Don't look at me with that tone!

On Monday morning, not seconds after S left on a road trip, the hot water heater quit working. By the time J went to take a shower there wasn't even the merest suggestion of warmth in the water. Not being one to complain (or perhaps setting me up for the shock of my life...hmm) the girl said nothing to me. I luckily discovered the problem when I went to brush my teeth. A couple of phone calls and two days later the plumber finally showed up. Thank goodness cause things were getting a bit dodgy. My plumber, M. Bonnet is a man of indeterminate age, neither young nor old but rather good looking just the same. He knows me as M. Walters, the American from Castanet and speaks to me in the slow indulgent way you speak to young children or those whose brains have been scrambled. Most importantly, however, he tolerates and actually seems to understand my mangled French. He wears these square European type glasses that give him the look of a kindly and intelligent grandfather but when he smiles he looks like a teenage boy. I don't stare or drool or anything, but I fear that he may be begriming to believe that I'm purposely sabotaging the heating system just to see him. Today, after explaining the fix to this weeks problem to me, he asked me if I'd opened or closed a specific lever. I said I had not and he asked me again pretending to think that I had not understood him. When I assured him again that I never touch that particular lever he looked as if he didn't quite believe me but smiled that knowing indulgent smile at me. I hope I don't have to change plumbers. In other news...I'm posting a few pics for your enjoyment.

This is the current view from my bedroom window. The Cherries are not quite at their peek yet, but another day or two of temps like today and plenty of sunshine and they'll be great. Carla has been out picking and eating everything within her short little grasp and I've seen a neighbor or three out picking a few handfuls. This year we have a ladder so we'll be able to get to the good ones higher up in the tree. I guess we'll be retiring Mark's cherry picking tool this summer.

J arrived safe and sound and was immediately put to work constructing the furniture for her bedroom. That's her working hard behind the stack of Ikea drawers. She's a darned good little builder too. Next week she's going to start on some trellises for the garden.

A fine group touring Millennium Park in Chicago. We finally get a stranger to take the group shot and mom chooses that moment to look around. She hates having her picture taken.

And finally... This afternoon J and I decided to do a little shopping. We got in the car, and after I'd pulled the car out of the garage, I ran back into the house to get my forgotten sunglasses. I got back outside to find that J had jumped into the drivers seat. I told her to get out of the drivers seat and reminded her that my car has a manual transmission. She said she knew that but that she wanted to drive. After a brief power struggle I reluctantly went around and got into the passenger seat with much sighing and eye rolling in anticipation of the afternoon ahead of us. Well, she killed the engine twice before she managed to get the car moving. When we reached the gate at the end of the driveway she took it out of gear, put the break on and got out. That's all she wanted to do, just drive to the gate. 10 feet, wow, now that's some progress. Tomorrow she'll shoot for the actual edge of the street.