Sometimes I just rant October 12

On and on because I'm so upset there is no other way for me to deal with it. I have to put it all down, to try and express my anger, frustration, sadness to someone.

sometimes i am accused of ranting when I'm not. I usually don't talk much so when I have a lot to say on one subject it gets taken the wrong way.

sometimes im just so stressed, and I realize that there is no viable solution to the problem I just shut down and can't say or write about anything

Sometimes you just know, nobody wants to hear it.

Sometimes my activity is so boring , tedious, hum-drum I figure, why bother.

Im here in Connecticut now. at my own desk, in my own office. I'd say the temp. is pleasant. Its a cool 56. The air is still. I hear birds, chirping here in the branches of the pear tree just outside my window, and those who are scrambling about inside the aluminum siding. There is a piece of aluminum missing on the corner of the house, on each corner, and the birds have colonized the inside between the old wood clapboards and the aluminum.

The western sky is dark, it's going to rain today.

There is so much to do here. The house is in total disrepair, the yard an overgrown and tangled mess. I can't remember the last time I washed windows. The old wallpaper that was painted over 20 times in the living room has been partly scraped and peeled off. And there is too much stuff. Too much in the leaky attic, too much in every room up here in the second floor apartment where I sleep and keep my computer, too much in the basement and the garage. And I can't make decisions about it since I don't consider most of it my stuff. Whatever, right?

I have a few chores, everyday chores to tend to. And then I'm going to assist Joanie, my elderly friend who has broken her arm. Marie and Lucien are going to South Meriden so ill hitch a ride over with them and hopefully walk back. Tomorrow I'm going to try and drive the truck to Kate's. Keith said it will "probably make it" .

I've got the sunny border garden and the front bed pulled up now. I left the roses. a couple peonies. and there are a couple of "root systems" that i haven't been able to dig up but will tackle after the rain stops in a few days. it should make it easier to pull out. I started to prune the Oak Leaf Hydrangea pretty hard. I like working in the garden. I also started in the terraces in the back with the clippers, cutting down the old leaves of the different iris, crocosmia, peonies, hostas, phlox and lilies. I ran out of daylight before i could rake them up.

I'm looking forward to seeing the little girls tomorrow. And hope to see the little boys soon too. They're all beautiful kids. With great parents. They're smart and happy too.

Well, the sun is peeking through the leaves, I can see it brightly reflecting off of the face of the factory down the street. Perfect light now to get out with the camera. I'll have to branch out and learn to take " city" photos now.

Almost Fall here...........I wait daily to see if the leaves have turned and i think i actually see a fading of the green to yellow on a few of them.

love and miss you

sally

The demolition continues.

And its record breaking heat, smothering humid heat out there . But it's got to be done, and after all since I've been the one to plant most of that stuff, ( the birds also helped), I'm the one to take it out.

I admit the stuff I've pulled out will already fill the back of the pickup truck. And it looks better and what I am leaving, roses, hydrangea, will grow all the much better next year.

I better get back out there. The sun is hitting me in the eye sitting here on the south side of the house, and Kate might be dropping by with the little girls.

love you all

me

I worked in the garden yesterday. October 9

It has really gotten out of hand.

Overgrown, tangled, " stringy" no that's not the word..................spindly, that's it, spindly.

The task might be futile since the dried out seed pods with their tiny miniature seeds spilling into the decaying leaves will replant everything next spring.

But , it's going. I'm keeping only my roses, the Hydrangeas which have grown into a semi-privacy hedge. I'll keep the Baptista and other shrubs. Even most of the iris' and peonies are being pulled not so gently out of the dirt. The dirt which was flying around and stirring up bugs. The air was swimming with them. Mosquitos, flies, fruit flies, hover flies, yellow jackets, all kinds of flying insects getting in my face and biting me and their tiny little wings reflecting sunlight , the air was twinkling. I found Lots of long fat night crawlers , just about everywhere I dug.

I can't take care of it. And Keith always hated it. He likes little flowers in rows. So, since he is pretty much disgusted with me, I'm trying to do one thing his way. And that is to get rid of the mess in the yard.

Things might be better if I had a job. Of course I have no way of getting to a job. The truck is unreliable, the engine needs a valve job for $2500. and he is NOT going to spend that kind of money. We're not getting along on any level. There is NO intimacy of any kind between us and hasn't been for over 20 years. I've gotten used to it and accepted it and he's not happy with it all of a sudden.

I'm going to move on here , before I start in on the rant.

I've got some kind of cold or something, sore throat, productive cough, fever. Now Brenna has it too. I probably won't be babysitting tomorrow, Kate is going to check with Paul. he might not want me around the girls.

So today, I'll straighten out my room, and get back down to the demolition job. Tearing out 30 years of planting and weeding and cultivating. Its a different season in my life. It's winter.

Hi, again October 7

This is most of the slide show of where I spent the summer.

I just didn't have time to edit and title all the photos before posting them to flickr,

this will probably be a really long show but you might like to view some of them.

If you're bored .........um, well, if you're not already, watching this whole thing probably would make you bored. might help you get to sleep!


Anyway,

I'm working on shower photos too and will get those on a disc soon.

Love you guys.
:-)

The truck started this morning jarring me out of deep , dreamless sleep. September 28

I had the presence to look out the window down into the driveway at the two trucks sitting there, it was somewhat dark still, I think maybe the back light was on.

The garage roof is covered with leaves, the garden is a mess of tangled , dark, spent, foliage. And I wondered, where were the poodles? Where is Al going this morning.

You see, my subconscious brain woke up in Berry Creek.

I was annoyingly jarred awake again, tangled up, shivering in my quilt in spite of the 80 degree morning with 85% humidity. Jarred awake by the sound of an Airliner braking in its flight path to the airport not more than 40 miles from here. The know it all , 30something next door, yelling into her phone and whining loudly to her father, Sirens are blaring in a neighborhood close by. Dogs barking, traffic, oh and there goes the train across the street. Somewhere someone is running a power tool of some kind. Well why not, it was already 10 here.

And nothing looks familiar. I had forgotten my own room. I know I loved it, but it feels cluttered and closed in. And already feeling pressure that I have to be somewhere or doing something for someone before i even unpack or eat and i shouldn't be on the computer doing this. And I have to get dressed, no more wandering outside in my nightgown. I'm wasting time! everything is a mess, the mail is piled up, there is nothing but condiments in my fridge. NOTHING.

