ALINE!

Kimball, breakfast, crossword, then a wonderful surprise. The phone rang about 9:30 and it was my dear friend, Aline. We've been back and forth on-line and both of us have been meaning to call, but the time difference is troublesome and somehow, neither of us caught up with each other all this time. What a pleasure to talk with her again! I've made friends here, but oh, nobody who's such a kindred spirit as Aline. We talked for 57 minutes--I hadn't realized before my phone displays that--and so happily.
Poor Aline had to have a hip replacement some months ago and still has a long way to go before she can discontinue a walker. She had been in terribly pain from it and her part-time job in the library necessitated being on her feet all the time. She's a constant walker--or was--as she doesn't drive and never did. She frequently walked to the bus, went into Manahawkin and from there to Manhattan, then Brooklyn to visit her sister-in-law, niece, and her close friend, Jay. She's now into extensive P.T. and is improving slowly.
While Aline and I were talking, Betty called; I called her back after Aline and I had ended our talk. Betty was having lunch with Mookie  and Helen, both of whom said they missed me. I'm not sure why, as I didn't see them very often, but it was nice of them.
Did the town walk to the library. I'm tired of Sinatra and started re-reading New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast and her bio, Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?  It's hysterically funny, but poignant, too, as it's about her problems with aging parents (both lived into their nineties). Stopped to get veggies, then did lots of food prep when I got home. I've become crazy for cauliflower and I looked on-line to see if I could roast it whole in the oven. Yes, I can, and I found a good recipe for a kind  of sauce to put on before it's cooking (olive oil, vinegar, chives, and a variety of spices). It's yummy, although it took longer than I thought it would. In the same oven session, I cooked seasoned chicken thighs (I like them better than breasts) and had two for dinner.