After doing errands this morning, we picked up our mail at the bottom of the road and I was the lucky recipient of an envelope with a return address from the Office of the Sheriff, Cherokee County.  I tried to recall my behaviors in the past couple of weeks before opening the envelope.  Did I jaywalk across Peachtree St. or not allow some pedestrian the right to cross at the crosswalk? Couldn't come up with a legitimate reason for the Sheriff to mail me a letter...............except............if I had to appear for jury duty.  Yes, I was hereby summoned to personally appear for jury service at the downtown Murphy courthouse on Monday, June 6.  I can be exempt from jury service if I am mentally incompetent, (by whose criteria?), if I don't understand the English language, I am a convicted felon, or I'm 72 years old and wish to be exempt.  I don't like any of those so I checked I will report for jury duty as directed.  The last time I had to report for jury duty was in Deland, FL when I was teaching.  It was a real pain getting a sub for unknown days and writing at least a week's worth of lesson plans at a time because you don't know how long it would last.  Actually, this should be interesting.  No lesson plans to worry about.  The courthouse is easy to get to right in town and I can eat and shop during my lunch hour.   Some of the criminal activity I've seen in the county arrest reports include, speeding or driving while impaired, many reports of driving while license revoked, harassing phone calls and suspicious vehicles, and noise complaints and Michael's favorite line describing rural crime...... "man bites cheese." 

Haven't posted about our Florida house.  After being on the market for only eight days, the first couple who toured the house and yard made an offer.  The house was priced-to-sell and the days of property being a good investment are over.  It's heart-breaking to see how the housing values have plummeted, especially in Florida.  The sale of that home was intended to pay off this mortgage when we planned for retirement years ago.  So we had to go to plan B.  In a few more weeks we'll be free of worrying about hurricanes, free of house insurance and taxes for two homes.  Now we spend less and have less,  live a simpler life and are thankful for family, true friends, and whatever surprises life brings each day.