Well it's high summer in Hawkeye now. I had a busy weekend, following a busy week.
Friday was cocktails at another camp, followed by dessert at ANOTHER camp, then home. Saturday morning the contractor came for the energy audit. It was pretty much a disaster. I have a big condensation problem, especially upstairs. There's little that can be done other than ripping open the walls and addressing the problem, which would be prohibitively expensive. He's really wonderful and I liked him very much (but spending 2 hours with him was tiring). He finally came up with some ideas that will save money on my electric bills, mostly dealing with the cellar hole, improving the insulation down there. He also thinks buying a new refrigerator is a good idea. Well, heck, so do I but who's paying for THAT? Anyway, it was pretty depressing and discouraging but I'll muddle through. His ultimate conclusion: it's a good THREE SEASON house. I should rent an apartment in Plattsburgh for the winter, for what I'm paying in electricity. Yes, Barbie, that's what he said. No, Barbie, I'm not doing it. I thought that was pretty funny, though--I've been told by plenty of people that I should move to Plattsburgh. But I don't want to.
Sat. afternoon I had some dock time, which was wonderful. The lake was calm and sunny, and there was no boat traffic for an hour or so. YUM.
Sat. night I went out for dinner with Linda and her guests, which was nice but everyone was sort of tired so it was a pretty subdued group.
Sunday was Sunday dinner at J&M's, featuring their stew (which was grand). Lots of people coming and going, a nice chance to visit with all.
Sunday night was book group at the boat house. That went well. I bought pull-apart chicken (rotisserie) so it was easy to host. I made a flourless chocolate cake, which is very rich. Lots of other delicious food. We're a smaller group now that Martha's gone, and only 3 of the original group showed up--we had 2 summer guests (Linda and Judy) which was very nice. We'll read A widow of the South next, meeting in early Sept.
This week is a busy one. Molly & Paolo arrive today, having flown from Vancouver and made an emergency landing in Montreal but being unable to rent a car there, so flying to Boston (their original destination) and now driving north from there to arrive here later in the day. Whew! I moved out of the boat house and will stay at home, I think, instead of staying in camp. I'll cook something for dinner tonight and tomorrow night, I think, and we'll see what's up for Thursday. They leave on Friday. Our cousin John (my mother's sister's son--our only cousin on that side of the family) and his 2 sons are planning to visit camp on Thursday. I'm off tomorrow for dock time with M&P but have to work Thursday.
Saturday is our family gathering. And there's no water in camp. Something's wrong with the pump. I tried to fix it but had no luck. Prime prime prime. Won't hold it's prime.
I had dinner with my cousins last week, which ended on a strange note. One of them got angry because she felt we weren't paying enough attention to her. Oh, that's ok, she's ONLY 70. And still having snit fits. Oh well.
Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and warm. Let's hope so.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Friday, July 26, 2013
Week's end
It's been a pretty good week. Maybe a little too much social life, but I did have some time alone at home. I stayed in the boat house at the beginning of the week, but switched to home when night temperatures went down to 44 (the last 2 nights). Not terribly warm now and the wind is cold so it feels a lot like September. Strange patch of weather.
Busy weekend coming up. Tonight is cocktails with Michael & Stephanie, a break, then dessert with the Nadals at 8. Yikes. Tomorrow the energy audit contractor says he's finally coming to my house in the morning, then I have NOTHING for the rest of the day. Maybe dinner at Rustique with Linda et al., but maybe not so much. I'm not sure about that one.
Sunday is dinner at J&M's--a big crowd this week. Then book group at the boat house in the evening.
Next week Molly & Paolo may come for a couple of days. That would be great. I may take a day off to spend with them.
I took yesterday afternoon off--had lunch with Linda + guests in downtown Plattsburgh, a nice small Greek restaurant. That was fun. Then I ran a few errands and on home I went. I cleaned a bit in prep. of the contractor's visit, but there is woefully much more that should be done. It won't get done in time. Some things just don't happen.
I work next week then am off for 2 weeks--my pilgrimage to Rhode Island. I'll stay here on Sat. for our family's annual meeting, ugh, then will most likely drive down on Sunday. Molly will be there, and we'll have our usual lobsterfests, corn celebrations and beach days. I'm looking forward to being there, of course.
Not much going on at work. Buying & cataloging e-books. Weeding adult fiction. Cataloging junky stuff for member libraries.
I'm still reading a lot. There's something wrong with the dish reception so I can't always watch TV, which is great. I'm almost finished with "Before I go to sleep" (I think that's the title). I'm pretty sure the husband did it. I have a lot of books to read after that one.
Dogs are doing well. Tess got a ride home last night at 9. Late for the dogs to be out. I had been at my cousin's camp for dinner so I guess the dogs felt neglected and bolted when I got home at 8. Tess found some very nice bogwalkers and they brought her home. I'm always embarrassed when that happens. But grateful, very grateful.
Busy weekend coming up. Tonight is cocktails with Michael & Stephanie, a break, then dessert with the Nadals at 8. Yikes. Tomorrow the energy audit contractor says he's finally coming to my house in the morning, then I have NOTHING for the rest of the day. Maybe dinner at Rustique with Linda et al., but maybe not so much. I'm not sure about that one.
Sunday is dinner at J&M's--a big crowd this week. Then book group at the boat house in the evening.
Next week Molly & Paolo may come for a couple of days. That would be great. I may take a day off to spend with them.
I took yesterday afternoon off--had lunch with Linda + guests in downtown Plattsburgh, a nice small Greek restaurant. That was fun. Then I ran a few errands and on home I went. I cleaned a bit in prep. of the contractor's visit, but there is woefully much more that should be done. It won't get done in time. Some things just don't happen.
I work next week then am off for 2 weeks--my pilgrimage to Rhode Island. I'll stay here on Sat. for our family's annual meeting, ugh, then will most likely drive down on Sunday. Molly will be there, and we'll have our usual lobsterfests, corn celebrations and beach days. I'm looking forward to being there, of course.
Not much going on at work. Buying & cataloging e-books. Weeding adult fiction. Cataloging junky stuff for member libraries.
I'm still reading a lot. There's something wrong with the dish reception so I can't always watch TV, which is great. I'm almost finished with "Before I go to sleep" (I think that's the title). I'm pretty sure the husband did it. I have a lot of books to read after that one.
Dogs are doing well. Tess got a ride home last night at 9. Late for the dogs to be out. I had been at my cousin's camp for dinner so I guess the dogs felt neglected and bolted when I got home at 8. Tess found some very nice bogwalkers and they brought her home. I'm always embarrassed when that happens. But grateful, very grateful.
