If it is Free....

...they will come. Although the admission to the museum is only $5 apparently it keeps people from visiting. Today was a celebration of Czech Independence Day at the Polasek with free admission and treats. On a blockbuster day I might have ten visitors during my three hour stint--today there were nearly 100! As you know, I lead a pretty leisurely life these days, so this was quite a day. I greet them, run the register, and inquire how they found out about the event. Turns out more people read the paper than you would think.

The photograph is of an orchid I got at the market on Sunday. I've been experimenting with a sheet of mirror outside--the background is the sky. While I was doing it, Baxter, who was wet from the grass, shook himself making water droplets spray all over the mirror.



Speaking of Baxter, here he is sporting his Obama campaign button. Trish gave it to me on Sunday because she knew Bruce would love it. He's been a good sport about it after initially trying to rub it off. Have I told you lately that he is the perfect dog? If I haven't it was a grave oversight. I can now hear his little tinkle throughout the house. Fortunately the election is only days away because I don't think I can bare another minute of it. The mudslinging is just pathetic as is the wasted money. It seems to me that they should have the song, Money, Money, Money in the background because that is all they talk about. Following this little rant I will cease and desist from any more political discussion after I mention that I mailed our absentee ballots today.



While at the post office I inquired about renewing our passports. Matthew's brilliant idea is for us to visit him in London at Christmas due to the falling value of the pound. It has been five years since we went to London on Bruce's fiftieth birthday. I figured maybe I could spend my fifty fifth birthday there. Of course, there is the weather to consider, which for me is a pretty big deal. According to the post office lady it is about a three week turn around time after we re-take our pictures and mail in the required forms. Ten years ago I think I looked much better than I do today. Of course, don't we all?

This weekend is Fiesta in the Park, the biggest event I'll participate in all year. Earlier in the week the forecast was for spectacular weather, currently not so good. Please, please, stay nice. After this it will be time to focus on the upcoming wedding, which as I type, is only weeks away. If only the stock market would settle down it would be so much better for David (and a few million other people). With such daily turmoil in his job it is hard to get as excited as he'd like.

Yesterday afternoon Bruce called while driving through New York state to his job site. Initially it was raining which soon turned to snow. The snow fell so quickly that he had to pull over to stay safe. The snow plow came making the road safer but it was still very slow going. Everything took much longer than planned, by the time he was ready to drive down to Pennsylvania it was not only snowing, but dark as well. It is quite a drive, so I talked to him throughout much of it. Before you get upset about him being on the phone while driving let me point out that he wears an earpiece. Still, I'm not a fan of it but it did make it not quite as bad as if he were alone. As well, I had Google maps going and I could tell him how much further to go. Actually I had begun this post just before he called but suspended my writing because he needed me.