Friday already--and June 1! For someone who is not working, I sure am busy! and even stressed--how ridiculous is that?

We went to the doctor's office early Wednesday and Ray waited to get fitted in. There was part of a tick that I couldn't get out without hurting him.

Ray and my Dad in the pool at his apartment complex

I wanted to tell you all about distributing lunches to kids in neighborhoods. I did it for the first time on Wednesday with my friend Karen K. I am going again today, though, so maybe I'll write more about that tomorrow. My Dad is coming with me today.

I had lunch at his house on Wednesday and then went to Kroger. I picked Ray up and we came back and swam in his pool.

Wednesday night included potluck and choir. We brought pasta salad.

Yesterday morning, I dug up most of the onions and my Dad dug up all the potatoes. I went to an OLLI class on writing and publishing. I was a little cross about it, because it is basically a company that helps people write their stories, encouraging and editing and then finding a printer, all for a fee of course. And I paid $5 for them to try to sell me their service. There was some good information and I guess you get what you pay for. A couple of people took a card and may contact me about typing for them. I wonder how much I should charge. $1 a page?

I had lunch with Becky at Mama's Boy. Good food, good service, quite reasonable, but the sound level was ridiculous! Kind of defeats the purpose of having lunch together if you can't talk to each other. Went to R. Wood to look at pottery. She was buying a wedding present and they have a registry there.

Then I went to the library for a little while. At 4, I picked up Ray and we went to the Captain's to swim a little.

At home, I ate bits of leftovers before heading to UUFA for a Lay Ministers' meeting. It was long and not very productive and I came home somewhat annoyed. Plus I have things to do.

But we did have a thunderstorm, so that is great. It is pleasantly cool this morning, although damp. I woke up before 5, unfortunately. Maybe a nap is in order.

My computer is very slow and now my Twitter account has been hacked! I changed the password, but hope it's not a sign of bigger problems.

Good rain yesterday will keep the garden going for a few more days. I stayed home all day while Ray went to work. My Dad was here briefly, but you can't garden in the rain and there's not much to do right now anyway.

Ate leftovers for lunch. Made quesadillas for supper and a little bit of strawberry-rhubarb sauce on ice cream for dessert. Also made some oatmeal-cinnamon-raisin bread for today.

Pretty hot and humid yesterday. Early in the day, my Dad was here to garden. He set in a couple of sorrel plants that a neighbor gave me. They like shade, so I asked him to put them out back behind the deck. The soil there was hard and dry, so it was a challenge to get the holes made. I will have to work at keeping them watered. The deer have been getting more adventurous, eating the shrubs close to the house and the ends of the vegetables that stick through the fence.

It is too hot to bake and we still have plenty of leftovers, so no need to cook. I was not feeling that energetic anyway.

Becky and Kent and Ray and I were planning to go to the outdoor Beatles concert at Ashford Manor and bring a picnic supper. We could use up the salads I had left. We invited Deb and John and my Dad and a friend of Kent's and his wife. Unfortunately, they cancelled the concert because of the thunderstorms. There were two or three bands coming through--Ray was tracking them on his computer, but we didn't get any measureable amount of rain. We did invite everyone to bring their picnic food to our house, so Ray and I rushed around picking up and cleaning.

My Dad came first. He had put bourbon in a watermelon and we made room for it in the fridge. Becky and Kent and their friends arrived a little after 6. Ray was vacuuming. He finished up, cleaned the bathroom and put on a clean shirt while I stalled them outside, showing off the chickens and the garden. They had several coolers and a picnic basket to bring in.

I started making simple syrup so we could have mojitos. At that point, it was pouring and I couldn't pick the mint! Soon it let up and of course there is plenty of lovely mint. I just made up the recipe. My Mom and I had worked on it other years, but I didn't remember where we had written it down. I don't have a muddler, so I chopped up some mint and put it in a glass and then poured in some syrup. Someone had brought lots of ice, so I added rum and ice. It tasted pretty good, but it needed something. Oh, right, lime! Only one lime in the fridge, so each drink got one slice of lime. We filled it with club soda or 7-up. Not sure you can call it a mojito, but we drank them and enjoyed them--at least I did. Other people had beer or wine. We put out roasted nuts. Benna brought veggies and dip (in a plastic tray from the store). Deb and John arrived; he has just finished the last chapter of a textbook he has been writing!

