The ground is pretty dry, but there are persimmons ripening.

Yesterday, I ended up spending 5 hours at the Land Trust. Heather has asked me to work on a homeowners' manual, which is good and useful work. I did, however, have some frustrations, having to work at a different computer, and learning about some upcoming events at the staff meeting that I don't have much lead time on, to try to get 15 volunteers, for instance.

I realized I didn't have my cell phone with me, and Ray had to stay for a meeting, so I left at 3 and drove home. At 4:20, I went back to pick him up at the end of the bus line. I made supper, we ate after 7, we watched TV.

Monday morning, we took a short walk. It was really too hot and humid, even at 8:30, to be outside much. I took Ray to his office and was at the Land Trust before 10. I talked to two potential volunteers on the phone and listed our volunteer opportunity on a website. By 11:30, I left because I was bored and had nothing to work on.

I went to the bank and made a deposit, I stopped by Wendy's for a sandwich and a milkshake (no fries). I went to the library. It is under construction, part of it being demolished, but the rest of it trying to go on as usual. It was really strange. Then I went to UUFA and helped Shaye reorganize her filing system. We had fun. It needs a lot more work.

I picked up Ray and we went to the pool for an hour or so. We came home and made supper and then I drove to the Fellowship with Karen P. for a meeting on the Green Sanctuary process. It is going to be very slow and frustrating. For starters, we can't really do anything until we are an "official" committee. The Board is meeting tonight, but they can't consider that because it would have had to be put on the agenda a week before. So, I have to make sure it is on the agenda for next month. Then we can start doing the other things, step by step. Here is the website if you want to know more: Green Sanctuary

The meeting lasted an hour. It took us a while to figure out how to lock the front door. Karen and I tried and tried. I called Ray, and tried his suggestions. Then I called Shaye and she told me how to find a key to lock it. When I got home, I fell asleep before 10, watching Jeopardy.

I am not a psychologist. I took an intro to Psychology course in college...omg, that was 35 years ago! I am a social worker, although I am sure the psychologists will tell you, that is not the same thing. However, I believe there is some idea that some people's issues stem from their challenge early in life to separate the self from the other, in that case, their mothers.

I am often surprised to realize I have more in common with my father than my mother, and a little dismayed. My mother is gentle and patient, while I am often not. This may or may not tell you something about my father. Of course, given the crapshoot that is genetics, probably half of us are more like our fathers than our mothers. Still, it seems a little unnatural as a woman, to take after a man. One wonders how much is genetics and how much environment, that age-old question. No doubt about it, my father has a strong personality and dominated our family. In fact, he still does at 83.

My question at this point is how separate is my self from that of my husband's, after 30+ years?

Saturday, Ray and I enjoyed pilates and a visit to the Farmers' Market, where we got some summer squash (ours was done in by borers, we think), potatoes, a pork roast, and some Romano cheese. When we got home, my parents were making pesto in the mortar, by hand. They left us some and went home. Ray and I had lunch. I seem to spend an inordinate amount of time worrying about what we'll eat, preparing it and eating it. We've been doing well at cutting back on carbs and Ray has lost some weight. Not eating as much seems to have a bad effect on my depression, though. Hmm.

In the evening, we went to Cine for a showing of Chocolat with Ron and Janna. It was really good. I had missed a lot about the movie. For example, the Mayan connection. When I saw it before, I didn't have a daughter in Mexico, so it wasn't such a big thing. A really fun movie. Then we went to dinner at Big City Bread (review in the works). Ray and I were pretty moderate, ordering salads and splitting an entree, although I did not resist the chocolate mousse. They had beautiful cakes, too. When we got home, I worked on the review right away.

Yesterday morning, we went to church and I stayed for the Social Action meeting. Then Ray mowed some (in 90-degree heat) and we canned 3 pints of tomatoes. It seemed like there were a lot more than that. It was hot, exhausting work, and we didn't eat supper until 8, so I was a basket case.

