Solstice is in a couple of days. I will miss the light in the sky at 9 PM. If only there were a way to keep it.

Local Twilight Times in Williamstown, MA

Because of Williamstown’s northern latitude, twilight hours change depending on the time of year. A breakdown of local sunrise/sunset and twilight conditions includes the following: [1, 2]

• Sunrise: ~5:15 A.M.
• Civil Twilight Begins: ~4:40 A.M.
• Sunset: ~8:33 P.M.
• Civil Twilight Ends: ~9:10 P.M. [1, 2]

For the exact twilight schedule, check the daily updates provided by Sunrise-Sunset.org or Time and Date.

I placed an order for OTC benefits, including eye drops. Was thinking about visiting the new Urgent Care office for my trigger finger but am hoping with care it’ll loosen up in time.

Scanner came in handy today, used it look up the specs for one of Ron’s flashlights.

Frustrated with printing barcodes. The printer kept choking on the Word docs. Will keep trying.

I had a conversation a couple of weeks ago with our artist friend about our German ancestors. Turns out my great grandmother’s region of origin was incorrect in one source so I thought we were Austrian.

Couldn’t have been further off: she was Elizabeth Mertin Buettner, born in Köln North Rhine Westphalia. My great grandfather was William Buettner, born in Königsberg Giessen Hessen.

I need to do more reading about the German migration to the American Midwest, specifically Illinois.

The peony flowers were knocked down by the rain the other night so yesterday I cut them for arrangements.

There was such an abundance of flowers this year that I was able to give half to Alyssa.

Ron went to the eye doctor for testing yesterday in preparation for his examination next month. He had an accident this morning.

I picked up lots of groceries and produce this morning at the Williamstown Food Pantry. So much so that I might skip the Northern Berkshire pantry this Friday.

We had lunch at the Berkshire Food Project and chatted with a delightful gentleman from the West End. Hope we see him again. Stopped for coffee, bread and a couple of other goods at BigY.

On the way home we picked up another Million Bells at Aubuchon to finish the planter I started yesterday. I pruned the Montauk, not very much, just the tallest stalks.

Helped Ron find his phone in the truck. Thought I’d lost my wallet then I remembered Ron put it in the Corolla’s glovebox. He’d made a mistake by shoving my phone at me while I was putting groceries in the house and that threw me off. It doesn’t take much these days to unbalance me, evidently.

Jett bit Ron again, a good gash on his left arm. This was because Jett was mad that Ron finished playing fetch with him. I did load an enrichment device for Jett when we left to do errands, so I’m not sure what else he needs or wants to stop being on edge. Maybe it’s the Moon or the upcoming Solstice.

Changed sheets.

Cooled off, good work day.

I cleared most of the Forget-me-nots from three gardens: the porch, the center and the corner. Almost filled a leaf bag. Might want to do a little more but for now the gardens do look improved.

I made another trip to the North Adams School District nursery and brought home some annuals to replace the pansies and two more Penstemon, totaling five in the center garden. They might bloom next year if we’re lucky.

Some of the Sweet 100’s have flowers. Stellas have started to blossom in the back yard. The Shasta daisies should be blooming this week. Unfortunately, the rainstorm knocked down the peonies. I may try to put together a cage for them tomorrow.

Ron made an appointment to get his hearing aids adjusted at Belltone this Friday.

I filled the Corolla at the Ashland, North Adams Cumby.

Ron and I showed up at the Bloodmobile in Williamstown this afternoon for my 1 PM appointment. We flunked the physical, too anemic, but I’m glad that we did.

I had a full blown panic attack for reasons that have nothing to do with giving blood or the workers.

The bloodmobile staff didn’t react as one might hope medical people would when a patient is in distress.  They smirked, bullied a little and argued.

The important thing is the reason why it happened. It occurred to me afterwards that this was the third time I reacted like this and interestingly enough, two of those times were here in Williamstown.

The first time it happened was on an airplane from Washington DC to Boston. The plane landed off schedule to allow a small, dark-haired woman to be taken off for medical care.

I got off the plane, too, and refused to get back on, fearing that something terrible would happen.

