Wednesday

Julie picked me up at 9:00 and off we went to the Farmers' Market at the mall. I went a little nuts with plant foods. Bought carrots, beets, squash, peaches, and cucumbers. I love buying produce from the very people who, presumably, planted and harvested it. 

When I got home, I immediately started food-prepping. Put my split peas in the slow cooker, scrubbed and cut up some of the carrots and added them. Diced an onion and ditto. Started my signature crystal pickles by thin-slicing the cucumbers and doing the same with a big onion; combined them, added salt, and stowed in the fridge for two hours, as instructed. After that, I added sugar (had to borrow some from Suzanne) and vinegar, mixed, and put them in the freezer. I think I'll take them to Carolyn's on Saturday. I trimmed the beets and later, pared and cooked them. Also got a pound of blueberries out and used my blender to smoosh them; had some in plain yogurt later. 

After lunch, I took off over the footbridge to the Hill Street branch of the library.  Stayed to read a bit and took out a DVD. From there, I walked to the bank to make a deposit, then home down Victoria, so I got my three miles in. 

Jim and I often email back and forth. I had sent him info on colonoscopies and asked if he was available for lunch on Friday. No, nor Saturday, either, but how did Sunday look for me? I think okay, as we're going to Santa Barbara on Saturday, but if we're invited back for breakfast or something (the Oakland contingent isn't leaving until 5:00), I'd have to cancel, I told him. Fair enough. 

For dinner I had some of the split pea soup (I had also added chicken), some of the beets, and a potato. Love fresh veggies. 

Almost forgot: I send a message to Ventura Public Works, asking that the bus stop area in front of Von's be cleaned up--the sidewalk preferably power washed. This is where Steve and other homeless used to stay all day and it was pretty rank. I got a response back that it's "in progress," which I guess means they're working on it. I'll keep looking to see.