As I’m typing, an unexpected visitor is approaching from the east. Our child needed a break, and one role of being a parent is to provide that as we can. They messaged on our Discord server, “Specific goal for visit is get out of house, do some organizing of things at yours that belong to me, and rest in absence of work.” The visit is welcome.

It comes as the semiquincentennial ended and my daily focus on garden life intensified. There is also a slight gap in writing time as I took a break from new observations while the Independence Day holiday moved though the country’s long digestive tract. Like an ill conceived meal, it headed for our collective bowels without nourishing us or providing any substance. It created a sharp, stabbing pain so severe it was hard to see an end to it. We will recover, though, as whatever that was is expelled.

There is so much green in the garden. Flowers are budding throughout. This is the most exciting time for gardening as the refrigerator is already full of fresh vegetables and there will be more before month’s end. Everyone benefits from an abundant garden, including our local food pantry.

I checked out The Correspondent by Virginia Evans from the public library. I had to wait three weeks for it to be available, reflecting its local popularity as well as my practice of not purchasing books that will be one read and done. The copy I received was a large print version, which has been an eye opener… literally. Very easy to read, especially in bed. It eliminated the need for double takes and close scrutiny required by standard published font size. This format is reserved for best-selling authors and comprises fewer than one percent of all books published. I do read mass market fare from time to time and will be on the lookout for this format.

I started writing an outline for my next book. It looks like the book will happen. It will be autobiographical, but centered on what foods I ate and how they came to my plate. Sounds like a terrible idea, yet I think this has potential. I plan to spend more time on the outline part of the process. My model is Robert Caro, as described in his book Working. I don’t know how long it will take to flesh out the outline. I predict it will be time well spent.