So I'm shutting down for now. Getting off of the computer. Keep my impressions to myself. for now.

I'm going to get dressed and walk down to see my dad whom I am certain is already wondering why I haven't called or wandered over. Hope the hell I can avoid contact with or have to engage in inane conversation with the neighbor, or that someone isn't going to start nagging at me to cut down my trees already.

bfn

Well, here it is September 26

My last day.

It sure went fast.


Yesterday it rained here all day. I kept busy cleaning up the house and washing the car and making pasta sauce. And Mary and Al came home. It was great seeing them.



Today I took one last hike around the property and did some proper catching up with Al and Mary.

I'm packed to go.

see you soon.
love mom/sal

September 24, pm

HI, glad to report that the young lady from Berry Creek who was lost on the PCT for the past couple of days has been found. And from the report I heard she is ok. But no other details are available.

I've been really busy, I planned on a "thank-you" dinner for the nice people in Berry Creek and i made pulled pork tacos and burritos. Home made salsa and bean salad and a cabbage salad. The mexican brown rice never made it to the table. As a few people canceled on me i had too much food. I also made a crisp using the pears, plums and blackberries that i picked yesterday. It was a good experiment.

Erin helped with all the dishes, well there are a few left but ill get to it in the morning.

It was windy and hot here today but cloudy and rain is predicted.

I'm tired now, thinking of cleaning everything up tomorrow and packing.

2 more days. Then a day of travel. I begin the journey on the 27th and get into Ct. on the 28th. Just after 12AM. I hear its raining in Ct. I have heard that for over a month.

I think it will take some adjustment.

September 24

I briefly mentioned meeting a lone hiker, standing by the Mill Creek Trail Head the day before yesterday. A young man with a big dog, maybe a mastiff. He had previously hiked 4 months from Mexico to just south of Yosemite. He told us his partner went missing, they had only been out for one day. He was waiting for a ride.

Well, I imagined he was talking about a buddy and that they probably had a plan to meet up somewhere if they got separated. I should never assume.

I didn't push the issue or question him about it. I probably should have.

It turns out that his hiking companion was a young 20 year old girl with no experience.

"They" are holding the hiker I spoke to and are searching the wilderness for her.

I didn't sleep last night. Thinking about her and how afraid she must have been spending two nights alone ......did she have water, a flashlight, fire? He was carrying a huge pack and hearing that she's just a tiny girl about 5" with only about 90# on her i wonder if she had a warm bag or if she was carrying any food.

I felt guilty for not having spoken to him longer and offered some kind of help.

Prayers for her and her family, send loving supportive thoughts.

talk to you soon

love

mom/sal

Did i mention Erin is here? September 23

She is spending my last week with me and we are flying out of Sacramento together in 4 days.

4 days? It hardly seems possible. I guess I got too comfortable and at home here. I mean I had to keep reminding myself, this is all Uncle Al and Mary's place. You are just a visitor. I,m so grateful to them. It seems. looking back, that over time, He has afforded me some of my greatest personal opportunities.

So I've tried keeping that in my consciousness . And tried not to abuse the privilege of being here. I have enjoyed working in the yard and gardens and keeping the house ( which was pretty easy to do only cleaning up after myself) I've been able to do some hiking and wandering and took lots of photos and was able to let go of some of the stress.

But........getting back to it......Erin is here. For only a week. We could just sit on the deck and hike the trail here on the property. But we're in the mountains. And exploring we did go. I had it in mind to take her up for a little ways on the PCT ( Pacific Crest Trail, if you don't know about that trail you can hike it from Mexico to Canada) and also to take her on the trail that goes the back side of Bucks Lake to go swimming and sunset on Bald Rock or some combination of those things. Heading up the hill though, she mentioned that she really wanted to go to Granite Basin, that the best time she had here and her favorite memory here was going to Granite Basin fishing with Uncle Al.

Now, I've been asking people here all summer about Granite Basin and how to get there, and not one of them could tell me. Their reply is always the same, "Oh, there's too many roads back there, you don't know which way to go or what one to take. No one knows how to get there." But I have seen two signs, though quite a distance apart from each other, for Granite Basin. One sign reads 5 miles and one, further up the hill reads 3 miles. I opted for the 3 mile trip. It took me about 45 minutes to get to the bottom of the graveled road where there is a large parking area, a clearing, in the forest. We got out and hiked less than a quarter of a mile, through tall pine and granite rock, past a graveyard, there in the remote wilderness for miners and one that said "claim jumper" to the most lovely clean running creek over granite rocks you could imagine. Where you can see trout swimming around the rocks. This spot was not the Granite Basin that Erin had been to, nor the one that I had remembered from 35 years ago. This area was more closed in by the deep canyon, narrower and the hike though steep was shorter and cleaner. (not brushy) I had a little eerie feeling in there, and though I wanted to explore more downstream, and so did Erin I felt we shouldn't tarry there in that remote, isolated spot of the wilderness. And after turning back toward the trail did observe a stone shelter which I'm sure someone has been sleeping in.

Out of the basin we drove and up to Bucks Lake. Well, WOW. I sure wish I had taken Larry's advice earlier in the summer and hiked this easy and beautiful trail sooner , II surely would have done this at least once a week if I had. I can't even describe this to you without being able to post the photographs. Just think, National Geographic. Think of vast blankets of tall. cool. green ferns growing under towering firs, spruces, pines, and thick carpets of pine needles, the air fresh and crisp their fragrance mingling with the clean scent of the lake. Gooseberries and choke cherries and all kinds of berries and wild flowers growing along the trail and opening up to large slabs of granite hot from the sun from which you can dive into the clear water of the lake. We sat there on the rocks watching kayaks and small sail boats and little fishing boats floating around and hundreds of tiny little fish darted around the rocks on the edge of the water. Erin took a cold and refreshing swim.

OH Ilona and Dad, I just kept wishing you were here on this hike. I kept thinking of you and how you would have loved it. If I get this opportunity again, and can afford to do it, you are going to just have to come out. This is so beautiful. Kim too! You guys would appreciate it so much.

On the way in we spoke to a young backpacker who had just come off of the PCT, he was waiting for his ride. He told us that he had once hiked for 4 months from Mexico to just below Yosemite, He had hiked from March to June. On the way out we saw tracks of horses and deer that we hadn't seen on the way in. Bucks Lake, much less isolated than Granite Basin.

On the way back down we could catch glimpses of the western horizon in all its glowing red, orange, gold and violet evening sunlight.

