An evening cookout on Shay’s fabulous roof deck. There was abundant food, good beer and many laughs. We sat out there until long past dusk. The mosquitoes finally chased us in just after 10 p.m.

After spending the morning on my feet teaching ten people how to make peach jam, I treated myself to a pedicure. I like this place because they don’t use those scary razors to remove your callused skin (just lots of scrubbing) and they do a really good job with the foot massage. When it’s done, I am putty.

The swimming pool you see? That’s the one on the roof of our building, as viewed from the 43rd floor of the Comcast building. I had lunch with Scott today at Ralph’s, the Comcast cafeteria, and just happened to have my camera with me. I’m planning at least an hour of reading next to that pool for Saturday afternoon.

Lunch today was a press outing at Percy Street BBQ on South Street. Their brisket makes me a happy, happy girl.

Today’s lunch. A CSA cucumber peeled, sliced and salted. The very first ripe tomato from my community garden plot, more flavorful than anything I’ve had in recent memory. A very thin slice of homemade whole wheat bread, with a muenster cheese melted on top. Two generous sprigs of basil, plucked moments before from my Aerogarden. I just love summer!

Scott got some free tickets to tonight’s Phillies game through work and so, despite the heat, we trekked down to Citizens Bank Park. Happily, the seats were good and we were adjacent to an air conditioned space which offered some necessary relief. I had a very tasty hot dog (although it makes me sad that the relish didn’t come out of a large dispenser) and later ate an ice cream sundae out of a small plastic helmet. Because the food is really what sporting events are all about for me.

My 80 square foot kitchen has been out of control messy lately. The floors needed to be swept and mopped, the counters were wearing a multitude of coffee stains and the clutter was making me feel like I was becoming a hoarder. Determined to get things in hand, I devoted many moments of my day off today to wiping, sweeping and throwing away. I now feel calmer in my soul. And my turquoise formica positively sparkles.

Thursday afternoon, I used my lunch hour to run over to Greensgrow Farms to pick up our every other week CSA share. While there, I bought a bag of salad greens and a bunch of carrots to round out the selection. Tonight, I pulled the greens out to wash them for dinner, and this very hardy ladybug trotted out into the sink.

I was so impressed that it had survived three days in the fridge that I couldn’t bear to kill it. Instead, Scott let it climb up onto his hand and walked it over to the plants by the window. We named her Lady Agnes and she’s now living somewhere in the apartment. Not being allowed to have pets will do crazy things to people.

On the boardwalk in Long Beach, New York. They take their patriotism seriously.

At a wedding on Long Island, as a waiter clears away the evening’s champagne glasses.