Ray's last day of classes for this semester was Monday, so yesterday was Reading Day and he stayed home all day. It felt like Saturday. He slept late. My Dad came early and he and I worked outside for a couple hours after I made him scrambled eggs and toast. It was sunny and hot and he left by 11. He is anxious to buy some rotenone for our potato bugs, because he fears they will spread to the tomatoes. I think I am making progress by hand picking them. And one book suggested wheat bran. I am afraid rotenone will be bad for the good bugs and maybe even the birds that are probably eating the potato bugs. The potatoes will be ready for harvest before too long, so I'm not worried about them.

I spent the rest of the day keeping my ankle up, well, except for making dinner and bread. We had used almost all the bread from the freezer, except for two French loaves I made while Molli was here. I waited until late in the day, so it wouldn't heat up the house. The weather here has been great, except for lack of rain and highs in the 80s or low 90s. It cools off enough late in the day that we can open all the windows and it's in the high 60s by morning. We did run the AC some yesterday in the late afternoon/early evening.

Used some frozen shrimp to make a salad with potatoes and spinach. Must harvest the rest of the spinach this week--maybe I'll freeze it. I picked a goodly amount of peas and shelled them for my Dad. Ray helped with supper and it was good. Then TV, reading, and bed.

The worst thing about yesterday was coming home and finding a message on my answering machine from a young child, that I couldn't really understand, and remembering it was Monday and I should have picked Soli up from school! I called his mother immediately and apologized profusely. She said she had not heard from me, so had not sent a note for Soli to be a car-rider, but he had remembered on his own and waited for me. I feel so bad, to let down a child.

On the other hand, there was the coming back from Atlanta that distracted me. And yesterday morning, I had an appointment for a check-up with my doctor. She asked if there was anything I was having trouble with. I mentioned two tick bites, which she looked at, and my ankle, which is getting better, but is still swollen and a little sore. She poked it and said I had better get it x-rayed. When I was leaving, she said she was glad I had finally come in for it. I said I came for my check-up. We didn't do any of that, she said. "Did you get your lab work done?" "I just had it done about a month ago," I said. She looked in the chart. It was actually in January, so I guess she's right. We scheduled it for three months from now and she asked me to get the lab work done the week before and gave me the form for it. She did say I had lost weight.

Back at the house, my Dad was in the garden. Even though it was 10:30 in the morning, the sun was really too hot to work outside. He was pleased with how things were doing and cut some lettuce and asparagus for his dinner (at midday).

After he left, I took it easy. The doctor called to say the X-ray shows I have an avulsion fracture. It means my tendon didn't break when I twisted my ankle, but it pulled a small piece of bone away. The treatment is rest and maybe wrapping it with an Ace bandage. I looked it up on wikipedia and they say, among other things, that scientists have determined that T. rex had this type of fracture, based on the scars. I was pleased to know that I have strong tendons (it might be worse to tear one?), but a friend of Ray's suggested the bone might be weak from osteoporosis.

I ate a sandwich and spent several hours in bed, reading a novel and playing on the computer, eating potato chips. Taking care of my ankle and celebrating the fact that I lost weight?

I started making keilbasa soup, something my mother made, with sausage and onion and cabbage and a light tomato-beef stock. But Ray had a faculty meeting and I had to go get him, since I had taken him in when I went to the doctor. So we went to a Latino pre-Cinco de mayo fund-raiser and ate Mexican food at Farm 255, listening to music and talking to another couple, Jackie and Steve.

I took Ray home and then went to the Fellowship for a good Green Sanctuary meeting. Now we're starting to get somewhere.

TV, bed.

Yesterday was the day my Dad flew back from Barcelona, after an 11-day cruise and a 4-day visit there. We drove in to pick him up at 4. It was also a 5th Sunday, one that neither Ray nor I had to be at the Fellowship, so we didn't go. This should have given me tons of time to do all kinds of things, but somehow I didn't do much.

Pancakes for breakfast, some time outside in the garden, picking off potato bugs for one thing. Radishes are coming up where I planted a few of them with carrots. I harvested and shelled a decent amount of peas and asparagus, which we ate for lunch with the last of the soup and chicken that were left over. A very satisfactory lunch that cleaned out all the leftovers in the fridge.

