Open water!
Friday, May 03, 2013
Saranac River--there's GREEN in the hills
It looks a lot like spring in some areas. A couple of warm days has made a huge difference. It doesn't look like this in Hawkeye yet, but the trillium near the bog is up.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
I'm a woman. I'm in Nature.
Went to the big event of Women in Nature over the weekend. Long trip but it was good. Made a new friend from Wilmington--she works at the Wild Center in Tupper Lake & her husband is at the Nature Conservancy in Keene Valley so she knows a lot of people that I know. Which always makes you feel connected and part of the neighborhood.
We left Friday early afternoon, got to Skeneateles by 6 or so, checked into our cool little bungalows, then walked around the downtown area until dinner, which was at a nice, lakefront restaurant with good food but a noisy bar. Long time since I've been in a noisy bar. Anyway, off to bed, then up early for breakfast at a fantastic bakery there. On with the day. First classes for Julie and me were fly fishing--a double session. I absolutely cannot learn how to cast a fly line. All I know how to do is to throw the line out, as in regular old casting. I fling the line, waving the rod madly. "No, Elizabeth, you don't throw it, you let the rod do the work." Well that never took. Julie had better luck but I sure couldn't get the fly out a decent bit from shore. Flail and fling is all I could muster.
Lunch was lots of game--moose meatballs, pickled pickeral, smoked wild turkey, etc. And plenty of venison. It was tasty. Long time spent with demonstrations after lunch, which I didn't participate in. On to afternoon class, which for me was Nature Journaling. I discovered I'm not very good at that, either, being unable to draw a simple pine cone. But I can write, so that's what I did.
Trip home was uneventful & we got to Hawkeye around 10 p.m. House was extremely quiet (and peaceful) with no dogs. Did I miss them? Not really, I enjoyed the solitude and lack of energy being expended around me. I picked them up Sunday night. They were fine, don't mind being boarded, though I think Treasure may have wondered if I were ever going to pick her up. Tess is up for anything and had a great time. They got rave reviews--sweet and friendly dogs, are invited back any time. That was nice.
Sunday was a beautiful day, sunny and warm. Sat on my deck and read, which I love to do, especially in the spring. Lots of bird noises--I have purple (or house, I don't know which) finches, nuthatches, lots of juncoes, and some white-throated sparrows, which is a sure sign of changing seasons. My daffodils are blooming and the soft maples are in bloom. That just means I'll have sinus headaches for the next couple of weeks. But then leaves will appear.
This week is pretty quiet--lots of weeding the fiction collection because the stacks are too full. That's a very peaceful activity.
We left Friday early afternoon, got to Skeneateles by 6 or so, checked into our cool little bungalows, then walked around the downtown area until dinner, which was at a nice, lakefront restaurant with good food but a noisy bar. Long time since I've been in a noisy bar. Anyway, off to bed, then up early for breakfast at a fantastic bakery there. On with the day. First classes for Julie and me were fly fishing--a double session. I absolutely cannot learn how to cast a fly line. All I know how to do is to throw the line out, as in regular old casting. I fling the line, waving the rod madly. "No, Elizabeth, you don't throw it, you let the rod do the work." Well that never took. Julie had better luck but I sure couldn't get the fly out a decent bit from shore. Flail and fling is all I could muster.
Lunch was lots of game--moose meatballs, pickled pickeral, smoked wild turkey, etc. And plenty of venison. It was tasty. Long time spent with demonstrations after lunch, which I didn't participate in. On to afternoon class, which for me was Nature Journaling. I discovered I'm not very good at that, either, being unable to draw a simple pine cone. But I can write, so that's what I did.
Trip home was uneventful & we got to Hawkeye around 10 p.m. House was extremely quiet (and peaceful) with no dogs. Did I miss them? Not really, I enjoyed the solitude and lack of energy being expended around me. I picked them up Sunday night. They were fine, don't mind being boarded, though I think Treasure may have wondered if I were ever going to pick her up. Tess is up for anything and had a great time. They got rave reviews--sweet and friendly dogs, are invited back any time. That was nice.
Sunday was a beautiful day, sunny and warm. Sat on my deck and read, which I love to do, especially in the spring. Lots of bird noises--I have purple (or house, I don't know which) finches, nuthatches, lots of juncoes, and some white-throated sparrows, which is a sure sign of changing seasons. My daffodils are blooming and the soft maples are in bloom. That just means I'll have sinus headaches for the next couple of weeks. But then leaves will appear.
This week is pretty quiet--lots of weeding the fiction collection because the stacks are too full. That's a very peaceful activity.
Otisco Lake--red in the wood means spring is coming
This is the park where we attempted to learn fly fishing. View across the lake--red trees and green grass. Not like Hawkeye.
Bungalow 6, our home away from home
This is where Julie & I stayed. It was a nice place, very comfortable and private. But then, it was off season. We only stayed there one night and spent most of the evening out and about.
006
This is the view in back of our bungalow. Nice space. There was a robin protecting her nest in the tree on the right. Very noisy and fussed.
Really cook brick-walk pier
There's a great pier you can walk out on. Maybe we should do something like this on Silver Lake...
Kara throws a hatchet
Kara actually hit the target! She was a trend-setter, after she tried it there was a line of women waiting to do the toss. Not something I was interested in doing, especially with a crowd of people watching.
One-person shelter, inside
One of the morning classes was Building an Outdoor Shelter, and this is what they built. It doesn't look too complicated...
One person-shelter, outside (it took 20 women an hour to do this...
Here's what the outside looks like. Would be good for hiding out in Hawkeye.
Not one of the classes I took
I didn't do this one. They only found 1 frog, though. They were more successful than us fisherpeople were, at least.
Monday, April 29, 2013
Fog or mist?
You can always find what you're looking for on Wikipedia:
Fog is distinguished from mist only by its density, as expressed in the resulting decrease in visibility: Fog reduces visibility to less than 1 km (5/8 statute mile), whereas mist reduces visibility to no less than 1 km .[3]
Fog is distinguished from mist only by its density, as expressed in the resulting decrease in visibility: Fog reduces visibility to less than 1 km (5/8 statute mile), whereas mist reduces visibility to no less than 1 km .[3]
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Woman in Nature
I'm about to become a Woman in Nature--this Saturday is the all-day (free) Women in Nature near Syracuse. It's a day of workshops & demonstrations, sponsored by a sportsmen's club, for women. How I got involved is a long story, but it was through a connection between my work and the Wild Center in Tupper Lake. I'm going with a good friend from work--she & I have worked together for nearly 30 years and have traveled together, stayed together many times and always have fun. So we'll leave tomorrow morning, stay in Skeneatles overnight, learn fly fishing in the morning, and in the afternoon she'll do canoeing (which she already knows how to do) and I'll do nature journaling (how hard can that be? you see it, you write it down). Then we'll come home Sat. night. Although the day is free, it's costing a ton of money--I have to board the dogs, we're staying in a nice motel, there's gas, etc. But it will be fun. I am looking forward to it.
I'm boarding the dogs at a different kennel. Am I nervous about it? No, not really, it's just a hassle to take them over there and pick them up. This place has worse hours than most kennels I've boarded at, so I can't pick them up until Sunday evening. She wants them dropped off tonight because she has something going on tomorrow morning. So do I have to pay for the extra day? I bet I do. Oh well. It used to be so cheap to board, but now it's $19/dog (with a discount for 2) per day. Boy that seems like a lot. But then, it used to be $14 to see the vet and now it's $46. And it's certainly true that I make more money than I did when I paid those prices. Do I sound like an old fool? I feel like one.
