Last night's dinner went well. The bereaved mom seemed pretty much like her old self, only with a veil of sadness. She did not talk about her daughter, and we did not push her. She has always been a very private person and a very strong lady. I do hope there is someone in her life with whom she can openly share. I also hope it was therapeutic just to sit in the sun and have a good meal, some laughter, some gossip, and a glass of wine. It was good to see that she can still laugh.

My portion of the meal was $21.

The others were amenable to giving me cash and letting me put the whole meal on my Cap One Quicksilver card. I've put $309 on it so far and have two more months to get up to $500, so as far as I'm concerned, the $100 reward is in the bag.

One of them gave me a check. I'm going to use my app from the credit union and put it into savings (by taking a picture). I've decided to do this with all checks that I get. I don't get many, but it's easier than going to the bank, and it's another way to plump up savings.

It's the end of the school year and things are winding down quickly. Graduation is this weekend, but already the campus is cleared out. It's too bad -- when the campus is at its most beautiful, the students aren't here to enjoy it! But that means we 12-monthers get to enjoy it all the more!