Delighted to here Andrea is coming towards completion!

Michele's wonderful yellow small plates! I too try using smaller plates to eat less.

I hope Jeri is not "shoulding" on herself with that Christmas Eve trip.

After a miserable morning yesterday, thanks to spending the entire hour of breakfast listening to R on phone with bro, I lost it completely and let bro (on phone) have it with both barrels, knowing all the time, HE JUST DOES NOT GET IT!!!! Apparently he was very upset when R got to where he was but that is because he does not have a clue. Why should I mind that our early morning is totally intruded upon by numerous phone calls from him - every @#$%^& day???? He does not even realize that was why I was upset.

I all but packed up and left. Phoned a good friend in Nova Scotia who understands completely. She was married to R's closest friend. So I settled down and felt miserable all day because I KNOW that man does not understand and there is nothing I can do about him and, therefore, it is useless to lose my temper or waste any energy over it. And he is R's bro, and we both know he has run R's life since the day R was born - and R could have had a very dif life. R was, and is, a highly regarded geologist but got hooked into this insane business with his bro.   

When he got home last night - about 8 pm (earlier than midnight!), I requested a quiet morning "or I'm out of here" and pretty much got it today. Bro or not, there is nothing that critical that it cannot wait until after breakfast. R tends to agree but he gets hooked. But when we go to the country, he loves that the phone does not work!

Today, in recoup mode, wrote snail mail cards to 3 dear friends and put stickers all over them and made some address stickers for them and other out-going mail - some for each address but had to phone landlord for address! Nice chat and he gave me a request for R. We are getting more and more connected with folks down there. He said, "I was talking to E and he said why don't you ask R!" Building a sense of community; I would so rather be there.

Made an appt for R for a massage next week. He has never had one. Might relax him for an hour or so. Had a nice chat with the therapist.

Planning a change in the LR to get more light in here. Remembered we have two beautiful - big - matching table lamps upstairs. Need shades. So a trip to thrift shop tomorrow to take stuff and hope for at least one shade.

Now for lunch and sit down with book time. I have been busy since R left at 10 am. 15 days to the solstice!