I've been trying to walk more, per doctor's instructions. And I'm making the dogs stay in unless I'm with them. Twice I found Tess on the hard top, a mile from home, and I found Treasure near a trap in the field across the road from home (the trap had a live fox in it, poor thing--it was awful to see but I didn't know how to safely free the fox). So they got their wings clipped, and they're not very happy about it. I try to walk them for 20 minutes or so in the morning, and again when I get home from work. Didn't work that way this morning--it was cold and spitting snow and it was 6:30 and I sure didn't feel like walking, so we went to the end of the driveway and back. Huh? Tess was puzzled. Treasure is always happy to go home, where there's food.
Had book group last weekend. It was nice, always a good gathering of friends. I made Greek quinoa salad, which actually was eaten up. Our book was Louise Erdrich's The round house, and we all liked it. This month's book (thanks to a recommendation from Barb Neel) is The art of fielding. What's it about? they wanted to know. Baseball, but more. They weren't too enthusiastic but had heard of the book and were willing to give it a try. Or maybe it was just that no one else had a book to suggest. Anyway, it's a big book. We're not meeting until the first Sunday in June, and then we're scheduled to meet at Linda's. Yes, she'll be here by then. I think.
Haven't been too productive lately, at home anyway. I keep intending to cut brambles but then it's too cold or raining or snowing, or any excuse. I'll get it done. Yeah, that's right. I did plant a lot of cosmos seeds, and they're doing well. Have one flat of seedlings already and 2 flats of seeds that are germinating. Let's hope I can keep them all alive until late May.
Today is my brother's birthday--hard to imagine that he would have been 64. It's always hard to believe that he's gone, his memory is fresh still. Well, Hank, happy birthday. I think the ice will go out today in celebration. And guess who has the winning ice-out date? ME! I've never won before. I saw Jim & Pat yesterday--they're the official judges, and Jim thought the ice would be completely out today. It's mostly gone but there's still some behind the island, which is always the last place the ice hides.
Long videoconference today, from 10-4. Northern NY users group of our automated system, so it's relevant for sure and should be interesting. Then tomorrow I'm NOT COMING TO WORK. And I even get paid for that.
I'm boarding the dogs at a different kennel. Am I nervous about it? No, not really, it's just a hassle to take them over there and pick them up. This place has worse hours than most kennels I've boarded at, so I can't pick them up until Sunday evening. She wants them dropped off tonight because she has something going on tomorrow morning. So do I have to pay for the extra day? I bet I do. Oh well. It used to be so cheap to board, but now it's $19/dog (with a discount for 2) per day. Boy that seems like a lot. But then, it used to be $14 to see the vet and now it's $46. And it's certainly true that I make more money than I did when I paid those prices. Do I sound like an old fool? I feel like one.
I've been trying to walk more, per doctor's instructions. And I'm making the dogs stay in unless I'm with them. Twice I found Tess on the hard top, a mile from home, and I found Treasure near a trap in the field across the road from home (the trap had a live fox in it, poor thing--it was awful to see but I didn't know how to safely free the fox). So they got their wings clipped, and they're not very happy about it. I try to walk them for 20 minutes or so in the morning, and again when I get home from work. Didn't work that way this morning--it was cold and spitting snow and it was 6:30 and I sure didn't feel like walking, so we went to the end of the driveway and back. Huh? Tess was puzzled. Treasure is always happy to go home, where there's food.
Had book group last weekend. It was nice, always a good gathering of friends. I made Greek quinoa salad, which actually was eaten up. Our book was Louise Erdrich's The round house, and we all liked it. This month's book (thanks to a recommendation from Barb Neel) is The art of fielding. What's it about? they wanted to know. Baseball, but more. They weren't too enthusiastic but had heard of the book and were willing to give it a try. Or maybe it was just that no one else had a book to suggest. Anyway, it's a big book. We're not meeting until the first Sunday in June, and then we're scheduled to meet at Linda's. Yes, she'll be here by then. I think.
Haven't been too productive lately, at home anyway. I keep intending to cut brambles but then it's too cold or raining or snowing, or any excuse. I'll get it done. Yeah, that's right. I did plant a lot of cosmos seeds, and they're doing well. Have one flat of seedlings already and 2 flats of seeds that are germinating. Let's hope I can keep them all alive until late May.
Today is my brother's birthday--hard to imagine that he would have been 64. It's always hard to believe that he's gone, his memory is fresh still. Well, Hank, happy birthday. I think the ice will go out today in celebration. And guess who has the winning ice-out date? ME! I've never won before. I saw Jim & Pat yesterday--they're the official judges, and Jim thought the ice would be completely out today. It's mostly gone but there's still some behind the island, which is always the last place the ice hides.
Long videoconference today, from 10-4. Northern NY users group of our automated system, so it's relevant for sure and should be interesting. Then tomorrow I'm NOT COMING TO WORK. And I even get paid for that.
Bog at 6:30 a.m., 27 degrees
This was the other day, and it was spitting snow this morning. BUT THE ICE IS GOING OUT, if it's not out already.
Mist is good--it means the ground is warming up
I like this picture--it was a dramatic scene, veryk pretty. When I lived in southern New England we had mist & fog all the time and I got used to it. Now we rarely have it and it feels like a real treat. I wonder what the difference is between mist and fog...
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Closing in on the weekend
It was supposed to be WARM today, but it sure feels chilly outside. Not as chilly as before, that's true, but it's no 60 degrees. Let's see what tomorrow brings. I'm still wearing corduroy pants because my other pants DON'T FIT ME. This is very discouraging and demoralizing. I'll have to figure something out eventually--I don't picture me wearing cords in July. Though I've done far stranger things.
I took the dogs to the vet last night ($330). They're up to date on everything and ready to be heartworm-prevented for the next 7 months. Boy they'd better be all set. Although Tess needs some dental work. That will wait but I should certainly attend to it. She needs her teeth scraped, for which she is knocked out, for which I pay a lot of money.
I had the snow tires taken off my car--when I called to make the appointment, Jason said "Are you sure you want to do that?" Last year I had them removed in May. Well, hell, it's April. I was soooo happy to have good tires last week for the storm, and apparently I'm feeling confident that we won't have more weather like that soon.
It's been a pretty uneventful week, not a lot going on. No travels, no meetings. Just a lot of ordering e-books and cataloging them. I had a lovely luncheon with Bill & Fred, which was great fun. And good food.
The dogs have been busy stripping the bones from that deer carcass they've been working on all winter. Treasure brought home 2 knee joints this week. She does good recovery work. She was a star at the vet's last night, stood still and didn't fuss on the examination table. Tess, on the other hand, fell off the table once and tried to jump off about 3 times. She fussed so much she had to be put in a stranglehold so they could take a few drops of her precious blood to test for heartworm. Honestly--how embarrassing. I should have taken Tess in first so she wouldn't look so bad--following mellow Treasure's vet behavior is tough.
I saw a friend at the vet's, someone I haven't visited with for years. She and her husband were very nice to me when Jamie left but after that we sort of drifted apart. Her kids are now college-aged (!) and I remember when Forest was born. Boy that makes me feel old. I ran into another friend at the grocery store, and her children are the 20 and 25. And I remember her before she was even married. Yikes. I sure have been here a long time (28 years) and have encountered many very nice people during those years. I wondered when I first moved here how I would make friends, having come from a place where I had a lot of really good friends. It sure worked out, and I have a lot of wonderful friends now. I feel very lucky.
