May 26, 2008

9:16 p.m.

Sun, Farmhouse

Fairly productive day. I spent some of it online, researching various things related to my LIFE and many goals and projects and spiritual development, meanwhile fielding a goodly number of phone calls. Rose called from Colonial Williamsburg to announce that she'd bought me all of three ginger cakes, as they were selling them singly in the tavern. I explained that she had to ASK for larger numbers and they'd go into the kitchen and bag up however many she wanted. (Last time I was in Williamsburg, I bought five dozen and ziplock-bagged them, then froze them when I got home.) They're the best ginger cakes/cookies in the Universe. Apparently Rose does not share my long-distance romance with them.

I started sewing the gift bags we'll be giving out at the Birthday Hoot. Found some diaphanous, green, glittery fabric that will do nicely. Must cinch the tops, add some beadwork, and they'll be ready for stuffing.

I didn't get around to the wishing well but I have over 2 weeks to do it.

It was a bodaciously beautiful day, and aside from hearing the noon parade go down main street (I'm about a block up), there wasn't much neighborhood noise. It surprised me. The Squatleys next door are just this weekend getting around to draining their slimy pool (evacuating any number of Creatures that have sprung up in its black, lagoon-like depths, I'm sure), shoveling the goo out of the bottom, and once again replacing the liner. I'm estimating three of their pool liners so far in some landfill. Anyway they weren't quick enough on the draw to have their annual Memorial Day pool bash and all-night boombox party, so I guess we'll just have to deal with the peace and quiet.

Anyway, I did go for a lovely little sightsee, around one of the places I walked yesterday. Farmland galore, and then, dirt back roads with nothing on them but an occasional campground, a swamp or lake, and trails into the woods. Miles of this. I saw two turtles near a shallow lake, but they were at the side of the road with their butts slightly buried in the dirt. I figured they were laying eggs! They didn't look like very secure sites, but then, I can't imagine much traffic goes by there. I'm tempted to go back in a couple of days and see if I can find where they were. In an uninstrusive way, of course.

I finally ended up in Hampton, a town in which I used to work years ago, and found another place to hike a ways, on state conservation land. Boy, I just never knew there were so many trails in short driving distance. Suddenly the place is burgeoning with them. It makes me happy.

Some things came clearer about the dream ceremony, so I emailed my thoughts to my three co-conspirators. Waiting for further guidance.

The "Dummy" DVD proved to have a lot of skips in it -- this is about the 4th Netflix disc I've had to send back -- and I was disappointed not to watch the rest last night. I wish they had a better way of checking them.

Rose asked via email if I could clean their house again this week, as they're hosting the band at a concert/party two days after they get back. Of course I said I would, so that's on the agenda for tomorrow. Hard to believe it's going to be June already; just, like, last week, I was saying how long it was before my retreat. Now I'm scrambling to get ready. Ain't it always the way.