Cold again

So much for my efforts at keeping this blog current.  Time gets away from me--I've been going to the gym in the early mornings, to the thrift store on Weds. and Sat. mornings and to the Archives on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.  Yikes that's 4 days a week I've committed myself to something.  It's only mornings, though, and it does feel good to be doing something (and even getting paid for some of it).

It's 7 right now and due to drop below zero tonight.  Today was sunny and in the teens with a very cold and strong wind.  Not very pleasant.  I walked with the dogs to the Holts' house to check on a furnace issue.  That was nice but chilly.  When I went back to see if my "fix" worked I drove even though it felt sort of silly. 

I went to the movies on the weekend and on Monday.  I have 2 friends who are movie buddies, we see films together in the winter.  On Sunday we saw The Post, which was excellent but amazingly moving for me.  Reminders of those times affect me pretty strongly.  It was very very good.  On Monday we saw Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri, which is also excellent but in very different ways.  It's a disturbing film but boy the acting is wonderful.  I don't like violence on the big screen so there were some scenes I didn't like but mostly I just thought it was really good.

Whew!  2 films in 2 days, that really threw me off.  I thought Monday was Sunday and that threw me off for the whole week.  Now I'm ready to have tomorrow be Thursday.  I'm meeting my friend at the gym at 6:45 (we'll go to Stewarts for coffee afterward, we are officially regulars there now).  After that it's off to the Archives, where we'll scan old photographs.  That's an entertaining undertaking, we laugh a lot and puzzle over the significance of portraits of individuals who are just named with no descriptors or dates.  "It must be important, it's in the Archives" is our joke.

The dogs are just fine but I'm irritated with Bear because I fed the birds today and he will NOT stop eating the seed that fell on the ground.  Big PIG.  They ate a lot of frozen rotten apples today and I wondered if there would be any effects, like maybe drunkenness but no, they're stone cold sober.  I had a dog who ate something that had fermented once and she got very drunk.  I didn't realize that's what it was--she wagged her tail and staggered around a bit, then fell into a deep and snoring sleep.  I asked the vet about it later and he diagnosed it easily: she was drunk. 

So we're heading back into the cold weather after a lot of rain yesterday.  There wasn't as much ice as I expected so that was a relief.  We still have plenty of snow--I always say "there must be at least a foot" but I never measure it.  I just know there's a lot on the ground and big piles where it's been plowed.  And it's winter.

I

WARM and plenty of it

Temps in the 20's these days and boy does that feel good!  We've been having a little snow every day, a couple of inches but that's pretty standard for winter.

I've had a good week, did my stints at the thrift store and Archives.  Hit the gym every day (!) and we're extending our treadmill times slowly.  We're hoping to make February a productive month both in exercise and weight loss.

Tonight I'm going to a dinner honoring the thrift store volunteers.  Am I a thrift store volunteer?   I guess I qualify but it doesn't seem that way.  I was invited (twice) so they think of me as a helper I guess.  I started in October and have missed a few weeks but mostly do show up on Wednesdays and Saturdays.  The people who are always there are remarkable and reliable.  I don't feel that I'm reliable but they do count on me a bit.

My work at the Archives continues to be fun (fun?) and rewarding.  There's a group who are enthusiastically establishing a Town of Keene Historical Society and I've been marginally involved with that.  I'm not enthusiastic or in the Town of Keene so am a peripheral figure but am there because I'm the Archivist.  It's a nice and interesting group but I can't seem to muster the enthusiasm they have.  Oh well.  Not my town, not my people.

This weekend I'll work in the Easter Loft at the thrift store then maybe get to the dump.  Sunday is a Movie Day, plans are to go with R & L to see The Post.  All of a sudden there are films worth seeing in Plattsburgh, that happens once in a while.

Life continues to be full of good friends and nice times.

COLD and plenty of it!

Boy this is getting tiresome.  Temp this morning was -15, right now it's up to 5.  At least the sun was out and warm today and there wasn't any wind.  My house would NOT warm up until I figured out that I'd shut the heat off in the kitchen when it got too warm and had turned down the heat in the living room then as well.  Duh.   I knew when I did that that I would forget to readjust the heat.  Sometimes I wonder how I find my way home.

Anyway it's been a good couple of days.  I cleaned my downstairs (well most of it anyway) and cooked for book group last night.  We had a good visit with each other and a nice discussion about reincarnation and afterlife.  Interesting what people believe, isn't it?

Today I went to the gym, that was fine and we've decided to extend our treadmilling time and REALLY extend it in February.  Can't argue with that.  I had coffee with another friend in Keene later in the morning and that was fine but I got chilled.  I came home, did last night's dishes and took down my Christmas tree.  So proud of myself!  Now I just have to take the boxes of Christmas stuff upstairs and put them away.  OK, that's for another day.  Why rush everything?  It was a good tree this year but it was looking pretty bad.  My book group friend liked seeing it and looked at all my ornaments so it was good to keep it up.

Tomorrow we're hitting the gym at 6:30 in the morning.  Today I got up at 5:30, tomorrow I'll be up at 5.  After gym and coffee I'll head to Keene Valley to edit and crop the images we scanned last week.  Much work to be done with them.  I usually work only 3 hours but was thinking maybe I'd stay longer tomorrow (bet that doesn't happen).  Wednesday is the thrift store (I have 2 boxes of donations from friends--I'm getting more and more popular as people declutter and divest).

