Fed yeast to our bacteria friends in the septic tank today.

I’ve been loading Ron’s boxed CDs in as many places as I can find, including his 5-shelf bookshelf downstairs. Ron repaired the little bookshelf in the second bedroom, and that easily holds 100 CDs. So, I’m estimating that I’ve found a home for about 500.

A lot of the CDs are “orphaned” from their jewel boxes. A lot of work ahead to straighten them all out.

I’ve really been enjoying having music in the house. That was definitely a major missing element.

Saw Candy yesterday. She looked much better but has been in a lot of pain from her stomach difficulties. She was to have an exam today at Cape Cod Hospital. I hope they can figure it out and give her some help.

I had a fasting blood test this morning; incredibly, in and out at Mashpee C-Lab. It helped that I got a late start (7:15).

Ron talked to his lawyer today. He’s optimistic about a settlement in the next couple of months, with semi-monthly payouts after that. Ron is pleased, and the extra income will certainly help.

I really should get some part-time something or other, although I don’t want to work.

For about the past week-week and a half, Ron’s been feeling dizzy when he gets up in the morning. He finally called his doc today and he has an appointment for next week. He also has a dental appointment for a crown.

Good thing I got the reimbursement account paperwork together and mailed! That was the last, and biggest, of three paperwork projects for Ron, the others being filing a claim with his hospital indemnity plan and detailing his out-of-pocket medical expenses from his surgery for reimbursement. Next: tax returns.

Monday the adjuster comes to Edgewater to inspect the water damaged living room wall.

I’ve been working on my various websites. Emme drafted up a new design for preventforeclosurescapecod.org There’s a lot of activity right now, especially around Pilgrim and the anniversary of Fukushima. I also, finally, put together a section for Jobs With Justice and have been helping CCMTA with their mailings.

Started filling out “Five Wishes” today. I’m pretty much done, will ask P&B to witness it.

Made coq au vin and roasted brussell sprouts. Ron loved them!

Joined the Arbor Day Foundation and will receive 10 tiny trees as a membership benefit. Also ordered ten trees to be planted in Judy’s memory in the Gallatin national forest in Montana.

Peter Randall dropped by yesterday to do his quarterly inspection and spraying.

Peter has had interviews this week and last. Fingers crossed….

Judy’s funeral, burial and post-ceremony meal was today. It was deja vu for Peter and Bonnie – included both the church where they got married and the hall where they had their reception. Got to talk with a lot of family members and Ron enjoyed a conversation with the Bills and the Eds about rock and roll.

We stopped off to see Candy in the afternoon. She has an infection, it sounds like clostridium difficile from her description.

I didn’t do much else today except for some late errands (post office, Rx, library) and cleaning up a mailing list for Cape Cod MTA.

I painted the CD rack, set it up in the second bedroom and started emptying Ron’s many boxes. I figure the rack will hold about 250 CDs.

We got a little snow, not as much as predicted, so we shoveled. Ron did most of it this time. I was busy cleaning up after Mr. Fluffles, who left “exhaust” on a door mat that both of us managed to step on. These things are not a lot of fun to clean up, especially in the winter.

From today’s nytimes.com:

Permaculture Nursery

pawpaws, persimmons, Asian pears, gooseberries, strawberries, blueberries and rarities like goumi
Dwarf kiwi vines now climb up mimosa trees, with a lush carpet of shade-loving crops like currants, jostaberries (a cross between black currants and gooseberries), edible hostas, Solomon’s seal and May apples.

Ramps, that wild leek so coveted by foodies that it’s being stripped from eastern forests, thrive beneath the pawpaw trees, and so does giant fuki (Petasites japonicus Giganteus), with its four-foot-wide leaves. And fuki is not just a beautiful leaf that lends a tropical look to the landscape; like rhubarb’s, its stalks are edible.

Friends helped them sheet-mulch, a quick no-till method of planting that involves covering the ground with layers of cardboard and compost, and putting plants right into the soil.

Maybe it was the 66-hour power outage, the encounter with idiots at the Verizon Wireless store, Candy’s tough run at Spaulding, or Judy’s passing away, but my Qi has been shattered this week.

I snapped out of it long enough last night to save us the expense of dining out with a nice pollock baked in onions and cream.

Ron and I got to see Ruthie Foster and Mavis Staples and their touring bands – what a show! We lucked out for weather, too, dry roads and no snow from 7 to almost midnight. Saw a few breakdowns, though, very sad for vehicles to be in danger like that.

Spent part of yesterday finishing up the medical reimbursement account documentation. We’ll pretty much clean out Ron’s balance, and he’s fine with that.

Ron is almost finished reassembling the wood CD rack. It has been a trial, but he’s powering through it.

I dragged him out for supper at Zoe’s, which we both thoroughly enjoyed: veggie pizza and Greek salad.

I’ve been staring at a couple of blood sausage Ron bought that have been sitting in the meat tray since Christmas.

Quite honestly, I was afraid to cook them, but finally bit the bullet tonight.

Ron had shoveled a path to the grill a couple of days ago. It’s still getting dark kind of early, so I haven’t taken the hint; he looked so downcast when I suggested that we make a meal of salad, though, that I threw on some shoes and started cooking, outside as he suggested since he knows how much I hate stove top frying.

I’ve never grilled blood sausage and couldn’t find a recipe online, so had no idea how long to keep it on the heat or what it looks like when done.

The sausage would have been good and I could have cooked it inside, and I’ll do better next time, I hope.

I’ve been working on cellar cleanup in the hope that some day, we can build a rec room.

Found a suitcase full of really good CDs that Ron had in his storage unit, and he’s agreed to repair a wood CD rack so we can store his music properly.

I did get as far as cleaning off the pool table and setting up the net. I’ve been finding and putting aside decorative items so we can make this a space for Ron’s things.

We got word via email from Peter that Judy passed away yesterday at 5 PM.

In all the advice I’ve read about how to prepare for getting older, I’ve not seen a word about how to adjust to the death of friends.

I’ve done a lot of reading about Judy’s condition, which has been described as “unusual” and “rare”. As far as I can tell, it was treatable. I still can’t understand why her brain stopped functioning unless it was the result of infection.

I’ve known Judy for 20 years and can’t imagine her not being there for the annual Fourth of July party or other family occasions.

I saw Candy yesterday. She’s very unhappy, and I wanted to bring her books on tape, just to take her mind off things, but her nurse said that wouldn’t be allowed. Of course, she couldn’t explain why.

We went to Plymouth District Court today to support our friends who will be on trial for trespassing at Pilgrim: Joyce, Paul, Bill. We basically just sat there after talking briefly with each one. After listening to the lawyers drone on and on, my sympathies are with the judge.

This week’s theme is “just being there”, and it’s frustrating. There’s nothing we can do for anyone except that.