterday's HACE class finished with a short video of a modernist housing project in St. Louis, Pruitt-Igoe. It was fascinating. It was designed and built as an answer to the thousands of people living in terrible conditions. Something like 80 buildings 11 stories each, one after the other. Since there is never enough money allocated for public housing, they were constructed with poor workmanship and materials. They were never maintained--and were demolished in the 70s. The architect was the same as for the World Trade Center and the pictures of them coming down look eerily similar. The last footage was of the 57-acre site abandoned and with Nature reclaiming it. The most interesting and important lesson is that goodwill and good ideas will not always have the desired results. One of the valuable ideas is to ask the people who will be living there what they need.

After class, Molli picked me up and took me to EJC. I met with Linda Lloyd, the director, and Kalesha, a social work intern. I helped them edit a grant application. Molli hung out and then we went to lunch. Ray joined us. It was wonderful. I had the soup of the day, creamy potato-leek with ham and bacon, the flounder with grits, and a spinach salad with fruit.

Then it was time for my long class. We had a good discussion, even though it is a fairly large class. Ageism was one of the topics. The last half hour was a report on a chapter regarding my favorite topic, Green House homes.

We picked up Elisa and her friend Chyna at the high school. They had chorus. So far, it never actually gets over at 5. So it was 5:30 or so when we got home and started supper, Curried Chicken Stew, from Jane Fonda's book. Delicious with some brown rice. The usual pattern of falling asleep very early in front of the TV and going groggily to bed. I did manage to read a bit. My favorite part? I woke up at 4:30, but managed finally to fall back to sleep for another hour or so.

Time goes by and things don't go quite as I expected. We had a lot of fun yesterday, but didn't get much done. Fortunately, nothing urgent was neglected.

Ray and elisa and I met molli at UUFA. the service was pretty crowded, which is a good thing, and there seem to be lots of new people every week. Unfortunately, the parking lot overflows down the street and people are sitting closer to each other than they might want to. We talk and talk about these issues, but can't seem to come up with any good solution. I am in favor of being a green standard-bearer (or lantern) and having a van and massive car-pooling program. Others say that is not going to happen, we have to expand the parking lot.

I drove Elisa to a farm in Oconee where they were having a horse-jumping event. The young Mom who runs the place was a little busy. There were lots of big horses and people in riding pants. It was pretty interesting, but I didn't really want to stand around there too long. I told her I was going to meet Ray et al for lunch and asked if she wanted me to bring her something. She said, "that's all right, I'll just come with you." She arranged to come back on Tuesday at 4:15. I believe she is exchanging work in the barn for a riding lesson, but need to get more details. Also, I think we need some document from her Mom that okays her riding and absolves us of any responsibility. We have to come up with shoe laces for the boots someone is giving her.

We had lunch at DePalma's with Deb and John and another couple, John and Ginny. They are a little older than we are and we enjoyed talking with them very much. John is an architect, but he is not licensed in Georgia and, I guess, retired. I am excited to talk to him about some of my ideas for housing for older people...energy-efficient, of course. Not sure what to do about funding, but we can certainly talk. We will invite them to see our house before too long.

It is so wonderful to have Molli around, but it is a fact of life that we always want more. She is not here mornings and evenings at the moment, since she is house sitting for Becky. It is hard for her to leave when she is here and I miss her at mealtime. It is only a week before they come home, though, and it is great that she is already earning money. I think Becky and Kent are really happy, too, to know their dogs and house are being well cared for. Molli has one temporary position for the month of February, scoring essays like Polly and I have done previously. She is considering another part-time job, tutoring funded by Americorps. We have talked about it a lot, but it commits her to working across the county 20 hours a week until the end of August. There are a lot of questions and the application process is complicated. Mainly, it pays less than minimum wage and I think she will have other options. It's hard to decide, though. It's good work, in the sense that teaching children to read is pretty important...and a bird in the hand...But it would pay her about $1000 a month and there would be transportation issues. I think her skills can be better used, but we'll see.

