Sailor's delight

"I went to buy a toaster today," I said in my best deadpan voice, "and they gave me a bank, free." He laughed.

Robert and I were sitting on the front porch as the hot day bowed out with a little tropical shower -- the pats on the roof always call us out -- and talking about how the markets had melted, yet again, and our portfolio had shrunk, yet again. We've worked through all the balance sheets -- what expenses to cut as our income falls -- and I always have to remind him that forbearance of hand-milled soap does not fall under the category of "grim."

And then the storm moved on, and the clouds lit up. Which, I thought, is a decent metaphor for what will get us through this mess. Though not that the end of this day.