I suggested going up Bald Rock for the Sunset but by the time we got there it was dark. And we were pretty hungry. At home we had a nice dinner, shared a new potato ( from one of Larry's friends, it was just dug) and Erin went out with the flashlight and picked some tomatoes and I had thawed out some stuffed zucchini that I made a few weeks ago. It was a veggie feast and then we went to watch some television and crashed.

Today, I'm going to work around the yard and we are going to wash the car and take in that sunset on Bald Rock. I've got to delete some photos off of the camera though. I keep filling the card! And then I have to go back and delete shots that aren't the best. I'm planning on making salsa today too. I've picked a basketful of peppers and tomatoes already this morning.

Have a nice day.

love

mom/sal

Well, not much to say lately. September 21

I'm staying off the computer more.

Not ready to say goodbye to California and am spending as much time as possible outside.

Been playing with the leaf blower, raking the lawn and pulling up some columbines that are choking the Japanese Maples.

Wish I knew how to use these bunches of purple/blue grapes which have suddenly ripened all at once along with all those grapes and pears. I think I will check for a recipe for pear butter...... And today will be tomato roasting time again the processing does shrink them up alot but it draws up the sweetness of them.

Yesterday, I went to Sacramento to pick up Erin. I left around 10, her flight was due in at 12:30. The airport is a mess. All dug up and red cones everywhere directing traffic. difficult to get in and out of lanes. And there were several spots of road work on the way down.

When I got to the terminal, finally, after finding a spot at the very end of the parking lot so I could be in the shade, I turned on my phone, there was full power there, and a text from Erin that said "the plane is broken, just" yeah, that was it. She was delayed for an hour and a half , I grabbed a magazine from the newsstand and sat to wait.
She was the last one down the escalator, looking lovely and excited to be here.

On the way out of the airport I missed my ramp to Sacramento, I was in the wrong lane and ended up going north toward Redding on 5. Had the sense to turn around by the time I got to Woodward and went back past the airport and onto 99. There was a lot of traffic by the time we got headed towards Marysville which itself was bumper to bumper. A stop in Oroville for a few groceries and a great burger at Mike's Grande Burger, gassed up the car and made it into the driveway by 6:30......a long day.

After unloading the car and Erin settling in a little, putting away the groceries, we took a walk in the garden and down to the pond. It was already getting deep into dusk. We watched a movie that she brought with her. I guess we finally were both tucked in by 1.

Squirrels are outside making a lot of chatter, the meadow is flooded with golden light and the hummingbird is here on the feeder. For breakfast I will go outside in my nightgown and sample, grapes, plums, pears, tomatoes....right off the vines and trees.

I'm debating driving back down to get some toothpaste. OR just to walk to the store.

love you guys,
see you soon
mom/sal

Well, i just forced my achey old self out of the bed September 17

where I'd been lying awake , trembling and shivering despite the pile of quilts and comforters covering me in that little cozy womb of a room just off of the kitchen. Still quite dark in there at 6:30 where i groggily sleepily woke. OH Man, how am i going to get back into East Coast time zone?

I threw on my sweatshirt and warm socks over my pj's and went to stand on the porch. I can tell it's not cold out....but fall has definitely arrived.

I have a busy day planned for myself. The cedar tree is shedding sticky sappy pods and needles in "abundency" ( i think i might have just made that word up) all over the deck and the wind has whipped up a blanket of oak leaves all over the back yard. So, I'll be revving up the leaf blower at a more reasonable time.

Tonight I'm going to Linda and Kim's for BBQ and plan on arriving with a bag full of plums and pears for them. Yesterday I picked enough tomatoes to cover the bottom of a large rectangular clothes basket , much more than i could eat before they go bad so will be roasting them and jarring them up in olive oil and garlic and basil....Mary and Al can use them to spread on toast or in salads or cook them into sauce or use in salsa.

I vacuumed out the car as much as possible before the charge ran down so I'll finish that today and, I want to wash the floors in the house too.

The pit bull was here yesterday, and the little cat. She's small, she's always hunting and in for a big surprise when Burke and Sully come home in about a week. I've tried shusshing her away she runs about ten feet then stops and looks at me and cries. Really I don't know why I keep thinking its a she, maybe because she's so tiny.

The dog on the other hand is definitely, dangerously ( for him) male. Whoever owns him is not taking care of having him fixed so he'll stop roaming and also not fixing his bum back leg/hip. He appeared in the meadow when I went to the orchard. I do a lap every day, the garden, the orchard the pond and the path. Well he came galloping toward me grinning from one flapping ear to the other, tongue hanging out , powerful, joyously and goofy as a young dog can be. As I walked through the meadow toward the pond he ran great big loops around me, and followed me to the pond where he took a swim and then ran back and forth from one side to the other thundering across the deck till he stopped and rolled over on his back exposing his stomach to me. I like him. And felt shitty to leave him with a pat on the head on the outside of the gate. But he's got to go home. He must have one. He's in great condition other than the leg and obeys commands. Sometimes if I come up the driveway I see him in the rear view mirror bolting out of Sue's yard where he must play with her little dogs and following me into the yard. Last week I thought I had "gotten rid of him" (for lack of a better way of putting it). I walked him to the store and left him there, hoping his owner or someone who knows him or wanted him would take him home.

Erin will be here Tuesday. So I'm saving my Bald Rock hike till she's here. Maybe we will go to Buck's Lake too and try to find that trail that goes round the lake. I'd like to bring her to the farmer's market on Saturday if it's still running. And make taco's for Larry and the Bybee's and the Sykes who have all been so nice to me this summer. Wish I could think of something for Lisa and Porky, but they have everything! I just thought, you know, they're always helping people out and wish I could do something for them. Without charge you know.

Well, its 8. the Garden and the Pond are calling me. I poured a little plaster into a print by the pond yesterday. I never did that before so im not sure if i did it right. a wide print with 4 big round toes then a high arch or space between the ball and the back heel. No claws. So I don't think it was a bear. Maybe a dog in the soft mud. But anyway, I'm hoping the plaster comes out and I'll tell Fran its a big foot print..... ...... ( hehehehhehehehehe) sometimes I do practical jokes.

hey I think I hear a truck in the driveway. gonna run.

Love and miss ya
mom/sal

Up and out of bed around 6am, September 10

while the light was still dim. Just before dawn.