I took the dogs to the vet last night ($330). They're up to date on everything and ready to be heartworm-prevented for the next 7 months. Boy they'd better be all set. Although Tess needs some dental work. That will wait but I should certainly attend to it. She needs her teeth scraped, for which she is knocked out, for which I pay a lot of money.
I had the snow tires taken off my car--when I called to make the appointment, Jason said "Are you sure you want to do that?" Last year I had them removed in May. Well, hell, it's April. I was soooo happy to have good tires last week for the storm, and apparently I'm feeling confident that we won't have more weather like that soon.
It's been a pretty uneventful week, not a lot going on. No travels, no meetings. Just a lot of ordering e-books and cataloging them. I had a lovely luncheon with Bill & Fred, which was great fun. And good food.
The dogs have been busy stripping the bones from that deer carcass they've been working on all winter. Treasure brought home 2 knee joints this week. She does good recovery work. She was a star at the vet's last night, stood still and didn't fuss on the examination table. Tess, on the other hand, fell off the table once and tried to jump off about 3 times. She fussed so much she had to be put in a stranglehold so they could take a few drops of her precious blood to test for heartworm. Honestly--how embarrassing. I should have taken Tess in first so she wouldn't look so bad--following mellow Treasure's vet behavior is tough.
I saw a friend at the vet's, someone I haven't visited with for years. She and her husband were very nice to me when Jamie left but after that we sort of drifted apart. Her kids are now college-aged (!) and I remember when Forest was born. Boy that makes me feel old. I ran into another friend at the grocery store, and her children are the 20 and 25. And I remember her before she was even married. Yikes. I sure have been here a long time (28 years) and have encountered many very nice people during those years. I wondered when I first moved here how I would make friends, having come from a place where I had a lot of really good friends. It sure worked out, and I have a lot of wonderful friends now. I feel very lucky.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Nice weekend
Well, the weekend was nice EXCEPT for the weather. I was in Lake Placid Friday, at a conference. The driving was awful, not many plows out. The conference was good, the trip home was worse than the morning drive. They never did plow OHR, so I barely made it to the house. Lucky thing I still have my winter tires on the car.
Dump run, laundry, dishes, reading (Louise Erdrich, The round house--for book group), quet time. I walked to camp on Sunday; when I left the house the sun was out, but it was sleeting hard by the time I got to the boat house. Oh well, just meant I couldn't get a picture of the mountain. Dogs had a great time but ran off to their private special place that I don't know about. Rat pigs. Treasure brought home a scapula on Saturday, a leg bone yesterday. Aren't they finished with the autopsy of that poor dead deer? There can't be many bones left.
Visit with Pat & Jim & Bill yesterday, all doing fairly well. Pat is better, apparently the traction is working for her. That's a relief--she's very tired of being housebound. Me? I'm tired of looking at snow in my yard. But the bare spots are expanding every day.
Dump run, laundry, dishes, reading (Louise Erdrich, The round house--for book group), quet time. I walked to camp on Sunday; when I left the house the sun was out, but it was sleeting hard by the time I got to the boat house. Oh well, just meant I couldn't get a picture of the mountain. Dogs had a great time but ran off to their private special place that I don't know about. Rat pigs. Treasure brought home a scapula on Saturday, a leg bone yesterday. Aren't they finished with the autopsy of that poor dead deer? There can't be many bones left.
Visit with Pat & Jim & Bill yesterday, all doing fairly well. Pat is better, apparently the traction is working for her. That's a relief--she's very tired of being housebound. Me? I'm tired of looking at snow in my yard. But the bare spots are expanding every day.
Sleety Sunday walk
The boat house in winter garb. Or maybe it should be "early spring" garb. Sleeting hard, which is why it's sorf of fuzzy.
Not much sign of ice-out. This is from the boat house
Can't see much because it's sleeting. There's just the tiniest bit of open water at the boat house.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
End of a good week
Just a few minutes before I leave for an evening presentation and reception. ugh. I had a good week, am looking forward to the all-day programs I'm attending tomorrow in Lake Placid. Keep me out of those stores, though.
Dramatic morning at 58OHR: dogs took off, Treasure came back sans Tess. This rarely happens, and I truly hate it when only one returns. I drove around, walked around, called, honked the horn, did everything I could think of to no avail. I was convinced she was under the ice and would wash up on shore in June. I finally drove down the road, looking for a body (because, after all, how could she possibly stay away from me for 2 hours?). Instead I found a construction crew entertaining and being entertained by Tess, about a mile from home. What a rat pig. She was having a great time and they thought she was wonderful. They were making sure she didn't go in the road, and were very nice.
Other events of the week don't amount to much. Weather was OK. Doctor's appointment on Monday went well--all my numbers are good. Yay good numbers. I told him I was discouraged about my failure to lose weight. He said what all good doctors say: get some exercise. So I've been walking on the treadmill here at work, reading a book. I can stand to do it but don't like giving up my running errands at lunch time. Too bad--we all have to make choices.
Tonight and tomorrow the wether is supposed to turn ugly, with snow and sleet. Just in time for my trip through the Notch. Different predictions, but most agree we'll get 1-3" of snow. On top of mud, my favorite combination. There's still snow in my yard but the bare spots are growing daily. Crocuses are just starting to come up.
Saw Pat & Jim this week--Pat doing a little better, the traction seems to be helping. That's good. I watched Beasts of the Southern Wild, and didn't care much for it. Then I had a good conversation with a friend about it and she helped me see that it's really very good. That's what happens at book group--I don't like the book but someone else does, and I'm easily convinced of the book's value and virtues. Which is a nice way to interact with people, I think.
Had a quiet weekend last weekend, didn't do much. Did plant RI pansies in pots, gave one to Pat & kept one. Planted some cosmos seeds (indoors) and they're germinating nicely. Now I just need to keep them alive unitl Memorial Day. I've been having fires at night, trying to keep the heat off. I sure am tired of starting fires. And carrying firewood. Oh, but it's such good exercise! Yeah yeah.
Dramatic morning at 58OHR: dogs took off, Treasure came back sans Tess. This rarely happens, and I truly hate it when only one returns. I drove around, walked around, called, honked the horn, did everything I could think of to no avail. I was convinced she was under the ice and would wash up on shore in June. I finally drove down the road, looking for a body (because, after all, how could she possibly stay away from me for 2 hours?). Instead I found a construction crew entertaining and being entertained by Tess, about a mile from home. What a rat pig. She was having a great time and they thought she was wonderful. They were making sure she didn't go in the road, and were very nice.
Other events of the week don't amount to much. Weather was OK. Doctor's appointment on Monday went well--all my numbers are good. Yay good numbers. I told him I was discouraged about my failure to lose weight. He said what all good doctors say: get some exercise. So I've been walking on the treadmill here at work, reading a book. I can stand to do it but don't like giving up my running errands at lunch time. Too bad--we all have to make choices.
Tonight and tomorrow the wether is supposed to turn ugly, with snow and sleet. Just in time for my trip through the Notch. Different predictions, but most agree we'll get 1-3" of snow. On top of mud, my favorite combination. There's still snow in my yard but the bare spots are growing daily. Crocuses are just starting to come up.
Saw Pat & Jim this week--Pat doing a little better, the traction seems to be helping. That's good. I watched Beasts of the Southern Wild, and didn't care much for it. Then I had a good conversation with a friend about it and she helped me see that it's really very good. That's what happens at book group--I don't like the book but someone else does, and I'm easily convinced of the book's value and virtues. Which is a nice way to interact with people, I think.
