Birthday Pie

From: Katy
Subject: music and pie
Date: May 30, 2008 6:05:50 PM PDT
To: Linda

... Other than that everthang's fine. I've eaten too many lunches at the Old Stage Restaurant; the pie the pie the pie...that man, Mike, can bake. I watched a woman in the next booth eating her pie. She was with 2 friends. The waitress came by to ask how things were, and she asked specifically about the pie. The woman with her mouth full of pie couldn't answer, but one of her friends explained She's purring like a kitten. She wasn't the only one. So, I'm sending mental/dream pie to you for your birthday. I hope you have a good time, whatever you do. I hear Blinky in the garbage, I'd better go investigate.

p.s. Katy sent me an amazingly wonderful CD by Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris called All The Roadrunning. Usually I have to listen to a CD several times before I know whether or not I like it. This one only took one listen.

Happy Birthday, Tom

Big Happiness

When we were returning our key at the lodge Thursday I saw this in the shop. Have you seen these? They're called Taxi wallets, and I've wanted one for years. And I discovered one in sick green, my favorite color.

But then I found out they were $50, so I jumped into the giant mini-van and we headed for home. Every few miles though, I would wonder: Have we gone too far to turn around and go back for the wallet?

When we got home, I had a birthday check for $50 in the mail from Tom's dad and Norma. Immediately I called the lodge and asked them to mail me the wallet. Since the lodge is right beside the post office, the wallet came the very next day.

It's a little thing that brings me big happiness. When I was a kid and got a new pair of shoes I would be so thrilled that I'd place the shoes right beside my bed at night so I could lie in bed and stare at them. To be honest, I still do that when I get a new pair of shoes.

I feel the same way about my new wallet. I put it by the bed last night so I could examine it before I went to sleep, and see it first thing this morning. Do you ever act this way?

New Release

My client, Heidi, and Jorge Anaya wrote every song on this CD. I like all of them except for Hora de Limpiar.

Back Home

Four Course Dinner

On The Path

Sea Ranch is a ten-mile stretch of land. A trail above the ocean runs the full ten miles. As well as flowers, you'll see all kinds of things on the path: deer, skunks, turkeys. Lots of birds live around here; and yesterday afternoon we looked down and counted 51 seals in one area.

No wi-fi on our path, though. I'm still racing into town for 15-minute bursts at the coffee shop.

Live And Learn

(phone call)

Me: Mom, Barbara and Larry are here with us.

Mom: I remember Barbara and Larry. Didn't we eat a nice meal together once at a national park? And we had to wait and wait on our food.

Me: Yes. I bet that was at Fall Creek Falls.

Mom: Well! They've been together for many years now, haven't they?

Me: I think ten or twelve years. (Barbara informed me later it had been nineteen.)
But Mom! You wouldn't believe how many years Tom and I have been together.

Mom: How many?

Me: Thirty-five.

Mom: OH. That sounds like a terribly long time!

We've learned so much from being around Larry and Barbara these past few days. Things we never would have learned on our own–things we would never have picked up after years of counseling. One of the most exciting things they've taught us about is shown below:

Old Friends

Barbara's New Phone

Barbara and I have been trudging all over Gualala this afternoon, searching in vain for wi-fi. We walked from Trinks coffee shop (closed at 4:00) to Cafe Lala (closed at 4:00) to the Copymart above Surf Grocery (closed on Sundays). We were getting in a very bad mood. The boys–it was if they could not have cared less whether we had wi-fi or not.

The wi-fi situation is not great at Sea Ranch on Sundays.

The Mood Is Set

I'm writing a story for kids. I had never tried it out on anybody. We were having siesta after lunch and I was relaxed and I felt brave.

Me: Should I read you my story now? But you have to pretend you're a kid.

Tom: OK.
...Who am I again?

Me: You're a little kid.

Tom: What am I doing?

Me: You're getting ready to go to sleep.

Tom: Am I sick?

For One Week

Sea Ranch is our favorite place to vacation, because when we go on vacation what we're after is il bel far niente. Look who walked right by us this evening! This guy and seven of his friends.