Put away the dishes that dried overnight in the rack by the sink and decided to pick some fruit to bring to Fran. I threw on my mumu and sneakers and grabbed a box and walked briskly out there to the orchard. Six pears and oodles of french plums thumped into the bottom of the box when i turned around to see a glowing shaft of deep coral light streaking across the yellow grass and wild flowers at the bottom of the meadow. Should i get the camera? No, the light changes too fast, there just wasn't time..... I ran down to the bottom of the hill in time to see a bright red sunrise come up over the break in the trees..........the only word that comes to mind is glorious. I watched it till it turned from red to orange to yellow and white , squinting into the east.

Turning back up the hill and had only walked a few steps before a cool, mountain breeze blew across my back lifting my hair and the skirt of the mumu.

Then went into the garden and picked 3 peppers and a big tomato. It will be a nice gift box of produce for my friend Fran.

I'll see you soon.
love
mom/sal

Forgot to mention ......

Have tons of vegetables now, so planning on roasting a bunch.

I've got a whole variety of eggplants from Lisa and two from this garden here.

Long green ones, small black ones, big purple ones, and a round white one. They're sitting in the glass baking dish , peeled, sliced and salted I'll rinse them off and roast them till soft. When you have more eggplant than you can eat here is a great way to use them.

Put them in the food processor ( or blender or if soft enough you can just put them in a bowl and whip them with a fork) so, you've got them in the processor, squeeze a little bit of lemon in there, a chunk or two of garlic but a couple cloves of roasted garlic is good too, and salt, pepper and cumin to taste. It's great as a dip or as a burrito filling.

With all those tomatoes and peppers and the cucumbers I'm going to make another batch of gazpacho, which can be turned into sauce if I end up with too much.

I'll roast the bell peppers too, and then stuff them with rice and corn and onion.

And I'ill also prepare the big monster zucchini, by slicing 4 inch pieces and scooping out the seeds making "cups" which can be stuffed with ratatouille or with any kind of stuffing.

I'm going to try to dry the figs ........

but I am really transfixed by this wind........it is calling me to be outside.

xo will write again soon I'm sure.

sal/mom

I had to write; September 9

even though it's only 7 am and not much has happened since I shut down the computer last night and slept snug and cozy in the little spare bedroom in spite of the deafening chorus of crickets....( there must be millions of them , they are so loud, sometimes they even drown out the volume on the television)

Again, I woke at 4:30 and this time just rolled over and went back to sleep till just before 6 when a new sound nudged at my consciousness .... twigs snapping? Something brushing against the siding under the windows? I sleepily listened, comfortable there wrapped in the quilt. There was something different. It wasn't exactly quiet. I could hear waves of wind high in the tops of the pines. I went outside. I stood on the porch listening. Peepers singing somewhere .....and that wind. I went into the garden. I stood on the platform, slices of a large tree about i don't know, maybe 8 inches high that i have to use to reach the clothesline......

I stood there in my nightgown.. experiencing hot , dry, wind, rushing by and an otherwise eerie quiet. I can see pink sunrise through the trees towards the east. I wished I had gotten out of bed earlier and hiked to Bald Rock to see it.

Now from the office balcony where I'd just stepped out to watch the oak leaves spinning and trembling on their stems , while others are floating, spiraling downward toward the yard, the cedar boughs waving , swaying, gracefully and a few small birds fought their way across the clearing against the wind. The light shinning through the forest down onto the meadow is pinkish gold.

And it's hot, already hot. Streaks of high, dotty, clouds are moving in from the North and East.

Something has changed. It's a new season. And the wind is picking up.

I'll write more later. My plan today is, well, I admit, I left dishes soaking in the sink last night so first I've got to clean them up. And I want to , yes, once again, organize my stuff..... And I think I will wash the floor.

Hope to talk to you soon.

xo Mom/Sal/Tomato

pphhhhbbbbbbbbbbtttttttttttttt>:P phbbbbt September 8

Can't shake it.

Not sure where it came from,

but there it is.

ungneblussum.........

( phonetically, I don't know how to spell it)

deflated

I should be so excited, well, actually I AM excited about finishing the long trail today. It's not really that long. Kids, don't worry, I was careful, I hung bells from my belt loop, I brought my flashing red flashlight, water and I had company. The dog. There he was, at the gate, just wagging his tail when I got back from housecleaning this afternoon. Not the driveway gate, the backyard gate. And he was wet. I figured well, if he's there I might as well take him off for a walk.. And it was great. It felt so good. No signs of any wildlife except chattering squirrels . It's hot, and it's dry, and the Madrone leaves crunch underfoot. You have to be careful not to slip on them. They have piled up pretty thick in some spots.

My favorite time to take that walk is after it has been raining and all the ferns and moss are vibrant green. And Kids, you can't get lost there, you just stay on the trail, and the house and meadow are never far away. So no worries.

I cleaned house , a guest house, for Mary's friend Lisa today. You know I told you about her. A professional horsewoman. All I can say is Shangra-la ......I can't wait to show you the very few photographs I took of the property. The trim in this house is all rosewood, with a beautiful grain. And hand carved , and wood inlay on the kitchen cupboard doors and counter. A huge lawn , as fine and green and lush and well tended as any golf course back East. It stretches down hill and past rustic wooden fences to a terraced vegetable garden and orchard . There is a huge , esplanade of hanging Kiwi, trees hanging heavy with Asian Pears, Plums, Eating Pears, Apples, her many varieties of Eggplants, Zucchinni, Tomatoes, Peppers, Pumpkins bursting with ripe vegetables, she sent me home with 4 bags full of vegetables.

You had probably gotten tired of me whining about how sick I was of cooking. Well, the fresh and tasty produce here just inspires you to create wonderful dishes. It's easy to be vegan/vegetarian here. ( I'm not giving up my dairy)

OH I got distracted, no surprise.....I wanted to tell you about this property. It's a compound. There are 3 beautiful cabins on it. Built .....or, appointed, with all beautiful hand carved trims. I can't even explain it to you. It's what you see in magazines...gorgeous. And Lisa's husband is a totally talented landscape architect. The steeply sloped land is terraced and well planted with beautiful ornamental flowering plants, a bamboo forest, Waterfalls, moss covered rocks, stone stairways, I mean.......this is what fantasy is made of.......but for them its reality. I'm really awestruck with what they've done with their acreage of steep mountain land. I hope I can go back and take more photos to share with you. I fell in love with the place. And its totally manicured. Not a weed or blade of grass out of place.