It's supposed to warm up a bit and snow tomorrow and Wednesday.  That's OK, now that I've got my heaters turned on.  I amaze myself sometimes with my ability to forget things.

SNOW!!! and lots of it

We had rain and 50 degrees yesterday, got rid of a lot of snow but today we're correcting that.  It's snowing hard, about 7 inches so far with 6-12" predicted.  I'm voting for the 12 (not because I want it but because it seems likely).

I just did an extremely stupid thing and cleared off my car (no small task--coated in ice covered with snow) and drove to the neighbors' to see if the newspaper had been delivered (it had not).  Driveway not plowed.  Roads not plowed.  Visibility limited.  I'm a doofus.  I drove until there was a place to turn around (a mile) then came home, shrugged my shoulders and marveled at my stupidity.  I just like to know if I can get out.  Well yes I can but WHY would I want to?   I should be volunteering at the thrift store this morning but no, that's not going to happen.  We didn't go to the gym this morning because no, that would be a complicated trip to town.

Nice lunch in Plattsburgh with friends yesterday, driving in the rain and heavy fog.  A nice change from driving in frozen slush and slick roads.  Stopped at the dump on my way home.  That makes it a productive trip.

Today my tasks are cleaning tasks in prep. of book group hosting tomorrow.  We read The forgetting time, which is a novel about reincarnation.  I really liked it but Marylou hated it.  That usually leads to a good discussion so at least we'll spend some time talking about the book.  I've left my Christmas tree up for M'lou to look at but it sure looks droopy and it's definitely time for it to come down.

I worked in Keene Valley on Thursday--we scanned more than 100 photos, now I have to crop and label them.  That takes longer than I thought it would, I did half of the ones we scanned last week and didn't get that finished.  And I still have grave concerns about how exactly we're going to get these images onto the Internet.  That part is not my job, I just send the files to a library network who will facilitate the posting.  This is what wakes me in the middle of the night, HOW WILL THIS WORK?

Dogs are fine.  Treasure is a hardy soul, not stopped by cold air or snow but Bear is a wuss and doesn't like to stay out long when it's below zero.  What a baby!  I think I'M hardier than her is and I don't have a fur coat.

SUNSHINE

Oh dear I've neglected this blog.  I had intended to be a regular contributor but somehow it just doesn't happen.  Try harder!

It's a gorgeous sunny day with blue blue skies and white white snow.  Temps in the 20's, approaching freezing, really lovely.  I went to the thrift store for the morning then came home to hack away at the packed snow on my steps.  It gets more like a bobsled run if I don't keep up with the shoveling (which I rarely do).  I got the steps cleared but didn't work on the path from the door to the steps, that's a well-packed down walkway about 2" high.  I'll wait to see if the predicted rain makes it easier to clear.  If not, then what?

I've been doing my usual things--working in Keene Valley Tuesday and Thursday.  Yesterday was a long day because there was a meeting at 4 that I was asked to attend.  Man I was tired last night!  Pretty funny.  I left the dogs at home, taking a chance with Bear because he hasn't spent much unchaperoned time in the house.  They were fine but certainly happy to see me.

This morning I went to the thrift store but we couldn't open for 2 hours because of a propane problem.  That meant we sat in the basement of the church drinking coffee and visiting.  I didn't have the nerve to leave so waited until we opened, then worked a bit before leaving at my usual time.  Boy it's amazing how busy that thrift store ALWAYS is.

Tomorrow is a Keene Valley day.  May go to the gym at 6:45, may skip it.  Temps are supposed to be obscenely high and it's supposed to rain Friday just before temps drop and it all freezes.  Donny wasn't able to plow my driveway because of a truck problem so I push it in my car coming and going.  Not good but he guarantees me that he'll have it plowed by tomorrow night even if he has to use his tractor.  That would be good.

Life continues to be good, very good.  I have massive housecleaning chores to get done by Sunday when I host book group.  Uh-oh--can't do it too far in advance because then it will just get dirty so I have to wait until Friday at the earliest.  Yeah, that's right.

Last Beatles song

My favorite New Year's Day activity is to listen to "The Beatles A to Z" on a Vt. radio station.  I missed the first song but stayed until the last at 8 p.m. (it takes at least 8 hours for them to play all the songs--a very impressive catalog of recordings).  What was it?   Your Mother Should Know.  I took care of cleaning tasks, wrote some stuff, balanced bank accounts, did odds and ends of things until I ran out of things to do while listening to the radio.  You can't just sit on the couch and listen to the radio, you have to be DOING something, right?  Anyway I listened to probably 80-85% of the songs with great joy.

I've had a cold for the last few (several?) days.  I don't know where it came from but my doctor friend tells me that a cold virus can live a long time on various surfaces so that must be the ticket for me.  I don't mind colds, this one was not bad either but viruses always settle in my asthmatic lungs and I cough and cough and cough.  And now I'm out of Robitussen.  I'll get some in the morning and hope for a peaceful night.

It was -12 this morning (oh how tiresome, these temperature reports) but got up to 12 by afternoon.  It snowed for most of the day and we ended up with a couple of inches.  We're entering the Snow Zone, when it snows an inch or two or three every day.  There is more than a foot of snow on the ground now.

Friends stopped by yesterday, they were up from Albany for the day and skied on the lake.  They had an auger and drilled a hole in the 14-inch thick ice 10 feet from shore.  Some people say it's thickest next to shore and that's still not thick enough to go out very far.  I have no idea--I'm wary and just follow other people's footprints onto the ice.  It's too cold now anyway, I'm not even tempted to head out there.

