Monday-ish, but With Rays of Sunshine

Today was mostly pretty Monday-ish, featuring a couple difficult reports and the largest nest of Daddy Long-Legs I’ve ever encountered at my second inspection. There were some bright spots, though. My mom called, and I took a break from work for a very nice conversation. Also, the gentlemen from the septic company surprised us with a visit, bringing their backhoe to repair the broken sprinkler pipes. The inspector is supposed to come tomorrow, after which they can put the dirt back into the dank pit and cover the whole mess back with sod. They took their backhoe with them when they left.
After supper, as the kids and I were getting ready for a short walk, T. discovered that the postman had stuffed an interesting looking package into our mailbox. Ripping it open, we found a letter and two books from my very thoughtful aunt. One book is of dragon stories, which look wonderful. The other, which manages to be simultaneously intriguing and disconcerting, is called The Storm Gourmet: A Guide to Creating Extraordinary Meals without Electricity. I’ve been doing my best to ignore the fact that it is hurricane season, to the point of having no supplies on hand, but this book is so inspiring that I may have to do some storm shopping! Our meals during the power outages of the last two years have chiefly consisted of crackers, cereal, peanut butter, and junk food – depressing even think about. This book, which includes lists of supplies and some delicious looking recipes, proposes that I “take advantage of that time (without power) to slow down, bond with family and friends by preparing meals together, and enjoy the delicious rewards of your foresight and preparation.” Now that is a positive attitude!