So now. I guess I'm going to roast the eggplant. And then I'll turn it into different dishes, from rattitoulle to baba ganoush. I've got a basket full of Roma tomatoes to roast as well.

But I think I need to run out for an onion. ...ok. ill check in later....but for now , off to the store.

xo love you

sal/mom

I got up late today. September 7

What time? I don't know....i just know that it was late. well, first I got up at 4:30 but went back to bed. and fell back asleep after i got a drink....

when I woke up and decided to get out of bed I made it to the recliner with a box of ice cream and a bottle of hershey syrup and a spoon.

I sat there and watched a movie till 9:30

yeah, I got up with an attitude. I decided to just f**k -off

I have to laugh reading it.....I mean, I just don't start my days like that....but I did today.....

When I got up I walked out to the garden the sky was clouded over. Not heavy dense wet clouds like back east these are sparse and light like gauze, up high and filmy but it was still hot out.

I made a tuna salad with macaroni to keep in the fridge, did some dishes, did some laundry, it was mostly an inside day. I organized all my stuff. I packed my vitamins and other toiletries and stuff into a flat rate box. I packed all the stuff I'm not going to use into the big suitcase. Put all my little essential stuff like , hand ointment, emery boards, comb, reading stuff, extra glasses, you know, stuff you might need at bedtime into the Basket that Fran gave me and set it on the bookcase next to the little bed.

I basically putzed around all day. I listened to music. Made iced coffee. And Larry stopped by to bring me some things from town so we had supper together. I fried up some potatoes and made a tomato salad and he ate the frozen apple/berry/fig pie.... I thawed it in the microwave but i know it still was icy when he ate it. He must have been awfully hungry. LOL

There is a cat here now. Its been hanging around for about two weeks. All of a sudden it has started to follow me around the yard and mew at me. When I turn around and try to approach it it scoots off. I hope it goes away before the boys , Sully and Burke come home. I just had to chase it off of the porch.

I sure wish that someone would give that nice pit bull a home. It showed up here again . I went to close the gate and he was just running across the driveway down from Single Lane when he saw me and got so happy and ran down and jumped up putting his front paws on the gate , grinning, tongue dripping and tail wagging. I felt bad because he has a bad hip and couldn't keep up on his two back legs and sort of collapsed sideways.

I was talking to a friend of mine about all the people we know who have changed their names. I mean, people do.....I know a few. I don't really understand it. I get used to people having the names they had when i met them.

so ......after thinking about it.......and their is one school of thought that recommends people change their names at some profound point in their lives....during times of change.....

anyway....what do you think of Tomato? like how does that sound? Tomato Obrien?

lol I mean, they're bright, vibrant, tangy, sweet, and plump

lol

I'll see most of you soon.

love

sal/mom

The first thing i do everyday September 5

is go out side into the garden.

where i lose track of time and forget about everything.

I was eating crisp, sweet, fresh tasting green beans every morning for breakfast , standing there in my nightgown, waiting for the sun to come over the tops of the trees, the past two days ive been popping red, juicy tomatoes. This morning when i bit into one it squirt juice and seeds all over the front of me, but it really didn't matter because i had mud down the front of my nightgown already from planting lettuce seeds where i had pulled out the beans.

I waited for some friends who were coming for coffee this morning but didn't hear from them. I guess i shouldn't have confessed to my lack of coffee brewing skills.

so i meandered, aimlessly around the meadow and pond and woods in the immediate vicinity of the back yard.

Its the hot time of day now. so quiet. even the lizards have stopped skittering around in the leaves and the turf war between the hummingbirds has ceased fire at least for the meantime. This morning i witnessed a hummingbird hovering in the spray of the irrigation system in the veggie garden. It must have been bathing. I also spied several beautiful green and pink frogs, they were hiding curled up in the squash and pepper leaves.

I've yet to finish a book. I get so distracted by things like the wind, and the butterflies who are always circling the deck , landing and taking off and circling and landing again. Three weeks left to read, and wander.

im feeling like ....the need to feed.....like , a binge coming on.......so distressing. Good thing there is an orchard full of plums and pears and a garden full of vegetables and grapes.

well, im going to read. if the ADD will allow.

hope you're all well.

love

mom/sal

Tiny specks of mosquito larvae September 1

glide across the glassy surface of the pond like little children on their new skates, while just beneath them lie patiently in wait the dark shadows of trout who spring up to grab the dragonflies with their iridescent wings sparkling in the bright sunlight at noon.

I watched one large electric blue dragonfly darting back and forth just above the water dipping down dangerously close to the mouths of two fish hunters who had somehow synchronized their movements zooming together mimicking the movements of it's fast flying prey.

It's a particularly buggy day in Berry Creek.

Several species of butterflies are darting , flitting, landing and circling around each other and the blooming wildflowers in the meadow. I stopped transfixed by one common black butterfly with orange poppy spotted and butter yellow markings on her outstretched wings, sitting there on a rock in the meadow stretching and fluttering in a drawn out and repetitive sequence , signaling to a mate who landed instead on my leg and tickled me while licking the salt off of my skin with its long narrow thread of a tongue. Until i laughed out loud at the quick and spastic jack rabbit who ran by so close to me i could feel the wind in its wake but froze in its steps when it realized i was there.....and turning its ears backwards to listen for me to make another sound. Then jumping up and turning mid-air and running back to where ever it had fled from in the first place.

There are tracks around the pond which has receded quite a bit, maybe 3 feet now, although the water is still flowing out of the pipe. Because of the claws i think it could be a small bear, or a very very large raccoon.....no, not a raccoon.........the claws are too wide even in the soft gushy mud.

The french prunes are still tart. The pears still a little hard, and today the figs are too high for me to reach. The lettuce is bolting now. The string beans almost done producing. By the weekend though it looks like i will pick half a dozen tomatoes, and a peach or two.

There has been quite a lot of activity in the sky the past two days. Though i never get a peek at the aircraft its presence is evident due to the booming tree shaking roar. I'm guessing military practice maneuvers like Erin and i witnessed several years ago at a remote corner of Bucks Lake. Also helicopters. Yesterday i heard it coming, i didn't pay much attention as I've heard them around flying by all summer. But this one didn't fly by. It was hovering and flying back and forth and back and forth somewhere south and east of the meadow. I noticed it because it was so loud i could tell it was low, and because it didn't just fly by.....it stayed loudly right here in the area and i knew it was kind of low, when it finally moved it moved slowly north but still so low i couldn't catch a view of it surveillance for sure.