Monday, July 22, 2013
Burned meatloaf
It was my turn to cook for the neighborhood group that gathers on Sunday afternoon for dinners together, and I was pretty reckless. I tried a new recipe for meatloaf, which was dumb because my recipe is just fine. I tried a new recipe for potato salad and another new recipe for vegetables that was called (according to Martha Stewart) tian. That was the most successful part of the dinner. The meatloaf recipe was very complicated and involved prunes, bacon and a food processor. There were a lot of other ingredients but they didn't really have much of an impact. I overcooked the meatloaf--I made 2, one regular size and another smaller one (because the dogs ate about a pound of the meat before I mixed it in). The smaller one was burned but everyone ate it anyway. All the meatloaf got eaten, the vegetables were a hit, the potatoes were undercooked and the dressing for the pot. salad was not flavorful at all. I ended up going to town before the lunch to buy dessert because we had a power outage for 24 hours and my original dessert melted. So I bought a Marie Callendar coconut crème pie that turned out to be quite good. Even if 2 people in the group can't stand coconut. Oh well, I guess I learned not to try new complicated things when you're serving a group of 8. Stick to what you know how to do. Everyone was wonderful, said the food was good, and drank the 3 bottles of wine I'd brought. It was a success.
I stopped at Nadal's on Friday for a very nice visit sitting on their porch. We watched a very dramatic storm develop and blow through. The lake did amazing things. Everyone on OHR lost power because of the storm, though, and this caused quite a stir. I had been grocery shopping so had to open the refrigerator a bunch, but I was convinced the power would be back on in a matter of hours. Which it was, but the "matter of hours" turned out to be all night and all day Sat. So I read. And read. It was very hot so I didn't use my Coleman lantern (it gives off too much heat) and went to bed instead.
Saturday Bill and the PINS came to stack firewood. They did a wonderful job and I enjoyed being with them. They stacked probably 6 cords, leaving 2 more to stack and no place to put them. I have to figure out where the last of the firewood will go--the wood shed is full and the "good" places have been used. A tree fell on the spot where I used to put wood so that's out. It rained off & on and was still pretty warm but not too bad.
I haven't been to the boat house (cousins in camp) and now that it's quite cool at night I probably won't be down there, either. It was 56 this morning--very comfortable. Now it's sunny and clear and a perfect day here in Platts but I bet it's cool at the lake with a cold wind blowing. 70 or so degrees. Ahhhh, weather I really like.
The dogs are fine and have been sticking around mostly. The did take a long walk one day last week which resulted in my getting to work an hour late. I don't know where they were but they weren't in any of the usual places--I looked everywhere. Anyway, they're having a good summer and are very happy dogs. I need to make reservations at the kennel for the 2 wedding weekends in August but keep forgetting to.
I GOT A DRESS. I ordered a not-very-fancy dress online and it arrived last week. It fits and looks OK but not great. It's not terribly pretty but has pockets so I think I'll wear it. My cousin's daughter is having a wedding and it turns out that it's a formal wedding with 7 attendants and an expensive wedding dress. Yikes. I have to wear a dress. The only dresses I have don't fit very well and so old and out of fashion that they're long and make me look Amish. I need to throw them out.
I've been busy seeing summer people, had dinner with a couple last night, went to a program of our shoreowners' association on Sat. and saw some people there. Tonight I might stop at Linda's but we have a board meeting so I won't get out of Platts. until 5 or so. That makes it a little late.
I cataloged about 100 music CDs for Saranac Lake. Yikes it took a long time and was a good typing exercise. They got a gift of 1000 CDs and want them all cataloged and put in the data base. So away I go. I'll do them in batches. That will keep me very, very busy.
I stopped at Nadal's on Friday for a very nice visit sitting on their porch. We watched a very dramatic storm develop and blow through. The lake did amazing things. Everyone on OHR lost power because of the storm, though, and this caused quite a stir. I had been grocery shopping so had to open the refrigerator a bunch, but I was convinced the power would be back on in a matter of hours. Which it was, but the "matter of hours" turned out to be all night and all day Sat. So I read. And read. It was very hot so I didn't use my Coleman lantern (it gives off too much heat) and went to bed instead.
Saturday Bill and the PINS came to stack firewood. They did a wonderful job and I enjoyed being with them. They stacked probably 6 cords, leaving 2 more to stack and no place to put them. I have to figure out where the last of the firewood will go--the wood shed is full and the "good" places have been used. A tree fell on the spot where I used to put wood so that's out. It rained off & on and was still pretty warm but not too bad.
I haven't been to the boat house (cousins in camp) and now that it's quite cool at night I probably won't be down there, either. It was 56 this morning--very comfortable. Now it's sunny and clear and a perfect day here in Platts but I bet it's cool at the lake with a cold wind blowing. 70 or so degrees. Ahhhh, weather I really like.
The dogs are fine and have been sticking around mostly. The did take a long walk one day last week which resulted in my getting to work an hour late. I don't know where they were but they weren't in any of the usual places--I looked everywhere. Anyway, they're having a good summer and are very happy dogs. I need to make reservations at the kennel for the 2 wedding weekends in August but keep forgetting to.
I GOT A DRESS. I ordered a not-very-fancy dress online and it arrived last week. It fits and looks OK but not great. It's not terribly pretty but has pockets so I think I'll wear it. My cousin's daughter is having a wedding and it turns out that it's a formal wedding with 7 attendants and an expensive wedding dress. Yikes. I have to wear a dress. The only dresses I have don't fit very well and so old and out of fashion that they're long and make me look Amish. I need to throw them out.
I've been busy seeing summer people, had dinner with a couple last night, went to a program of our shoreowners' association on Sat. and saw some people there. Tonight I might stop at Linda's but we have a board meeting so I won't get out of Platts. until 5 or so. That makes it a little late.
I cataloged about 100 music CDs for Saranac Lake. Yikes it took a long time and was a good typing exercise. They got a gift of 1000 CDs and want them all cataloged and put in the data base. So away I go. I'll do them in batches. That will keep me very, very busy.
Monday, July 15, 2013
Wow
And wow, what a nice weekend I had. I did get some cleaning done at home (long overdue) but also spent a lot of time on the boat house porch and even some time on the dock in the sun. I swam briefly, but swam nevertheless. The water is great.
Now I just have to figure out how to get the water to work in camp so I can host our neighborhood Sunday dinner there. I have instructions on how to prime the pump but they don't quite make sense to me. Apparently the only real problem is that the pump loses its prime. Don't we all. Anyway, I'll work on that either tonight or later in the week. Not a lot of fun to do, especially when there's no one else around to help. But then, I'd rather not have any cousins around while I'm in camp anyway, so who's complaining?
I read In the shad of the banyan, which had been recommended by a few people. It's about Cambodia in the '70's, and is pretty grim but nicely written and a good read. The author went through an experience pretty much like the one the main character goes through--I like fiction that makes sense and teaches me something. So why don't I read non-fiction? Because I can't remember things after I read them! It would be too frustrating to read about the Civil War and remember next to nothing after finishing a book. This way I get entertained and pretend to be educated.
It's hot and sunny today, a perfect dock day. But I'm at work.
I had a doctor's appointment this morning, getting ready to have a colonoscopy in August. This is the same doctor who's performed 2 procedures on me, 7 years ago. He of course didn't remember any of it, but is set to repeat his performance. Polyps, it's all about polyps. My mother always has polyps, so he feels it would be wise for me to be checked for them every 5 years. The only interesting thing about the visit was that the nurse was fascinated by the gold puzzle ring my sister gave me. "Do you know how to put it back together?" yes, I do. "Could I try?" So she spent at least 10 minutes trying to put it back together because she had a puzzle ring in the 70's and wanted to show herself that she still knew how to do it. Which she did not. Almost, but not quite. I sat there, watching and waiting, waiting and watching while she tried several times. She finally gave up & watched me do it. Then she wanted to show it to the other nurses, who weren't born in the 70's so didn't know what a puzzle ring was. Well, at least I can entertain people.
