My book group met at my house tonight. I cooked a pasta and veggies dish that really worked out. Lots of zucchini, squash, onions, and mushrooms and sausage. I have to say that I too liked it. Sometimes I don't like my cooking but tonight I did. A friend helped me wash all the dishes. a good evening.

The box of see's candy sits on the shelf in the dinning room. Periodically I remember it and go to open the box and take out a piece of chocolate. Umm so good and yet at some point it is too much.

I go to thet Full Moon Chinese restaurant today and eat sweet and sour pork lunch.

Good food day today.

Complained about my sore knee to my friends at lunch only to find out that they all have sore knees and some worse then mine. Everyone I talk to has a story about knees. It's this underground wave of knee mess ups.

Who would have thought.

High wind blowing outside as the fog is trying to return to Monterey.

Warm sunny day after all. Went to the framers market and bought my first local tomatoes with taste. they tasted like tomatoes. I fixed a luxurious salad and share dinner with friends. We then watched Motorcycle Diaries on a DVD. Good evening.

foggy again. Took a two hour nap this afternoon rather then the tasks that I had thought I would do. Now I wonder if I will be able to sleep tonight.

Went to the library this afternoon and sat and read some magazines. Place was packed with people. And ot think the library has to cut hours soon because of city money problems.

The sweet pea seedlings are up and traveling. Several of the giant sunflowers have been chomped down by the deer. No one eats the geraniums.

The deer walk up and down the street sampling the gardens.

We both delight in them and curse them, they are so cute and such a menace to the gardens.

It's good to have some unpredictable wilderness in our streets.

Another cold foggy day. Summer in Monterey.
went to an afternoon movie with my eight year old friend, Toy Story 3. It was fabulous. I think I enjoyed it more then the kids. So clever.

Then back home to my cold house. This morning I turned on the heat to take off some of the chill.

Two strong middle aged people came into my house today and washed all my windows. They were quick and efficient and were done in 45 minutes.

My view is unobstructed with grime and dirt.

The house is quiet, the family visitors have left one by one. I have flowers, candy,new towels, vases, table cloth and am ready to resume my busy life.

I am reading MRS. ADAMS IN WINTER, a Journey in the Last Days of Napoleon by Michael O"Brien. A wonderful history of times of war and difficult families and marriages.

Went to see the movie PLEASE GIVE at the Osio this afternoon. The sound system was off and the previews were so loud that my ears hurt. I went out several times to complain and beg for them to turn it down, to no avail. I could leave because my daughters were still watching. Finally the volume went down and I reentered the theater feeling a bit foolish. I am very protective of my ears. I don't know if the movie was good because I felt so traumatized by the sound system.

I had dinner with my three children who are now middle aged and watching me become old. Can we call middle aged people children. They seem like such grown ups.

I am so glad that I am part of this family even if I am feeling old today.

Spent several hours this afternoon watching the US Open golf tournament in Pebble Beach. Now I live just several miles form these golf courses and yet the television cameras are able to make the place even more beautiful then ever.

They are magic, creating the buzz of golf and the players and the fans into something interesting. They are able to create drama where none exists.

I wonder what it would be like to actually be there and only to be able to experience the game from this one set of eyes rather then the thousands of cameras scattered around, and the camera on the blimp.

The US Open golf tournament is on. the main change I see is the buses that are transporting spectators form Fort Ord to Pebble Beach, Buses from all over California. I an not so interested in golf. I am glad to have my brother visiting.

I am now reading STORMING THE GATES OF PARADISE by Rebecca Solnik, always a treat to read her work.

Cold foggy day. Went out to water the front yard and began to notice piles of deer poop around the yard. Also lots of missing flowers. The deer are back, maybe they never went away.

On Mondays I have coffee and a bear claw at the bakery in Pacific Grove with my friend. We talk about our lives, our worries and then we give advice to each other. Some advice is helpful and some is downright ugly so we have to remind ourselves that we are friends and to be nice to each other. Today was such a day.

The local newspaper is delivered each morning to my driveway. This morning when I was looking at the Sunday paper I realized how thin it is in news. Lots of ads and inserts but only a few items of news, mostly not local.

I miss having a juicy full newspaper. I resist buying the New York Times because why do I want to know so much about New York when I live in Monterey California. There is no answer to this

I've pocked sweet pea seeds into the ground and now am looking every day to see if they are sprouting. The package says 10 days and its only been three. I have to be more patient.

Every place I go the locals are waiting to see what the US open will bring to the community, money, traffic, tourists, drunks, friends. I am looking forward to seeing family and avoiding the streets.

I use my car as a closet or an office, loading it up in the morning with all the stuff I think I will need during the day. Today I had a huge thermos of hot tea, thirty tea cups, two table cloths and various books. I used it all and then I had to unload it back into my house. The thermos was empty and tea cups dirty . Brown Bag zen at noon went well.

Strong wind bowing through town. Chairs, umbrellas bumping around the yard.

I am struck by the beauty of the rattle snake grass twisting in the wind. Golden grasses.

I keep looking to see how the weather is going to change with this wind but I can't yet tell.

Watered the front yard this afternoon. The giant sunflower seeds I planted ten days ago are coming up. Still no lemons on the tree. Plums, apricots, quince and apples in the back yard.

Fog is in and the nights are getting cold.

Went to Target this morning to buy a few things. I wondered up and down the asile mindlessly putting things in my basket. Now I have a stack fo stuff on my dinning room table that I bought. UMMMMMM I wonder what that was all about.

I have told my friends that I want to buy some wooden chairs for my house. Today I received two chairs that a friend acquired through the local auction in Pacific Grove for only $25.

I am still in the market for a couple of more. I also need two twin beds mattresses by next week but I am nervous about buying used one.

I am afraid of bed bugs.

The heat got to me yesterday, My house hit 90 degrees and was slow in cooling off. That means the fog will be in soon. I love my air conditioner in my car as I drove around town. Was glad to be finally home and sitting in the shade reading my new Peter Hessler book on China COUNTRY DRIVING.

I keep watching the slow disaster evolve with he oil spill. Pictures on the newshour, snippet of works on NPR as I am driving from place to place. I feel so helpless. I look at our coast and worry tha tit to is in danger of futher accidents. I wonder as a countyr what we are going to do.

I did it, I voted this morning and drove my ballot to the post office at 6:30 am. Two different ballots. Now I don't have to look at the stuff mailed to me. My mind is made up and the ballot is gone. Such a relief.

Don't have to vote again until November.

June and fire seasin is starting. At the local Park the mowers are out cutting back the grasses and weeds, clearing the brush, it's fire season again. We had so much rain this year. There is lots of fuel in the parks and wild lands. Life keeps going on.

M roommate has just cut all the grasses around my hosue. I am ready.

It's not until I put on my reading glasses that I see an ant moving across the drainboard. One Ant, and then another.

I squish one, then another. I wonder where they are coming from. I need to be a bit more patient and look closley at this sink area.

They are getting in some where. Now I don't see any.

Tomorrow morning I will look again.