At home, Molli continued working on her back taxes and Ray chopped wood. Elisa was in her room all the rest of the day. I didn't do much. We decided not to have supper, since we had a big late lunch and none of us was really hungry. Ray made popcorn and we watched TV after molli left. I fell asleep early and had trouble walking upstairs to bed. Then I was awake for a while, watching the Golden Globes in bed.

Of course, I woke up at 4 again. Finally got up and finished my book. I feel a little off, need to get this internship straight and get on a "normal" schedule.

Sunday...I remember how depressed I used to get on Sunday evenings, not wanting to go back to work. I don't feel like that these days, but there is a shift in my mood...time to get serious and start worrying about things I haven't been worrying about for a day or two. Lots of things up in the air around here. Molli has been accepted at two law schools in Boston! yay. She is waiting to hear from lots more and then figure out which is best for her...and which offers the best financial package. She is lining up work to save money. She has a couple jobs already, part-time, temporary, but a good start for her first week. She also has to figure out what is best for bringing Adrian here...plus all the little daily things to worry about. Meanwhile, I am still waiting to meet with the young woman at the Athens Village program. She cancelled two appointments last week. Now we are in the second week of classes and I am very anxious about my internship. No money is involved, just my time, and my future potential earnings! Other than that, lots of planning and arranging for Elisa, as well as the rest of us.

I had a board and lay ministry retreat at UUFA yesterday 9-12. It was not what I wanted to do with my Saturday morning and did not produce any concrete results, but was generally a good thing. I may need to work on my patience some more. Once I ran out of yarn, I had trouble sitting still and being engaged. Not to mention, I chewed on my fingernails some.

Meanwhile, Ray went to clear invasives on the property next to Kenney Ridge--for about 4 hours. He was tired and hungry when he got home. Molli and Elisa went to Pilates class (without me, boo hoo). Elisa's friend Luanna was in town. Molli picked her up and took them to the mall for the afternoon.

I washed the dishes at the Fellowship and rode home with Dan and Nancy M. Molli and Ray and I  had lunch and hung around. My Dad arrived and weeded the asparagus thoroughly. I put the clothes out on the line.

We picked up Elisa and Luanna and stopped by the Fellowship for the Athens Activist Fair. Molli and I signed up for a few e-mail lists and said hi to some people we knew. Then we took Luanna back to her host Dad, who was playing wheelchair soccer at Lay Park, picked up my Dad, and met Janna and Ron at Cine to watch the Life of Pi. Pretty amazing movie and story. Intense, but not gory. One of the things I love at Cine is having a whisky sour while I watch the movie. In this case, with some Snow Caps chocolate candies. Maybe not your typical combination.

We took my Dad home and the rest of us ate a fabulous dinner at Farm 255. I had clams. The chocolate cream pie was awesome...in a jar. And the Malbec. Unfortunately, it ended up costing an arm and a leg. We were home a little after 9, but watched a couple TV shows because I was still kind of keyed up. And then I didn't sleep great. Not enough exercise yesterday, maybe. Today's a new day.

I did get eight hours of sleep last night...but I started before 8 pm, so I woke up at 4. I'm hungry and it's still dark out!

I was supposed to meet with Katie at the Council on Aging yesterday about my internship, but she cancelled...again. A little concerned about what is going to happen. Went to HACE class.

Molli has a possibility for an Americorps position tutoring in the public school. Of course, it doesn't pay much...

Had a nice lunch at Last Resort with Molli, Ray and my Dad. I said it was celebrating my Mom's birthday, but Mudge said he did not want to celebrate it. We had a piece of coconut cake.

Worked on the puzzle, did some reading, made supper: pork steak with cream gravy, asparagus, baked sweet potatoes.

Fell asleep watching Wheel of Fortune. Too tired to be interested in any shows. It's not like I did anything!

Logistics note: The date up there is the date I wrote this, usually very early in the morning (it's not 6 yet today). It's almost always ABOUT the day before.