Im watching a black and white hummingbird perched outside here on a branch that is shimmering with the light reflected by the water in the little pond below it in the back yard, i think the teeny hummer wants to approach the feeder here but sees me through the window.

Yesterday i startled the deer who I failed to notice when i came outside with my book to read, late in the afternoon, they were grazing here just on the other side of the garden gate and hopped away through the leaves, crunching and scraping but not going far. They may have perceived that i am no threat to them.

Its warm, 85 and low humidity of 29% with a nice constant breeze today. The acorns are dropping heavily on the roof and rolling down to the cement slabs of the patio , the dried leaves of Madrone clacking together like bamboo wind chimes. I think it will be a nice afternoon to watch the sunset from Bald Rock. But maybe ill save that for when Erin is here.

Well, I'm going back to my patrol of the property, maybe blow some leaves off the deck, wash the car? and I'm still struggling to finish the book.

Hope you're all well.

love and miss you.

Mom/Sal

I was sad yesterday, and the day before. August 31

I was just needing to get out.
So i thought i'd take a drive up hill. I wanted to take a photo of the sign that says " Pacific Crest Trail" to show my dad. He and I ALWAYS watch nat geo or science or discovery or travel channel on tv and every time we get the chance to watch a documentary of the trail we do.
ANYWAY. i took a leisurely drive, checked out campgrounds, pulled over into dirt roads where there were landings and took photos. As always it was a beautiful day. Well , i got to the trail and parked in the little pull over. Got out, and was reading all the notices on the board and heard voices. Looking down the trail and saw there were two women walking up . BACKPACKING. They had their ski poles and their backpacks and were just grungy from the 10 days they've spent hiking the forest from Sierra City.........

I waited for them to reach me and offered them some water and a ride somewhere . They wanted me to call their husbands but there was no cell reception up there so they wrote down messages for me to call them when i could. And we got talking and I took photos of them standing by the sign and they took one of me and then these RETIRED, GRANDMOTHERS invited me to join them for a little hike. ISN'T THAT GREAT? i was more excited than i thought i would be. And they were so nice. One retired kindergarden teacher from Grass Valley and the other a retired landscape architect from the Bay Area. I got their emails and will send them the photos and they invited me to visit them when ever i get back to California.

The ride up to the trail was gorgeous, I parked and sat under the aspen with their silver bark and shimmery leaves, still green but sparkling and giggling in the wind, to watch some magnificent horses grazing a high mountain meadow. One golden with a pale main and tail that glistened in the sun, a buck color with dark main and tail, and one darker, but not brown exactly, with a light tail and mane, big horses, beautiful. They ran across the meadow as i approached the fence, hooves thundering until they pulled up short when they realized i was a stranger.
I explored a couple of pretty but vacant campgrounds, families are back home now that school has begun. Did you know that in exchange for the camping fee you can volunteer to be a campground host? You need to stay a month and just do little campground mantainence. I stopped and took photos.

I drove really slow......luckily no traffic for me to hold up.
took benadryl last night as i haven't been able to sleep much lately. still , it took me hours of tossing and turning before waking up at 7, shivering. even with the down comforter over me. Ran outside with the garbage bag and started water for tea, and hot water in the tub.
I don't know what im going to do today. I had planned on going back south , i was invited to Strawberry but that's off the table now. I m waiting to hear from Fran. Ill go for a walk in the sun, maybe that will warm me up. Time to get the leaf blower going. Wash the car after my drive yesterday. Work a little in the garden. Finish my book.

hope you're all safe out there in Ct. hope to hear from you.

lovemom/sal

It was ESP August 26

I was thinking about my Dad all morning and when i got back there was a message from him on the answering machine.

I was kind of restless today, i've been here on this property most of the summer just kind of "house-sitting", keeping myself occupied by working in the garden. Not much galavanting, trying to conserve my gas money. I go to Bald Rock about every 10 days and have taken 2 rides up the hill towards Bucks Lake and go into Oroville every 5 or 6 days.

I was worked up today and it helped to go for the hike and to sit for a little bit where i wasn't looking round for something to do or fix or clean and no phone, no computer, no stereo.

Today , i just had to go for a ride. I went to Bald Rock. I went kind of late, it was 10AM. Getting HOT on all that granite. But after exploring and climbing to the top and taking photos of the rocks, i started back down and found a cool breezy spot in the shade. It was a nice clear level spot on the granite, just behind a good sized pine, kind of sandy, facing east. I just sat there quietly for about half an hour or more. I kind of dissappeared again, into the wind i guess....and when i came back wondered. " what am i doing here sitting on these rocks all alone" " without any goals or purpose and is it OK? Am i failing life?

I was thinking about my Dad a lot and wished he had spent some time with me here this summer.
And every time i hike on Bald Rock i wish Ilona was here with me...OH she would love it so much. she hikes all the time up to West Peak in Meriden , any kind of weather and even alone

When i got to the parking lot ( just a dirt clearing) I backed into a little spot and picked up a rock to put in front of the wheels of the car. There was a pile of ants and ant eggs underneath the rock. When i got back to the car, after my little hike up the very easy trail, something with a really big tongue had licked them all up.

Also there was lots and lots of evidence of coyotes, i guess you'd call it skat, full of berries and fur.

Fresh, wet. I mean A LOT, going up the trail through the woods on almost every rock... There must have been quite a party up there last night.

It looks like the deer herd that was browsing here all summer has moved on. Maybe they didn't like me lurking around with the camera all the time. I've been hiking through their beds during the afternoon going to pick berries. Keeping on the outside of the berry patch where i can see the road. Tempting as it is to venture further and deeper into the bushes, but thinking maybe the bear is sleeping under there in the shade, or a skunk!

Tomorrow Larry and i are driving down to Sonora. We are going to the memorial for Armondo Puccinelli...who died in the fire at his home with his lady companion. It will take us about 4 hours to get there, Ill be back in Berry Creek by about 4 or 5 Sunday afternoon.

Are you ready for the storm? I keep seeing notices on Yahoo that the whole East coast is bracing for a pretty bad one.

Well, this afternoon i have to check out the drip system again. The one in the Veggie garden. Im getting spray in the tomato bed but the other lines must be blocked because the other beds are dry and the plants are wilting.

im keeping my eye on one lone cucumber that has volunteered to grow in the middle of the onions. I swear it doubled in size since i watered it yesterday afternoon. also i threw in some escarole seeds which started to sprout this week, Mary you will have a nice crop i hope. already picking the arugula that i planted in the half barrel near the deck. suddenly, the roma tomatoes are turning orange, and the other tomatoes have gotten so heavy, though still green, they are pulling down the cord ive tied them up with. More tying on Sunday or Monday, I hope to return with a nice pile of bamboo stakes.

