The last day of the first half of 2024 in These titles mean nothing.

It’s a beautiful day in my corner of the world. More sunhine, fresh dry air, a breeze, enough birdsong to entrance a bigot, and I’m happy on top of it all.

We fed the three calves - who are growing and eager and perfect lives I should share more fully with you. Then we went for a dog walk for the first time in a few days. We went toward Joana’s and surprise surprise we made it all the way up to her house. It’s a little less than a mile and it has a big hill and it’s pleasant to the max.

John was staying there - he came down by himself Friday evening - and he’s been working on plumbing. He and Jim have various talents and the house is a talent pit - as well as a money pit. It’s a sweet place though and I want good things for the house and for my sons and John’s family as well. It’s important to me to preserve the ‘charm’ of the place while making it semi-livable without spending vast amount of money. I guess that’s the mission statement. I’m not sure if I got anyone else to buy into it or not. It might be obvious enough without saying.

Anyway John’s project this weekend was replacing water lines in the basement and putting in a new sink in the kitchen. Jim took me though the basement and showed me the new water lines. The house has a nice night ceiling and is well lit from south-facing windows. It could stand some more cleaning out.

Funny thing about the two houses. Mine has a nice wide well lit ‘safe’ basement steps - remember my hundred trips a day up and down in the good old days before I became an old fat slug? My stairs from first floor to second floor are narrow and dard and steep and actually worn out and have no handrail. Well, Joana’s house has opposite stairs. Her house has a partly open stairs to the second floor with a pretty railing and a landing half way up with a window in it. The stairs are also opposite the front door which has side light windows!!! Talk about luxury and taste! I’m not bragging - it’s actually a dump but it has prospects. B ut the basement steps in that house are steep, open and potentially neck breaking. I should take pictures. One each of the four stairways. Boy that would be a challenge for me as photographer and Apple I8 as camera.

So back to the here and now. John, with some help from Jim, has put in a new stainless steel sink with a lovely faucet and spray! in a cupboard unit and countertop. The cupboards have a drawer on either side and a doors underneath. They are unfinished and are very nice. I suggested a matching unit for the wall above it. I gave poor John a hug I liked it so much. The traditional medicine cabinet that was above the old sink is still there - and a tiny metal ring is in the door frame. Jim remembers his grandfather’s straight razor strap hanging from the ring. Joe was not a man to waste money on razor blades.

The whole thing reminds me of my husband too. He was the one who did a lot to that house = back when we first came home. He was trying to please his mother and his sister and his wife during a time when there wasn’t much money and he had a lot of irons in the fire. I wonder if any of us appreciated him enough.

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Ok, there is more of today left = a whole twelve hours of this perfect day.

I can start a load of laundry and hang it out and bring it back in dry. How is that for a perfect day in June?

Jim has gone to rake hay. He just called to say it was dry enough to rake which is good news. We have been having rain every twelve hours -= exaggeration - so dry enough to rake is good news. He’s used his tedder judiciously - a tedder is an old term for a machine that fluffs up hay after it’s been cut to help it dry - I think they might snow up in bucolic English novels.

I’m not sure if or what I might cook. I have ground beef and pork sausage and chicken breasts. Potatoes and carrots and an onion. Romaine lettuce and Roma tomatoes and cheese and crackers. I’m out of Italian dressing but I could improvise with mayonnaise and vinegar and a bit of sugar and store brand Dijon mustard.

I’m happy today. I’m drinking cofee and sugarless cocoa and ice cubes.

Thank you whatever there is for the life you’ve given me.

Wishes for all good things o you. Sometimes life is just about thinking of what you have, and being grateful.

My life has never been perfect, yet it’s had perfect moments, hours, even days.

Have a good week and tomorrow starts the second half of the year. July will be good for us all. Let us hope and believe.

Meanwhile - spend some time with me on the deck = a few days ago when it was rainy.