At the urging of my son's girlfriend, I've just spent an hour or so transcribing my recipe for French country boules, which uses a liquid levain base that I find much more stable and manageable than the traditional stiff sourdough starter is. Let me know if you are interested in the recipe or if you want some of my levain base. You can make your own levain at home, but it does take a while to establish from scratch. So if we're likely to see each other in the future, you might want a jar of mine.

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The temperature is supposed to be 75 degrees here today, but I'll believe it when I see it. This spring has been miserably cold and weirdly dry. What we really need is three days of soft 60-degree rain. Then I might consider planting more seeds. For the moment, why bother?

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Today I will be baking the first rhubarb pie of the season. I will be making a giant macaroni salad. I will be tossing steamed fiddleheads with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I will be cleaning the bathroom and hanging sheets on the line. And when Paul and I get back tonight, after his play, Tom will be home, and the dog will be so happy, and we will be so happy.