Tonight I should visit with some summer people who are leaving tomorrow. I tried to see them last night but they weren't home. They've called me 3 times asking me to visit, so it sure would be the polite thing to do to stop by. I guess I'll do that on my way home. But what I really want to do is pick up my dogs & go to camp.
I've been staying in the boat house still, though I did stay at home Sat. night. I get up very early, by 5:30, and have coffee with the dogs on the porch for an hour before leaving for work. Just about perfect. The dogs are much better behaved at camp and don't wander off. Last night Treasure didn't come back, and I went through the woods towards the neighbors, calling her. A dog kept barking when I called her name, so I thought it was her. Well, no, it was the neighbor's dog, who thought it was very strange that I appeared out of the woods. Treasure, meanwhile, had shut herself on the back porch at camp, yet again. I think Tess might have learned that the door opens IN, so once she's on the porch she can't get out. Treasure doesn't seem to have had such good luck. Trainable but not educable. Anyway I was relieved that she was on our property and not stuck in the woods or making the neighbor's dogs bark.
Tomorrow I have to attend a fundraiser at the Keene Valley Country Club--it's for the library and the director would like it if I went (for free). Expensive tickets, fancy food, expensive silent auction items, 200 people of whom I may know 5. Well I don't have to stay long, and the food will be good.
Now I just have to figure out how to get the water to work in camp so I can host our neighborhood Sunday dinner there. I have instructions on how to prime the pump but they don't quite make sense to me. Apparently the only real problem is that the pump loses its prime. Don't we all. Anyway, I'll work on that either tonight or later in the week. Not a lot of fun to do, especially when there's no one else around to help. But then, I'd rather not have any cousins around while I'm in camp anyway, so who's complaining?
I read In the shad of the banyan, which had been recommended by a few people. It's about Cambodia in the '70's, and is pretty grim but nicely written and a good read. The author went through an experience pretty much like the one the main character goes through--I like fiction that makes sense and teaches me something. So why don't I read non-fiction? Because I can't remember things after I read them! It would be too frustrating to read about the Civil War and remember next to nothing after finishing a book. This way I get entertained and pretend to be educated.
It's hot and sunny today, a perfect dock day. But I'm at work.
I had a doctor's appointment this morning, getting ready to have a colonoscopy in August. This is the same doctor who's performed 2 procedures on me, 7 years ago. He of course didn't remember any of it, but is set to repeat his performance. Polyps, it's all about polyps. My mother always has polyps, so he feels it would be wise for me to be checked for them every 5 years. The only interesting thing about the visit was that the nurse was fascinated by the gold puzzle ring my sister gave me. "Do you know how to put it back together?" yes, I do. "Could I try?" So she spent at least 10 minutes trying to put it back together because she had a puzzle ring in the 70's and wanted to show herself that she still knew how to do it. Which she did not. Almost, but not quite. I sat there, watching and waiting, waiting and watching while she tried several times. She finally gave up & watched me do it. Then she wanted to show it to the other nurses, who weren't born in the 70's so didn't know what a puzzle ring was. Well, at least I can entertain people.
Tonight I should visit with some summer people who are leaving tomorrow. I tried to see them last night but they weren't home. They've called me 3 times asking me to visit, so it sure would be the polite thing to do to stop by. I guess I'll do that on my way home. But what I really want to do is pick up my dogs & go to camp.
I've been staying in the boat house still, though I did stay at home Sat. night. I get up very early, by 5:30, and have coffee with the dogs on the porch for an hour before leaving for work. Just about perfect. The dogs are much better behaved at camp and don't wander off. Last night Treasure didn't come back, and I went through the woods towards the neighbors, calling her. A dog kept barking when I called her name, so I thought it was her. Well, no, it was the neighbor's dog, who thought it was very strange that I appeared out of the woods. Treasure, meanwhile, had shut herself on the back porch at camp, yet again. I think Tess might have learned that the door opens IN, so once she's on the porch she can't get out. Treasure doesn't seem to have had such good luck. Trainable but not educable. Anyway I was relieved that she was on our property and not stuck in the woods or making the neighbor's dogs bark.
Tomorrow I have to attend a fundraiser at the Keene Valley Country Club--it's for the library and the director would like it if I went (for free). Expensive tickets, fancy food, expensive silent auction items, 200 people of whom I may know 5. Well I don't have to stay long, and the food will be good.
Friday, July 12, 2013
She's back
Sorry for the long absence. I ended up having a big asthma event, which dragged on and on (and is still dragging on but is much better). Lots of coughing, three trips to the doctor, plenty of meds, and now I'm better. I was very tired, which a lack of oxygen will do to you, and spent many evenings on the boat house porch reading. I read 4 books, I think, which was very nice. I've been staying at the boat house for about 2 weeks, now have camp to myself. The dogs seem to like the dual-household life--they're eager to get in the car to head to the boat house in the evening, don't seem to wander as much.
Although it's been a while, there's not much to report. I visited with my cousin early this week--her daughter is getting married in August and I found out that it's a very formal wedding (even though they've already been married for a year...) and I HAVE TO WEAR A DRESS. So I must buy a dress. Well I guess there are worse things.
I've seen Linda and her guests a few times and am having dinner with them tonight to celebrate the 10th anniversary of one of the couple's wedding. They got married at Linda's so it's a special thing. I really like them--they're friends from Michigan, the woman used to work with Linda. They come every year and I enjoy being with them.
I've seen Pat & Jim a few times, but haven't ventured much further than that. I guess I really didn't feel well--all I wanted to do was be on the boat house porch. Now that there's a porch light I can read into the evening, which is really grand.
Work has been fine, a bit busy because my co-worker was on vacation this week. Lots of interlibrary loan traffic with the summer people now in residence. It's amazing how much business some of our libraries do in the summer. 126 books going from other libraries to Saranac Lake today.
Had a quiet 4th of July, didn't do much. I missed Linda's fete, had dinner with Annie, her brother and his wife. That was very nice, a quiet evening. They were here for a week getting things ready for renters. My relatives were here and I saw them one day but didn't visit much. I must sound anti-social--I just wanted to be alone and heal, I guess.
We had a meeting of the shoreowners' association, with a picnic at one of the camps. I'm the president, until August I think. I really like the people in this group and am happy to have them as neighbors. It's mostly a social club these days, though the lawsuit we were involved in brought people together. We've been dropped from the suit (not a surprise).
The lake is incredibly high, maybe 5-6" above normal. The boat house dock has been pretty much under water all along, though now it's at water level. The constant rain has kept the lake level up. I only swam twice, and even those couldn't really be called "swimming." Just a quick dip. The water is very nice and maybe this weekend I'll do some real swimming.