Calling my cell phone? I don't have any cell service here. In fact i haven't been able to use it at all. I tried a couple times from different spots but lost the signal and i can't even access my voice mail.

So, im about to fill the cooler with ice, and bottled water for the trip. And take a shower before i head down the road to the post office. Ill clean the windshield. OH and iron my good shirt and "dressy" jeans.

Love and Miss you

Mom/Sal

ps, in CT. hope you stocked up with water and flashlight batteries. Erin if we get a lot of lightning be sure to unplug the computer.

well, im out of bed , finally. Åugust 24

It was a weird night all in all. Internally weird. On the computer till 1am, then unplugging the nightlight in the kitchen and covering up the alarm clock, for perfect darkness I was still WIDE awake at 4AM.

Never sleeping but maybe dozing off and on from 4:30 till close to 5:30; that first phase of sleep was interrupted due to my setting the alarm for 5:30 so i could get the garbage out ( i missed it last week). After turning off the alarm in the dark and falling asleep again, woke abruptly at 6:30, pulled on some clothes and took out the garbage bag and put it in the pail outside the gate. Eyes half open.

At 6:30 It's already perfect outside. Not cool, not hot, just perfect.......but surprisingly the sky is swirling in a kaliedescope of apricot, rose and violet clouds. No wonder there were so few stars shinning last night.

I walked groggily into the garden and picked apples because an apple/pear/fig/berry pie or cobbler or even a crisp might be a fun food invention. Got lucky reaching a few with the rake and pulled them off so they wouldn't fall to the ground and bruise or crack, then picking what may well be close to the last handful of green beans.

Then i went back upstairs and took a nap till 8:22. The hot sun shinning through the window felt good on my back. It helped the little shaky thing that i've developed sometimes when waking . Maybe it's my metabolism, slowed down so much that my internal temperature dips too low. I have always had a problem with a lower than normal temperature. Not a problem really just another abnormality.

So I got up and dressed and made the bed, turned on the computer, went down and made a cup of tea and put the bottle of honey out on the deck in the sun so it would soften up, and was delighted to see one of those pretty black and white birds with the red throat pecking around. They've been absent lately and i worried that the pesky stray cat had eaten them all. There seems to be a batch of tiny baby lizards skittering around in and out of the rocks. No wonder the adults all looked so fat and moved so lazily lately. Or do they lay eggs? I mean, some snakes lay eggs and some have live births, must be that way with different types of lizards too eh? A big screaming hawk was moving across the eastern edge of the meadow from one tall oak to the next.

The deer are no longer keeping schedule here, and the jack rabbit is running alone these days his companions missing. Even the noisy crows have moved on. Hummingbirds however, with their consistent territorial clicking, growling, whirring beating of their tiny wings still, defiantly dive around my head and hover "getting in my face".

Still, perfect temperature. But the air smells different. It smells fruity. Here anyway. I did notice driving up the mountain last night different smelling woods the higher i got. AND, there is a Mackeral sky. White / Grey clouds in a pattern resembling scales of a fish. Moving fast from the south west towards the north and east. Just got up to check. The western sky is that clear, bright California blue, but the sky in the East is glowing with irregular white clouds, not the big puffy ones you sometimes see here, different, somehow looking flat and stretched out but not wispy. Fall is coming.

I have a list of little things i want to work on today, pick berries, pears ( if there are any ready) and figs too. Fix hoses, ( sorry about the hoses) Wash the window here in the office, Walk, Read, take in my good pants,

Now, before i forget. The computer. I used Mozilla last night before i turned off the computer.

And this morning Safari is gone. There is no icon across the bottom of the screen for Safari. I didn't go into the programs or Mary's files i've only been on the internet so i don't know how it could have been deleted. i didn't " uninstall anything. Can anyone who uses apple help me out on this? How do i get Safari back. I need help from some tech knowlegeable person. I know some of you are versed in apple and some of you are just techy.

keep in touch.

Calamity Sal/Mom

i love you.

well, i ended up back at Ace August 23

......suddenly today i noticed 2 more leaks spraying water all over the garden. Why didn't they do that before? I only went in there twice with the sythe and that was weeks ago.

so back to town i went and got a few more of those hose repair things.

Not feeling very much energy this morning, but going down and driving back up gave me a little dose of motivation. At 6:30 decided that it would be a good day t o get up to bald rock with the camera. After exploring the rocks for an hour or so the idea of going a little higher up might just afford me a better view of the sunset. I didn't get as high as Walker Plains but i think i was pretty close before i found a turn around with a little view of the canyon and the was pink streaked with lavender. I was afraid i would miss all the colors if i kept going up. Worrying that i wouldn't find a spot to stop before it got dark.

anyway....a kind of weird thing happened. Not bad weird. Just weird because im not sure how to describe it. And also some of you will be snickering about it wondering what i've been smoking.

( nothing by the way if you must know. However , i did use benadryl to fall asleep and stop itching last night, oh and there was the long weekend in Sonora/ Tuolumne where i enjoyed some nice red wine, a refreshing rum punch,,,,,,,,,,and some rather smokey and sweet sipping whiskey.....dam attention deficit disorder, i got off track a bit)

well, this is what happened. I hope it happens to all of you some time. And i think solitude is key to this experience.

I pulled into i guess it would be a skid landing, where they strip the bark off of trees after they log them down? They bring them to a clearing and pull off the bark and branches before taking them to a mill.

Anyway, it was a place to pull over and it was off the road , clean, open, and i could tell that there was a possible view of both the Middle Fork Canyon and across the road the French Creek Canyon.

I stopped the car, got out. And just listened. There was not a sound. Not the river below, not birds, or squirrels, nor wind rustling leaves. Just quiet and absolute silence.

There i was. just me. alone. Right there. In the middle of the wilderness. Me. no one around . Just forest.

and bodily sensation fell away.

I didn't hear anything, I didn't feel anything, I didn't think anything. And it was like I disappeared.

Like there was no barrier between my skin and the air around me. Not warm. Not cool, no breeze, no hot sun beating on me. It was like being nothing and being part of everything and my body was only an illusion which i could not feel.

ok, i told you it was weird.