It's been a busy time since I got back from RI but things have quieted down.  Today I went to Keene Val. to work in the Archives there.  There's a wonderful patron who comes in with his toddler on Tuesdays who helps me figure out how to get the scanning program to work and today he showed me how to access and edit the images we scanned when I was last there.  Thank goodness for good neighbors!  It was great to get so much done.  I'll be back there Thursday to scan more photos and the routine begins.

Tomorrow I'm heading to the gym at 7:30 then will go to the thrift store in Wilmington to volunteer.  I haven't been there in a while, since before Christmas.  Not sure what they'll need to have me do, the Christmas Loft may need some packing up or maybe there are a lot of donations that need to be stored for next year.  Who knows.  I'm less enthusiastic about working there now that I've made the commitment to work Tues. and Thursday mornings.  Maybe I'll cut back to one day a week.  Who knows.

The dogs don't mind the sub-zeros too much--Treasure wanders easily in the cold but Bear doesn't stay out long before he starts to suffer and play the "I can't put all 4 paws on the ground at once" game.  Funny boy.

Farewell to 2017

I'm home in Hawkeye, the holidays were good and all is well at -6 here.  This morning's early temp was -13.  This weather is almost enough to be depressing but I'm just happy my house is operational and not freezing or having a problem.  I have a cold and am spending the day watching 80's music videos from the couch with my dogs in front of a warm fire.  Nothing seems to help ease the symptoms of this head cold but I feel fortunate that it's only a head cold and not even a very bad one.  Geez I sound goofy, my glass is always half full isn't it.

I went to the neighborhood holiday party last night, that was lovely.  I didn't stay long but did visit with everyone there.  There were probably 35 or so people, people I like and am happy to see.  We are neighbors, after all, and we need to keep each other in mind.

The Holts have been here since Christmas and Annie and I have been to the gym every morning.  You'd think that would have some impact on my weight but apparently I eat enough to keep it in balance.  I don't do resolutions, really, but am hoping to get back to my Weight Watchers routine in January. 

It's sunny and bright outside.  Soon I'll go out for more wood but that's about it.  I'm drinking hot lemon-honey water (blech) because that's what 2 friends told me to do.  Mostly I'm just doing nothing and that feels so good!  I didn't go to the thrift store yesterday and will have another idle day tomorrow I hope, but return to my routines after that.  Work Tuesday and Thursday mornings, thrift store Weds. and Sat. mornings.  A good life.

I think 2018 will bring good things.  A girl can dream.

Holiday time

I guess I've been busy!   My intent was to post to this blog regularly but I see I've neglected to do that.  Must do better.

I am busy, I volunteer at the thrift store 2 mornings a week and I work in the Keene Valley Archives 2 other mornings a week.  That doesn't sound like much but somehow the days get away from me.  No, the weeks get away from me.

Now it's almost Christmas.  I'm leaving in the morning for RI, will be there from Thursday to Thursday.  I'm hoping I've found a house-sitter for that week because it's tradition that my pipes or pump or SOMETHING freezes while I'm away in the winter. 

The lake has frozen over, sometimes that happens before Christmas but not always.  It's been cold although yesterday was LOVELY and rainy.  We lost some snow but have plenty left.  I liked the brief thaw because it gave me a good chance to shovel my steps and a path on the deck.  I'm notorious for neglecting that until there's a thick hard pile of snow in a path from the stairs to the door.  One year I had to slide down the pile of snow to get inside the door.  That made me feel as if maybe regular shoveling would be wise.  And now that I'm retired, do I really have an excuse?  I can't say "I don't like shoveling in the dark" because I have plenty of daylight hours at home.  Geez I do love this life.

I'm still hitting the gym most mornings.  My friend and I have been having a great time doing our treadmill half hour then visiting over coffee at Stewart's.  That will come to an end soon though because she'll have to go back to full-time work.  Rats.  There was a strange man at the gym this morning (!) but we included him in our chatter and found him to be politically sympathetic so that was a relief.  No, we don't like the tax game being played in Washington.

The dogs are doing well but maybe they think they spend too much time in the car.  I usually take them with me wherever I go but Bear starts whining on the way home.  Sometimes I stop at a trail in Wilmington on the way home and let them run but I tire of that walk long before they do so it's not a great success.  Haven't walked the bog in weeks, it's covered with snow now.

Life continues to be wonderful for me.  I'll have a good Christmas with my mother and Mark, then more company arrives on the 26th so it will continue to be festive.  If I can get this man to stay in my house while I'm gone I will really enjoy the trip.  If not I'll worry about my house too much.  But I'm happy either way and feeling very lucky.

What did I say about December?

OK, after much declaring that I like November and December weather because there are no extremes we got 6" of snow last week and temps are supposed to be in single digits this week.  Actually it must have been 5 1/2 inches of snow because my plowman plows at 6" and he didn't plow.  It's surprisingly fluffy snow so getting around is no problem.  Also no problem because no one else got this much snow.  I bundled and booted up to go to Keene yesterday and was surprised to see bare ground when I got there.  Felt way overdressed. 

I've been my normal kind of busy, volunteering at the thrift store and working part-time in Keene Valley.  Yesterday I helped stuff envelopes for the Adk Land Trust.  How did I get roped into that, I wonder.  Someone asked me if I would help and I don't know how to say no.  It was fine, I enjoyed being with the people there and it felt like something worth doing.  And how else would I spend my Friday?