I stayed at home last night, which seemed strange. It was a little chilly at the boat house and I thought it might be colder in the morning so I went there for a while but then went home. Quiet night.
No big plans for the weekend. I have to go to the dump with house and boat house garbage. There must be 12 empty wine bottles at the b.house that need to disappear. I had a small cocktail party the other night, which was nice but I was tired. Only 8 people and myself. I think everyone enjoyed it.
Today I'll try to clear some of the detritus off of my desk and move forward with my work. It's a sunny day, not humid, looks like a good dock day. I'm hoping the weekend will be like that, too. The humid weather made breathing hard. And summer continues
Although it's been a while, there's not much to report. I visited with my cousin early this week--her daughter is getting married in August and I found out that it's a very formal wedding (even though they've already been married for a year...) and I HAVE TO WEAR A DRESS. So I must buy a dress. Well I guess there are worse things.
I've seen Linda and her guests a few times and am having dinner with them tonight to celebrate the 10th anniversary of one of the couple's wedding. They got married at Linda's so it's a special thing. I really like them--they're friends from Michigan, the woman used to work with Linda. They come every year and I enjoy being with them.
I've seen Pat & Jim a few times, but haven't ventured much further than that. I guess I really didn't feel well--all I wanted to do was be on the boat house porch. Now that there's a porch light I can read into the evening, which is really grand.
Work has been fine, a bit busy because my co-worker was on vacation this week. Lots of interlibrary loan traffic with the summer people now in residence. It's amazing how much business some of our libraries do in the summer. 126 books going from other libraries to Saranac Lake today.
Had a quiet 4th of July, didn't do much. I missed Linda's fete, had dinner with Annie, her brother and his wife. That was very nice, a quiet evening. They were here for a week getting things ready for renters. My relatives were here and I saw them one day but didn't visit much. I must sound anti-social--I just wanted to be alone and heal, I guess.
We had a meeting of the shoreowners' association, with a picnic at one of the camps. I'm the president, until August I think. I really like the people in this group and am happy to have them as neighbors. It's mostly a social club these days, though the lawsuit we were involved in brought people together. We've been dropped from the suit (not a surprise).
The lake is incredibly high, maybe 5-6" above normal. The boat house dock has been pretty much under water all along, though now it's at water level. The constant rain has kept the lake level up. I only swam twice, and even those couldn't really be called "swimming." Just a quick dip. The water is very nice and maybe this weekend I'll do some real swimming.
I stayed at home last night, which seemed strange. It was a little chilly at the boat house and I thought it might be colder in the morning so I went there for a while but then went home. Quiet night.
No big plans for the weekend. I have to go to the dump with house and boat house garbage. There must be 12 empty wine bottles at the b.house that need to disappear. I had a small cocktail party the other night, which was nice but I was tired. Only 8 people and myself. I think everyone enjoyed it.
Today I'll try to clear some of the detritus off of my desk and move forward with my work. It's a sunny day, not humid, looks like a good dock day. I'm hoping the weekend will be like that, too. The humid weather made breathing hard. And summer continues
Pretty sunrise
Very peaceful, very nice. There's been a lot of wind and rain so this was an especially nice morning.
Friday, June 28, 2013
Suffering in the rain
What started out as a sore throat has now blossomed into a head & chest cold, which means I'm suffering. I hate colds and suffer mightily when I get them. I haven't been sick in a few years and am not doing well with this. I worry about chest colds because of my asthma and bronchial history, but what the hell can you do?
I stayed in the boat house all week, which has been really nice. The lights that Justin put in are fantastic--I just need to remember to turn them on, I'm so used to having it be dark in there. I've had a great time sitting on the porch into the night, reading. There's been no one else in camp so it's hog heaven for me. About to change, I think--people will come this weekend and into the 4th of July, then it's anybody's guess who'll be in camp when. We have a Yahoo calendar but people don't seem to use it much.
It was hot earlier in the week, which is why I stayed at camp. My house is relatively cool in the heat because of the cool breeze from the forest at the back, but the boat house is soooo much nicer. Dogs don't seem to care where we sleep. One night Tess was sleeping on my legs and I had a dream that I had to kick someone, so kicked Tess into the air and onto the floor. Poor girl! She was fine, though probably confused. Makes me wonder just exactly WHAT goes on while I'm sleeping.
Finished The great Gatsby for book group (which is Sunday). Yes, it's well written and the language is great. But I still have this thing about too many words in sentences. After finishing that I read a Jane Hamilton book and was curious as to why I enjoyed it so much more than Gatsby. More concise language, I guess. Anyway, now I'm reading Fay Weldon's latest, which is pretty strange for her. But good.
I dipped in the water yesterday and it was cold but not miserable. Yes, it took my breath away briefly, but felt good. I visited with the Nadals on the b.house porch Sunday eve--they swam just before they arrived and said it wasn't bad. Hmmmm.
We had our first "Culture Club" dinner on Sunday. I don't like calling it Culture Club, but Joe is wed to that name so Culture Club it is. Linda made tortiere, which was delicious. It was a light lunch, which suited us all. We're taking turns cooking and it's my turn at the end of July. What will I make? It's not like Chicken War: we're not scoring or judging, thank goodness. It's just a supper club.
Book group meets on Sunday at Linda's. Martha's last day with us. She's moving to Montana, a place I've always wanted to see. Well, there are a lot of places I'd like to see. Sometimes I envision myself traveling across the country with just a dog to keep me company. I re-read Travels with Charley a few years ago and it really got me motivated to think about a trip like that. But if I did that, I wouldn't be HERE!
Didn't really do much during the week, just came to work, went home, ate, went to the boat house and read until bedtime. It is good to wean myself from the television like that. Although I can't imagine NOT having a TV, I know I am too dependent on it. I did record a nice Jackson Browne concert recently, which was good to watch and listen to. His music certainly can be depressing, and it brings back lots of memories to me. I've seen him in concert a few times, the last time in Burlington with Kevin & Julie.
Fred went home this week (to his Plattsburgh home) and I talked to him after he got home. He sounded well but still was figuring out what he can and cannot do. I saw him yesterday afternoon when we were both at the dentist's office. Nice to have him out and about--he's walking with a walker right now, hopes to be at Silver Lake next week.
I'm scheduled to have my new stove installed on Tuesday but am skeptical about it. Things never seem to turn out quite right for me. I sent pictures of my current set-up, as requested, but the guy I sent them to never got them (or something), so I sent them for the 3rd time today and hope they reached the right person. They won't do an installation until they know what they're facing.
Not much else going on. Looks like a relatively quiet weekend for me. I hope. I need to lie on my couch and sleep. and breathe.
I stayed in the boat house all week, which has been really nice. The lights that Justin put in are fantastic--I just need to remember to turn them on, I'm so used to having it be dark in there. I've had a great time sitting on the porch into the night, reading. There's been no one else in camp so it's hog heaven for me. About to change, I think--people will come this weekend and into the 4th of July, then it's anybody's guess who'll be in camp when. We have a Yahoo calendar but people don't seem to use it much.
