My new favorite author is Stanley Crawford who writes about farming and living in New Mexico. The book I am reading is THE RIVER IN WINTER, a series of essays.

I love finding new authors to read.

I pulled out a quilt I had worked on last year and put aside. I looked closely at it and realize I still like it and now I am busy sewing. I love to sew and listen to the radio.

We are still in a foggy cycle of weather and sewing on a quilt is perfect.

Sitting outside in the late afternoon a humming bird came right up to me and stopped in mid air. And then moved on.

I continue to do better.

The two kids visited this afternoon. I love being around them.

Wonder what I will do to entertain myself tonight.

The sun came out this afternoon and I could see Mt Toro from my back window, crystal clear.

I am still moving around, trying not to stress my knee, what ever that means. Life is quiet.

The deer continue to eat out of my garden. there is bird poop on the newly washed car.

I have order home delivery of the New York Times for the next couple of months.

Spent quiet day. Went to my first Doc's appointment about my knee. Didn't learn anything new but will start the diagnosis process. Will have X-ray and MRI and then consult with the doctor.

Now I am just waiting to see if the knee acts up again. I am now more prepared. I have a prescription for a wheel chair if I can't walk for a couple of day.

I am an optimistic person and think the worst is over but I am being careful to not stress my knee.

So my walking is back. Drove my car to Pacific
Grove, picked up the mail, got gas, had lunch with friends. Put garbage cans out for the pick up tomorrow.

What I really really want to do is go out for breakfast so I have promised myself that I could go to Rosine's tomorrow morning.

Life is good.

No sun today, I bundled up in my warm jacket and wool scarf and sat outside in the fog for awhile. A distant dog was barking. birds chirping. bees in the garden and I was warm. I brought my cane but didn't have to use it.

Sunday in July on the central coast.

I am beginning to see some shape in my life now that I ma staying home. The slowness and the quiet are winning me over. And I can do a little walking.

Took my first shower in 7 days and feel wonderful. Now I am going to sit out in the sun to let my hair dry.

I finally have an appointment with the orthopedist for next week. Each day my knee is better. I am beginning to think it is not my knee but some form of tendinitis.

I have a wonderful new cane. Now I want a bath bench so I can take showers and wash my dirty hair. Next person who comes to visit and asks what they can do will be sent down to the drug store for a bath bench.

Plan to spend the weekend at home resting.

The sun came out this afternoon and I was able to go up my front steps with a cane. I soaked in the sun for an hour or so. I guess I will be getting better each day.

I made coffee this morning. No more caffeine headache.

So I wonder what will come tomorrow.

Not much good on TV unfortunately.

a friend brought me breakfast and lunch today and my son is bring dinner. I am so fortunate. The walking is better but definitely not good enough.

Spent the day reading, napping, sewing, trudging down the hall to the bathroom. How much easier it would be if I never had to go to the bathroom. But of course then I would be dead.

slow day. Spent the day inside slowing moving form place to place waiting for my knee to kick in and be functional.

My son brought me dinner so I wouldn't starve.

Tomorrow will be better.

Late afternoon I like to sit outside in the garden and read. Today is so cold that I wore my warm jacket with the hood pulled up and a blanket to wrap my legs.

I know it is hot someplace in the world but not here. I'm not complaining.

the sun will return in September, if I remember right.

Went to the hospital to visit a friend who didn't die. He is still alive after facing a life threatening situation. I am so glad that he was lying in bed, smiling, making jokes, crying and making plans for the future. Death can come so quickly and easily.

From my kitchen window I can see my neighbor's upstairs window. there is one window open when they are at home. When they go our out of town the window is closed.

Without thinking I check to see if the window is open or closed.

In some ways it feels intrusive that I am able to tell so much about them. I wonder what I do in my house that signals the neighbors what I am up to.

Went to the library this afternoon. It was packed with people as usual. the city is cutting the hours of the library. Money is running out. I was able to find a couple of books to read for the weekend as I hang out at home taking care of my sore knee.

I wish I could do something to help my favorite library.

I have become board with the newshour on PBS. I no longer read the new york times. I wonder where I will get the news.

Maybe I don't need it . I listen for ten minutes or so in the car when I am going someplace and I read the Monterey Herald.

I am becoming part of the uninformed masses of citizens.

Can I really learn about the world from Facebook?

Driving to Paris Bakery this morning to meet a friend, a young woman walked right in front of my car without looking. She was engaged with her cell phone. Luckily I was stopped at a stop light. She didn't eve look up when she stepped off the curb. I drove on, shaking my head.

We should outlaw these cell phones on the street. Too tempting, too dangerous.

Bad enough in cars.

Went to early morning zazen at the Cherry Center this morning with 4 other people. Matt turned on the heater for a while. the room quieted down. For 40 minutes we just sat there in meditation. then we did a little chanting and a little straightening up and we left. Good way to start the day.

Drove out of foggy Monterey and into sunny warm Carmel Valley, just ten miles and the weather totally shifts. From needing the heater to needing the air conditioner.

Spent several hours in a meeting, talking and listening and then returned to the fog.

Went to the Osio to see the documentary film on Joan Rivers. A sad movie. And then when I went back to my car, the back tire was flat. I had to call AAA for help. A competent person came in half an hour and put on my spare tire. All went surprisigly smooth.

Will go to the tire shop on Monday to see hwat happended to my tire which only had 7,000 miles on it. this is a ew car with new tires.

Most of hte day I waited for something terrible to happen. And then at the end of the day I realized it did not happen and that I had wasted the whole day in worry, useless worry.

Hopefully I have learned something from this and can just live iwth what is actually happening rather then what I fear.

Driving out in the waste lands of Fort
Ord I saw a turkey family with several young chicks. I was heartening to see this sight amidst the abandoned barrack and buildings, broken windows, weeds, abandoned areas. Yea for the turkeys.

The deer ate up most of the rest of the garden last night. Now I have to decide what to do with the planter boxes in the front yard.

Went to the rolfer masseuse this afternoon and now I can walk again. She strengthened my knees, I don't know how and it wasn't comfortable but I feel more alive and I can walk, rather then limp along. Good news.

I did some exercises to strengthen my sore knee and today I can ha4rdly walk. I have started asking my friends for names of doctors who they thik are good with knees. Sigh. I knew I shouldn't turn 70.

It's hard to find any comfortable position.

The night time marauding deer chomped on my sun flower plants and the nasturtiums. Yesterday they were thriving and now they are beaten down wrecks. I have a fond spot for the deer but today I am dismayed. cute little Bambi and her mother,what to do.

My holiday plans changed unexpectedly so I had a quiet day. Watered the yard and read a new book NIGHT OF THE JAGUAR by Michael Gruber. I am half way through. Good way to spe3nd the day.

I discovered a new author that I really like, STANLEY CRWFORD. He write books about New Mexico. I finished the first book called MAYORDOMO and now am reading A GARLIC TESTAMENT, Seasons On a Small New Mexico Farm. There books were written in the 1980. non fiction. I am always glad when I discover wonderful writing.

I am sitting in the living room watching the newshour and being teary eyed hearing about the gulf oil troubles when the voice of my neighbor's drunk son starts streaming into my livingroom. He is singing or screaming country western songs while he is hammering on the house. WE HAVE BAD BLOOD BETWEEN US ..........

So I am alternating between feeling sad and then feeling really angry at my neighbor. Definitely anger is more energetic.