Untangled about 20 strands of Christmas lights at the thrift store this morning, they sold as quickly as I labeled them and put them out.  Quite a bargain for 50 cents.  But really, who gives strands of lights that do NOT light up to a thrift store?  There were only about 6 or 7 of those.

I met a friend for coffee in Keene after thrifting, that was nice and we had a good visit but I was happy to be home (so was Bear, he only whined from around Upper Jay to home.  OK, OK, so you have to pee, zip it and be patient).  Tonight is dinner with Annie, she's here for a few days.

There was ice on the lake this morning, not all the way across but along the shore at the foot of the lake by the Beach House.  The lake used to freeze over by Christmas but not lately.  Maybe this year will be different.

Things are moving along Christmas-ly.  I don't have my tree yet but have scouted out a few possibilities.  Buying one, not cutting one this year.  I'm hoping to get one tomorrow morning.  I have 2 free days, tomorrow and Monday so maybe I'll get a tree up and decorated.

We're having a semi-storm, not like the rest of the East.  I talked to my mother this morning and she refused to believe they would get much in coastal Rhode Island.  I hope she's right.  Our snow is here to stay, no warm weather in sight.  We might get an inch or two tonight, so they say.

Dogs are fine.  They like the snow just fine, it doesn't seem to excite them or bother them.  Bear does do some snowplowing with his snout but Treasure just walks around.  It's nice to be able to track them in the snow.  They don't seem to wander too far from the house, just down the driveway and sometimes all the way to the bog.  They don't seem to like a bog walk without me.  Unless there are strangers there to walk with.

Liking December so far

I'm reminded that I always say how much I like November and December weather, today it was in the 30's and sunny in Hawkeye.  Bright sun here but clouds and fog in the Champlain Valley.  That was pretty strange.

I had a good weekend, treadmilled and walked with my friend, worked at the thrift store, went to book group, talked to my mother, all good things.  The bog walk yesterday afternoon wasn't great, it was icy and slick so we walked a little too slowly for it to count as exercise.  My friend MADE me carry in some of the last of the firewood that didn't get stacked in the wood shed this fall.  She made me by carrying in a bunch of it herself--I hate, really hate watching people do things to help me.  She knows me well and knew that would work.  There are still maybe 15 pieces of wood on the ground.  They must be moved before it snows, Donny will not like hitting frozen firewood with his plow.

The thrift store was busy.  A good friend was volunteering there too and we had a quick visit.  I spent most of my time in the Christmas Loft and finished putting out all the stuff that's in storage.  There is NO MORE Christmas stuff in the storage bins.  Valentine's Day yes.  Easter yes.  Leftover Halloween and Thanksgiving yes.  But Christmas no.

Book group was nice, we always have a good visit and delicious meal.  I was going to try stuffing acorn squash but ended up just slicing it thinly and roasting it.  Lazy girl I am.

Today was  Plattsburgh day, I had a haircut and ran errands.  I got some Christmas shopping done but did not get a Christmas tree.  It seems early but most of my friends have already got theirs.  Oh woe is me I feel so left out!

I saw a dear friend at the hairdressers', it was lovely to visit with her.  We worked together at the library system many many years ago and her daughter was a very close friend of mine when I first moved here.  Brook died 3 years ago, a sadness I still feel.  Her mother is older now, much older and that's a shock.

Tomorrow is a library day after a 7:15 meet at the gym with my friend, followed by coffee at Stewart's.  We're becoming regulars there and that makes us both laugh a lot.  She is home from work for a month to care for her husband as he recovers from surgery.  Boy have we made the most of that time!  We spent the winter and summer meeting at 6:30 or 7:00 each morning to walk or treadmill.  Now we've backed it up and are used to later times.  That will have to change when she goes back to work next week.  YIKES, it's so dark at 6:30!

I bought some outdoor lights today (WHY???) but of course haven't put them up yet.  I always used to have lights in the woods but that sort of went by the wayside.  I thought I'd like to see that again (in a weak moment).  Let's see if I do anything about this...

Dreary but warm out

It's sort of sleet-y and rainy today but it's not cold, temp is 33.  Too warm for snow.  I need to lose that notion because yes, it will snow and yes, it will get cold.  And yes, no doubt I will have frozen pipes some time this winter.  Just because it's already happened does not mean I'm now immune.

I've had a good week, my time in Keene Valley was good and productive.  It's very intimidating because the woman who knows most about the Archives had her last day there yesterday so now I'm on my own.  There is another part-timer there but Anna (who left) was the Assistant Archivist and was a wonder.  So now I dig in and figure out what to do and how to do it.  It's a fantastic resource.  There is a great vertical file (outdated library thing--I LOVE vertical files) and a card catalog for the collection, both of which need updating but not digitizing (at this point)(maybe ever).  The subject headings are NOT those that I'm used to but I should be able to figure things out.  We don't know how to generate catalog cards so adding new things to the collection is a problem.  Meanwhile we clip relevant articles from the newspapers (sports team reports only get clipped if there's a picture; obituaries must be closely read to see if there's any geographical connection).  I like clipping articles (duh) and there's another woman who makes copies and files them.  Not the most challenging work I've ever done but then I'm RETIRED so I don't want challenging.