It was hot earlier in the week, which is why I stayed at camp. My house is relatively cool in the heat because of the cool breeze from the forest at the back, but the boat house is soooo much nicer. Dogs don't seem to care where we sleep. One night Tess was sleeping on my legs and I had a dream that I had to kick someone, so kicked Tess into the air and onto the floor. Poor girl! She was fine, though probably confused. Makes me wonder just exactly WHAT goes on while I'm sleeping.
Finished The great Gatsby for book group (which is Sunday). Yes, it's well written and the language is great. But I still have this thing about too many words in sentences. After finishing that I read a Jane Hamilton book and was curious as to why I enjoyed it so much more than Gatsby. More concise language, I guess. Anyway, now I'm reading Fay Weldon's latest, which is pretty strange for her. But good.
I dipped in the water yesterday and it was cold but not miserable. Yes, it took my breath away briefly, but felt good. I visited with the Nadals on the b.house porch Sunday eve--they swam just before they arrived and said it wasn't bad. Hmmmm.
We had our first "Culture Club" dinner on Sunday. I don't like calling it Culture Club, but Joe is wed to that name so Culture Club it is. Linda made tortiere, which was delicious. It was a light lunch, which suited us all. We're taking turns cooking and it's my turn at the end of July. What will I make? It's not like Chicken War: we're not scoring or judging, thank goodness. It's just a supper club.
Book group meets on Sunday at Linda's. Martha's last day with us. She's moving to Montana, a place I've always wanted to see. Well, there are a lot of places I'd like to see. Sometimes I envision myself traveling across the country with just a dog to keep me company. I re-read Travels with Charley a few years ago and it really got me motivated to think about a trip like that. But if I did that, I wouldn't be HERE!
Didn't really do much during the week, just came to work, went home, ate, went to the boat house and read until bedtime. It is good to wean myself from the television like that. Although I can't imagine NOT having a TV, I know I am too dependent on it. I did record a nice Jackson Browne concert recently, which was good to watch and listen to. His music certainly can be depressing, and it brings back lots of memories to me. I've seen him in concert a few times, the last time in Burlington with Kevin & Julie.
Fred went home this week (to his Plattsburgh home) and I talked to him after he got home. He sounded well but still was figuring out what he can and cannot do. I saw him yesterday afternoon when we were both at the dentist's office. Nice to have him out and about--he's walking with a walker right now, hopes to be at Silver Lake next week.
I'm scheduled to have my new stove installed on Tuesday but am skeptical about it. Things never seem to turn out quite right for me. I sent pictures of my current set-up, as requested, but the guy I sent them to never got them (or something), so I sent them for the 3rd time today and hope they reached the right person. They won't do an installation until they know what they're facing.
Not much else going on. Looks like a relatively quiet weekend for me. I hope. I need to lie on my couch and sleep. and breathe.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Sun Rain Sun Rain Sun
Weather was pretty crappy over the weekend, with lots of rain and a little bit of clear weather. We didn't get to see the "supermoon" because it was too cloudy. I kept an eye on it last night, but it was just a glow behind the clouds.
I stayed in the boat house both Sat. and Sunday nights, reminding myself of what a wonderful place it is, and how much I enjoy being there. We don't know who will be coming to camp this year--so far no one has really said they're coming, even around our August meeting weekend. I just go my own way but it would be nice to know if anyone will be in camp at any time.
Friday was a busy day at work, which was great, then I went grocery shopping & home. Stopped at P&J's but the door was locked (turned out Jim was there, just in the bathroom and hadn't meant to lock the door--oh well). Saturday I had a nice time by myself, traveling around a bit. In the morning I went to Jay to a nursery I hadn't been to before. It was really nice, with great plants but not much left. I bought a few annuals, went home & planted them right away (Fred would be proud). The trip through Jay was really pretty and the dogs & I had a good trip. In the afternoon I went to the dump, taking stuff from the boat house (there's still more to go), which felt great. Got rid of a lot of things but still have my brother's chainsaw to dispose of. It doesn't run and has been stored under the table in the b.house for the last 9 years. I suppose I could just put it back under the table for 9 more years.
I saw my cousin and her children Sat. night, which was a nice visit. Her daughter has an 11-week-old miniature schnauzer named Gatsby who is as cute as a puppy can be. Tess was very entertained and they vied for the "most submissive dog" award. I think it was a tie.
I finished reading The great Gatsby (coincidence that Carla named her dog that, no?). I didn't think it was that great and am enjoying a Jane Hamilton book more than I liked Gatsby. Even though the child dies, as all children in Hamilton's books seem to. Anyway, I enjoyed sitting on the boat house porch reading--long after dark, even, thanks to Justin's electrical magic in the b.house. We now have outlets galore, an outside light and a light on the porch. This is great but will take some getting used to--I forgot to turn on the outside light once when I went out after dark. I'll learn, I'm educable and trainable.
I had Sunday dinner with what Joe is calling "The Culture Club," the same group that participated in the Chicken Wars of 2 years ago. It's a nice neighborhood gathering. We're taking turns cooking a Sunday dinner, served at 1. Linda made tortiere, which was very good and not too filling. I think that's the key: make something that's not too filling so we don't all roll out of there in a daze.
Jim & Judy stopped by my house while I was out, leaving me a note, so I invited them for drinks at the boat house last night. They came and we had a really nice visit. They're great, leaving today for home but will be back next weekend for the summer.
The dogs do well at the boat house, don't seem to run off the way they do at home. They go for walks in the woods but I don't think they go far. Treasure has adapted to this summer routine and seems to like being at camp. Tess, of course, likes to go ANYWHERE. I'll go back down there tonight--it's hot and humid, perfect boat house weather. I haven't been swimming yet, though Jim & Judy swam and reported that it wasn't too cold. Our boat house dock is still sort of underwater because the lake is high, so there's been no dock sitting yet. I suppose it's time for me to start getting some exercise by swimming.
I have all 8 cords of firewood at my house now, which is nice but it's in 2 huge mounds and needs to be stacked. Augh. I was going to get to work on that on Saturday but the black flies were still fierce, then it rained. ANY excuse will do. I'm hoping to rearrange the older wood that's in the shed now to make room for new wood. My new stove is due to be installed next week, which is very exciting. YAY!
I'll go to the dentist on Thursday to have a crown repaired. $$$ but what can we do. I just noticed that it's broken last week, have no idea how long it's been like that. No pain, no problem, just a broken crown. Let's hope it's a simple replacement.
Not much going on today--just looking forward to getting back to the boat house. I get up really early when I stay there and enjoy the time before leaving for work. Dogs are soooo cheerful!
I stayed in the boat house both Sat. and Sunday nights, reminding myself of what a wonderful place it is, and how much I enjoy being there. We don't know who will be coming to camp this year--so far no one has really said they're coming, even around our August meeting weekend. I just go my own way but it would be nice to know if anyone will be in camp at any time.
