The weather has been magnificent this past week. The lilacs are in bloom; the breeze coming through the window smells like heaven.

This week I have been catching up on laundry, hanging load after load to dry in the sunny breezes in the back yard. This saves quite a bit on our electricity bill. We are on an austerity program, trying to meet those cussed car payments.

Hanging up the laundry is not just a money saving project though, I love doing it. I love doing it even when the mosquitoes make the task challenging. I don my gear before venturing out the door. Long heavy pants, rubber boots to keep the ankle bitters away, a heavy long sleeved shirt, a wide brimmed hat and a net over my head and shoulders keep me safe from my voracious fans. Even with all that paraphernalia loaded onto my frame, it is enjoyable being outdoors. The laundry smells so nice when I bring it in!

It is the long weekend, and of course Attila and I are working. I have a few hours today and tomorrow because they expect to be busier than usual. I have mixed feelings about going back to work at the shop. I look forward to the work, I like it, but the hours are impossibly long. As I get older I'm not so sure I can handle 11 hours on my feet with few breaks. It is one thing to be active and pace yourself, but when you are obliged to continue moving regardless, it is another thing altogether. I expect that by Saturday night I'll be exhausted and popping painkillers.

It is funny how easily the days at home slip away. I am constantly busy with one thing or another. I've created a web site for my nuclear family, where we can share information and pictures. Since I do not trust corporate social networking, I've created this password protected environment on my own server, where no corporation has a right to the information or images. That has been a lot of fun, a project very close to my heart.

The genealogy book continues to progress, although slowly at the moment. Many of the relatives currently being researched are still living, or their children are still living. This means that official records are sparse, and that discretion and a great deal of respect must be employed in gathering information. Slow work, but satisfying.

A variety of web projects keep me busy. None of these projects have any hope of providing me with an income. What they do provide is a source of constant learning, and my own contribution to making the world a better place to live. My efforts, because they are not profit oriented, are unlikely to make much of a social impact. However, the world is not a completely deterministic place and one never knows unless one tries. I think I can!