WHEN LIFE HANDS YOU LEMONS

It's lemon season here, and it reminds me of zucchini season in Utah.  You can't go anywhere without someone pushing a sack of lemons on you.  I'm almost used to seeing oranges and lemons growing on trees. I got acquainted with a new tree today, a bay leaf tree.  Of course I knew that they grew on trees; they are, after all, leaves, but I'd never seen a huge tree full of them.  The cute little Chilean woman who owned the tree cut me a big branch to take home:  some for cooking, some to keep ants out of Sister D's domain, and some to keep moths out of closets.  She tells me that the tree would grow in Utah.  If so, why doesn't anybody have one?

It's 65 degrees today!  The second day in a row with clear blue skies, sunshine, and warmth.  Hard to remember that at the first of the week we were freezing.  The older I get, the more aware I am of how therapeutic sunshine is.  There is truly sunshine in my soul today.

The mission cowboy, from Moroni, Utah, had a birthday today.  He leaves for home next Thursday, so I was surprised to see a birthday "fat box" arrive at the office yesterday.  I can't imagine him wanting to stuff anything else in his suitcases; rather, they all leave stuff behind at the last minute.  It's "mail fast" week, so I'm not forwarding any mail until after transfers.  So I decided to take his package to him.  It's P-day and the sun was shining, so I drove up to Shingle Springs, then on to Placerville.  Those who've been to visit me know that Placerville is also called "Hangtown," but I'd never spent much time there.  Today I visited a very graphic historic site:

I also found a great little used book shop, and I'm well set for the remainder of my mission.  I read 99 books in 2012, the same number as in 2011.  (I have to write them down so I don't read the same ones over and over again.)  I haven't been sleeping well lately, so I've already read 9 in 2013.  If you want any recommendations, you'll have to ask me right after I finish one; otherwise, I can't remember.  But if I have total recall in the next life, imagine how smart I'll be!