It didn't last long. My ears started ringing. And i still hadn't gotten the shot i drove in there for.

But , it was a perfect moment. total peace.

Maybe it was the temperature. the lack of humidity, at just the right balance.

i got a couple photos. they're just ok. but it was a lovely drive, beautiful scenery, gorgeous colors and light .....

thats it, thats my little blog for today.

love you

mom/sal

HI, sorry i haven't written much lately. August 23

I've been experiencing a little low energy the past few days. Coupled with my desire to spend as much time outside as possible now that the end of my time here in Berry Creek is zooming towards me, im not on the computer very much.

Out in the meadow and woods yesterday picking blackberries,4 quarts of them. And have been exploring the edge of the meadow and a little bit into the woods with my camera. Also wanting the house tip-top for Mary when she gets home and have washed a few windows and have a few more to go.

The library here is fabulously interesting. I've got to try to focus on sitting still and getting through a couple of them......

As i said low energy, a 2 day detox diet.... and then i had to take benadryl last night for the eczema which returned with a vengence the past week.

I woke up with shakes and aches this morning. Not sure what the shaking is about, It started in the winter, once in a while i wake up trembling. Maybe low-blood pressure. Probably need more activity.

I think a hike up Bald Rock is just what i need. I've been promising myself a view of the valley at sunset, so i guess i'll get busy around here and aim towards that late afternoon hike. It will probably help me get to sleep tonight.

The detox cocktail is really delicious. Try it, 8oz of vegetable juice, 1/3 cup of lemon juice, 1 clove garlic, one handful each of parsley and cilantro, 1/8tsp cayenne pepper and i splash in some natural apple cider vinegar, if i had some brags amino acids id spill a dash of that in too blend with 6 ice cubes till the ice is crushed. Really tasty and does a good job cleaning you out and gives you great nutrients with all those veggies in the juice.

So here's the plan, a little breakfast, shower, garden maintenance, freeze berries, a little house work, pick up the mail, read, drive to Bald Rock trail head and get in a little hike. Take PHOTOS.

just thinking about it brings my energy up a little.

xo love you

mom/sal

Sonora's magic night and the Blues Festival, sorry this took so long August 21

it WAS great.

I love that kind of hometown event. Family oriented, entertaining, exciting. Of course again, this gorgeous climate. It was a beautiful warm night, with a full moon and a stunning sunset in blues, violets, peaches, pinks....golds.....just spectacular.

There were throngs of folks walking up and down Washington Street, the one main street that goes through Sonora. Little boys coming into town from the ranch at night, gussied up in their cowboy hats and boots, straight legged jeans and western style shirts, standing in front of the toy store with their noses pressed against the window......Little girls dressed up in their Disney Princess Gowns, bows in their hair, excitedly pointing to the snow cone vendors. Old hippies, wandering aimlessly, looking for old friends and sneaking sips from their flasks. Stylish retired couples, with coifed white hair, holding hands and swaying back and forth to the swing band, watching all the other couples swinging their partners around and around.

There are a lot of REAL dancing couples here in this community. Ive noticed them before when i've gotten to see shows at the casino. Not just spinning in circles, girating their hips and flailing their arms around, but couples, dancing steps, knowing how to lead and follow. It is so cool. Still an art here in Tuolumne County.

Traffic moving at a crawl, A narrow street runs through Sonora. Past the old western buildings. Built with Ranching and Gold Mining money. Logging money too . Now tourist money keeps it going. Interesting western architecture. Real old timey.

And the streets are lined with boutiques, antique stores, and cafes'. Play bills for upcoming events taped to all the front doors. There is ALWAYS something to do in Tuolumne County. Free entertainment. Like this Street Festival, a different band on every block. And magical acts, belly dancing and fire juggling right in front of the county courthouse. Every kind of vendor selling any kind of treat. From wine tasting to Kettle Corn. All the shops were open late, pretty sales girls leaning on the door frames, bright lights spilling out onto the sidewalk calling you in to spend a little cash.

And no fighting. No rudeness. All ages, all backgrounds, all lifestyles, just enjoying the night. smiling and laughing......saying hello and excuse me.

I went to my favorite restraunt with two of my favorite old hippies and had a nice meal of ravioli and red , red wine.

and finished off the night nibbling on my tira misu out of a white styrofoam leftover container, watching the meteor shower.

On Saturday after wandering around the farmers market, ( they have the BEST tomatoes and peaches anywhere) I got to see the " Fire on the Mountain" Blues Festival. It is held in the County fairground/campground.

There was not too much of a turnout probably not even 1000 people. I got a great seat right in the middle of the arena, on the lawn in the shade. They had "misting tents" set up if anyone got too hot. I think it was well organized but i can't imagine what happened to their marketing or what else was going on to keep the crowd away. Well, there were 2 festivals in the area besides the blues festival so maybe that's what happened.

Festivals are great places to people watch. ...... i got some pictures...will have to post them when i get back to CT.

My favorite acts were Paul Thorn and the incredible Roy Rogers.

Paul Thorn is really a fun entertainer. He talks to the audience between each original song. Besides being a great blues man he's a brilliantly funny, down to earth entertainer. ok for instance, one of his songs is titled " my cousin the Jehova witness Stripper" It's on u-Tube. check it out.

Roy played with the original founder and keyboard player for the legendary "Doors" Ray Manzek. They've made a recording and are on Tour together. Roy actually "posed" for a photo for me. He's my favorite guitar player.

oh i have a list.....i won't go into it here.

The drive home was long and hot . I don't like to use air-conditioning.

and here is Saturday already. a week after my birthday trip.

my sleeping pattern is bizzare. some nights im still awake at 2am and some nights i wake up at 2am and cant go back to sleep. tonight im typing with one eye closed because i found the Gypsy, Red Lavender Tea at Raley's and had some a little while ago.

Today i went to the farmers market in Oroville. then came back and waited for Larry. I realized after i got back that the drip system in the veggie garden was not working. My investigation showed that the batteries needed replacing, i only had 2...needed 3 and Larry who was coming down to pick up some veggies in trade for some new potatoes brought me the extra battery i needed.

otherwise, i was pretty useless today. and i carbed up.......first time since i got here.
I ate french bread which was terrific, corn, a burritto, and a whole bowl of quinoa......im not telling you how big of a bowl. OH and bok choy.....don't tell me that's starchy



im doing a detox tomorrow.

write when you can or feel like it.


love
mom/sal