I seem to be taking my sweet old time about things. Partly, I am becoming quite adamant about the "I'm retired! I don't HAVE to do anything!" But the weather is probably bigger. As soon as it is over 75 I go into get out and push mode. I cannot believe the things others manage to do. I won't even go out of the house. But I don't HAVE to.

This morning I hung out laundry and pulled some weeds and harvested two handfuls of cherry tomatoes. Then I stayed inside until the yard was shady. Then I partly set up the canopy that I had bought and used for the clay event at Apple Hollow.   I will use it to protect the door that I need to refinish for the front of the house, then the other one. After I acquire some non-toxic paint remover. The doors are original - about 100 years old and a mess. Another person would be helpful to finish the set up. Hopefully tomorrow morning before R goes off.

I was in country a couple days last week - commuting. Bought two bouganvillia at a nursery and put them on the porch roof in city. Beautiful! The sunny upstairs LR will support them through the cold weather if I can keep them alive. Thurs eve on way back to city, I was passing through little St. Isidore and saw one of the local musicians on the terrace of the cafe there. So I stopped to chat and ended up staying for the evening - terrific music. Got to the city after 10.

I went to the country on Friday late morning and spent about an hour with the owners sorting out the electric bills. Quebec Hydro had screwed up bills for 3 separate properties. All right now. I hope. Terrific music Friday night by Related. A musician friend whom I had asked for a broken guitar string - ("to cut off your pottery?" he asked) brought me said string already made into a cut off tool with a lovely wooden handle at one end and a metal ring at the other. Nicest cut off tool I have ever had! What a sweetie!!

But R never showed up and my cell phone was inoperative all day Saturday, even in places it usually works. I went out to a friend's but not home so I got the bright idea of stopping at the nearby goat farm to see if they sell milk.

I am feeling challenged to return to be vegetarian and avoid products from factory farms. I thought if I got goat's milk from a nice family farm, I could make my own yogurt; I used to. However, this is a meat goat farm! Wonderful family. The daughter (late teen) is interested in pottery so I offered her lessons whenever. Dad builds barns and commercial buildings so he and R will have things to talk about. Mom showed me her goats and barn and let me use phone to call R - and find out he was not going to make it at all.

So I went home for lunch and "to repair the kiln". Had lunch but the heat got me and I read instead. Went back to the farm in the late afternoon to ask them about something and had another long conversation. So happy to have met these fine folks. Went for groceries and wifi to catch emails - and never got kiln repaired.

Great electrical storm Saturday night!! Cooled things off a bit so I got up and at it Sunday morning. Made pots all morning, lunch, then looked at kiln situation. NEED gloves. I have tons of them, boxes of them! Could not find any plastic ones for this fiddly work. Organized and organized and found a box and now have everything laid out - next time! But I did get a lot organized.

I wanted to go to the market today but the parking is dicey as two adjacent blocks are closed off completely for making a movie - tomorrow too. So I stayed home rather than lose my parking space.

Now I have two piles of stuff to go to thrift shop - one at each domicile.

R seems to be feeling much better this last month. He is consistently getting things done but he works from about 9 am to midnight doing it. I am not going to complain. It is one year since he was attacked and I am hoping this is recovery. Things do seem to take a year - grieving, a new dog or person or whatever settling in, recovery from all manner of things.

Anyway, I might as well be in the country as he is never home and I can get pottery done there, can do more and eat less! Maybe tomorrow I can repair kiln and load it.