I promised the dogs I would give them a long walk today.  They got cheated out of 2 long walks this week, I shortened the walks dramatically because I got bored.  I've been to the gym with my friend 3 days so far (and have plans to go again tomorrow) and that makes me less inclined to go for a long dog bog walk.  Not fair to the poor critters, is it.

Christmas seems to be coming.  A friend and I agreed that some people seem to be rushing the season a bit this year.  I got my first Christmas card in the mail the other day, making me think "uh-oh, there's something I'll have to get going on."  But wait, today is only the 1st of December so there's time, yes plenty of time.

Nearly all of the snow has melted and I'm enjoying the view of bare ground.  Again, don't get used to it, girlie, it's not lasting, although weather predictions look pretty darn fine for the next several days.

Snow, no wait, rain, no wait, sun

I went to the thrift store this morning, leaving the car windows down because the dogs were in the car.  It rained really really hard for a long time, then sleeted, then hailed--what a mess and the car was soaked when I left.  Poor Bear got wet.  I stopped on the way home to walk the dogs a bit on a trail in the woods but I got pretty bored so it was a short walk.  Much to Bear's disappointment.  I went grocery shopping in AuSable, I seem to be kind of out of food and am not planning a Plattsburgh trip until probably next week.

Yesterday was quite a day--it was 3 degrees when I got up and I had stupidly forgotten/neglected to turn on the cellar heater so of course the pump froze.  There's nothing more disappointing than turning on the faucet at 6 a.m. to make coffee and having nothing come out.  Rats.  I knew what to do, it's easy to warm up the cellar except when it's cold for long periods of time and I'm not home.  It only took a couple of hours to "unthaw" the pump and now all is well.  Laundry has been done, I have been showered, dogs have water and I have filled jugs with water for my next mistake.

I had my first day in the archives yesterday.  There's a wonderful--REALLY wonderful woman who works there but her last day is tomorrow.  Rats, oh really rats.  She is a goldmine of information about the contents of the archives and I'm afraid no one else is.  The previous Archivist died suddenly recently so there seems to be a vacuum and I guess that's why I've been brought in.  I'm still pretty unsure what I'm supposed to do but I think I can figure it out and make it up as I go along.  I'm working again tomorrow morning, looks as if Tuesday and Thursday mornings will be spent in Keene Valley and Weds. and Sat. mornings will be at the Wilmington thrift store.  That should keep me feeling productive for the winter at least.  Of course I'm going back to RI in 3 weeks for a week of Christmas.  Then we have a long dry spell of January and February.

It was a warm morning, 40 degrees but now it's windy and 32 with temps dropping to teens tonight.  I got my first Christmas card in today's mail.  Oh dear, that's something I'll get to soon enough.  I have to make a basket for Mark's Christmas too.  Did not get Barb's baskets made.  Those baskets are complicated and don't look like fun to make but I'll take a stab at it some time this winter.

Post-Thanksgiving post

I got home this afternoon, an uneventful trip from Rhode Island.  Not much traffic, clear roads, all was fine.  Four inches of snow when I got here and a temp of 15--sooo different from the 40- and 50-degree days of RI.  My house was warm and all is just fine (always a relief).  I had laid a fire before I left so that was pretty nifty.

Bear is so so very happy to be home!  He sat on my lap for a long time on the couch but now is curled up at the other end of the couch.  I fear that every time I take him somewhere he wonders if we're moving, or he's moving, or whatever.  He likes it at my mothers (got to swim in the ocean on Thanksgiving) but he is always so surprised and pleased when we get home.  Poor boy.  But now we are home and all is just fine.

Thanksgiving was very nice but we had a plumbing crisis that wasn't resolved until Saturday when the plumber came to find the clog in the kitchen drain (at the septic tank, meaning the tank had to be pumped today).  That had minimal impact on our holiday but it was a little too traumatic for my mother.

Mark and I took the dogs to the beach on Thanksgiving, a sunny warm day perfect for a short walk.  Big loud surf and very high tide.  We bought lobsters on Saturday and looked at the ocean again.  I cooked the lobsters, clams and mussels which were delicious.  We sure did eat turkey a lot of times.  My Martha Stewart pumpkin pie was as good as ever though slightly undercooked this year.  oops.  Mark called it pumpkin pudding.

I did a little Christmas shopping on the way to RI and a little more while I was there.  We went to the art sale we always go to by URI but it wasn't very good this year.  We usually go on Friday or Sat. and this year we didn't get there until Sunday, maybe that was the problem.  It was too much for my poor mother though and she declared that we don't need to go next year.  She's old.

Tomorrow I'm going to the library in Keene Valley, I've agreed to try being the Archivist there part-time.  VERY part-time, I'm hoping.  There are 2 staffers who work there so I don't have to do much.  I'm still unsure just exactly what I'll be doing but I guess I'll supervise projects and get the archives organized or something.  I'll find out tomorrow.  And Wednesday I'll volunteer at the thrift store.  Is that too much?  Time will tell.

Travel eve

It was 14 this morning with a hard cold wind.  Now we have about 3 inches of snow and the temp is 22.  Supposed to be 40 tomorrow but I won't be here to enjoy that, I'm leaving for Rhode Island in the morning.  Going to my mother's for the week, Thanksgiving visit.  I've got the turkey (as long as I don't forget it) and the fixings for pumpkin pie (Martha Stewart's recipe).  I have the car partially packed but haven't packed my clothes yet.  It's too hard for me to pack any time before the morning of my trips, it's just a thing about me.  I have packed most of the other stuff though.

