At last!

Hey--where've I been? Nowhere, really, just busy. I spend one day a week in Saranac Lake so my days at CEF are full of more cataloging and book selection, etc. My time in Saranac Lake is getting to be very nice. I used to sort of dread it--hated to leave my regular work behind. Now I look forward to seeing Michele, to cataloging the stuff there, to our little lunch club. The stuff I catalog runs the gamut, sometimes NYS Museum bulletins about the geology of specific quadrangles (blech), lots of times reminiscences of tuberculosis patients (vaguely interesting), sometimes family histories (full of tributes to ancestors), some biographies of famous people who have a connection to Saranac Lake. I finally figured out Bela Bartok's connection--he composed several works while staying in a cottage on the lake there. Anyway it's peaceful, stimulating and entertaining work. Michele and I have worked out a good arrangement--we talk just enough, not too much but enough to keep each other company and awake.

The bugs are especially bad this year--black flies are voracious and plentiful. No-see-ums especially fecund. Mosquitoes are everywhere. Bats are dying like crazy, from some disease they can't figure out, so there's speculation that bugs have no predators. I think it's just one of those years, and we've been lucky for the past several years. The no-see-ums are so bad that, sitting in my living room at night they're all over me and I even have phantom bugs biting me. There's one! No, nothing there. Aha! got one. yes, that was one. On and on.

We had a horrible hot spell that kept me inside and inactive but it finally cooled off. I spent most of my time at Linda's--she's here for the summer, newly retired. We're seeing each other just about every day, and talk on the phone when we don't see each other. Fred joins us most evenings. He's started his new job as college president so the 3 of us talk about our days. Very companionable. Bill's been around a lot so it's really pleasant. Last night Linda "encouraged" me to leave early and I was motivated enough to mow the lawn and plant some flowers. Fred says the Silver Lake Society for Plant Protection is watching me closely to make sure I take good care of the dozens of plants I bought and must get in the ground. He and I have the same feeling, that plants shouldn't be neglected and it's awful to see them suffer. Apparently I don't have the same intensity of feeling that he does, though, since my plants continue to sit in their 6-packs and pots, miserably waiting for attention. Bad, bad me. I'll do work on them this weekend. yes.

Firewood delivery tonight. Must be home by 6. This morning I spent 10 minutes staring into space, reliving the year after I graduated from college (some good memories, some bad) so I didn't leave as early as usual. Luckily I was home to answer the phone when Lee called to tell me he'd be there at 6 with the wood. Sometimes he just shows up, but tonight is a Ken night, then probably a follow-up trip to Linda's, so I wouldn't haven been home.

Spent some time in the boat house, got to spend the night there once. It has to be around 60 at night for me to stay there--any colder and I suffer. It was almost 70 that night and hot. I spent that evening and most of the next day on the porch reading. What a luxury. I'd hoped to stay there this weekend but the butthole husband of the butthole cousin is supposed to be in camp so I'm self-banished from there. He screams at my dogs and kicks them. But he screams at everything, he has to be the center of attention at all times. (guess what? spellcheck doesn't include butthole). The idea of walking my dogs on leashes around the boat house makes me think it's probably not worth it. My bedroom sticks out into the forest and there's usually a nice cold breeze from the woods so it's not too bad. I have to leave the door open to generate a breeze, though, which Tess loves. She pushes the front door open and goes outside, then barks forever until I get up to let her in. High sport. The idea of being outside during the night gives her a real thrill. In Rockford when we were kids there was a curfew for kids, 10:00 I think. We were always afraid the police actually patrolled the streets, looking for kids out past curfew. Once Molly and I got up really early, before curfew was lifted (or so we thought), climbed out of our windows and walked around the neighborhood. We were young and brave.

I just finished writing a review for Library Journal. For some reason they've decided I should review cookbooks and memoirs of cooks that have recipes in them. Anyway, this one is called Cuisines of the Axis of Evil. I had such a hard time writing this review because I wasn't too crazy about the book--but the recipes seemed pretty good. The guy writes all this stuff about the politics, history and culture of 10 evil countries (including the US), then describes their food, then writes recipes for a dinner for 8. I guess you're supposed to educate yourself so you can bore 7 friends telling them how imperialistic America has been and how evil Israel is. The book is amazingly biased. Anyway I wrote a crummy review. I've done better.

Haven't been swimming yet--no docks. Almost went last weekend, it would have felt so good. The water is cold but not unbearable. Hard to get in from the rocky shore. Especially at my age and lack of limberness. I fall a lot when I'm getting in and out. Never get hurt, just end up in the water. The dogs have been having a great time swimming.

I read David Guterson's new book. He wrote Snow Falling on Cedars, which was excellent. The new one is The Other. It's really good, just as I expected. Today I was talking books with a member director--we agreed that Lonesome Dove is one of the best books ever written and that The Kite Runner was fantastic. She said I must, must read The Book Thief. Then she said Death is the narrator. I moaned but she insisted it was one of the best books she's read. OK, maybe I'll bring it up at the next meeting of our book group. Last month we read Emma and none of us could stand it. Only M'lou finished it, brave soul. So what is the big deal about Jane Austen, anyway? I really couldn't stand reading her. Is this a fundamental character flaw? Have I missed the critical period in my life when I would have enjoyed reading her?

Must wrap things up so I can get out of here posthaste. Hardware store for bolt to fix wheelbarrow. Liquor store for wine for Sunday dinner. Grocery store for soy milk, milk for yogurt and apples. Will I really limit myself to that? A test of willpower. I will not pass.