As we seldom do, we cut our walk short yesterday. The rain came down in buckets and our umbrellas were turned inside out in the fierce wind. Got home drenched, even so.
Had called in the renewal on Monday, so went to Wal-Mart to pick up my medication. There I was told my insurance company wouldn't pay its portion until today! May all of them writhe in hell, especially the bastards who are going to profit in unimaginable amounts from the "health care" (care to forfeit your income for your health?) "reform" (the perps should be in reform school) bill.
Went to Scrabble at Pat's and only mildly enjoyed it. I'm always amazed at the hold television has over just ordinary conversation. The other day, on the Dead Horse blog, Rob Payne wrote about the sorry state of our "culture" (yes, those quote marks are intended, also). That came to mind yesterday as our "discussion" (those, too!) ranged from Tiger Woods to teenagers who commit suicide to The Great Race. This is what passes for serious conversation, it seems: utterly vapid and mindless chitchat.
Rehearsal last night. I'm still hanging in, but my doubt that a performance will be added grows with each passing day. Okay, I'm still learning and still like being with a group of women with a purpose.

"Oh, the rain came down and the floods came up...." That's from an old children's bible song, and it fits yesterday's weather, my least-favorite (oh, wait, I said that about cloudy days, too). Susan and I sloughed through for our morning walk, then went to exercise, and were back at the clubhouse for a meeting about our new community newsletter.
In between, talked to sister Betty, then e-mailed pictures of the graves to her and to my children. I was glad it rained to water them, but hope they aren't drowned.
Rain or no, I had a wonderful time at dinner with Joel, Noelle, and the four boys. Joelly is getting so grown up and articulate and Tristan is an adorable two and a half year old. After eating his pizza, he spent most of the dinner dipping pita bread in my soup, then carefully spreading butter on a piece of Italian bread. After that, he ate off the butter--ugh!
I went up early and we ate early (at a restaurant near them called "LaCuchina"), as I was a tad nervous about driving home on Route 539 in the dark. There were two posted flooded areas, neither very deep, but still--.
Was home shortly after 7:00, having greatly enjoyed the evening. Looking forward to spending time with them for Easter, too.

Happily, I got a web cam call from P. and N.; their computer had been lacking something and is now fixed. I thanked them (N., actually) for an utterly charming Easter card she had made--I love her things and save all of them, of course.
Surprised myself by taking a short nap after that, but woke up feeling refreshed. Was delighted to get a call from grandson Joel, just thanking me for stopping in to say hello to Noelle the other day. I asked to take the whole crew out for dinner and Joel said he's off today, so will drive up there. Later, I decided to put pansies on the grave, after all, and went to the cemetery. Stopped to get them at Bob's outside Mays Landing. They have a wonderful array and I chose a bright yellow and pretty blue. The ground was soft, so they were easy to plant. I was pleased to see a stone on the gravestone itself, evidence that the D.'s had been there. That's a nice custom, which I understand Jewish people originated, and I left one myself.
After, it occurred to me to get something for nephew Jay's grave, too, and I stopped at another place to get some nice daffodils. It was almost 6:00 when I got home, which was fine with me. I considered it a full and satisfying day, especially as it's now raining, so the flowers are being watered.
My weekly web cam call from Ellen topped off a good day.

It's gotten very cold again, darn it, and poor Susan lamented that the dozens of pansies she just planted will die. Galvanized myself to clean the bathroom. Talked to sister Betty at length. Went to Shop-Rite, then to the cemetery, taking with me the shells and small piece of driftwood Mike had picked up on the Ventnor beach last month. Arranged them in front of the headstone, then went off to buy a plant to add. When I got to the flower place, though, it occurred to me that if Susan's pansies will probably die, it's probably too cold. I'll wait and get something later.
When I got home, stopped at the D.'s to return Barb's container. To my surprise, they told me they had been over at the cemetery. Must have been just after I was, as they mentioned the shells.

After our walk and exercise, it was a fairly slow day. Went to Manahawkin and picked up Super Glue for the library display, then stopped at B & B for veggies. Made a delectable "stew" of sweet peppers and onions in the crock pot. Finished The Kite Runner and have started Think Twice, the book by the author we saw the other night. Two books of fiction in a row--wow, I'm getting decadent. Soon I'll be lolling in front of the t.v. all day, eating meatball subs.
WIDER: However, I also read an absorbing piece in Harper's Monthly (to which I just subscribed), on the three "suicides" at Gitmo. It was just a coincidence that the three, in separate, widely-spaced cells, all chose to kill themselves on the same night by the same method--stuffing rags down their own throats, then hanging themselves. After the "official" U.S. autopsies, the bodies were released to the families and it happened that the throat areas of all three were missing. Just mislaid, I guess, and that surely has nothing to do with concealing evidence. Think the mainstream media will pursue this with any vigor?

Nothing much going on yesterday except an eye doctor's appointment and rehearsal. Exam was routine, I'm glad to say, as blindness is one of the scariest things possible to me. I don't even need a new prescription. Barbara D. came over to bring me a portion of lentil stew she had just made. She puts a lot of vegetables in it. I had it for lunch, but to be honest, prefer my own.
Rehearsal was okay, but I'm now reconciled to the fact that I won't be in this play, as it goes on in less than a month. Heather, who plays Truvey, wasn't there, so I read the part--big whoops, as the kids used to say. Didn't get home until well after 10:00, so bedtime was almost midnight. Think I'll take a nap today.

Had a good time with the D.'s yesterday evening. We left for Cherry Hill at 4:15 and arrived a bit more than an hour later. I hadn't been up in that neck of the woods since daughter Ellen lived in Mount Laurel and boy--if it was a busy, heavily populated place then, it's even more so now.
First, we went to Barnes and Noble to buy the books to be signed by the author, Lisa Scottoline. She's a mystery writer from South Philly of all places; I bought Think Twice simply because the blurb said it featured twins. After you buy, they give you a wrist band with a number so, I suppose, the crowd doesn't mob the author.
Frank, Barb, and I then went to a restaurant called "Panini Something" (well, I can't remember the rest) which features, of course, bread. Had a good light dinner of vegetable soup and half a turkey sandwich, then we went back to B & N. It was early, but there were no seats left when we got there, so we stood the whole time.
Lisa--it's impossible to refer to her more formally--is a trim blonde who looks to be in her early fifties and is very funny. She delivered all kinds of amusing anecdotes about her mother ("Mother Mary") and her two ex-husbands ("Thing 1 and Thing 2"), as well as a number of seemingly intimate details about her life, e.g. a recent blind date. She actually came across much like a stand up comedian. She had brought along two of her five dogs (and she has two cats), which were ooh and aahed over by members of the audience, almost all women. After her gig, she signed books and gave out Tastykakes, which seem to be her trademark Schick.
The last time I had been at an author's lecture was about twenty years ago at a bookstore in Princeton. Don't remember the name of the author, but I was deep into vegetarianism at the time and I know that was his subject. Far from being funny, this one was very, very earnest, intent on promoting his topic and saving the planet from the meat-eaters.
Now, I understand from the D.'s that other author's signings they've attended--and they go to a lot of them--are also barrels of laughs. Maybe this is waxing too philosophical, but could the contrast reflect what seems to be the absolute determination of the public to be entertained with jokes and funny stories rather than think seriously about a topic?
Dunno and now it's time to meet Susan for our walk.