I've been getting to the gym every morning, doing a brisk 30 minutes.  So far so good but now I'll be gone for a week so my friend will have to treadmill without me.  We're planning a morning bog walk before I leave, that will be good for us (humans) and the dogs.  It's a 6-hour ride to RI and the dogs have always been good but Bear has only been on the trip once, long ago and he talks a lot in the car so I'm anticipating some stress for me.

I'm still volunteering at the thrift store and am about to look into a part-time position at the Keene Valley library as archivist.  I'm stopping there on my way out of town tomorrow to talk it over with the director, who's a friend from my working days.  Do I want to do this?  I don't know but will talk it over, it's a possibility.

What will RI be like?  Same as ever I suppose, warmer than here with no snow or ice.  We'll go to the market, drug store, bank, wherever my mother needs or wants to.  Mark and I may take the dogs to the beach.  We'll eat a lot.

I hope everyone has a good Thanksgiving.  I'm looking forward to mine, I enjoy my mother's company very much.

New machine

I just bought a new laptop (not enthusiastically), the old one was have dying hard drive issues.  I haven't emptied the old one yet (yuck) and am still installing and learning about this one.  It's Windows10, swell, just swell.  I was assured that this OS is easier to use than the 8 I have on my other machine.  Geez I hope that's true.

Anyway it's a cold wintry day, temp at 3:00 is 24.  It's been a windy day but seems quieter now.  I went to Plattsburgh this morning, errands and lunch.  Boy did I have a lot of errands, yikes.  Anyway now I'm home and my house is so very warm.  I finally talked to the man who installed my new electrical panel in the spring and we worked out that the breaker he had noted as "untested" was only untested because he didn't know which heater it was connected to.  Well wowie jet am I thrilled to have heat at the back of the house now!   For the first time in years because I live in misery before asking for help.  What a huge difference (duh) and great comfort now.

It's been a fairly busy time for me.  I still work at the thrift store on Wednesdays and Saturdays, only in the morning though.  Yesterday I took a bunch of Christmas ornaments to the Upper Jay library for their holiday sale.  I got rid of 2 boxes and am thrilled.  None of the ornaments would embarrass me if they knew they were mine.  I only have tabletop trees these days so don't need as many ornaments.  I'll get that master bedroom in better shape yet, now there are 2 fewer boxes there.

I got a collar for Bear that glows neon green.  Man is it ever cool but he of course doesn't like it--it tattles on him.  I put it on him at night and all you can see out the window is a bright green circle moving around the yard and into the woods.  Hysterically funny.

Haven't been to the gym lately but I have been walking the bog pretty much every day with the dogs.  Not today, though.  They're both exhausted from our trip to town and are snoring peacefully at the moment.

I finished closing the boat house.  All that needed doing was to bring in the porch furniture.  WHY oh why do I put things off? 

Hard to believe next week is Thanksgiving.  I'm off to RI on Tuesday, looking forward to seeing the people there.  Not a great time for the dogs because they're confined to the pen but maybe Mark and I will go for a beach walk.  I don't think Bear has been to the ocean.  But of course I don't know that, there are 4 years of his life unknown to me.

Not quite November weather

It's not quite what I like to have in November weather-wise.  I like 40 degree, sunny and windless days.  So far we haven't had that.  Today is gray and 32 but at least it's not windy so it's easy to get the house (too) warm with the fire.

It was 8 Sat. morning with plenty of wind to make it feel very very uncomfortable.  I can get the house warm enough but who wants to go outside in THAT??  Anyway it was fine and I went to the thrift store and did some work there.  I was promoted to bagger!   I had been working in the Christmas loft but was needed as backup at the checkout to bag.  Turns out I have a great talent for putting other people's treasures in bags.  Who knew?  It was nice and I did enjoy the interactions with lots of different people, all (mostly) cheery and happy.

Friday night I had dinner with friends from Albany who have a camp here.  They stayed in their cabin without heat or insulation but they do have a wood stove so insisted on staying there even though I invited them to stay here.  We had a lot of fun at dinner but man was it cold.

I did the boat house laundry at the laundromat on Friday.  Boy there were some odd folks there that day but it was all fine.  Now I have the bedding here--should I make up the bed down there so it would be all set in the spring?  or should I keep the bedding here, handy to be used if/when I have company?  I have enough for both but it's cold enough for me to want to spend as little time down there as possible.  I still have to bring in the porch furniture but did empty the fridge and take garbage to the dump.  I went to the dump yesterday, too, got rid of mass quantities of recyclables that I've neglected to take my last few trips.  Wow my kitchen seems almost empty!

Yesterday I was in Plattsburgh to have my snow tires put on.  Talk about being efficient--there's only a little snow on the ground now but there was black ice on Friday.  Of course snow tires don't do a thing on black ice, staying home is what I did in the early hours.

I had dinner with friends from across the lake on Sunday.  It's relatively rare to have the north shore and south shore mingle but these are long-time friends who are year-round residents so we try to keep in touch in the winter.  I realize I need to reciprocate and have them come to my house but oh boy that seems complicated and like a lot of work.  I will, though, I will.

This is a pretty quiet week for me, tomorrow I'll work at the thrift store in the morning then on Thursday I'll find something entertaining to do.  Friday I'm having lunch with a friend in Plattsburgh.  Saturday is the thrift store again and Sunday night is book group.  I'm making a squash dish for that, we have a Thanksgiving dinner courtesy of the hostess every November. 

