Woody finally pulled the tomato plants.  He brought in a basket of green tomatoes.  Usually at this time, Melenie and I would make amber relish. Melenie is still sheltering in place in Western Mass. Woody and I put up zuke relish in July every year.  We did so this year as usual but I can’t get him fired up about making amber relish, although he loves it.  How many times can you eat fried green tomatoes?  I guess we’ll find out.

I did a ZOOM reading and a Q & A yesterday for The Creative Project run by Mia Funk.  I read poems and then we talked for another hour.  I think it will be a podcast and some kind of traveling exhibit.

Regarding the lamb we got from Maine this year [that Woody drove to Portsmouth NH to pick up at the farmers’ market there], the loin chops were cut way too thick to cook in any normal way.  I found one Greek recipe and made it, then I made an Italian [specifically Roman] casserole that was perfect for these very thick chops.  It takes about an hour and a half but was delicious and the chops ended up tender.  It has tomato sauce, slicede eggplant, peppers and I added some beans.  It was not only pretty but delicious.

Last week was very productive – four poems.  This week, so far, only two. We have always cleaned the house on rainy days, but there were none. Finally, we bit the bullet and cleaned the entire downstairs, including oven, office, bathroom—all.  Then it rained some the next day.  We are still in a very bad drought, but at least lately we’ve had a little rain.  Then Friday night, it poured as it hasn’t done since April. Acorns are dropping on the translucent roof of the sun porch like rifle shots. Gigi came over Wednesday afternoon and she kept flinching when the acorns bombed us. She is closing her gallery tomorrow and will only have the it on line until next year:  The Cross Rip Gallery in Harwich Port.

 We had our flu shots yesterday at the Senior Center. Tashe and Stephanie, her mom, came over for supper at a safe distance and with the wind blowing through the sun porch.  Entertaining is really weird now, but I still enjoy it.  I need the stimulation of seeing people.  Woody has finished my new raised beds. Only flowers that bees love will be planted there.

 I try not to glue myself to the news online but this week I was not very successful in staying away.  The closer we get to the election, the more I obsess and the less Woody can stand to watch the news.  It was not the most productive week for writing. 

 Some friends and FB friends are sending reviews of ON THE WAY OUT, TURN OFF THE LIGHT on Amazon and some other places. I really appreciate that.  Since no publicity is being done, I’m very thankful for all the help I can get.  Normally I’d be doing bookstore readings on the Cape, in Boston, around Massachusetts and New England. Covid impacts everybody who isn’t rich and makes us poorer.

 I lost my drivers license.  AAA offices in South Dennis have been closed: all Covid.  I can’t go to the RMV or to the AAA in Plymouth as I won’t use public restrooms and it’s too far to go without. I find them as dangerous as eating in restaurants.  We get take-out now and then but that’s as close as we get.  I called AAA twice and begged them to open the Cape office, which I can get to and back.  They said NO.  I don’t understand why it’s such a low priority to them, as the Cape has a very large percentage of senior citizens, many of whom like me are afraid to travel. It has greatly lowered my opinion of AAA in Massachusetts.  They just don’t care.

 Anybody who knows me, knows I’m a Pats fan but this season is such a mess. Every week new teams close down their facilities because of Covid. I expect that any team who can manage to field enough men to play will win the Superbowl automatically.