I’m reading a beautiful, touching and life affirming book called  The Presence of Absence by Simon Van Booy, now one of my favorite writers.

The book, said one critic, is impossible to resist, and this is true. It is gentle, thoughtful  and unyielding in its belief that if we’re here for nothing else when we age, it’s to keep others going.

Who we are is determined not by us, but by our part in the ongoing story of others, in life and death.

I think this is why I love taking flower pictures that can sometimes be beautiful. I’m thinking of helping to keep others and myself going.

Signing off for tonight. We are planning a very quiet weekend mostly at home. We want to sit outside together under the apple tree for hours, and read and talk, and perhaps getting to Mass MoCa, the wonderful museum in New Adams, Mass., which we’ve been  planning to do for weeks. It’s time, I think. Dinner tonight with friendds, and Ian McRae might come bye to play the guitar for us, he’s pretty wonderful with it. See you in the morning. Stay away from the news for a day or so, the world will still be here when you return.

I used three flowers for these photos, a Misianthus, A Yellow and a Peace Rose. Thanks for a bright sun this afternoon. No need for further explanations.