I wish I could sing on this blog. There is a lot to sing about today. I spent the morning paying off the mortgage on this condo. We are very excited. Actually, the payoff will take place tomorrow sometime. I sent a cashier's check express mail this morning and was assured that it will arrive in Des Moines before noon tomorrow. Yippee!!!!!!!!! We just have a few little loose ends and then will be totally free and clear.

Jim and Michelle came over this evening and we gave them a couple of checks for their share of things. They are a happy little couple too.

I spent the rest of the day vacuuming, watering plants and generally finishing the cleaning so the living room is all sparkly for the Celtic Women meeting tomorrow night. All I have left to do is bake the cookies. I am making Lavender cookies to go with the tea and coffee. Seems kind of Irishy to me.

I made a couple of portabello mushrooms stuffed with kale and artichokes and cheeses for my supper. Of course, Dick won't eat that but there was pasta with smoked sausage left from last night for him. The mushrooms are delicious. I will be making them again.

I harvested some green peppers and jalapeno peppers from the deck today too. I am amazed that the pepper plants did so well. I planted them in these narrow, shallow planters and they did better than the tomatoes that were in a much bigger environment. Go figure.

When there are races at the fairgrounds we can hear the engines loud and clear. This added to Michael Perry talking about the Monster truck races he wrote about made me think of my one instance as a race driver.

When Perry wrote about the Monster trucks, he started it by using the following repetition: yellow/green yellow/green yellow/green. This is a reference to the bank of lights that racers use at the starting gate.

You have to think of yellowgreen almost as one word and one action. When the light turns green you have to immediately blast off the start line - At the instant of change but not a nanosecond sooner. Otherwise, you have a false start. I drove in a drag race once with the jeep out in the desert. I think it was at the Glamas Dunes. I was all pumped and ready to go. I still remember that my heart was pounding and I was actually breathless. Then the light turned and I gunned it. BUT - for an instant I thought that I had jumped the start. I backed off for just a fraction of a breath, just enough to lose me the race. I actually almost caught the other guy but my hesitation cost me. I never got the opportunity to try it again. Sure would have liked to. I bet I could have been good.

Love

Mary