Friday was a busy day at work, which was great, then I went grocery shopping & home. Stopped at P&J's but the door was locked (turned out Jim was there, just in the bathroom and hadn't meant to lock the door--oh well). Saturday I had a nice time by myself, traveling around a bit. In the morning I went to Jay to a nursery I hadn't been to before. It was really nice, with great plants but not much left. I bought a few annuals, went home & planted them right away (Fred would be proud). The trip through Jay was really pretty and the dogs & I had a good trip. In the afternoon I went to the dump, taking stuff from the boat house (there's still more to go), which felt great. Got rid of a lot of things but still have my brother's chainsaw to dispose of. It doesn't run and has been stored under the table in the b.house for the last 9 years. I suppose I could just put it back under the table for 9 more years.
I saw my cousin and her children Sat. night, which was a nice visit. Her daughter has an 11-week-old miniature schnauzer named Gatsby who is as cute as a puppy can be. Tess was very entertained and they vied for the "most submissive dog" award. I think it was a tie.
I finished reading The great Gatsby (coincidence that Carla named her dog that, no?). I didn't think it was that great and am enjoying a Jane Hamilton book more than I liked Gatsby. Even though the child dies, as all children in Hamilton's books seem to. Anyway, I enjoyed sitting on the boat house porch reading--long after dark, even, thanks to Justin's electrical magic in the b.house. We now have outlets galore, an outside light and a light on the porch. This is great but will take some getting used to--I forgot to turn on the outside light once when I went out after dark. I'll learn, I'm educable and trainable.
I had Sunday dinner with what Joe is calling "The Culture Club," the same group that participated in the Chicken Wars of 2 years ago. It's a nice neighborhood gathering. We're taking turns cooking a Sunday dinner, served at 1. Linda made tortiere, which was very good and not too filling. I think that's the key: make something that's not too filling so we don't all roll out of there in a daze.
Jim & Judy stopped by my house while I was out, leaving me a note, so I invited them for drinks at the boat house last night. They came and we had a really nice visit. They're great, leaving today for home but will be back next weekend for the summer.
The dogs do well at the boat house, don't seem to run off the way they do at home. They go for walks in the woods but I don't think they go far. Treasure has adapted to this summer routine and seems to like being at camp. Tess, of course, likes to go ANYWHERE. I'll go back down there tonight--it's hot and humid, perfect boat house weather. I haven't been swimming yet, though Jim & Judy swam and reported that it wasn't too cold. Our boat house dock is still sort of underwater because the lake is high, so there's been no dock sitting yet. I suppose it's time for me to start getting some exercise by swimming.
I have all 8 cords of firewood at my house now, which is nice but it's in 2 huge mounds and needs to be stacked. Augh. I was going to get to work on that on Saturday but the black flies were still fierce, then it rained. ANY excuse will do. I'm hoping to rearrange the older wood that's in the shed now to make room for new wood. My new stove is due to be installed next week, which is very exciting. YAY!
I'll go to the dentist on Thursday to have a crown repaired. $$$ but what can we do. I just noticed that it's broken last week, have no idea how long it's been like that. No pain, no problem, just a broken crown. Let's hope it's a simple replacement.
Not much going on today--just looking forward to getting back to the boat house. I get up really early when I stay there and enjoy the time before leaving for work. Dogs are soooo cheerful!
Friday, June 14, 2013
Sunny day at last
Ahhhh, sunshine. It's been a dreary several days, cold and rainy. But today and tomorrow we'll see sunshine. Feels great. The black flies are still bad but they don't seem to be quite as thick--I spent some time outside last night without being swarmed & bitten too much. I'm hoping the rain has taken care of the pine pollen situation--every year we are covered in greasy yellow powder that's blown about from the pine trees. So far it hasn't been bad, though it's been around. We may be through the worst of it. yeah, right. well, maybe.
I had a good week, not too much going on. I called the stove people today because I hadn't heard from them since sending them pictures and details of my current set-up. I was afraid they'd backed out of the deal once they saw what a mess it is. No, they still have my order in (YAY!!) and we set up a date for installation (1st week of July). I'm looking forward to it with both excitement and dread--it's like having someone go through your underwear drawer or bank records. It feels very personal, and I suppose what I really fear is having the mess that is my house & stove set up exposed to someone who would know what a mess it truly is. We sort of built the house around the wood stove--the space where it sits is specific to the dimensions and placement of that stove. Yikes. The new stove is roughly the same size, but oriented differently, and has a 6" stovepipe instead of the 8" pipe I currently have. Of course. Well, I warned the stove man on the phone that it would be a mess and he said he'd note that on the invoice & install order.
So that's one drama addressed. I also called the contractor who's doing the energy assessment of my house. He thinks he can come next week. Another person looking at my underwear. This visit will be really icky--all the secrets of my house exposed. Well it's a good thing to have done, so I just have to buck up and get through it.
I visited with friends a bit this week, and am having dinner tonight with Linda & Erd. and another friend. We're having organic chicken, cooked by Linda. She's a great cook so it will be delicious I'm sure. Tomorrow I'm having dinner with the same friend and some other people. Which means I won't get to have dinner with Jenica & Justin, who are due to arrive in Hawkeye tomorrow. Oh well, I'll get to visit with them anyway. They're coming ostensibly to start wiring the boat house, which is pretty exciting for those of us who've been reading by candlelight all these years.
Looks as if I'll need to make another dump run tomorrow--I went once this week but that was other people's garbage and some trash I'd unearthed in cleaning the living room last weekend. I dusted, swept, vacuumed, and put things away. What a difference a little bit of cleaning makes!
I had dinner with the Holts and Bill on Sunday, which was nice. Rush has decided to run for the Senate seat that just opened up in NJ. Very exciting. He said we probably won't see him until October, after the special election, which follows August's primary. He's got some tough competition, but when Rush wants something he's pretty good at arranging it. I may go there to campaign for him, as I did before.
Dogs are fine. Treasure's paw pad is healing all right, though it will look very odd when the scar tissue is fully formed. People will be too busy focusing on her (too) long ears to notice, I'm sure. Both dogs have been pretty good at sticking around this week, maybe because of the rain. Not, for sure, because they know that's what they should do. Tomorrow Tess will be tethered on the deck, as I'm sure the bog will be full of people.
So let's see...stove, house, dogs, friends--guess that's about it.
I had a good week, not too much going on. I called the stove people today because I hadn't heard from them since sending them pictures and details of my current set-up. I was afraid they'd backed out of the deal once they saw what a mess it is. No, they still have my order in (YAY!!) and we set up a date for installation (1st week of July). I'm looking forward to it with both excitement and dread--it's like having someone go through your underwear drawer or bank records. It feels very personal, and I suppose what I really fear is having the mess that is my house & stove set up exposed to someone who would know what a mess it truly is. We sort of built the house around the wood stove--the space where it sits is specific to the dimensions and placement of that stove. Yikes. The new stove is roughly the same size, but oriented differently, and has a 6" stovepipe instead of the 8" pipe I currently have. Of course. Well, I warned the stove man on the phone that it would be a mess and he said he'd note that on the invoice & install order.
So that's one drama addressed. I also called the contractor who's doing the energy assessment of my house. He thinks he can come next week. Another person looking at my underwear. This visit will be really icky--all the secrets of my house exposed. Well it's a good thing to have done, so I just have to buck up and get through it.