Earlier this year, similar event: I had started to join an exercise class at the local senior center but when I saw that the other participants were thin and nice-looking, I felt that I couldn’t stay there, that I didn’t belong and something terrible would happen if I stayed.

I’m not sure of the source but it’s clearly a trauma I suffered earlier in life, or maybe the sum of similar traumas. Good-looking people terrify me. Maybe some day I’ll understand why.

Ron frequently refers to events from his childhood. It occurred to me that I never do because of the two generations of people I got to know between my childhood and now.

So, when I think about sunscreen, I remember James demanding to know “What are you doing to Emme’s (y)egs” whereas Ron talks about getting lubricated as a child.

This is very odd to me, like he had amnesia for sixty-some odd years. Even though he met Peter a long time ago, he doesn’t recall memories of Peter or the grands between now and then.

Seems to me he missed out on a lot for the freedom to sleep on other people’s floors and other indignities, but those were his choices and whether or not he regrets them is his business, not mine.

It rained last night from the looks of things.

Yesterday I finished planting tomatoes and larkspur from the North Adams School Nursery. Made Martha Stewart’s favorite potato salad. Good recipe!

Roxie’s Barkery hosted a presentation from the Berkshire Humane Society’s Behavior Specialist. Lots of helpful ideas. I came home with a bone chew and an Enrichment lick mat. Jett loves the bone.

Full day and the weather cooperated: cooled off a little, sunny, nice to be outside.

Ron and I brought trash and yard trimmings to the transfer station, then drove to Walmart so I could pick up a prescription and do a shop.

I did some more planting. At this point, we have squash, morning glories, nasturtiums, lavender, cukes, tomatoes and beans in the big deck planters. I planted brussel sprouts and penstemon in the middle garden. Hope to get the Larkspur in the ground tomorrow.

Salad and ice cream for lunch.

Jett loved them, Ron and I enjoyed them. Had a pint of blueberries to use up and gave Ron a choice of how. Had a memory flash of picking blueberries at Coonamessett Farm in the summer.

Bought four Rice Krispy bars at a fundraiser last evening on my way to the library. Jett had one, Ron had one, I had one. We’ll see who gets the fourth.

Using the ceiling fans, I think for the first time. Electric company is urging conservation. We are in the midst of unseasonable heat. I am thinking about the performers on the White House South Lawn this Sunday.

Jett and I went shopping at the North Adams school district nursery, which is clearing its greenhouses. We picked up vegetables and flowers, some for free.

Back at the house, I struggled to reattach the tonneau cover. Had one side done and of course, Ron loosened it so it has to be done all over again.

I have asked him if he’d treat a roommate as he does me. Of course not, he replied.

Ron brought a load of recyclable paper to the transfer station before it closed.

I did some planting and watering. No rain and more record-breaking heat.

Made scones yesterday.

They puffed up and browned beautifully but they were more like biscuits than scones.

Meanwhile, Ron not only found his old Beltone hearing aids but charged them up and is wearing them with success.

Why he felt he had to buy new Opticon hearing aids is a mystery.

It’s bright and sunny today and the pollen is intolerable. A disappointment, I was hoping for rain.

Since I’m more comfortable inside, I took on a task that was long overdue, figuring out how much Ron would need to cover my share of household expenses. My credit union has a nifty tool that allows you to categorize and summarize your spending. We already have burial insurance so even a small policy would give Ron some welcome breathing room.

We’ve been added to our credit union’s over 55 “club” that grants us some benefits that sound interesting.

I made an appointment to donate blood next Monday at the library.

Ron is making an attempt to frame two pieces of artwork. I’d started work on them but he claimed they were not done correctly.

Wished Alyssa a happy birthday!

It’s 87 degrees and muggy.

I’ve been trying to order glasses from Eyeconic, Ron’s VSP provider, and finally got through their website today.

They are using reCAPTCHA but it’s set up poorly. It’s needed in order to provide a PD measurement; for that matter, it’s difficult to obtain with anyone else’s online tools. So I ended up using the laptop camera to put dots on my glasses and figured good enough.

I put together an apple crisp and a potato and cheese casserole for lunch/supper. Scrubbed the produce, kept the skins. Both got good reviews from Ron.