Sometimes, like yesterday, I feel like my life is so routine, there is really no need to write it down. It's not a bad life, it's just fairly predictable. Get up, work on the computer until it gets light, eat breakfast, go for a walk, pick tomatoes, go to work at the Land Trust. Thursday, I did a couple minor things that people asked me to (like finding out where to recycle styrofoam), and picked up the lawnmower at the repair shop).

Yesterday, I spent hours on the phone with HP, trying to figure out how to get our new computer connected to the internet. Eventually, the technician, who had a heavy Indian or Pakistani accent, said he would send packaging and a shipping label so we could return it. In between, I had to perform all kinds of tests, includling creating a diagnostic CD (fortunately, Nathan was able to get me a blank CD). Several times, I was on hold while he checked with a supervisor, who was the one who finally told me the instructions for returning it. The ethernet card, which is integrated into the motherboard, appears to be defective. After they receive the computer, which is after they send us the return label and packing materials, they will fix it in 7-10 business days. He did offer to cut that time in half for an additonal charge. I laughed and said, "no, I am not going to pay you to repair the brand-new computer that we bought from you but doesn't work." Fortunately, ALT will be able to manage, although it will be nice to have it. The other thing I did yesterday is drive to the recycling center, a little ways out, to take the styrofoam packing materials. Turns out it is not really styrofoam, but plastic, and they do not recyle it. They did take it, however, for some special need, fortunately.

Ray and I went to the pool yesterday. I got tired of swimming pretty quickly, I guess because it has been a while. It was pleasant to sit there in the shade. 

We were home by 4:30. I spend a lot of time and energy on eating these days. Ray and I are trying to eat a lot less carbs and it seems to require an incredible amount of planning. Plus we are eating garden produce as much as we can. Quick, what can you make using tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes) and chard, but no pasta or tortillas? And plenty of protein, but no red meat. It's hard, if you are trying not to use processed foods and to eat good and interesting things. I read cookbooks for hours. We made tomato sauce with ground beef for the freezer. I peeled the tomatoes (by dunking them in boiling water and then cold water) and Ray cut them up, as well as the other ingredients and started cooking it. In addition, I made an eggplant omelet. It was okay, but eggplant sauce with pasta is so much better. And, of course, cooking requires cleaning up, which he does generously and graciously. The meat sauce was too hot to stick in the freezer last night; we left it to cool. It should be okay this morning.

lots of big chard in the sink

will this melon make it?

hummus at the national

Worked for a few hours at ALT, writing thank you letters, and trying to get a new computer on line. Came home for lunch and spent the afternoon on the computer, deleting files to make room for pictures. Wrote another reveiw. Made supper for potluck. Had a pleasant time with 6 other people. Came home, watched TV, went to bed a little after 9.

Ray had a bad headache yesterday morning, so stayed in bed. I picked a few things in the garden, including chard for supper, and foudn dodder. Dodder is like a horror movie. It is just tendrils, no leaves or roots, that wrap around the plants and choke them. I put it in the burn pile and my Dad burned it, but it hwas been in that same part of the garden before. It must be in the soil. I washed the chard, one and a half pounds of it, and cooked shrimp for dinner.

I went to the Land Trust and did a small amount of work. I had lunch with Becky (and Lara). She is getting ready to go to California and work, with a horse trainer. I went back to the office for the staff meeting. They have hired a Housing Program Assistant, who is an attorney and former intern. I feel used and abused, having put in so much time for free, and being told there was no money to hire anyone. Six months I've been working there. I went home, since I wasn't doing anything anyway, and Ray was home. I bought some yogurt at Daily Groceries, $5 for the cheapest kind they had, but I didn't want to go to the store. It was convenient, and local.

When I got home, I peeled the shrimp and cut them up, as well as some tomatoes. My parents came back to get their laundry. They hadn't had any lunch, so I gave them leftover potato salad (they added mayonnaise) and a few other things, including peaches from the garden.

I did some work on my computer and Ray and I ate dinner late and watched TV.