Had a quiet weekend last weekend, didn't do much. Did plant RI pansies in pots, gave one to Pat & kept one. Planted some cosmos seeds (indoors) and they're germinating nicely. Now I just need to keep them alive unitl Memorial Day. I've been having fires at night, trying to keep the heat off. I sure am tired of starting fires. And carrying firewood. Oh, but it's such good exercise! Yeah yeah.
Friday, April 05, 2013
Good trip
I really enjoyed my weekend in Rhode Island, and the driving was great. No real traffic, clear roads, good book to listen to, really a nice trip. I made good time both ways.
We had a happy time together--I got there Friday afternoon and we visited. Liza has crocuses in bloom, daffodils and tulips coming up, and snowdrops blooming. The grass is green, though not bright spring green yet. Still...bare ground!
Saturday we went to the beach, to the fish market in Galilee (Champlins), got lobsters, clams and mussels, then walked on the beach a moment. We saw eiders, which was pretty cool. Very pretty and peaceful, hardly anyone there. It was nice to be there without the dogs, but we didn't stay long. Mark & I had walked the dogs in the park in the early morning. One Easter we were walking the dogs in the park & rounded the corner to discover a crowd of people celebrating with a sunrise service. Pretty embarrassing, since I'd just yelled to the dogs that they were assholes. The dogs, not the people.
Then we went to the pansy place to get our flowers. They didn't seem to have as many colors this year as they usually do, but we picked out some nice ones. It's always so nice to see flowers blooming. I picked out my pansies, which have been indoors since I got back. Still too cold at night for the little darlings.
Sat out on the deck in warm sunshine in the afternoon, which has become an Easter tradition.
We had our lobsters, etc. for dinner that night. Yum. Lobsters from cold water are really delicious. Tiny clams, delicious mussels.
Easter Sunday was great--our nice breakfast of fresh bagels with lox. We like to celebrate. Mark gave me a beautiful tiny oil painting of a RI water scene and I gave him a small basket. We try to talk him out of giving Easter presents but he just won't listen. We spent a quiet day, read the paper, visited, and went to the town beach. Nice beach walk with very few people there. Liza sat in her chair and admired the calm and beautiful ocean. There were loons in winter plumage on the water.
I cooked lamb for Easter dinner. I don't really care for lamb but take it to RI for Liza and Mark. They eat a lot of chicken so I think this is a nice change. But maybe they don't like it and are just being polite... Anyway, the lamb was good, tender and tasted like lamb.
Back to work on Tuesday, uneventful and busy day. Wednesday I spent in Keene Valley, which was great. I'm cataloging the books in their archives, which is a huge project. They have a lot of books. It's fun and I enjoy being in that library. The director is a good friend and we work well together. Their archives are amazing--two rooms full of photographs (cataloged), books, files, etc. Nice and bright, a good place to spend time.
Tuesday night there was something terribly wrong with Tess--she could barely move, and wouldn't walk much. Whined when she tried. Very scary. I pumped her full of aspirin and hoped for the best. Weds. she was better, and by yesterday she was almost back to normal. Whew. This was very upsetting for me, to have her ailing. It reminded me that she's 11 and no longer a young dog.
What's up for the weekend? Dump run, probably. Plant pansies. Laundry. Visit with Pat & Jim. Talk to Lin. Relax. I have a movie to watch (something of the Southern Wild, I forget the title) and books to read. I'm listening to Kent Haruf's latest book (Benediction), which is excellent. Good reader and good book. I need to start our book group book--The round house, by Erdrich. I have soooo many books to read!
We had a happy time together--I got there Friday afternoon and we visited. Liza has crocuses in bloom, daffodils and tulips coming up, and snowdrops blooming. The grass is green, though not bright spring green yet. Still...bare ground!
Saturday we went to the beach, to the fish market in Galilee (Champlins), got lobsters, clams and mussels, then walked on the beach a moment. We saw eiders, which was pretty cool. Very pretty and peaceful, hardly anyone there. It was nice to be there without the dogs, but we didn't stay long. Mark & I had walked the dogs in the park in the early morning. One Easter we were walking the dogs in the park & rounded the corner to discover a crowd of people celebrating with a sunrise service. Pretty embarrassing, since I'd just yelled to the dogs that they were assholes. The dogs, not the people.
Then we went to the pansy place to get our flowers. They didn't seem to have as many colors this year as they usually do, but we picked out some nice ones. It's always so nice to see flowers blooming. I picked out my pansies, which have been indoors since I got back. Still too cold at night for the little darlings.
Sat out on the deck in warm sunshine in the afternoon, which has become an Easter tradition.
We had our lobsters, etc. for dinner that night. Yum. Lobsters from cold water are really delicious. Tiny clams, delicious mussels.
Easter Sunday was great--our nice breakfast of fresh bagels with lox. We like to celebrate. Mark gave me a beautiful tiny oil painting of a RI water scene and I gave him a small basket. We try to talk him out of giving Easter presents but he just won't listen. We spent a quiet day, read the paper, visited, and went to the town beach. Nice beach walk with very few people there. Liza sat in her chair and admired the calm and beautiful ocean. There were loons in winter plumage on the water.
I cooked lamb for Easter dinner. I don't really care for lamb but take it to RI for Liza and Mark. They eat a lot of chicken so I think this is a nice change. But maybe they don't like it and are just being polite... Anyway, the lamb was good, tender and tasted like lamb.
Back to work on Tuesday, uneventful and busy day. Wednesday I spent in Keene Valley, which was great. I'm cataloging the books in their archives, which is a huge project. They have a lot of books. It's fun and I enjoy being in that library. The director is a good friend and we work well together. Their archives are amazing--two rooms full of photographs (cataloged), books, files, etc. Nice and bright, a good place to spend time.
Tuesday night there was something terribly wrong with Tess--she could barely move, and wouldn't walk much. Whined when she tried. Very scary. I pumped her full of aspirin and hoped for the best. Weds. she was better, and by yesterday she was almost back to normal. Whew. This was very upsetting for me, to have her ailing. It reminded me that she's 11 and no longer a young dog.
What's up for the weekend? Dump run, probably. Plant pansies. Laundry. Visit with Pat & Jim. Talk to Lin. Relax. I have a movie to watch (something of the Southern Wild, I forget the title) and books to read. I'm listening to Kent Haruf's latest book (Benediction), which is excellent. Good reader and good book. I need to start our book group book--The round house, by Erdrich. I have soooo many books to read!
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This years pansies will be yellow violas. I have a nice blue planter for them. This weekend I'll plant them, and plant some other yellow ones in a pot for Pat. It may be too soon to put them out, though.
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Liza and Mark at the beach in Galilee, near Champlins of course. A nice sunny day. This is one of our favorite beaches--my sister really likes this one for swimming. Mark is scornful of it for anything other than walking dogs and collecting shells. One year there was a huge jellyfish hatch here--millions, literally millions of tiny jellyfish would bombard you if you went in the water. It was beyond gross. They turned to snot when they hit the beach. Jenica said it was like being hit by ice cubes. Only it was really disgusting and you couldn't stand it.
Liza and Tess at the beach
Liza sat in her chair while Mark & I walked the dogs up the beach. It was cool but not really cold, and we had a nice time.
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We did much better on the colors this year. It's amazing what you can learn when you read the instructions. Like, dye only taks to COLD eggs.
