Yesterday was sunny and bright, though the air was chillier than I expected. But today should be mild, and then we've got warmish showers forecast for the rest of the week . . . a good thing, as I have so many new plants in the ground.

Meanwhile, Paul entertained himself in his retirement by shaving his beard into a Thurman Munson-style mustache. Then he vacuumed the entire house and picked out a David Mamet film (House of Games) for the three of us to watch over dinner. He distracts me 100 percent of the time, but I'll sure miss him when he goes.

Today I'll continue plodding through my editing project. I wish I could figure out how to work faster. Along the edges, I'm still reading the Odyssey and Shirley, still not finding much space to write. We're creeping toward May, and I should start planting warmer-weather things: dahlias and sunflower and nasturtiums. Maybe I'll get to that this afternoon.

In Ithaca, there are no fields or racetracks.

Though it is only fit for goats, we love it

more than horse pasture.

--from the Odyssey