Yesterday was a Thursday. I was really looking forward to getting a lot done. That isn't usually the way things work out.

The phone rang at 7 am. It was Skipper; Valley was sick and they were not going to school. It was too late to call the bus and ask them to come get Elisa, not to mention too late to get Elisa up and on the bus. Ray was up and he came up with a plan. He got dressed and ready to go by the time she was. After he dropped her at school, he went to the car dealership and had the oil changed.

Meanwhile, it was quiet early in the day and I got some reading done for my GRNT class. It was somewhat depressing, about ageism. It was amazing, though. The phone kept ringing and things kept happening. I never had time to get bored with my reading. Molli came by a little before 10 and spent a few minutes getting papers together. She met with Sky at 10 to do her back taxes for 2009. I started some bread.

Ray came home. My Dad called. Molli came back. We took a walk. I let the chickens out. I cut down the rest of the asparagus stalks and did a little weeding. Conditions were good. It was in the 60s and overcast. The soil was soft, making it easy to pull up weeds. We ate lunch. I worked on the puzzle. Ray washed some lettuce and left for Geology.

Molli kept working. I made avocado salad dressing. My Dad called. Molli left. Ray and Elisa came home. We went to Kenney Ridge potluck with our salad. I played with Solomon and Adah. There was a meeting and I said I will not be on the board next year.

I came home and watched some Wheel of Fortune and Big Bang Theory. I read Janet Evanovich. I slept until 4:15.

Frustration. I spent most of yesterday looking for the books for my classes, and I still don't have most of them!

Cut my walk a little short in the morning to leave when Ray wanted. Got him to class, went to my class (very little content). Drove to bookstores on Baxter Street. Neither one had any copies of the books for either of my classes. There was a notice that the books for one class were available through special order and the other class was not even listed. Took the car back to Ray's parking lot and walked to the "official" bookstore on campus. They had one copy of one book left, new.

Molli picked me up and we went to the social security office, where she was able to request a new card, which should arrive in a couple weeks. We drove to the library, where I returned one book, paid a fine, and renewed another book. They have three books that are marked as not returned and so had locked me out of the online renewing system, accumulating the fines...annoying. Not that I really mind  paying fines to the library.

Drove home and had lunch with Molli. She worked on her application for substitute teaching, an incredibly difficult experience. As she said, no wonder they have a shortage of subs! Meanwhile, I was searching for inexpensive used copies of my books. I prefer digital, but only one was available at a good price. The other two I finally ordered from Abe Books, using cool software Molli told me about that finds and compares prices on books: BigWords.com. I was quite pleased at the results, until my credit card was declined. I have re-ordered one, but haven't been informed the other is cancelled. Bizarre.

Wednesday is potluck, except that the Coming of Age class is making dinner once a month and selling it for five dollars instead. So no preparation for me. I am supposed to eat with Mason on those occasions, as I am his mentor. Last month and this month, he was not there. In fact, very few of the kids participating were there last night--not sure why. Glad it's not really my problem. We enjoyed the soup dinner and the company of a grad student named Leon who has just started coming.

Sleepy by the time we drove home from choir and went right to bed, reading a little Evanovich.

Back on schedule, I am walking about a mile to a mile and a half every morning, escorting Elisa to her ride. This morning, Ray went on for a longer walk. Cameron went with him and Osa came home with me. We got our second egg of the year, small, but exciting. I let the chickens out since I was going to be home all day.

Ray left about 11. I did some KR work at Sky's, printing statements for a couple families who haven't paid their dues. I arranged to meet with Kate at the Council on aging about my internship and did some other computer stuff, mainly trying to find the books I need for my classes at the best price.

Molli came by after taking the test to score essays, which she thought went pretty well. That job wouldn't start until the 27th, if they hire her. She worked on her taxes and talked to Stephanie about insurance. She had brought lunch, so we ate that.

It was gray all day and I kept putting wood on the fire to keep it warm in the house.