We had roast chicken and pork ribs, from the store. Potato salad that Becky made (almost as good as ours). Deviled eggs. Leftover bean salad and rice salad. Old rolls. She made iced tea too. Benna also brought store bought cake and strawberries, plus I had a little chocolate cake left and some meringues. We all enjoyed it and there was lots of good conversation. It was only a little after 8, so I suggested we play cards. Benna said she liked games, but didn't play cards. I pulled out Bezzerwizzer and put every two people together--except Ray. There was a lot of explaining, but eventually we had a pretty good time. Some of the questions were very easy and some very hard. Becky and I did the worst and the Captain and Kent won by a mile.

Everyone started packing up after that, about 9:15. There wasn't a huge mess and we cleaned up a bit before watching some TV and going to bed. I started a new book that Molli gave me for my birthday: Most Good, Least Harm. It's not fiction, but it's written quite simply and I find it inspiring.

Even though it hit 90 yesterday, it was cool enough overnight for Ray to open all the windows and it's pleasant right now, if a little humid. I slept almost 9 hours, so I'm caught up.

Yesterday morning, it was about 7:30 when I woke up and the chickens and my Dad were outside. I made blueberry pancakes and homemade bacon for the three of us. It doesn't taste like commercial bacon. For one thing, the slices are thicker and smaller. It is saltier and fatter, but it's kind of good and fun to eat. And we know it has no nitrites.

Ray and I went to the Fellowship and sang with the choir. Among other things, we sang, "the ants go marching one by one" as we processed, in honor of Memorial Day weekend, I guess. We brought leftover salads and ate lunch with a few other people before the Leadership Council meeting. Ray went home with Karen P. and I stayed until almost 2.

It was hot and the air conditioning was running when I got home. I rested most of the afternoon and had a headache by suppertime. I remembered I needed to check on Nancy's chickens, so we went over there. They needed water, so it was good I came.

We ate pork chops and things from the garden: asparagus and peas.

By the way, I weighed myself one day last week, concerned that I have been eating too many cookies and baked goods, not to mention bacon and sausage. I have lost weight since the last time I stepped on the scale! Some of my clothes are loose. It's the cookie diet...Ray says he hopes I don't have some incurable disease.

We had some internet issues yesterday--no service when I got up. I spent most of the day with the UUFA Board at a retreat--which was held here at the Kenney Ridge Commons (where the wedding was). I was nervous in the morning, as well as the day before. I made rice salad and bean salad, cooked the mini-rolls from the freezer (left from the wedding), sliced a loaf of wheat bread that I thawed, and cooked muffins I had made and frozen, but not baked. The food was very much appreciated, and I collected $29 in donations toward the cost of ingredients. Alison said the Fellowship would give me money if that wasn't enough, but I think it's fine.

I asked for fruit salad. Someone bought cut-up fruit from the grocery store, which was fine, but honestly. There wasn't one person who could cut up fruit? One person answered my request for hard-boiled eggs and several brought ice, as well as coffee and tea and bagels for the morning. I also served mocha cake and meringues.

When I got home, the internet was still very weak. Ray was on the phone with Bell South (in India?), diagnosing for about an hour or so. Then we went looking for a new modem. At Radio Shack, they were out of stock, but called their store in the mall and they had one. We tried the AT&T store--they don't carry them, but recommended Wal-Mart and Office Depot. We went to Peach Mac; they don't sell modems, but we saw Molli's friend Steven, who works there now. He has a master's in public policy and is hoping to get work with the government--he is also getting married in the fall. We called Office Depot, they were out of stock and we finally went to the mall and got one there. The store had moved within the mall, last fall, so I went to the wrong place first...by now it was almost 7.

We had told Becky and Kent we would meet them at the movies, so we were pretty late, but only missed the trailers. We saw Avengers and I have to say it was a lot of fun! Great special effects and fast-paced action with good characters. Really. Then we went out to dinner and didn't get home until 11:30 or so. Ray stayed up and got the new modem working, requiring more time on the phone. I had trouble sleeping--excitement, humid hot weather, etc. Wore my mask off and on.

The day before, Friday, I went to Victoria's house and helped her with her will (and her husband's), filling in a template she had from Nolo. She emailed me the template, so I can do ours. I also helped her pack some books because she's moving to Mississippi, sadly.

