Opportunities Abound in Everyday Ramblings

From the garden Wednesday morning. The first haul of all three varieties of tomatoes. I left a bunch of the smaller yellow ones out for my neighbors yesterday.

Miss E. is turning 22 next Friday and living in Harlem with her boyfriend and calico cat and settling into her new job as the undergraduate admin in the Italian department at NYU. She rarely keeps in touch with her two great aunts, but we continue to remain available and interested in her well-being. She has grown into the sophisticated and beautiful young woman we knew was in the whip smart creative and adorable child she was.

We just had a few very hot days, but it is now modulating into a more normal late summer weather pattern. The air quality leaves something to be desired, however.

I was pretty sure I would get a rent increase but was a little shocked when I found out yesterday that it went up $110.00 a month. That might not seem like much, but it is $1,320.00 a year and for a person with a fixed income it is a bit worrisome. I don’t know how I am going to keep absorbing increases like this with the supplemental health insurance going up each year.

My classes are going well, but I could use a few more students, particularly for my evening classes. I can’t keep growing my student base at the rate that everything is going up in price. Some of my magazine and streaming subscriptions are going to need to go. Plus, I might be able to get a better deal on the Internet.

Mrs. Sherlock is happy to be more engaged with the outside world. She is planning a hiking trip later this month over in Eastern Oregon, a place where in the winter she has been snowshoeing. And she is going to Chautauqua in New York for a lecture series in October. Something that has been rescheduled about 3 times.

In the meantime, though the plan is to go for another flat neighborhood walk this Sunday. This time in an area of more modest homes but with exuberant front gardens.

The theme for our old man’s book club Sunday after next is to read something we have written. That reminds me, I need to watch the Carl Sandburg recital thing that one of the members did last week.

And there is a bunch of League stuff to do. I am procrastinating on that a bit, but I need to hop on it. Most of the members of the local board are in my group so I need to not be perceived of as a slacker.

I do hope I get a burst of energy in the next few weeks. It feels good to get things done. I have been practicing not being self-critical lately. And also, not being so opinionated about others.

There is such joy in doing small things well.

Opportunities for that abound.

Last updated September 02, 2022