It’s my birthday. There may be some for whom the above title is a truism. For me, the first portion of the above title is true. However, the second portion of the above title is false. I am another year older. But I am not deeper in debt. I don’t have a car payment. We don’t have a house payment or have to pay property taxes. In a month’s time Pete’s car will be paid for.

We have enough food in the larder (and what the hell is a larder) to last a few months if something goes awry.

Our biggest concern right now is hay. It appears that because of the rain, there isn’t going to be a second cutting. We got 40 bales, 20 we purchased at the end of the Alaska State Fair parade, to get us through the monsoon season.

Alys and Raudi

The monsoon season should be ending soon. It’ll also be getting colder. But what if there is no first cutting hay around? Well, it’s going to be available, but at the same time it is going to be very, very expensive.

We won’t move. Pete would have a hard time parting company with his orchard; however, he has said that he could have an orchard elsewhere. This morning we had the first apple of the season with our breakfast. It was tart and rather dry. But it was our apple, so it tasted good.

All our own food tastes good.

And we do live in a quiet place, at least for now. If they pave the roads and electricity becomes available, we will pack it up and head for the border.

And what about the book project? I am keeping in mind that others will someday need to take this over. The project is not rocket science by any means, so others will be able to step up to the plate and start swinging the bat.

I went into town today and did some work. I sorted and categorized the books that came in yesterday. This did not take long at all. Now, if I had been at the Meeting House – scratch this, I was not allowed into the Meeting House on Sundays, I would, instead have had to wait until Monday to do what I did today and then some. There was no then some today.

I did (coincidently) go to the Meeting House today for a half hour. I listened in as six Church of the Covenant parishioners talked about the word forgiveness. I didn’t say a word – I just thought about what others were saying. This enabled me to leave a space in my head for further thoughts on this matter. And my further thought (there was just one thought) was that we talk about forgiving others – but we never talk about forgiving ourselves. The analogy is that this has the same effect that self-tickling has. You can tickle yourself, but its way different if someone tickles you.

I have a lot to forgive myself for. I have burned a lot of bridges, more than most. This, of course, is going to deserve more thought.

Next: 256. 9/18/23: Goodbyes