Next week I'll be in RI, driving down on Tuesday and staying until the following Monday.  I bought the turkey yesterday (Have Turkey Will Travel), I think I've got pretty much everything I need to take there.  Got the wine Mark & I like yesterday.  Pie fixings all set.  We have our traditions, boy do we have our traditions for Thanksgiving.  It's just Liza, Mark and me but we do it up big and have a really nice time.

I've been taking the dogs for  bog walks every day. My walking partner is away while her husband has surgery in NYC so I'm on my own.  This means I don't go to the gym (except when Annie was here, we went together a few times) so the dogs get the benefit of that because I walk with them instead.

It's November.  I usually like November but this year it's been pretty dreary.  There's a bit of snow on the ground but there's no ice on the lake yet.  That will come.

Cold getting colder

I can't really claim it's COLD, it was 18 this morning and is now 27.  Never got to 40 today but it wasn't bad, a very still and sort of pretty day.  There was some sunshine but mostly not, just very still.  I like weather like that.  Tomorrow is supposed to be warmer, in the 40's and sunny until late afternoon.  Temps then will plummet, down to low teens and maybe single digits.  Well hell it IS November.  I turned the heat on for a little while this morning but mostly I'm happy with the heat the wood stove shares in the living room.

I've had a good but pretty uneventful week so far.  A fair amount of gymming, that's always good.  My friend from DC was here and we spent a lot of time together.  I sped up the treadmill which felt great.  I conclude that our outside walks of the summer were better exercise than the treadmilling I was doing by spring.  Yesterday I voted (of course), proud to be number 31 at my polling place at noon.  My candidates won!  A bit of a surprise in one case but good news.  We had local races which I think are important when it's such a small town.  We know our local officials personally most of the time.

I walked the bog yesterday and today (though today's walk was brief, more of a boglet walk just done to entertain and run the dogs).  It's pretty unremarkable this time of year, no blossoms or fall color but it's a very very nice place and soooo handy for running Bear and Treasure.

Today I volunteered at the thrift store for a couple of hours in the morning, leaving early to run errands in Lake Placid before meeting my "exercise" partner for lunch.  The thrift store was busy and I did a lot of Christmas work.  Miraculously some of the things I put out and priced actually sold.  The small purple Barbie Christmas tree with light-up Barbie high heel ornaments sold because I lowered the price from $3 to $2.  SOLD!  That was a victory I savored.

Tomorrow is a Plattsburgh day, giving a friend a ride to pick up her truck.  What else will I do in town?  Not much, I got my errands taken care of today.  I didn't get to the dump so maybe I'll do that on my way home tomorrow.  The dump will be closed on Saturday and on Monday I go to Plattsburgh to have snow tires put on the car.  I'm quite pleased with myself for taking care of that before winter actually arrives.  Can't say before snow because we're supposed to have snow on Friday.  Cold.  Wind.  Snow.  I guess it's about time.

Warm but getting colder

It's still been warm here but now temps are dropping from 50's down to 30's today with a cold front coming in at the end of the week with highs in the 30's or 20's and lows in the teens.  Guess I should really really finish up my outdoor work and boat house chores!   I made an appointment to have my snow tires put on next week.  Yay for me, being prepared.

Today I had a silver filling replaced at the dentist's (as if I'd have it done somewhere else).  Of course I was hysterical, our childhood dentist was not kind and didn't believe in numbness.  Anyway this was PAINLESS and easy and quick and man was I relieved and surprised.  All was fine, a mere $283.  Again, preventive, the filling was cracked but not broken or missing.  Good girl, good girl.

It's been a pretty busy time for me.  I've been volunteering at the thrift store Weds. and Sat. mornings and that's going well.  I got promoted to the Christmas Loft where I get to be my own boss and work alone and it's not jam-packed with people.  On Saturday they bused in a minibus of senior citizens and man oh man was that insane.  I went upstairs to the loft, up steep stairs that the seniors couldn't climb.  Oh I'm mean, I am a senior citizen.

Yesterday I went to the movies with friends--we saw Victoria and Abdul.  That was fine and we all enjoyed it but wondered how much is true and how much was movie.  Not sure there's any way to know but there is a book written about it.  Doubt I'll read it.

I've started going to the gym again, it's too dark in the morning to walk outside and my walking friend has been sick so I missed a bunch of days.  We seem to be back to our routine, and Annie is here and has been treadmilling with me.  We just got back from a quick bog walk with our 3 dogs.  I was worried that Bear and her dog Milo might have some conflicts but the only problem was that Milo did NOT want to play run really fast and bark with Bear.  Bear minded that, he can't find anyone to play that game with him.

Tomorrow I'll vote.  We're electing Town Councilmen (no women of course) and a county legislator.  At least this election I have some idea of why I'll vote for the candidates I'm voting for.   That's my only plan for tomorrow but I need to finish closing the boat house so may work on that.  Wednesday is thrift store day, then lunch in Placid with a friend.  Thursday?  Nothing planned.  Friday?  Keep the fire going and warm up the house.  Sunday is dinner with neighbors across the lake, that will be very nice.

Life is good.  Retirement is fantastic.  I have to sign up for Medicare, well actually because I have the special state insurance I don't have to do anything, my signing up is automatic.  I'm extremely fortunate.  Excellent insurance all round.

