My daughter and I went out to eat at a restaurant in the mall we have been to before, and were making faces to each other, then laughing heartily, because the salad had cucumber slices that smelled heavily of raw fish, but when she decided to blow her nose in the napkin, she was horrified that the napkin smelled heavily of raw fish, too.  The cups were turned upside down and placed right on the oilcloth table covering, no saucers, and when we turned them over, they made a little sound as they came unstuck from the oilcloth.  One spoon was greasy.  And the bottoms of our plates were very greasy, as though they had been set down in grease somewhere.  We were seated in a booth and the table came up almost to our chins.  Although we laughed and said everything was okay when the waitress asked, we have decided not to go there anymore.  Duh!

Of course, my daughter did not like the outfit I bought for her, and picked out a purse/shoe combination that matches and she will definitely use.  I smiled foxily to myself, since it was the only way she would accept a present, by exchange.  But then it was her turn to buy me something for my birthday, and I opted for a chaise lounge chair that unfolds to lay flat, with a cushion on top.  She also bought me a package of rhubarb roots and a box of strawberries for my salad.  She bought some flowers to plant.  I had already bought my petunias, and some are coming up in the house.

But next day, it was my birthday.  I turned 69; however, when you think about it, I have completed 69 years, and I have now begun my 70th year.  That seems awesome to me.  I can't believe I have lived this long.  Lately, I have been feeling very strong and well.  My son called, and he is also doing good.  He's had to adjust to coming back to a very small town after living so long in a big city.  He's had to adjust to making very much less money here than he was making in the city, and that has been the worst thing to adjust to for him.  But he is beginning to accept that, though reluctantly.  That's just the way it is - life in the northwoods. 

I spent my birthday planting blueberry bushes, rhubarb roots (I personally think they were already dead when I bought them), and I transplanted my petunias into the large pots they will inhabit this year.  I set my cabbages out in the sun and watered heavily all my indoor plants.  My marigolds are coming up; my only-the-lonely nicotiana, up; more tomatoes, up. 

Then I came into the house and cooked, making split pea soup with ham chunks, carrots, onion and celery;  and a huge salad, featuring 3 kinds of lettuce, shredded carrots and cabbage, cucumber, radish, broccoli bits, shredded cheese and almonds, spinach and fresh strawberries, cut up.  I made the "Russian" dressing found on a can of Campbell's tomato soup, and also used store-bought bleu cheese salad dressing.  When John came home, he cooked a t-bone steak outside on the grill for each of us, and we enjoyed a tremendous repast over the next few hours, complete with green raspberry tea.  Quite a birthday celebration, and for my present, John changed the household water filter, which gives me great peace of mind.  He has also promised to bring my usual pile of "birthday manure" for my garden.  What a lucky girl I am.  On Friday night, the family is taking me out for fish fry at the restaurant where my daughter and son-in-law work. 

So today, it's beautiful out again, all my plants are watered again, my bed is made, dishes done, and I'm on the verge of going out there to continue working on assembling the greenhouse.  I need to make a short wall for the front, get the 2x2 stringers up on that wall and fastened, fasten on the fiberglass panels with short screws, drape plastic sheeting for the sides, smooth the ground out, dig the trench, spread mulch on the ground inside, and then I can set all the baby plants on either side and walk upright inside it down the trench.  I figure it may take 2 days to complete, but I'll get as far as I can today. 

Next week, I must take apart my old wheelbarrow to put on new handles (the old ones have rotted out, that's why I wanted a new wheelbarrow); then I can begin moving leaves, bags of lime, prepared compost into the garden and do the tilling.  And then!  And then, I'll be able to make rows and beds and get the planting done.  The goal of Memorial Day is still possible, if my back holds out.