I slept until after 7 and the sun was shining. Ray said the chickens were squawking, but I didn't hear them.

Yesterday I stayed home, gardening, cooking, attempting to write my story. My computer was slow, but I loaded some photos finally. Made a lime-cilantro dressing and marinated a can of pinto beans. Cut some more lettuce; I am so pleased to be able to use them up before they bolt--only 6 heads left and I may use them all! They still taste great.

Woke up to the sun and birds again this morning. My feet were cold! It is still cool enough at night to open the windows--and not too humid yet. If it would stay like this, I could make it through the summer, but it is only mid-May after all.

The clear liquid is lard in the making. The remnants are for Cameron.

Yesterday's cooking project was making lard. I have lots of fat that needs to be cooked down. I did one batch yesterday. It's not really hard, but I think I overcooked it. My "lard" is brown, I think maybe it burned, even though it was on the lowest setting. There are chunks of cooked fat left that look delicious but taste like...chunks of cooked fat. The dog will get them for treats. I will try another batch today, hopefully I will do better with it and turn it off sooner.

I marinated some more garbanzo beans and we made another salad to take to potluck--the one we had Monday night with cheese and carrots that we liked so much.

It tastes better than it looks.

My Dad came for breakfast. I cooked up some more of the "proto-bacon" and made fried eggs for all of us. I am trying to use it before it goes bad.

We did some work in the garden--him more than me. Ray went off to work. I had the last of the leftover ziti for lunch. When my Dad went home, I packed up my things and put away the chickens and drove into town as well.

First, I went by the post office and mailed a couple things. Then I went to the bank to close Molli's account. Lo and behold, when the "personal banker" looked me up in the computer, she offered me a waiver (they are going to start charging $10/month for anyone who doesn't have a minimum--I think it's $1000--or at least $500 direct deposited). I told them the situation and she assured me there would be no fees, because I have been a customer for a long time--20 years, I think. So, I didn't close it. But, as I left, I was thinking that I am really opposed to having my money somewhere that keeps poor people (anyone who can't afford to keep $1000 sitting around or doesn't have steady income that  can be direct deposited) for having a checking account. So I should really take my money out anyway. That took longer than I thought, so I didn't have much time at the grocery store. I got some things, but not everything, and I was late for my writing workshop.

I walked in as quietly as I could because they were doing their meditation, that they always start with. I got to read right away, because I didn't have time last week (or the week before). Always a pleasure to have a supportive audience. One of the most common responses is that people want to know what happens next, a good sign, I think. There is never any negative criticism in this group, which is good for two reasons. One, I am really bad at taking criticism. Two, it keeps me going. But I do need some objectivity as well, and some feedback as far as what to do more of and what to do less. Should I include more description or does it slow down the action? Should I try to write for young adults or make it more sophisticated? I also enjoyed Deb's writing in response to a "prompt" about her mother's closet, which was a way to learn more about her mother, who died several years ago.

After that class, I met Ray and we drove home. We finished the salad--I cut up the carrots and cheese, he washed some more lettuce--and we drove to potluck to eat and sing.

At home we watched a little TV and went to bed. It took me a little while to get to sleep. It was a little warm, but I just seemed to have too much energy.

It was my birthday yesterday, my 57th. I had calls from both daughters and both sisters, which was lovely. I think some times the gift of time is the nicest of all--time and attention.

We had a surprise visitor, a guinea fowl from somewhere had shown up overnight and was hanging out with our chickens. They were not pleased--they even looked flustered and came up on the porch twice. Cameron chased him half-heartedly. I fed him corn. He made interesting noises and looks like a dinosaur. I would love to have him stay, but he was gone by evening.

Ray and I had yogurt and toast and a little walk. My Dad arrived as we were leaving. It was in the high 60s and low 70s and pleasant. I did a little gardening. Ray went off to teach the first day of Maymester, 15 days of class from 12:30 to 3:15. I spent most of the time on the computer.

Cameron and the guinea cock

He came home really tired and took a nap while I went back outside for a little while. We had pork chops again and a few pieces of asparagus. I opened my presents and ate ice cream with strawberries from the freezer. We watched TV and read and went to sleep.

Even the cactus are blooming!

I remember how much we enjoy this time of year, especially when my Mom first came to stay with us. It is light early, before 6, and the birds are singng their little hearts out. The windows are open overnight, because it is cool enough and not too humid. I even needed a blanket on my toes toward morning. It gets hot in the afternoons, but if we close up, not hot enough to need the air conditioning, not up to 78. It stays light long after supper--a little more than one month to go until the longest day.

I picked another lettuce and we ate salad again--with marinated garbanzo beans, cheese and carrots. The garden promises lots more goodies soon. I will pick peas again today, but they are near the end of their production. Not much asparagus either. I wanted to dig up some baby potatoes, but Ray said we should wait until they are as big as they can get. We haven't been to the grocery store in a while. We had eggs and "bacon" for breakfast--at least my father and I did. Ray says it tastes like pork chops. But I think it's fine. we will have to buy yogurt, some fruit, flour and a few other things. I don't know if we want to eat pork chops 7 nights a week or not. Alternating with sausage and pork roast...

