Life as a Spectator Sport

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Monday, June 28, 2004

July ritual, a week early


This year the blackberries are a little early. In the past, there haven't been significant numbers of ripe berries until after July 4. I expect to come back from my trip to find that the deer have gotten most of them in my absence, but until then, Nick and I are stuffing ourselves with them.

The driveway project took out a long stretch of what had been the best berry patch on the property, but since then we've found several others that we might not have looked for otherwise. So there will be at least some blackberry jam and blackberry cobbler and blackberry syrup when I get home—I've already pulled out last year's now empty half-pint jars and gotten the big canning pot out of the barn.

Most of my books and business records are out of the room that will be Nick's, and my helper-handyman will be coming while I'm away to add a wheelchair ramp to the front porch and to rip out the old living room carpet. It's actually beginning to look as though we'll be moving back on schedule. There is still a lot to be done. The back door is so badly warped that it can no longer be locked, and there are miscellaneous leaks in the plumbing, but those are things that can be fixed after we move back in.

Now I must start packing up here, a task I am not looking forward to, as most of what must be moved from here is in use every day, not things we can pack up and do without. I have a feeling that most of it will be moved loose in the Jeep, in multiple last-minute trips between towns. Either that or we'll be eating off paper plates and plastic utensils for the last week, and wearing a limited range of clothing!
posted by Liz @ 7:32 PM     |


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