Ah, the good things in life are free, as the saying goes. If ever that message needed to be grasped more, it's now. There's never been more stuff, more distractions, more gadgets, more complications with gadgets, more forms to fill out, more "things to do lists"--and a high proportion of the above involves needing more cold hard cash.

Anyhoo, yesterday, without much planning or forethought, we found ourselves sitting on our back deck (on another unseasonably warm day), slicing and coring little green apples. Our back yard has a small tree that produces bird-speckled but decent fruit each year, so we decided to make something out of it this time around. Sitting there working our way through the apples (more than enough for a large pie and gigantic apple crisp) it seemed natural to chat, reminisce, and just enjoy the day.

Sort of like the way people used to entertain themselves: sitting on a porch with a book, knitting, cigar, banjo, or whatever, and passing pleasantries with neighbors on the sidewalk. Or so I imagine. Can't say I ever lived that particular front porch lifestyle per se, though I did spend, in the past, a whole lot more of my time relating to human beings in person rather than remotely or not at all. In fact (studies show) just about everybody did. A healthy, normal way of passing our time on this earth--and a way I'd love to return to.