We have a lot of Easter toys
We collect windup toys. This is our Easter collection--it's quite impressive.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Why do we like Easter?
I have some favorite holidays, others I'd just as soon skip. Easter is always a cheery time, regardless of the weather, the non-advancing of spring, etc. Why? I suppose it harkens back to my childhood, when we went to church and were very involved in our church's everything. Easter egg hunts, Sunday school (yes, I taught Sunday school--I don't remember just exactly WHAT I taught the little darlings...), Youth Group, Saturday classes. OMG we did it all. Anyway, Easter was a great time because of the spirit of the day. We were all happy, we sang cheerful hymns (oh yeah, I was in the choir, too)(even though I can't sing), we left church feeling cleansed and optimistic. So maybe that's why I like Easter. Aside from the church part, we always had really nice Easter egg hunts at home. My father could be playful (though that may be hard to believe) and liked hiding jelly beans around the house. Along the top of the doorjams, in the dial of the rotary phone, probably even in clean ashtrays (ashtrays were a big part of my childhood--every Saturday we cleaned them)(though, given the amount of smoking my parents did it must have been done more often than that). Each of us had a basket filled with special treats--and we had to divide the candy we found around the house so that each got an equal amount. Anyway, it was fun and we enjoyed it.
What do I do for Easter now? I visit my mother, in Rhode Island, where it's always warmer than it is at my house, and where there's usually BARE GROUND for me to walk on in bare feet. We dye eggs and have Easter baskets at the breakfast table on Easter morning. We have a lot of food--our standard special breakfast of lox & bagels (Mark works at a bagelry), sometimes (if Jenica's there) with bacon too. We sit in the sun (there always seems to be SOME sun during my visit). And then we go to the pansy place to pick out our pansies. Lots and lots of beautiful colors, always a hard decision to make: what color? Mix the colors or be monochromatic? Violas or pansies? But, like Easter itself, it's a happy time. I always have a pot of pansies on my deck railing. My aunt always had a dish of pansies next to her door, which is probably where I got the idea. Anyway, I usually stick to just one color, which is why it's so hard for me to make a decision when buying them. I like the effect of a mass of one color.
I usually buy Pat some yellow pansies as well--she likes yellow flowers from me because she says I'm her sunshine. Awwww.
On another note, Sunshine was the name of a horse that lived in Rockford & was in every parade. Sunshine lived in a residential neighborhood, on a large wooded lot. I don't know who owned the horse, but all the kids knew Sunshine. Again, a happy memory (oh my mother would be so proud--she frets that we don't have any happy memories of our childhoods).
What do I do for Easter now? I visit my mother, in Rhode Island, where it's always warmer than it is at my house, and where there's usually BARE GROUND for me to walk on in bare feet. We dye eggs and have Easter baskets at the breakfast table on Easter morning. We have a lot of food--our standard special breakfast of lox & bagels (Mark works at a bagelry), sometimes (if Jenica's there) with bacon too. We sit in the sun (there always seems to be SOME sun during my visit). And then we go to the pansy place to pick out our pansies. Lots and lots of beautiful colors, always a hard decision to make: what color? Mix the colors or be monochromatic? Violas or pansies? But, like Easter itself, it's a happy time. I always have a pot of pansies on my deck railing. My aunt always had a dish of pansies next to her door, which is probably where I got the idea. Anyway, I usually stick to just one color, which is why it's so hard for me to make a decision when buying them. I like the effect of a mass of one color.
I usually buy Pat some yellow pansies as well--she likes yellow flowers from me because she says I'm her sunshine. Awwww.
On another note, Sunshine was the name of a horse that lived in Rockford & was in every parade. Sunshine lived in a residential neighborhood, on a large wooded lot. I don't know who owned the horse, but all the kids knew Sunshine. Again, a happy memory (oh my mother would be so proud--she frets that we don't have any happy memories of our childhoods).
Monday, March 25, 2013
Being punished
I have to work late today to make up time. I was 1 1/2 hours late to work because MY DOGS RAN AWAY. They were gone for 2 hours, came home separately, which upset me. Treasure came home with a deer shin in her mouth. Tess had nothing, but I found an antler in the road. I guess the snow has melted enough to expose their fall project of dismantling a deer carcass. Swell. I fretted, worried, got irritated, honked the horn, yelled, drove around--all to no avail. They come home when they want to. Anyway, I feel as if I'm being punished for my bad dogs' bad deeds by having to work extra time.
It was a good weekend--especially good because now I can have hot wonderful fires. It's getting to that time when I don't have to keep the fire going 24 hours, I can let it go out at night because it's warmer. If 20 is warmer. Not so much today--part of my irritation at the dogs was that it was cold in the living room (55) and I had to sit there with my coat on waiting & watching the Today Show. Augh.
I watched some basketball over the weekend, only half paying attention, but enjoying the games. I wove 2 small baskets (thank you, Barb, for getting me to start weaving again). One was perfect, just perfect, but the second one was not. I got discouraged. I had fun making the first one, but kept saying "This is not fun" while struggling with the second one. How did I do that all those years ago? I haven't lost my touch in weaving, but shaping is a problem for me.
I went to the dump--again. This seems to be my Saturday activity. Which is great because it means I'm throwing things away. I sorted my sheets and found a big pile of white socks under them. Apparently I once thought that my white socks should all be stored together, in the laundry room. I put them in a garbage bag but didn't tie it shut. The dogs spent the week emptying the bag, sock by sock, parading around the house with socks in their mouths. Cute. Up to a point. PUT IT DOWN.
Weather is uneventful. We didn't get snow, which was a relief. But we didn't get sun, either. Or warm weather. There was some sun on Saturday, which was very cheery.
Yesterday I visited with Pat & Jim by myself--others were off doing other things. Pat is getting better but was in pain yesterday so she's still not great. I think they're both frustrated by her convalescence, and are shack wacky. Me? I just want to see some bare ground.
It was a good weekend--especially good because now I can have hot wonderful fires. It's getting to that time when I don't have to keep the fire going 24 hours, I can let it go out at night because it's warmer. If 20 is warmer. Not so much today--part of my irritation at the dogs was that it was cold in the living room (55) and I had to sit there with my coat on waiting & watching the Today Show. Augh.
I watched some basketball over the weekend, only half paying attention, but enjoying the games. I wove 2 small baskets (thank you, Barb, for getting me to start weaving again). One was perfect, just perfect, but the second one was not. I got discouraged. I had fun making the first one, but kept saying "This is not fun" while struggling with the second one. How did I do that all those years ago? I haven't lost my touch in weaving, but shaping is a problem for me.
I went to the dump--again. This seems to be my Saturday activity. Which is great because it means I'm throwing things away. I sorted my sheets and found a big pile of white socks under them. Apparently I once thought that my white socks should all be stored together, in the laundry room. I put them in a garbage bag but didn't tie it shut. The dogs spent the week emptying the bag, sock by sock, parading around the house with socks in their mouths. Cute. Up to a point. PUT IT DOWN.
Weather is uneventful. We didn't get snow, which was a relief. But we didn't get sun, either. Or warm weather. There was some sun on Saturday, which was very cheery.
Yesterday I visited with Pat & Jim by myself--others were off doing other things. Pat is getting better but was in pain yesterday so she's still not great. I think they're both frustrated by her convalescence, and are shack wacky. Me? I just want to see some bare ground.