I'll go to RI for Thanksgiving--can that really be 2 weeks from now?  I'm planning to go there on Tuesday, stay until Monday.  I'm foolish to think that will help with the traffic but at least I'm not traveling on Weds. or Sunday.  Will my pipes freeze while I'm gone?  Doubtful but not certain.  It has to get below zero really for that to happen.  That won't, absolutely will not happen.

Still October (barely)

Happy Halloween to us all.  I've done nothing to celebrate the holiday except eat a lot of chocolate pudding instead of candy.  I like to think I'm helping my body by eating pudding made with milk.  yeah, right.

I had my hair cut today, quite short and what Linda calls "sporty."  My hairdresser said it makes me look younger, I'll settle for that.  I visited P&J to show them, feeling that someone should see what it's supposed to look like but won't look like again after I wash it.  I have friends with straight hair, curly hair, fluffy hair and they don't have to do much to make it look good.  I have no such luck but refuse to put much effort into my appearance (as you all know).

On Sunday I went to a writing workshop at a local library.  WHY???  I was asked that by a couple of people.  I was curious and wanted to know what goes on at a writing workshop.  OK, now I know.  We had to write for 10 minutes using the prompt "meet me at 6:00."  I didn't play fair and didn't use the prompt.  Out of 12 people only one other person did that too.  We read what we wrote and the group and leader commented on it.  OOPS, we ran out of time before I read mind.  I wish I had the nerve to read mine, it would be interesting to hear what others have to say about what I wrote (and no, I'm not reproducing it here)(it was pretty stupid).  Well I was a big chicken and didn't offer up mine.  Some of the people wrote lovely things and almost everyone wrote something well worth hearing.  Guess I didn't feel that confident about mine.

So what have I been doing?  Not blogging.  I wrote a lovely letter yesterday but my computer froze before I saved it and it was gone in a flash.  Poop.  I almost bought a new computer today but then decided I wasn't in the mood and will struggle along with this 5-yr-old HP for a while longer.  It has some serious problems and a dead battery and I was advised that soon the hard drive will die.  I've been backing up what's on this machine that's worth saving--letters and photos almost exclusively.  I'll empty this computer soon enough.

I work at the thrift store twice a week for a couple of hours each time.  They're open Weds. and Sat. from 9-2 but I can't stand to be there for 5 hours so I usually work 9-12 or so.  Am I an asset?  Some days, yes very much but other days I wander around with a book or two in my hand pretending to be busy.  I left early on Saturday because there wasn't much book stuff to do and I didn't feel like working in the Christmas loft, where there is REAL work to be done.  I had company for lunch, we assembled Reuben sandwiches provided by Linda via UPS and her favorite and wonderful deli.  It was warm enough to eat on the deck so I set up a table there and it was pleasant.  The sandwiches were great.

Sunday night we had a storm, as did most of the Northeast.  It winded and rained plenty and in the early hours of the morning we lost power.  Not too dramatic because it wasn't very cold and it was daylight.  My power came back on but there was a line down near here that caused some smoking on the ground.  I called the power company to report it, saying "The ground is smoking and there's a line down--is that an emergency?"  Oh yes, the woman assured me it was an emergency and shortly after that trucks, including a water tanker drove down N.Shore La. to remedy the situation.  High drama for Hawkeye.

Bear has been misbehaving, having been sighted in too many locations too far from home.  He's cabled during the day when he's allowed out but gets to roam free before bed and when we first get up.  He seems to not want to stray far at those times.  Ah, the wonder of dog biscuits!  They get a treat if they come in.  I've been trying to walk the bog every day and that gives Bear a good run.  Oops, I skipped today.  and yesterday.  My walking partner has been ill for a while so we haven't stuck to our morning routines. 

There is a bit of color in the bog but it's mostly gone now, especially after the winds of Sunday and today.  I need to adjust to a forest without color but it is nice to be able to see into the woods.

Still not winter

It's 57 this afternoon with very little wind or breeze, cloudy but with some sun.  Who can complain about this?

I worked at the thrift store this morning but left by noon.  We get things (books) pretty much under control by noon but the big donations come in after 1.  I just get tired by noon and feel like going home.  We got a lot done today.

I had a great time working with the cemetery people on Saturday, we're trying to update the maps of the cemetery.  They haven't been updated for decades so it's quite a project.  Each lot is numbered but no one knows which lots are not sold but numbered, or created but not numbered, and the maps don't show who's buried in each lot that's taken.  Fun fun fun.  It's a good project and I like the people I work with.  Not sure when we're doing out next installment but they have my number and I'm sure they'll call if they need me.

Went out for dinner Sat. night with summer friends, that was nice.  They're gone for the year and were pretty much the last of the summers.  Lunch yesterday with a friend at the new restaurant in Upper Jay.  That was our second visit there, the first time we tried breakfast.  The food is good but it's only been open for a few weeks and they're still "in process."  I hope they make it, there aren't many places around.

Not too much else going on.  I've been walking the bog with the dogs--my walking partner has been ill so I'm on my own and don't walk as far or for as long without her but I try to keep the dogs entertained.  We're supposed to walk tomorrow morning, then I'll head to Plattsburgh for errands, lunch with a friend and an appointment to have my car worked on.  The other rear hatch strut broke this week, I had one replaced a few weeks ago.  This car isn't old enough to be having things like this happen.

Most of the leaves are gone but the aspens are gold and the tamaracks are hanging on.  Just a bit of color out there, mostly bare naked woods.  That takes getting used to for me but what choice do I have?