There was more retreat Friday evening, 7-9, involving some fun team-building games. I am fond of those things. We also had a quick dip in my Dad's pool, when I picked up Ray about 5. I spent most of the day cooking for the retreat.

I felt a little stressed and out of sorts yesterday. Could be the weather. I wanted to do some baking and didn't have any more sugar, so after some sausage and eggs with my Dad, I jumped in the car and drove to Publix, the closest open grocery store. It was really nice, practically deserted, and the staff were very pleasant. I ended up buying some fruit and vegetables as well as flour and sugar.

At home, I made mocha cake and meringues. Then i spent a little time outside in the garden with my Dad. I took my bath and ate lunch: I cooked some pasta and ate it with the leftover sausage-tomato sauce from earlier in the week. I had two helpings; it was good!

I went to UUFA at 1:30 for a lay ministry meeting. We are trying to hash out exactly what our responsibilities will be. It is looking like a lot of work. One thing is to help with memorial services. Ray M's is June 9 and I will coordinate the reception. We are afraid there will be more people than the Fellowship can hold. I let Alison read my poem and we talked a little and before you know it, it was 4 o'clock.

Ray was already home when I got there, washing the last few heads of lettuce I had picked from the garden, and the dishes.

I went to potluck at KR, while he went to the Democractic committee meeting. It was birthday night. Once a month, we celebrate the birthdays of community members born that month--and last night was mine, as well as Adah's (she's 5) and 3 other members. It was fun. There was pizza and pot-stickers and broccoli with cheese sauce...and tons of desserts. I brought the mocha cake and meringues (they're gluten-free and went like hotcakes). There were angel-food cake (my mother used to make for my birthday) and strawberries and ice cream and much more. It was fun.

I was tired and sleepy by 10 after a little TV, but I could not fall asleep. The weather, my breathing machine, worrying about cooking for Saturday...Ray's death? It was probably 2 or later and nowmy back hurts and my neck aches.

Lisa making me pesto for lunch

her amazing kitchen

Yesterday was really busy and mostly fun, but I was exhausted when we got home. I didn't sleep that well and woke up feeling vaguely unhappy. I have a lot of cooking to do to get ready for the Board retreat on Saturday and the weather is due to get hotter--in the 90s starting today and for the next week or so at least.

I went to a training to do some volunteer work this summer, delivering lunches to children. There were only 5 of us and I felt a little like I would be able to do this better than the young man who is in charge, not surprisingly. And, I often feel a little jealous--how come you're getting paid and I'm not? But, in general, I look forward to it. It's also a little obnoxious to have to get (and pay for) a background check, but anyone who has contact with children these days has to do it, even to deliver lunches twice a week for a few weeks.

onions drying in the barn

Then I had a visit to my friend Lisa's farm. She made me lunch and I brought cookies. I had to bake them before we left the house at 9:30. Not a problem; we had time for a walk too. I loved Lisa's house and farm and felt like I was able to suggest a couple things to her. I took lots of pictures of her gigantic kitchen for Amelia, because she has black counters and white cupboards and that is what Amelia wants in her new (remodeled) kitchen. She built a lovely square white farmhouse that looks like a classic midwestern prairie house to me, sitting in the middle of the land. It has lots of giant windows on all sides, and a wraparound porch, including a screened-in part. Her husband Geoff was working while we ate lunch. She said he rarely stops in the middle of the day. We agreed we could not do that. He was harvesting onions. I admired everything and asked a million questions. I am really interested in their operation, but the amount of physical labor is overwhelming to me, especially in the heat of summer.

moveable chicken coop

I left a little late and was late to the last writing workshop until fall. I brought cookies for everyone and they were enthusiastic. Cowboy cookies. Everyone was there (sometimes attendance is sparse). I waited through the whole class to read my poem about Ray M.'s death. It was well received.

with moveable electric fence

Then I went to get Ray F. and we picked up my Dad. He and I protested in front of Georgia Power. There was no one else there at first. Then Rick came and the three of us walked up and down on the sidewalk. Eventually there were 7 and then they started to taper off. We left just before 6. It was hot and my ankle started bothering me. Sometimes my Dad and I sat down at the bus stop for a while. Mostly I was discouraged that there were so people willing to come out and publicly oppose nuclear and coal. There were an executive and a security guard standing at the building the whole time we were there.

Georgia Power protest

We took my Dad home and went to UUFA for potluck and choir. I let several people read my poem.

Went to bed about 9:30.