Friday, March 22, 2013
Barely a space to work
I swore that I was going to spend part of every Friday clearing stuff off of my desk, which I did for a few weeks. Then, of course, I stopped. I think today I'll start up again. What a mess.
sunny nap
Tess likes the brown chair when it's sunny. My geraniums from last summer are finally blooming.
This chair is in the corner of the living room, where I've always had a place for people to sit. Ken used to sit there all the time, and most of the time he'd fall asleep in the sun. Not hanging over the arm of the chair, just dozing peacefully.
donuts tucked together--this is how they mostly sleep
This is how they like to sleep on the couch. They only do this in the living room, though--when bedtime comes they each have their own territory on the bed.
Snowy week
We had a big storm earlier this week, and now we're supposed to have "snow showers" every day until the 4th of July, as far as I can tell. Or maybe just for the next 4 days. We saw the sun briefly the other day but mostly it's cloudy and snowy. Most places got 10" or so from Tuesday's storm, but in Hawkeye we only got about 6". No, I did not feel slighted.
Someone saw moose tracks in the snow walking toward Linda's camp last weekend--big news in the neighborhood. Also one of the feral cats is pregnant. Again, big news. Which is bigger news? Hard to say.
The library was closed for the storm, which was a nice break. Daytime TV sure is boring. Even sorting my sheets was more interesting than televiewing. Is this what retirement is like? I sure have plenty of projects to work on, but lack the motivation to get started on them when I only have one or two days in a row free. I've got plans for my Memorial Day vacation--when I take time off and have 5 days in a row at home. I try to get projects done during those days, as opposed to sitting on the boat house porch or playing with friends. This year I hope to work on the junk in the master bedroom--the floor is covered with things--all sorts of things. That will involve a couple of trips to the dump, I think.
I had my chimney cleaned this week, which was great. It was plugged at the top, and there was a bunch of creosote flakes inside as well. Now the fire she's a-burning and the house is warm again. It was sure cold without a fire--I used a small electric heater, pointed at me on the couch, which was OK but barely got to 60. Which is actually pretty warm for my house in the winter.
The dogs are great, having a good time in the snow. They like to bound through big drifts into the woods. There are plenty of huge piles from the snowplow, which they like to climb on and play "I'm taller than you are." They're very dear and get along well.
What's up for the weekend? Well, book group meets on Sunday for a ham dinner at Marylou's. We read The memory thief, which was farily good but a bit predictable.
I haven't been doing much lately, just keeping warm and entertaining the dogs. I have lunch with Barb today, which will be nice. I've been visiting Pat & Jim a lot--Pat is having bad back problems so hasn't been out and about all week. They're planning a trip to Pbg today because Jim said he has to get out of the house. I was going to do their grocery shopping for them, but they're a bit shack wacky so want to do their own.
We had a staff luncheon yesterday--the theme was green food for St. Patrick's Day. Lots of spinach and broccoli dishes. I'm not sure anyone really enjoys those lunches, but like most work sites we feel obligated to be nice to each other. Which isn't really very hard, we're a good group.
Someone saw moose tracks in the snow walking toward Linda's camp last weekend--big news in the neighborhood. Also one of the feral cats is pregnant. Again, big news. Which is bigger news? Hard to say.
The library was closed for the storm, which was a nice break. Daytime TV sure is boring. Even sorting my sheets was more interesting than televiewing. Is this what retirement is like? I sure have plenty of projects to work on, but lack the motivation to get started on them when I only have one or two days in a row free. I've got plans for my Memorial Day vacation--when I take time off and have 5 days in a row at home. I try to get projects done during those days, as opposed to sitting on the boat house porch or playing with friends. This year I hope to work on the junk in the master bedroom--the floor is covered with things--all sorts of things. That will involve a couple of trips to the dump, I think.
I had my chimney cleaned this week, which was great. It was plugged at the top, and there was a bunch of creosote flakes inside as well. Now the fire she's a-burning and the house is warm again. It was sure cold without a fire--I used a small electric heater, pointed at me on the couch, which was OK but barely got to 60. Which is actually pretty warm for my house in the winter.
The dogs are great, having a good time in the snow. They like to bound through big drifts into the woods. There are plenty of huge piles from the snowplow, which they like to climb on and play "I'm taller than you are." They're very dear and get along well.
What's up for the weekend? Well, book group meets on Sunday for a ham dinner at Marylou's. We read The memory thief, which was farily good but a bit predictable.
I haven't been doing much lately, just keeping warm and entertaining the dogs. I have lunch with Barb today, which will be nice. I've been visiting Pat & Jim a lot--Pat is having bad back problems so hasn't been out and about all week. They're planning a trip to Pbg today because Jim said he has to get out of the house. I was going to do their grocery shopping for them, but they're a bit shack wacky so want to do their own.
We had a staff luncheon yesterday--the theme was green food for St. Patrick's Day. Lots of spinach and broccoli dishes. I'm not sure anyone really enjoys those lunches, but like most work sites we feel obligated to be nice to each other. Which isn't really very hard, we're a good group.
Friday, March 15, 2013
Double bonus day
It's not just Friday--it's pay day. YIPPEE. I sent some money to the electric company, though only a quarter of what I owe them. Enough to convince them that I do intend to pay my bill (I hope). I went grocery shopping last night and was very conservative and frugal. And proud of myself. I still haven't lost weight, and am tired of the mentality that says "at least you're not gaining." I know how to not gain, it's losing that I'm having trouble with. I see my doctor in about 3 weeks so should be walking like mad to get my cholesterol level down before then. Coulda shoulda woulda.
It was a good week, though the weather today really sucks. It was 9 this morning, after several days of 30's and 40's. My morning coffee friend said that our blood has started to thin because of the warm weather and that's why it felt more like -20 than merely 9. It's not supposed to be very warm for a while, and I think we're supposed to have snow next week. At least the sun is supposed to shine tomorrow. a little. maybe.
I spent one day on the road this week, always a nice change. I weeded the collection in Tupper Lake for most of the day, then stopped in AuSable Forks to pick up some paperwork from the director there. That's a long trip. Much discussion with Jimmy about which way is the fastest to get from Tupper to AuSable. I went through Saranac Lake/Lake Placid; he thought it would have been better to cut through Hawkeye. Doesn't really matter which way you go--it takes an hour.
We had a lot of rain early in the week, which was wonderful. We lost at least 5" of snow at home, and in some places in the neighborhood there's bare ground. Not near my house, not even close, but there are patches along the roadside, on southern facing areas. Nice.
Dogs are fine but seem to have a bit of wanderlust. They take themselves for long walks, which is OK but a bit worrisome. Then Treasure returns without her sister, so I worry more. Do I do anything to keep them close to home? Heck no. I would like to know where they go. I don't think there's much left of the dead deer they were feasting on in the fall.
I had a quiet weekend--didn't do much of anything. Organized my thoughts. Went to the dump. I did go to the Wellness Center on Friday afternoon, but decided not to join right now. I have a treadmill here at work; it was just the pool I wanted to use there and I think I should save for a new wood stove instead of swim. If I actually swam.
Went to the dump, which has been a weekly chore lately. I like that--it means I'm throwing things away. I may even go back this weekend. Mr. Dump Man and I are becoming good friends. He even comes out of his hut to greet me now.
It was my mother's birthday this week--she's now 87. If my father were alive he'd be 101, so my mother has stopped wishing her were still alive. "He wouldn't have liked being so old," she says. Can't argue with that.