Why are there cacti at Kenney Ridge?

Yesterday I went to Janna's and picked up some things from her firdge--a butternut squash, a red pepper, 5 apples...she is in Europe and will throw them out if they are still her when she gets back. I went to UUFA and met with a representative from UUSC (the UU Service Committee) and several other members of UUFA: Rosemary, Heather, Herb and Myrna, Tammy Webb, and Morgan (the RE Director). Tammy talked about her trip to Haiti and I want to go. Rosemary went to Uganda...not so sure about that, although it's probably safer than Haiti. Maxine was there mainly to try to raise money. We are perhaps the wrong audience. What I'd really like is to work for UUSC! They have a staff of 41, but almost all are in Boston. One in DC, one in California. We had lunch; I cut up some of the apples from Janna's house and shared banana bread and chocolates (Easter candy). I brought my own sandwich: salamii, lettuce, mayo on homemade whole wheat bread. Heather got Subway sandwiches for the rest of the group, but I said no thanks.

I wonder how hard it would be to make salami? I will have to buy some sandwich meat soon.

Not sure what I did in the afternoon--caught up on emails? marinated garbanzo beans. When it got down to 78, I went out and let the chickens out and checked on the garden, pulled a few weeds.

After supper, lots of TV, reading, and bed.

We had a lovely short trip to the mountains. I do love driving around, looking at views, stopping now and then. And western north Carolina is really beautiful. I missed my Mom some; we were in that area a few times with my parents. I missed my kids, who also used to have adventures with us.

Friday was the sausage-making, which was fun but hard work and took about 3 times as long as we had thought, mostly from the process of putting it in casings, which I decided not to do (fortunately). But it was a group effort and some of the group used casings. We prepared the seasonings, mixed them with the meat, ground it up, and then put it in casings. We got several batches ahead of the casings group, and then we just put the ground meat in freezer bags. There was a goodly amount of serious cleanup, too, not wanting to leave bits of raw pork for small children to find and put in their mouths. My Dad was a trooper, preparing thyme, grinding meat, and walking back up to my house three times for more herbs.

I think it was after two by the time we finished, maybe closer to three. We put our meat in the freezer and ate some lunch. Ray called to say he was done with court (yay!), so I jumped in the shower and finished packing. I was shutting down my computer when he got home, and then we packed up a few groceries and put it all in the car.

We stopped for dinner in Greenville (or Greensboro, I get them confused) at a drive-in, fast food, but not a chain, I believe. It was good and quite entertaining, watching the "flower and chivalry" of the area. It was after 8 when we got where we were going. The cabin was behind a security gate and the owner had mailed me a card to use, but it didn't work! She had given me her phone number and answered right away. She was very apologetic and sent someone over to let us in, but before they could arrive, someone else pulled up and let us in. There is a huge maze of gravel roads all over this mountain (it's called Riverbend, not sure why), sprinkled with homes, some very nice. The one we stayed in was probably at least 10 minutes from the entnrance, near the top, but with no view.

Amazingly beautiful mountain laurel in bloom

It was twilight, but we found the key and carried everything in. We put food away. It was somewhat challenging finding the light switches. There was a giant bed that was pretty comfortable, and stone showers. Beautiful, but not particularly comfortable, and surely very expensive. Also a row of stoen flooring along the kitchen wall, hard on the back and causing a bump in the floor where you could stub your toe.

Amelia and Kevin at the marina, mountains behind

There were tons of informational literature and the next morning, after eating our usual breakfast, we drove out to take a little walk. On our way, we saw a turkey. Later we saw more turkeys, deer, and two hawks (or the same one twice). We stopped at the gate and the gatekeeper fixed the computer so our card would work. The owner had called her and she was very nice--and chatty. Ray commented on her bumper stickers, which were liberal.

one of the newest homes on Lake Lure

wedding in the park

tour boat

We took a short walk (with ski poles, Ray's idea) and then drove into Lake Lure and Chimney Rock. We admired some of the homes along the lake and investigated renting a boat. Renting a canoe was as much as taking the tour.

We went "home" and I showered while Ray called his Mom and talked to her for awhile. Then Amelia and Kevin arrived. It was really fun to have them join us, even just for a few hours. They had brought me Mother's Day and other presents: a dwarf Meyer lemon tree, something I've had on my list for a while, new gardening gloves, German chocolates, and a few things from the Scrap Exchange that Amelia got for free. Meanwhile, I gave her some old mail (insurance bills) and some books to read up on landscaping and designing kitchens.

Buffalo Mountain behind driver

We drove to Chimney Rock for lunch at the best place around. We had to wait quite a while; I can imagine what it would be like in high season! Maybe I need to open a restaurant there...lots of vacant buildings...The food was good, nothing to write home about. We sat outside and it was pleasant. I admired Amelia's plans for her kitchen and garden. She carries a notebook with her and keeps lists of everything--on paper! She was very tired; she had gotten up to bake donuts (for money) very early. In fact, she had brought us some day-old and they were good.