My Dad arrived and seemed pretty cheerful. He got his dry laundry and picked some dill for the salmon he was making. He also picked all the meat off my leftover chicken pieces and I made a fairly complicated chicken lasagna rollup dish, which was well received.

The three of us had fun playing a game Kevin gave me for Christmas. It is not great, but we have never been able to come up with a great game for three people. Rummy and Scrabble are contenders. Molli thought Mudge and I would be too good for her to play Scrabble with. This is a card game with four suits on each card (Exactica?). The person calls the suit when they play. It might get better as we play it more. But, what's the saying? A lousy day playing cards is better than a good day going to work? Something like that.

My Dad left. Molli worked. I cooked. We did some puzzle. Elisa arrived home, having ridden the bus. She prepared the broccoli. Ray finally came about 5:30 and we sat down to eat about 15 minutes later.

I did some knitting, some puzzling, and watched TV. Elisa likes the Mentalist. If you know the series, you know who Red John is. This episode featured him and was especially violent and scary. Not good for sleeping, although I managed 8 hours or so. I just felt a little off and woke up at 4. Could be the TV show, could be the fact that it's my Mom's birthday. But it's probably more the uncertainty of my life right now. I need to get this internship set up, need to buy my books and pay my tuition, and pretty soon I need to figure out the rest of my life.

We got Elisa to her ride and Ray to his class. And me to my first class at 10 am. It was about management of non-profit housing...I think. There were about 50 people in the class, very different from the ones I have been taking. I was told by other students (all much younger than me) that it was the easiest class ever. There are 12 football players taking it. I am really excited about it in a way. The professor is a mother of 4 from Minnesota, who moved here last year. She has done research and consulting on public housing. We will be doing service learning, interviewing people in one of the housing neighborhoods in Athens. On the other hand, I am not sure how much relevance it will have to senior housing. We'll see.

Molli met me for lunch and Ray came and joined us when he was through with his second class. We had a very pleasant time. Then I went to my 1:25 class, the Sociology of Aging, or Aging in Society. We went over the syllabus in detail and reviewed some information we had covered last semester, so it was not very interesting. About half the class are people I know from last semester, which is fun. There is a required interview with an older person, but I am not going to use my father again. If I was going to see Norma or Eleanor, I would use them, but that doesn't seem too likely. Probably, I will talk to George K. or someone else from UUFA. I have to do research on a sub-group of the aging population--not sure what that would be either.

I spoke with Dr. Glass a little about my internship. It is a bit vague--no required number of hours, but some sort of paper at the end. I need to finalize with Kate, at the Council on Aging, about my hours and duties.

Ray and Elisa picked me up and we went home. We finished taking down the tree; there are still some things to pack up and take downstairs. Elisa prepared the beans and potatoes. All I did was stick the chicken in the oven with some seasonings, add the potatoes a little later, and put the beans in a pot.

After supper, we watched TV, but it was early. I ended up going to bed before 9. Sadly, I woke up at 2 in the morning and finished my book.

Here we are, headed back to school. A lot of possibiities...and warm weather. We have ordered our seeds for this spring and replaced part of the fence. Any day now, it will be warm enough to work outside. This has been the longest cold spell I can remember, but it is forecast to hit 70 next weekend.

Yesterday morning, most of us wen to the Burning Bowl service at UUFA. Elisa was up when we left, but not ready to go. I'm still not sure if she wanted to come with us and was late or never intended to come. I felt bad, but we were a little late as it was. My Dad was there, a pleasant surprise, and seemed to enjoy the service. We wrote things on little slips of paper and burned them up, like anger and living in the past. Ray and I drove Molli to Becky's house, where she will be living for a couple weeks, taking care of their dogs while they are on a cruise. We stopped at Lowe's on the way home and got some hardware to fix the clothesline.

At home, we had lunch, more leftovers. E. was upstairs and did not come down when we said hello. Ray continued taking things off the Christmas tree and I chopped onion and garlic for supper. Molli came and ate a late lunch--the last of the pork. Of course, there's more in the freezer!