It was a good week, though the weather today really sucks. It was 9 this morning, after several days of 30's and 40's. My morning coffee friend said that our blood has started to thin because of the warm weather and that's why it felt more like -20 than merely 9. It's not supposed to be very warm for a while, and I think we're supposed to have snow next week. At least the sun is supposed to shine tomorrow. a little. maybe.
I spent one day on the road this week, always a nice change. I weeded the collection in Tupper Lake for most of the day, then stopped in AuSable Forks to pick up some paperwork from the director there. That's a long trip. Much discussion with Jimmy about which way is the fastest to get from Tupper to AuSable. I went through Saranac Lake/Lake Placid; he thought it would have been better to cut through Hawkeye. Doesn't really matter which way you go--it takes an hour.
We had a lot of rain early in the week, which was wonderful. We lost at least 5" of snow at home, and in some places in the neighborhood there's bare ground. Not near my house, not even close, but there are patches along the roadside, on southern facing areas. Nice.
Dogs are fine but seem to have a bit of wanderlust. They take themselves for long walks, which is OK but a bit worrisome. Then Treasure returns without her sister, so I worry more. Do I do anything to keep them close to home? Heck no. I would like to know where they go. I don't think there's much left of the dead deer they were feasting on in the fall.
I had a quiet weekend--didn't do much of anything. Organized my thoughts. Went to the dump. I did go to the Wellness Center on Friday afternoon, but decided not to join right now. I have a treadmill here at work; it was just the pool I wanted to use there and I think I should save for a new wood stove instead of swim. If I actually swam.
Went to the dump, which has been a weekly chore lately. I like that--it means I'm throwing things away. I may even go back this weekend. Mr. Dump Man and I are becoming good friends. He even comes out of his hut to greet me now.
It was my mother's birthday this week--she's now 87. If my father were alive he'd be 101, so my mother has stopped wishing her were still alive. "He wouldn't have liked being so old," she says. Can't argue with that.
Gosh, think I need to clean my cubicle?
It's such a mess. I promised myself that, this year, every Friday I would spend some time cleaning & throwing things out. I did that for a month or so...guess it's time to get back into the habit.
Barely a space to work
Mr. Fish doesn't show in this--he's on the shelf next to the calendar. I have a friend who sends me a chocolate Lab calendar every year for my birthday. Sometimes the dogs look just like mine.
Stubby little amaryllis blooming at home
This one was funny--it had started to grow in the box so was all bent over. It never straighetned out or grew UP. So now it's just a cute little thing.
Monday, March 11, 2013
What a weekend. What, a weekend?
It was a wonderful weekend in Hawkeye, weather-wise. Saturday was warm and sunny--bright spring sun, so different from a winter sun that hangs low in the sky. I walked to the mailbox with the dogs, who definitely had spring on their minds. I didn't wear a coat, they trotted along. Very, very nice. I watched Argo, which was good but made me feel old. When an event is treated as history and you remember when it happened, you're not young.
Sunday was a regular Sunday, with treats and company at Pat & Jim's. Nice time and good visits. Remembered to set the clocks ahead, which means it's really dark when I get up in the morning. Yes, I know it's lighter longer at the other end of the day, but I sure prefer getting up in the daylight.
Traveling this week--Tupper Lake tomorrow, Dannemora on Weds. Always nice to be out & about. It's supposed to RAIN tomorrow, then snow in Hawkeye at the end of the week. But spring, well, spring is in the air.
Sunday was a regular Sunday, with treats and company at Pat & Jim's. Nice time and good visits. Remembered to set the clocks ahead, which means it's really dark when I get up in the morning. Yes, I know it's lighter longer at the other end of the day, but I sure prefer getting up in the daylight.
Traveling this week--Tupper Lake tomorrow, Dannemora on Weds. Always nice to be out & about. It's supposed to RAIN tomorrow, then snow in Hawkeye at the end of the week. But spring, well, spring is in the air.
Something interesting on the other side of the snowbank
They both thought something good must be happening on the other side of the snowbank--like maybe a deer carcass or something tasty
The end of a very nice day
They always sleep on top of each other--except in bed, when they sleep on top of me.
Friday, March 08, 2013
Happy (really happy) Friday
I only have to work 1/2 a day today, which makes it almost a perfect Friday. It is NOT, however, pay day, which would make it perfect. And also if the sun were to shine. We haven't really seen sun for a long, long time. It's rumored to be shining in Hawkeye this weekend, with temps in the 40's. Maybe that will get rid of the ice that coats my deck stairs. At least this year I shoveled the stairs (most of the time)--some years I just don't do that & it's like a bobsled run on the stairs.
It was a good week in spite of the lack of sun. Well, actually, we saw sun in Albany on Tuesday. It was Library Legis. Day, so 4 of us drove down from Pbg to beg our legislators for money. Did we make any progress? Who knows, but we did make the point that some libraries have to pay for Internet access, while most get it for free. One of our libraries pays $400 a month. And of course there are those of us who have dial access...but I digress. We had a good trip, lots of nice and cheerful conversation in the car, and a good time in the capital. I did get stopped by security, however, for having a pair of scissors in my purse. I didn't know they were there--as one friend wrote, "Oh, so you're one of those people who don't know what's in the huge bag you have on your shoulder." Well I guess I am. Only now I don't have a pair of scissors in it.
I got up early today to wrap my mother's birthday presents. Sort of a pathetic offering this year, but it will be something for her to open. Mostly seeds and bulbs for the garden. I'll mail it today and hope it gets there by Weds., when she turns 87. Wow. My mother is 87. So amazing. Anyway, it was a nice morning at home. Of course the dogs disappeared as I was getting ready to leave for work--it wouldn't be a weekday morning unless I had to wait for their return before heading out. They're so cheerful these days, it's really nice. This morning they had Milk Bones for breakfast because I was too lazy to bring the dog food in from the car. They thought it was odd, but sure enjoyed the meal.
What are my plans for the weekend? DUMP, as usual. I threw away a bunch of stuff in prep. of last weekend's visitors, and plan to clean out the fridge. I'd love to go to the movies--I want to see Silver Linings Playbook but have yet to drag myself into town for that. I had an appointment with my psychiatrist this week & we agreed we should both see the film.
My weekend was great last week. Michael & Stephanie had a good time (I think) and we had a good visit. Dinner with Annie at her house, with Bill. Nice breakfast on Sunday at Big Daddy's, then they left. Was it worthy of the pre-visit hysteria? Absolutely not. My house is still not in great shape for company, but they at least didn't complain and were cheerful. Dogs almost behaved well--too much nudging and begging for attention, but they were good. What do people with grumpy dogs do when company comes? I wouldn't know. I love those "Don't pet him, he doesn't like it" critters.
Today I'm hoping to drag my ass to the Wellness Center, which is like the YMCA here in Plattsburgh, with a pool & exercise stuff. Depending on the membership fee, I may join up to use the pool. I truly need to make myself do something in the way of exercise and this might be a good option. Or not. Won't know if you don't try. When it's lighter when I get home I might walk the dogs, but that's doubtful. Hell, they walk themselves, they don't need me to keep them company.
It was a good week in spite of the lack of sun. Well, actually, we saw sun in Albany on Tuesday. It was Library Legis. Day, so 4 of us drove down from Pbg to beg our legislators for money. Did we make any progress? Who knows, but we did make the point that some libraries have to pay for Internet access, while most get it for free. One of our libraries pays $400 a month. And of course there are those of us who have dial access...but I digress. We had a good trip, lots of nice and cheerful conversation in the car, and a good time in the capital. I did get stopped by security, however, for having a pair of scissors in my purse. I didn't know they were there--as one friend wrote, "Oh, so you're one of those people who don't know what's in the huge bag you have on your shoulder." Well I guess I am. Only now I don't have a pair of scissors in it.
