July 15

I am in utter awe at how healthy Hart's garden is this year. Certainly, the wet spring after so many years in drought has had something to do with it, but I also think the soil is finally recovering with all of his careful yearly applications of compost. The corn is magnificent AND it's tassling. I'm grateful to see those tassles because it means we're going to be eating sweet corn-on-the-cob by the first week of August!

July 14

Tonight I'm grateful for Giacomo Puccini. Hart and I had tickets to the opening performance of Utah Festival Opera's La Boheme this evening. Rodolfo, sung by Arturo Chacon-Cruz, was absolutely fabulous. I wanted to take him home. Mimi (Wendy Bryn Harmer) had a clear, beautiful voice and balanced Rodolfo well. Musetta (Karin Paludan) and Marcello (Mark Walters) sang and played their roles brilliantly.

And even though I've heard it more than once, the last act always brings me to tears. This evening was no exception. Try not to miss this one if you're in the area!

July 13

We made it through the Almost Broadway reprise without melting this evening. I'm grateful the small audience that showed up had money in their pockets and were willing to stuff the pig. All of the funds raised from this effort are earmarked for the church building remodel and an air-conditioning system is part of the design!

July 12

Tonight was the dress rehearsal for the reprise of Almost Broadway. The church was sweltering hot and I thought we'd all melt. Have you noticed there seems to be a correlation between tempers and temperature? I'm grateful the neighbors have a trampoline and the evening was cool enough for the kids to jump out all of their heat-induced frustrations.

July 11

I'm grateful tonight's thunderstorm decided to blow through before the kid's bedtime. It left everything nicely watered and clean-smelling and because the thunder stopped before 8:30 PM, we didn't end up with a certain young girl sharing our bed.

July 10

For the past two weeks, I've not been able to hear in stereo. My left ear has been blocked, by excess wax - or so my GP and I first thought. But after two doctor visits, twice daily eardrops, and what felt like the application of a firehose to my ear, I was still mono-aural.

I'm grateful that my online doctor friend mentioned trying a decongestant. Apparantly, allergies can manifest themselves in your middle ear. I'm having to continue taking these little pills in order for the magic to work, but they seem to be doing the trick. I can once again hear my piano balance of left hand to right hand. I am no longer only hearing my voice when I sing with the choir. I can go into noisy rooms and actually carry on conversations. Lovely!

July 9

When we went to the Farmer's Market this weekend, we noticed that the raspberries were on. I'm grateful that Ruthie stood in front of the raspberry vendor and refused to move until I relented and bought a few baskets. She's been enjoying them between two slices of bread (her own recipe), but I managed to sneak a few from her stash to make a chocolate-raspberry pie.