The four of us went to the dollar movie--Cloud Atlas. I made Elisa come, since I had not even seen her all day. It seemed odd to force someone to come to the movies. We all really liked it. It is an amazing movie. Many amazing costumes, sets and complicated makeup as the plot(s) went back and forth over about 500 years, including aboard a sailing ship in the 1700s and space ships in the 24th century. Somewhat depressing, as the planet is predicted to revert to primitive savagery and become uninhabitable, yet oddly uplifting as well. Love, truth... One of my favorites in a while, although it doesn't bear close examination in some ways. The main actors (Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, and many other amazing people) play as many as six different parts in the different stories. Incredible acting and technical work and beautiful, dizzying filmmaking. I look forward to seeing it again. Warning: incredibly violent, with graphic sex scenes.

I finished supper when we got home and we ate after eight again. Molli packed a suitcase and some food and left before supper.

I was pretty keyed up and didn't want to watch any TV. We worked on the puzzle some and read for a while, so it was after 11 when we went to sleep, unfortunately.

Three Kings' Day

Another busy day. Pilates for the three women. Ray went to help clear barbed wire from the tract of land being preserved next door. If he puts in 24 hours, theoretically, he has access to walk the trails. I say do it because it's important.

We stopped at the hardware store to get a pulley for the clothes line, which broke after 8 1/2 years. They don't have anything like a clothesline pulley. I bought one, but it turned out not to be right. So, no clothes drying for us for the moment. Might break down and go to Lowe's today, to see what they have.

At home, leftovers for lunch. Molli went for a run.

We headed out again to give blood. Ray donated platelets and Molli and I gave blood. Elisa watched--she said in Germany people are paid to give blood. She was surprised to find herself feeling a little faint and had to wait up front.

Giving platelets takes a long time and we had to wait for Ray before we could go home. Molli was making a king cake for the party last night. The dough had not risen much. We're not sure why--it was pretty cold in the house all day, but we stuck the dough in an oven, warmed and turned off. It just sat there. Not having another option, she shaped it into a ring and decorated it and we baked it. It looked great. And tasted fine. We were the only ones who knew it probably should be lighter. It wasn't all eaten, so no one got the baby (which was an almond).

We were uncharacteristically late because of the cake, and because I was surprised to re-read the invitaiton and find the party started at 5! There were lots of people there that I didn't know at all. Becky and Kent and Deb and John we know well. Beth and Joe and Laura and Mark I have met before. Two Jens, two Julies, a Sylvia...and nobody else under the age of 40 (?) At the end of the party, Molli and Elisa talked to some of the other guests. I felt a little out of my element. I think it's been a long time since I was at a gathering like that where I didn't know most of the people.

There were lots of treats and sweets, not much in the way of veggies and no fruits. We left about 9:30, the last to go. And went straight to bed when I got home.

Closing in on "back to school." Just the weekend left before our "new normal."

We had to pick Elisa up about 12:30 from the Megabus and we planned to do some of Molli's errands before then. For the three of us to get up, take our walk, eat breakfast, get dressed...meant we didn't leave the house until after 11. We took Ray to his office and I drove Molli to the Department of Drivers' Services. She had studied the website and had the necessary items with her, but we weren't sure she would be able to get it without taking any tests. It took about half an hour, but went smoothly and she walked out with a temporary license. They will mail the new one. So that was good.

We picked up Elisa, then Ray, then drove home and ate leftovers. Molli and Ray left again about 3. Elisa spent the afternoon talking to her Mom in her room on the computer. I made mini-quiches for Janna's party tonight. I looked at starting dinner, but needed some ingredients that they were going to pick up. About 6, I called Molli and she hadn't started for the grocery store yet. Amazingly, they were home by 7. I was pretty grumpy and hungry by then. It was after 8 before we finished eating, which means I didn't watch much TV before I fell asleep.