I got up early today to wrap my mother's birthday presents. Sort of a pathetic offering this year, but it will be something for her to open. Mostly seeds and bulbs for the garden. I'll mail it today and hope it gets there by Weds., when she turns 87. Wow. My mother is 87. So amazing. Anyway, it was a nice morning at home. Of course the dogs disappeared as I was getting ready to leave for work--it wouldn't be a weekday morning unless I had to wait for their return before heading out. They're so cheerful these days, it's really nice. This morning they had Milk Bones for breakfast because I was too lazy to bring the dog food in from the car. They thought it was odd, but sure enjoyed the meal.
What are my plans for the weekend? DUMP, as usual. I threw away a bunch of stuff in prep. of last weekend's visitors, and plan to clean out the fridge. I'd love to go to the movies--I want to see Silver Linings Playbook but have yet to drag myself into town for that. I had an appointment with my psychiatrist this week & we agreed we should both see the film.
My weekend was great last week. Michael & Stephanie had a good time (I think) and we had a good visit. Dinner with Annie at her house, with Bill. Nice breakfast on Sunday at Big Daddy's, then they left. Was it worthy of the pre-visit hysteria? Absolutely not. My house is still not in great shape for company, but they at least didn't complain and were cheerful. Dogs almost behaved well--too much nudging and begging for attention, but they were good. What do people with grumpy dogs do when company comes? I wouldn't know. I love those "Don't pet him, he doesn't like it" critters.
Today I'm hoping to drag my ass to the Wellness Center, which is like the YMCA here in Plattsburgh, with a pool & exercise stuff. Depending on the membership fee, I may join up to use the pool. I truly need to make myself do something in the way of exercise and this might be a good option. Or not. Won't know if you don't try. When it's lighter when I get home I might walk the dogs, but that's doubtful. Hell, they walk themselves, they don't need me to keep them company.
Friday, March 01, 2013
Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit
It's the first of March, and my father used to say that the first words you speak on March 1 should be "rabbit rabbit rabbit" to bring good luck. Well, I thought of that this morning while lying in bed, but then I realized that my first words had been "No, not yet," spoken to the dogs to get them to stop thinking that 3:00 a.m. is a good time to get up. So rats, I missed it. One year my father typed the word rabbit a zillion times on a piece of paper & left it next to my bed so I'd see it when I first woke up. He did some cute things for his little girls. Someone else told me that you should say "rabbit, etc." on the first of EVERY month. That's a bit much.
I've got a busy weekend ahead of me. Company coming tomorrow, early afternoon. Michael & Stephanie, who own a camp near my house, are coming from Boston to see their camp in the winter. They're staying with me. Yikes. I spent last weekend cleaning the house (more or less), getting things in presentable shape. Also hosted book group Sunday eve, another good reason to get the house in shape. I still have some work to do upstairs but I've managed to keep the downstairs in pretty good shape. A little tidying up is needed. The kitchen is a mess, beyond anything I can fix. I seldom look at my house through someone else's eyes, but when I do it's a rude awakening. My fridge is dirty inside and out. My stove is dirty and won't come clean. My pantry is a mess--you can't really walk into it right now, there's too much stuff on the floor. The biggest problem I have is TOO MUCH STUFF. I have furniture upstairs that I'd like to use but it's full of crap. I need to clean out the bureaus (there are 3, full of old clothes and mouse nests). I need to clear the floors of the master bedroom and the mud room. These are projects I hope to attack in May, when I take my big 5-day break and stay home. Let's see how it goes.
The weather finally broke--no more sub-zeros for a while. It's been in the 30's, which feels spring-like and balmy. Snowed this week, and because it was so warm the snow was heavy (I'd call it heavy & wet, but isn't snow always wet?). We got about 6" in Hawkeye, and I think we're supposed to get about 6 more during the weekend. It doesn't bother me as much as it does some years--I guess I used up my tolerance for the cold before my tolerance for snow.
Tomorrow night is dinner at Annie Holt's--Michael, Stephanie, Bill and I will go there. She likes to cook and have company for dinner, so we're all going. Rush couldn't come this weekend so it's just Annie.
Our book group read Billy Lynn's long halftime walk last month and no one really liked it. We must be poor judges of literature, though, because it just won the National Book Critics Award for fiction. Harumph.
Dogs are doing well. Treasure brought home another deer leg (how many legs does this deer have?) but I took it to the dump. Poor T., she looked very disappointed. If dogs can look disappointed.
She & Tess are having a good time these days, lots of running around & chasing each other. Tess is thrilled to have a dog to play with--Chances used to play with her but got too old to be interested in it. They used to play Mean Fighting Dogs a lot, lots of snarling and jumping on each other. I loved it when they did that but Ken hated it so I stopped taking them to his house. In hindsight I can't believe I took them in the first place, but that was then. They don't get out much anymore--trips to the dump and to RI, that's about it.
I've got a busy weekend ahead of me. Company coming tomorrow, early afternoon. Michael & Stephanie, who own a camp near my house, are coming from Boston to see their camp in the winter. They're staying with me. Yikes. I spent last weekend cleaning the house (more or less), getting things in presentable shape. Also hosted book group Sunday eve, another good reason to get the house in shape. I still have some work to do upstairs but I've managed to keep the downstairs in pretty good shape. A little tidying up is needed. The kitchen is a mess, beyond anything I can fix. I seldom look at my house through someone else's eyes, but when I do it's a rude awakening. My fridge is dirty inside and out. My stove is dirty and won't come clean. My pantry is a mess--you can't really walk into it right now, there's too much stuff on the floor. The biggest problem I have is TOO MUCH STUFF. I have furniture upstairs that I'd like to use but it's full of crap. I need to clean out the bureaus (there are 3, full of old clothes and mouse nests). I need to clear the floors of the master bedroom and the mud room. These are projects I hope to attack in May, when I take my big 5-day break and stay home. Let's see how it goes.
The weather finally broke--no more sub-zeros for a while. It's been in the 30's, which feels spring-like and balmy. Snowed this week, and because it was so warm the snow was heavy (I'd call it heavy & wet, but isn't snow always wet?). We got about 6" in Hawkeye, and I think we're supposed to get about 6 more during the weekend. It doesn't bother me as much as it does some years--I guess I used up my tolerance for the cold before my tolerance for snow.
Tomorrow night is dinner at Annie Holt's--Michael, Stephanie, Bill and I will go there. She likes to cook and have company for dinner, so we're all going. Rush couldn't come this weekend so it's just Annie.
Our book group read Billy Lynn's long halftime walk last month and no one really liked it. We must be poor judges of literature, though, because it just won the National Book Critics Award for fiction. Harumph.
Dogs are doing well. Treasure brought home another deer leg (how many legs does this deer have?) but I took it to the dump. Poor T., she looked very disappointed. If dogs can look disappointed.
She & Tess are having a good time these days, lots of running around & chasing each other. Tess is thrilled to have a dog to play with--Chances used to play with her but got too old to be interested in it. They used to play Mean Fighting Dogs a lot, lots of snarling and jumping on each other. I loved it when they did that but Ken hated it so I stopped taking them to his house. In hindsight I can't believe I took them in the first place, but that was then. They don't get out much anymore--trips to the dump and to RI, that's about it.
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