Well, there's progress on the farm front. Yesterday, I went out in the drizzling rain to plant the rest of the tomatoes and eggplants; I even got the blueberry bush in. For that, I had to dig a substantial hole, spade the dirt into a big container, add peat moss, mix, then plant. I wanted to take advantage of the rain; not only did it soften the ground, but I didn't have to go water the things. Of course, I was soaked by the time I came in, not to mention splashed with mud, but that was okay. I still have to put in the rest of the strawberries, the double daffodil bulbs, and the melon and sunflower seeds. Geesh, I hope some of this stuff comes up.
The flip side of the weather was that again, I didn't get to hike. By the time Susan and I returned from our walk, it was raining pretty good. Even if the hike was held, it would have been less than invigorating slogging through the mud and puddles, so I didn't go. Now I'm beginning to wonder if I've turned into one of those people who find any flimsy excuse to let themselves off the hook, no matter what it may be.
With that in mind, I was determined to keep my Conversational English date with Genny last night, even though it was pouring by the time I was ready to leave. I'm glad I did because we had a good session; she's making progress and we enjoy each other's company. This time, I asked her to read aloud the "newspaper" specifically written for ESLers, while I listened and corrected the occasional mispronounciation. Coincidentally, she'll be vacationing in Florida for part of the time while I'm in California.
Today, I'm going to a funeral in Ventnor. "Sleek" was the husband of a childhood friend of Betty's and mine. I clearly remember their dating in high school; I don't think either ever had a serious relationship besides what lead to their marriage of 53 years. They suffered some tragedies, including the death of a son, but also joys, I'm sure. They seem to have been uniquely suited to each other and I'm not sure how his wife will go on--whether she'll consider her own life essentially over and will follow him before too long or, as happens fairly often, will accept her new circumstances, heavily mourn, then blossom finally into her own person.