Yesterday morning, after a walk and the usual morning routine, in this case involving small slices of stale French baguette (homemade), toasted with peanut butter, Ray went to his office to continue getting ready for this semester, which starts Monday. I took the car and went to the bank and then to Earth Fare. I had a little time, so stopped by Janna's house. She has a bad cold, and we enjoyed chatting for awhile. She had seen Lincoln, which she recommends highly.

I picked up Ray and Molli arrived early on the Megabus from Atlanta. We headed home for lunch (more delicious leftovers). My Dad came in the afternoon, just long enough to put in his laundry. I was trying to get him to stay for a game, but Ray was cross about something his computer wasn't doing right--and then he got a phone call about the Democratic committee finances.

I made some dinner with leftover pork and ramen noodles and spinach (Cook's) and we took it to the community center for potluck. There were only six of us, but it was pleasant.

Back home, you know the drill. I watched Wheel and Jeopardy, but fell asleep during Castle.

It was really quiet yesterday afternoon when everyone left. I thought I should enjoy it, but I was surprised at how sad I was. In the morning, we kind of sat around a bit, reading and chatting--Molli, Amelia, Ray and me. We like each other's company most of the time. We ate breakfast and then lunch. It seemed like at least one person was eating continuously for several hours. Ray did more dishes and we worked casually on cleaning up a bit. Adrian had to pack.

My Dad came to make himself another gardening board. He ate lunch and then headed out to play bridge, so he didn't have time to play anything with us. We had a little walk.

Amelia had to pack, too. I spent a lot of time on the phone, making arrangements for Elisa and Luanna. In the end, Ray drove them to the ice skating rink in Atlanta when he took Molli and Adrian to the airport. They left between 2 and 2:30.

Amelia left a little after three. (She called last night to say she was home safe. They have a service for their GPS that alerts them about traffic and sends them a different way. Cool.)

I sat in the quiet. I built a fire. I put away clean dishes and worked on the puzzle. No need to do any cooking for awhile. I came upstairs and spent time computing.

Ray came home about 6. We ate pork with gravy and green beans. I finished up some tomato soup. And we valiantly ate desserts; we don't want anything to go bad.

I fell asleep before the end of Wheel of Fortune, but woke back up as Ray was starting an episode of Castle, which kept me awake until almost 10. Slept well, but woke up a little early.

Elisa, Luanna, Adrian from 3 countries play Carcassonne

Now comes the sad day that Amelia goes back to Durham and Adrian goes back to Mexico. I have done well with not letting it spoil my mood other days, but it's always hard when they go. Of course, it's good that they have work to go to, and we'll see them again before too long. But this happy interlude is over. I must begin studying again and Molli must find work. Elisa goes back to school and Ray to work.

After I brought Elisa home from the skating rink at 6 yesterday morning, and she went to bed, I continued getting ready for our big party. It was sort of Amelia's idea, but it got a little out of hand. She did most of the cooking, though.  I took the French bread that I had mixed and kneaded the day before out of the freezer to thaw and bake. I began preparing the jambalaya by sauteeing three pounds of sausage in the big skillet and adding 2 large chopped onions, celery stalks, some frozen peppers, some garlic, canned tomatoes...and ran out of space.

Amelia got up and worked on the banana pudding. She had made homemade vanilla wafers and real pudding. Now she layered them with bananas and whipped cream. Molli cut up several pounds of boneless skinless chicken. Ray washed dishes and washed dishes some more. We ate some breakfast and walked briefly. It was rainy and gray all day. We showered and dressed and kept cooking. Adrian peeled the shrimp and began vacuuming. We moved the puzzle we had started. I am afraid it will not be in very good shape when we try to put it back. We got out the dishes and glasses and utensils and put tablecloths on two tables. The jambalaya was transferred to a bigger pot and ready to eat. We cooked a lot of plain brown rice. Amelia had made hoppin' john--one with spices and one bland. She made cornbread in the cast iron skillet, also for luck, and sauteed kale briefly as people arrived. I picked some dill and parsley and minced them for the dip (mayo, sour cream, lemon juice, dijon mustard). Molli cut up carrots and cucumbers.