I visited with friends a bit this week, and am having dinner tonight with Linda & Erd. and another friend. We're having organic chicken, cooked by Linda. She's a great cook so it will be delicious I'm sure. Tomorrow I'm having dinner with the same friend and some other people. Which means I won't get to have dinner with Jenica & Justin, who are due to arrive in Hawkeye tomorrow. Oh well, I'll get to visit with them anyway. They're coming ostensibly to start wiring the boat house, which is pretty exciting for those of us who've been reading by candlelight all these years.
Looks as if I'll need to make another dump run tomorrow--I went once this week but that was other people's garbage and some trash I'd unearthed in cleaning the living room last weekend. I dusted, swept, vacuumed, and put things away. What a difference a little bit of cleaning makes!
I had dinner with the Holts and Bill on Sunday, which was nice. Rush has decided to run for the Senate seat that just opened up in NJ. Very exciting. He said we probably won't see him until October, after the special election, which follows August's primary. He's got some tough competition, but when Rush wants something he's pretty good at arranging it. I may go there to campaign for him, as I did before.
Dogs are fine. Treasure's paw pad is healing all right, though it will look very odd when the scar tissue is fully formed. People will be too busy focusing on her (too) long ears to notice, I'm sure. Both dogs have been pretty good at sticking around this week, maybe because of the rain. Not, for sure, because they know that's what they should do. Tomorrow Tess will be tethered on the deck, as I'm sure the bog will be full of people.
So let's see...stove, house, dogs, friends--guess that's about it.
Friday, June 07, 2013
Commitments
Yesterday I put down a deposit on a new, wonderful wood stove. It's on sale, $870 off, but still (by my standards) very expensive. And I have to pay hundreds to have it delivered and installed. Yikes. I've become very nervous about making financial commitments. I've got a few money things going on right now, which worries me a bit. I've ordered 8 cords of firewood ($600), I'm having a home energy assessment done (well, that's free) with a goal of taking out a loan to make improvements to my non-existent insulation, and now the stove. Wouldn't it be great if we didn't have to spend money? I just got paid today and have barely pennies left after paying bills.
One of my favorite television characters was "Pat," from the old days of Saturday Night Live. Pat was asexual, you couldn't tell the gender by appearance. Pat's friends were always looking for clues, trying to trick Pat into revealing his/her gender. One of my favorites was when Pat said "Oh I feel awful. It's that time of month." So their ears perked up--"What time of month?" "Billllllllllls" That's how I feel. Billllllls.
It's rainy and looks to be that way for a while. We're getting part of the tropical storm that's in the South. Well, Elizabeth, don't complain--it's getting your plants watered and filling your well (my sump pump has been running, always a cheerful sound for me). I don't mind the rain but it would be nice to see some sun. The rain keeps the black flies at bay, but makes it hard to get anything done outside.
What's up for my weekend? Well, it's time for my summer social life to kick in. Tonight I go grocery shopping, tomorrow J&M are hosting a Belmont Stakes party, Sunday is dinner with Bill and the Holts, next week is the Blue Heron boys. I look forward to all of this.
I have to take pictures of my current stove set-up & send them to the stove dealer so they will know what sort of installation they're looking at. I was going to do it last night but the stove is currently being used as a table to store things, and there's detritus surrounding it on the floor. Is it DE-tri-tus or de-TRI-tus? My father always said the latter, but most people use the former. My father would be nearly 101 if he were still alive. I think of him often--of all the people in my siblings' and my lives who was an incredibly powerful influence, he's at the top.
I've been visiting Fred in rehab quite a bit. He has way too many visitors but I like to think he's happy to have attention from me. So far he hasn't kicked me out. I was there last night with some other lake people and didn't stay long. He's doing very well, is making great progress I think. He hopes to be at Pinewood within a couple of weeks. Everyone is eager to help him when he gets there--many, many offers are coming in. He won't know what he needs until he gets there, or whether he'll be driving much, or what. His main concern seems to be being able to get to the dock. Oh we do like Silver Lake.
There are some loons on the lake, though I haven't heard of any sightings. People are hearing them at both ends of the lake. I haven't heard them lately but the rain is pretty noisy. One of my friends found a dead loon on shore near Linda's camp. Linda, always doing the right thing, with Joe's help loaded the stinking, headless carcass into her car and drove it to the Wildlife Rehab Center so they could figure out why it died. Why was it headless? And missing the banded leg? Ah, sweet mystery of life.
One of my favorite television characters was "Pat," from the old days of Saturday Night Live. Pat was asexual, you couldn't tell the gender by appearance. Pat's friends were always looking for clues, trying to trick Pat into revealing his/her gender. One of my favorites was when Pat said "Oh I feel awful. It's that time of month." So their ears perked up--"What time of month?" "Billllllllllls" That's how I feel. Billllllls.
It's rainy and looks to be that way for a while. We're getting part of the tropical storm that's in the South. Well, Elizabeth, don't complain--it's getting your plants watered and filling your well (my sump pump has been running, always a cheerful sound for me). I don't mind the rain but it would be nice to see some sun. The rain keeps the black flies at bay, but makes it hard to get anything done outside.
What's up for my weekend? Well, it's time for my summer social life to kick in. Tonight I go grocery shopping, tomorrow J&M are hosting a Belmont Stakes party, Sunday is dinner with Bill and the Holts, next week is the Blue Heron boys. I look forward to all of this.
I have to take pictures of my current stove set-up & send them to the stove dealer so they will know what sort of installation they're looking at. I was going to do it last night but the stove is currently being used as a table to store things, and there's detritus surrounding it on the floor. Is it DE-tri-tus or de-TRI-tus? My father always said the latter, but most people use the former. My father would be nearly 101 if he were still alive. I think of him often--of all the people in my siblings' and my lives who was an incredibly powerful influence, he's at the top.
I've been visiting Fred in rehab quite a bit. He has way too many visitors but I like to think he's happy to have attention from me. So far he hasn't kicked me out. I was there last night with some other lake people and didn't stay long. He's doing very well, is making great progress I think. He hopes to be at Pinewood within a couple of weeks. Everyone is eager to help him when he gets there--many, many offers are coming in. He won't know what he needs until he gets there, or whether he'll be driving much, or what. His main concern seems to be being able to get to the dock. Oh we do like Silver Lake.
There are some loons on the lake, though I haven't heard of any sightings. People are hearing them at both ends of the lake. I haven't heard them lately but the rain is pretty noisy. One of my friends found a dead loon on shore near Linda's camp. Linda, always doing the right thing, with Joe's help loaded the stinking, headless carcass into her car and drove it to the Wildlife Rehab Center so they could figure out why it died. Why was it headless? And missing the banded leg? Ah, sweet mystery of life.
Tuesday, June 04, 2013
001
This was the view from our hotel room in Alexandria Bay a couple of weeks ago. I spent one night there with a friend, staying for a regional meeting the next day. There was a huge storm that night and the next morning some of the chairs were in the swimming pool. My friend got stuck in the elevator when the power went out. Yikes. It was only out for a few seconds but she said it was dark, very dark.
007
Not a good picture of a red eft. Or newt. Or whatever you want to call it. This camera doesn't take good close-up shots.
