Happy Things in a Sad Time

Rose of the Day: The tree rose growing in a pot on the big deck.



One of my favourite people in the world sent me a box of cheese. Goat cheese, my favourite cheese in the world. The most beautiful goat cheeses I've ever seen:



The big one in the middle with all the flowers is called Van Goat. Moving clockwise, the others are Monet, Apricot Pistacchio, Cranberry Walnut, and Tomato Basil. They almost look too beautiful to eat. Almost! Last night I crumbled Cranberry Walnut on my spinach salad, and it was delicious.

I was mistaken about the scheduling of our renovation (I'm at the Big Lake so much, the Chap has been in charge of Lodge-related decisions) so in the week ahead I can log some more Big Lake time. And will.

Yesterday I had two meetings at the Fish & Game Region 3 office in Durham. My legislative committee met for a presentation on federal saltwater fish stock management and the upcoming registration process for fishermen. Immediately afterwards my subcommittee met. I drove to Portsmouth to do some errands and even stopped at Macy's but wasn't in a shopping mood.

On my way home, I visited the Emery Farm shop ("350 years of Family Farming!") I bought a punnet of raspberries and one of blueberries and some enormous locally-grown tomatoes.

Last night a call came late from a fellow parishioner, with the unbelievable news that a member of our small parish--a faithful pillar of the parish with the happiest outlook and the warmest of smiles--died in an automobile accident yesterday. The sort of accident that closes the highway for hours and shows up on the nightly news. Words cannot express the sorrow. This weekend we're having one of our big fundraisers so everyone will be together, and busy, and that's a good thing. But I do wish the Chap weren't in Denver--he's Senior Warden--plus our Rector is bound for Alaska. The former Rector, who knew her so well, is available for pastoral care, and I expect this week's subsitute priest will be be wonderfully comforting. It promises to be a very sad Sunday.

My oriole feeder is not only for orioles. The hummingbirds use it, too. And this morning, a butterfly.



Today I'm trying to stay cool--it's dangerously hot, bad air warnings--and bake Key Lime pies for a dinner party tonight, down the road. These two activities are not at all compatible.