I ate all my white bean soup before remembering to take a photo

Ray went to feed the pigs around 2 and then took a shower. Before we headed out to the airport, I checked on line. His plane was expected at 3:22, 30 minutes early! This meant we were a little stressed, because if anything slowed us down, he would be wondering where we were--and he didn't have his cell phone. As it happened, we managed to park and get to the head of the escalator in time to see him arrive, in his wheelchair. He asked for a couple dollars to give the attendant, having spent every bit of his American money, although he still has a few Euros.

Captain's hair growing back; his appetizer: croque monsieur with salmon

He talked a blue streak in the car and all through dinner and on the way home. We didn't have much to say; nothing interesting has happened in Athens, except the garden is doing well, especially since the rain Friday night.

We had another lovely meal at Bistro Niko. I broke down and ordered gougeres, even though I planned not to. I had a sidecar, a delicious drink. I had the white bean soup, which is wonderful, except that it is too filling. My Dad had a salmon croque monsieur and Ray had a small salad. I hated to choose between soup and salad, they are both so good. Maybe I should have had both and no entree. As it was, I couldn't eat much of my delicious haddock, over greens, with baby potatoes and an exquisite sauce. Ray had steak frites and the steak was very flavorful, even overcooked (the way Ray asked for it). The Captain had coq au vin and he couldn't eat it all either. Plus we had a lovely bottle of Vieille Ferme, which I might try to buy the next time I want a case of wine. Then I had creme brulee and Ray ordered the profiteroles, 3 puffs with ice cream and chocolate sauce, one of the few desserts the Captain will eat, so Ray gave him one. And then my Dad paid, because of course that is the deal. If we drive in and get him, he doesn't have to take the shuttle.

It was an early dinner, so we were home just about dark. I worried some about my Dad driving back to his place, since he was exhausted, having been up for about 20 hours. I sent him with bread and eggs, so he had something for breakfast. I am waiting to hear how he liked the cleaning job. I wonder if he was too tired to notice last night, but he will surely see it this morning.

PS Amelia and Kevin bought a house!

Yesterday was fun, kind of like the good old days. Ray and I went to the Farmer's Market briefly. Sarah, of Gymnopedie, was doing a cooking demo, and I wanted to talk to her about desserts. She didn't seem particularly intenrested in having me make things for her, but she did encourage me to opoen my own place. As usual, we saw people we knew, including Will and Valarie T., with their son Alex, his wife, and their baby boy, Sebastian. Valarie was completely besotted about him. It was fun to see them.

I met up with Becky and Janna and Janna's friend Beth who just moved here in the last year. We went on the Tour of Kitchens, which is a benefit for the Georgia Children's Chorus. We got to see Lee Epting's house and many others. One really wonderful kitchen had Peter Dale doing a cooking demo of cucumber gazpacho. I like him a lot, so unassuming and pleasant. After all 9 houses, we even stopped at a real estate open house. Martha Henderson is still selling houses, I guess. This one had 5 or 6 bedrooms on three floors. I did not walk up any more stairs at this point, giving my ankle something of a rest, although it really did fine. I hobbled along with a cane and got lots of sympathy, even a ride on a golf cart at one point.

Then we ate at Harry's Pig Shop. I had a BLT croissant amd water. Then we went to Talbot's. I was pretty restrained, buying one pair of jeans on sale. Most of my jeans are now for gardening, so I thought it was good to have a "good" pair. Ray and I came  home and rested up for a bit. He went to feed the pigs.

We drove back to town and met the same people for dinner, plus husbands, at Farm 255. The menu has changed, there is a new chef. Becky and I had excellent mojitos. The salads were very good too. Ray and I had burgers and fries. Boring, I know, but there wasn't much on the menu that we wanted (and they cost half as much as some other entrees). It was all good, but not as out-of-this-world as I would like. The chairs are uncomfortable and it was God-awful noisy in there. Like many trendy restaurants, it was built in a salvaged old brick building with high ceilings--very cool and all, but not so good for chatting with the people at your table. Also had to wait in line for the rest room--even the men's! The rest of the group went to watch the bike race, but Ray and I stayed to split a flourless chocolate cake and then walked to our car. It didn't seem like I should subject my ankle to standing in a crowd and watching bike riders I didn't know or care about whiz past.

I fell asleep during an episode of wheel of fortune.

I spent most of yesterday at my Dad's apartment. I arranged with Tonya W. to come clean it. He will be surprised when he gets home Sunday night! After I met her there, I went and had lunch with Becky at Viva, an Aregntine-influenced restaurant. I had loma--meat and french fries with sauce. authentic and a little different. tasty.