We put away the vacuum as my Dad and the first guests arrived and Molli began serving mimosas. They are a tasty, festive, and easy to make drink (champagne and orange juice). There were about 25 people in all, including Elisa's friend Luanna, whose "Dad" drove her from Buford. Some of them brought food, including Mary Jean's incredible cheesecake, and an 18-bean stew (or some number) that Deb and John brought. We opened wine and kept making mimosas. My Dad arranged cheese and crackers and meats and breads. Amelia spread goat cheese on toasted slices of French bread, with apple and honey. We set out quiche and people served themselves. There was plenty of food, although we ran short of utensils. I should have gotten out the silver.

Everyone talked and ate. A few people watched the football game, behind the Christmas tree and sitting on the stairs. Kevin and Kasey arrived late, but stayed for a while. Janna and Ron came after almost everyone had gone. One of my favorite things was Adrian (from Mexico), Luanna (from France), and Elisa (from Germany) playing Carcassonne. Janna and Becky and I and the girls talked and looked at pictures, while my Dad and other men watched football, cheering and yelling from time to time. Amelia and Mudge and I took time to look at the seed catalog and talk about what we wanted to order.

Eventually, they left. Ray started running dishes and we gathered up food. We played one hand of Mille Bornes (Luanna and I won). Then seven of us rushed off to watch Les Mis at the movie theater, a very satisfying ending to New Year's Day.

Now for more cleaning and saying goodbye.

Happy New Year!

Yesterday morning Amelia spent a few hours with my Dad, cleaning his house. She is a nicer person than I am. We always said that time was the best Christmas present. I worked on some cooking. I made quiches and cookies, a special Martha Stewart recipe, and started some French bread.

We went to lunch at the Last Resort. We had to wait a while, naturally, and sat down about 1:45. As we were leaving the restaurant, I ran into Jaamy, the owner/manager. We know each other slightly and said hello. I told hm my daughter was applying to work there and he said, "where is she?" I introduced them and he put a note on her application, "see J.Z." Nice. I always wanted to be influential. It doesn't necessarily guarantee her a job, but I was tickled. Some of us went to Agora, an interesting bazaar-type consignment shop down the street. I actually found a copy of Janet Evanovich's "Eighteen" book. Hardcover for $4. It seemed auspicious.

At home, we went into full party preparation mode. Amelia made vanilla pudding, so she can make banana pudding today. She provided the recipe and Molli cooked the Hoppin' John. I rolled and cut out and baked the cookies, although they made me swear a lot, falling apart and sticking. I ended up just cutting a bunch of circles and sprinkling them with colored sugar, instead of putting on the egg yolk wash and breaking out all the neat shapes I have in my collection. The bread was ready to bake but we had to leave, so we stuck it in the freezer. It's thwaing now and will bake in a bit.

Amelia left for dinner with friends. Molli and Adrian went to dinner alone together at Porterhouse, where she also told them she was looking for work. Ray and I went to the movies with Becky and Kent. We saw "This is 40," which was crude, but had some funny and/or real moments. Molli picked us up and we spent a little time at home, while I whipped together the meringues that had to get in the oven overnight.

I was done before 11 and we walked over to the community center and saw in the New Year playing poker with about 10 of our friends and a bottle of champagne left from the wedding. A very satisfying end to the evening.

Meanwhile, Elisa had spent the night at a skating rink with her friend Chyna and a lot of other kids. I said I would pick them up about 6, but I was sound asleep when the phone rang. I jumped into some clothes and the car and drove through the dark with not much company. It was quite amusing to arrive at the Skate Inn, where there were lots of lights and loud music and some zombie-like children. They seemed to have enjoyed it and now she is, of course, asleep, as is everyone else, probably for hours.

I am about to start the jambalaya and corn bread and get this year going! Happy New Year!