Kevin also was tired, having to get up somewhat early on his day off to drive 3 1/2 hours or so. So we took the boat tour, which was very relaxing and pleasant. The driver was really competent, telling us a lot about the houses on the lake and the history of the area--and making a few bad jokes that Ray enjoyed. It is a beautiful (man-made) lake, with mountains surrounding it. Sleeping Lady, Buffalo Head...Some of the houses are huge and some are gorgeous and some are pretty hideous and ostentatious. There are a few small ones left from the thirties, when they had first filled the lake. Ray and I enjoy critiquing them and deciding which one we would want. What is the ideal lake house? There is also an inn that was built in 1927, where I might consider staying another time. It is not much more than the cabin. We walked around in the lobby area, where there was a display of antique music boxes, the size of furniture! There was also a wedding reception getting under way.

We drove around the lake some, admiring the views, and across the dam. We tried to get into our "development" the back way. There was a gate, but our card did not make it open. Kevin and Amelia and I got out and crossed behind it, trying to trigger it, but no luck. So we drove back around and came in the regular way. We ate ziti and salad, even though we weren't that hungry yet, and sent them back to Durham. Ray and I went to bed pretty early.

I did a lot of reading in a short time, finishing Catching Fire, reading some good but depressing short stories that were at the cabin, and an entire book by Anna Quindlen, Black and Blue, about a woman who takes her ten-year-old son and leaves her husband because he beats her. So I spent several hours yesterday morning finishing that--excellent but not happy.



We ate breakfast, packed up again, and drove around some more, up to Chimney Rock park, turning around when we got to the gate where you had to buy tickets. It was raining and misty and not a great day for walking around on rocks, plus my ankle isn't quite back to normal yet. We drove on toward Hendersonville and had lunch at an Italian restaurant with tons of ambience, but the food was somewhat mediocre. They gave me a free cupcake for Mothers Day. I wondered how you would feel to get a cupcake by mistake if you weren't a mother--most people would be happy, I think.

wild turkey tracks

We drove to Jump Off Rock in Hendersonville, where you would have a great view if it were clear. Then to Whitewater Falls, the highest east of the Mississippi. I dozed a bit in the car. It was raining pretty hard when we got there, but I was happy to pay the Forest Service two dollars to use a nice rest room. It's that system where you put money in an envelope--I doubt anyone will come after you if you don't pay, but I like the idea of it. I put on my raincoat and pulled up the hood. Ray took the umbrella and we walked on the half-miled paved walkway to the lookout. It was spectacular and i can't wait to go again--about 100 miles from where we live and we had never seen it. There were also steps down to an even better vantage point, so we went down (150 steps?). Coming up was much harder.

my Mother's Day present: a Meyer lemon

I fantasized about organizing a trip for OLLI or some other group for the next hour or so. We drove around the wilds of South Carolina in the rain and finally got on Highway 85 and came home. It was about 7 o'clock and we cooked the pork chops we had taken and brought home. Pretty tasty. By now I was pretty exhausted and not much use. Ray did a lot of the preparing and cleaning up, as well as bringing things in from the car. I don't think I was awake through all of Wheel of Fortune and I slept pretty well. A trip like that is so hard on my body, it's really sad. Sitting in the car a lot, sleeping in a strange bed, walking? I enjoyed it and I am glad to be home again.

My Dad arrived at 7; I was, unlikely as it seems, still in bed, having gone back to sleep. This was due mainly to reading the second book of the Hunger Games trilogy, catching fire. I jumped up and threw on some clothes and came down.

I made fried eggs for us, after cooking some proto-bacon. The meat that comes from the sides of the pigs is about half fat. We sliced it and cooked it; it doesn't really taste like bacon, more like fatty pork chops. With a little salt and pepper, it's still very good--and no nitrates! With home-raised eggs, and home-made bread toasted, it was a fine breakfast.

We headed next door to Paul's a little after 9. Mike was there; they were setting up the grinder. He had the recipe he had printed off from the internet: Alton Brown's sausage recipe. For two pounds of sausage, add 1 1/2 tsp fennel seed, toasted in a small frying pan and ground in a mortar, 2 tsp salt, 1 1/2 tsp pepper, and 1 T chopped fresh parsley. I set to work on cooking the fennel and my Dad ground it. He also ground fresh pepper for us. I measured out the spices and mixed them together. Meanwhile, Mike had opened the first pack of meat,
...

Yesterday was rainy off and on, great weather for the garden. I didn't have any cooking to do, really, and it wasn't that cool. I slept in anyway, because I had been up the night before reading The Hunger Games.

After lunch, Ray dropped me at the Writing Workshop and went to his office. Deb read a nice piece about riding the subway in Brooklyn when she was a child.

At home, I picked some lettuce (in the rain) and Ray washed it. I made a dressing and tore it up, plus the last of the spinach from the fridge, a big tomato, and some pieces of cheese and a can of beans. Took it to potluck. Enjoyed choir.

TV, bed, reading Catching Fire.