Still taking it a little easy on my leg.

We went to Flinchum's Phoenix for the geology dept. awards dinner. barbecue--on styrofoam plates, with disposable utensils. about 150 people! pretty boring--I went to all those awards ceremonies when my children were in school and they were bad enough--but my kids were getting awards! Now I know how the other parents felt when their kids didn't get anything and they sat there for hours!

As we were going to bed, there was a super thunderstorm that should take care of watering the garden for almost a week. Neat lightning too.

My ankle is healing really well--probably because I have kept it elevated most of the time and haven't done much walking or standing. I spent a little time in the garden yesterday morning, sitting on the ground. I planted a row of beans, and picked some more potato beetles off the leaves. We got three eggs from the chickens. Other than that, I mainly stayed inside and spent time on the computer, or read cookbooks and gardening books.

I tore up some lettuce in a salad bowl and chopped tomato and hard-boiled egg and brought them to the KR potluck, along with dressing and salsa, so people could choose what they wanted in their salad. I talked to Fiona and Bill and Manita and then spent some time with Adah. We played Go Fish.

Ray and I watched our maximum, four TV shows, and I read some and slept pretty well.

soup heating in microwave; potatoes, spinach: yum!

In getting ready for all the company coming to the wedding, we cleaned up the breezeway pretty thoroughly, which involved putting lots of the shoes in storage containers.

It just doesn't look as good as it tastes; more today for lunch!

While feeding the pigs on Tuesday, I noticed that my hiking boots, which I wear almost every morning to take a walk, plus usually when I feed the pigs, especially when it's raining, were cracked. Yesterday morning, I said, OK, time to get rid of these and wore some sneakers instead. They were cute black sneakers, but they have no tread on the bottom. While Ray and I were out walking in the morning, I stumbled as I have many times, looking at the trees and not the ground, tripping over a root maybe. I twisted my ankle badly and threw myself on him, holding on for dear life, so I didn't actually go down. Many other times, I have thought, oh, this is it, I've really hurt myself, but I've been fine. This time, I really did hurt it pretty badly. I hobbled back to the house and went about my day, but I have had this reaction before: I didn't appreciate how nice it is to be able to move around freely and do all the things I want to do. On the other hand, how fortunate that I didn't "need" to walk or stand yesterday.

I drove Ray to the bank downtwon; Barbara T. is taking over the grocery store gift card program and needed to be added to the check-signing card. Ray is off! Yay! I drove to Earth Fare and returned some codfish with a worm in it! Gross. I was preparing dinner Monday night, cutting up some nice fish I had gotten and there was a little waving worm. I never knew fish could have worms. I have read about it now and it is not really anything wrong; the fish is fresh. But I don't know that I will be buying fresh fish again...They gave me my money back and did not seem to know that it was "normal." 

This is probably their last day.

Then I went to Rubber Soul, where there are yoga classes that are supported only by donations. My friend Lisa had invited me and i was looking forward to it, but I could have let my ankle keep me from doing it. The teacher, John, approached me to introduce himself, and warned that it was a strenuous class. Lisa didn't tell me that! I was pleasantly surprised that there were few things I couldn't do because of my ankle (sitting cross-legged is one). There were things I couldn't do because of my lack of experience and skill--like standing on one leg, leaning forward with one leg up in the air. Also lots of downward dog, which reminded me of my Mom and made me think I should go take her yoga class at the Council on Aging. I really enjoyed the class, and afterward I put a few dollars in the box.

Lisa and I were originally planning to go to lunch, which we did at Ike and Jane's, an okay sandwich place that was in my coupon book. I really enjoy talking to her; it is rare to find someone you have so much in common with. Sometimes, I appreciate that my children are grown because hers are not. She is lining up summer camps (remember that?) for them and worrying about what schools they will go to.

I went to my Dad's and brought in his mail; his place seems fine (if pretty dirty). Then I went to the writers' workshop and saw Deb. She had written a short piece that I liked.

Then Ray and I went home and I sat on the porch (it was hot--over 80) with my foot up while Ray rushed around, picking lettuce for the salad he made for potluck and getting the trash ready. We drove over to the pigs, but I stayed in the car, and then on to potluck, where I sat with my foot up. And choir rehearsal.

One Wheel of Fortune, a little reading, and off to Dreamland...