Sheep laurel
The sheep laurel was in bloom last week. Now the Labrador tea is blooming. I like seeing the sheep laurel. The blossoms are like miniature mountain laurel blossoms, only pink. So I guess they're not really so much like mountain laurel blossoms after all. But they're still pretty.
They look like aliens
This is fern fiddleheads in the bog--last week. They're bigger now, but here I think they look like a colony of alien creatures.
High Peaks from Keene Valley
This is the view from the Keene Valley landfill (convenience station). I know someone whose church has sunrise services here. It really is a beautiful spot.
Monday, June 03, 2013
What happened to me?
It's been a busy time for the past couple of weeks, too busy for me to sit down to write. And I've been at home a lot, where I have dial access and can't easily post to the blog. So I'm back.
I had 5 days off last week, which was fantastic. I cleaned 4 rooms in my house, generating 13 bags of trash. That's a record for me. I got the mud room in great shape (you can walk into and through it now), cleared the pantry of old food products (I don't have much left to eat--apparently all I had was old food), swept and cleaned the bedroom (sweeping...now there's something I don't do in that room very often: the dog hair was phenomenal), cleared out the library (a lot of the trash came from there, and I even weeded my cookbook collection), and I managed to find homes for most of the stuff I uncovered. Including my graduate school transcript. Did I throw it out? No, instead I put together a folder containing my "Rhode Island years." It felt funny, putting 9 years of my life in a thin folder, but I threw out plenty of stuff from that time in my life. Which was a good time.
I've been in touch with Fred regularly--he's in rehab right now, and doing well. I'll drop by this afternoon for a brief visit. He likes brief visits and short phone calls. He's having some trouble with the leg they operated on but is in good spirits. Too many visitors is his chief complaint.
I went to the dermatologist in Burlington, had a full body check for my own peace of mind. Some keratosis which was removed and a "suspicious" spot cut out for biopsy. I'm not worried, she didn't seem terribly concerned about it. It was a nice trip to Vermont on a pretty day. I stopped at Barnes & Noble and bought 2 nice puzzles for Annie and some magazines for Fred. He says all he can concentrate on right now is magazine articles so I tried to find some that would interest him. There are a LOT of magazines but few that seemed appropriate for Fred (that he didn't already have). I settled on Mother Jones, Northern Woodlands and The Atlantic. A curious set, I thought, but something no one else would think of getting him.
I had a productive weekend. I planted some cosmos seedlings and some nasturtium seedlings. I still have plenty of both left and need to come up with a place to put them. I've moved the cosmos to a new spot where it's easier to dig and plant so will probably expand that bed a bit and dump the dozens more plants that I have. I put the nasties in the same place as always, planted about 20 plants and still have that many left. I'd plant them at Fred's but he was emphatic about having NO ONE mess with his gardens.
We had book group yesterday at Linda's. Very nice time but one of us is moving to Montana to become the CEO of the state's Planned Parenthood. We'll miss her very much but it's an exciting move and we're very proud of her accomplishments. Linda fed us delicious Michigans and we were able to sit on the porch and listen to the lapping of waves. That was really pleasant.
It's been ungodly hot in Hawkeye but has now cooled off. I spent some time on the boat house porch--I opened the boat house last weekend and it's ready for occupancy now but needs some cleaning in the back room. Residual detritus from the autumnal attack of some varmint. I was able to spend some time reading on the deck at home which is one of my favorite things. How appropriate that I combined this with a visit to the dermatologist! "Do you use sunscreen?" Well, no, oh wait, I do when I go to the beach. That doesn't really count. I read 2 books and finished The art of fielding, which I really enjoyed. I read Tracy Chevalier's latest book and Gail Godwin's latest as well. Gail Godwin is one of those women writers whose books carried important messages and stories about women, written decades ago. Like Marge Piercy, Nancy Thayer, and others. I used to read voraciously and focused on women's fiction (which I guess I still do), which I think resulted in a feeling of empowerment and strength on my part.
I've had dinner with Linda & Erdvilas a few times--L is trying hard to cook Weight Watchers-friendly meals, though we've both gained a little weight in the past 2 weeks. I've only gained a pound but that's discouraging. I never seem to make the connection of late night snacking and weight gain while I'm eating during the evening...
I hope to stop at J & M's tonight because I haven't seen them in a long time. I didn't visit much with anyone except Linda while I was being so productive last week. I had dinner with a retired librarian friend on Friday night in Lake Placid. She isn't adjusting terribly well to retirement and needs more structure in her life. I had mixed feelings about retirement, looking forward to returning to work but enjoying immensely my time at home. It's such a final action, retirement, that I need to be sure for sure that it's what I want to do. Which is what I think most days.
I had 5 days off last week, which was fantastic. I cleaned 4 rooms in my house, generating 13 bags of trash. That's a record for me. I got the mud room in great shape (you can walk into and through it now), cleared the pantry of old food products (I don't have much left to eat--apparently all I had was old food), swept and cleaned the bedroom (sweeping...now there's something I don't do in that room very often: the dog hair was phenomenal), cleared out the library (a lot of the trash came from there, and I even weeded my cookbook collection), and I managed to find homes for most of the stuff I uncovered. Including my graduate school transcript. Did I throw it out? No, instead I put together a folder containing my "Rhode Island years." It felt funny, putting 9 years of my life in a thin folder, but I threw out plenty of stuff from that time in my life. Which was a good time.
I've been in touch with Fred regularly--he's in rehab right now, and doing well. I'll drop by this afternoon for a brief visit. He likes brief visits and short phone calls. He's having some trouble with the leg they operated on but is in good spirits. Too many visitors is his chief complaint.
I went to the dermatologist in Burlington, had a full body check for my own peace of mind. Some keratosis which was removed and a "suspicious" spot cut out for biopsy. I'm not worried, she didn't seem terribly concerned about it. It was a nice trip to Vermont on a pretty day. I stopped at Barnes & Noble and bought 2 nice puzzles for Annie and some magazines for Fred. He says all he can concentrate on right now is magazine articles so I tried to find some that would interest him. There are a LOT of magazines but few that seemed appropriate for Fred (that he didn't already have). I settled on Mother Jones, Northern Woodlands and The Atlantic. A curious set, I thought, but something no one else would think of getting him.
I had a productive weekend. I planted some cosmos seedlings and some nasturtium seedlings. I still have plenty of both left and need to come up with a place to put them. I've moved the cosmos to a new spot where it's easier to dig and plant so will probably expand that bed a bit and dump the dozens more plants that I have. I put the nasties in the same place as always, planted about 20 plants and still have that many left. I'd plant them at Fred's but he was emphatic about having NO ONE mess with his gardens.
We had book group yesterday at Linda's. Very nice time but one of us is moving to Montana to become the CEO of the state's Planned Parenthood. We'll miss her very much but it's an exciting move and we're very proud of her accomplishments. Linda fed us delicious Michigans and we were able to sit on the porch and listen to the lapping of waves. That was really pleasant.
It's been ungodly hot in Hawkeye but has now cooled off. I spent some time on the boat house porch--I opened the boat house last weekend and it's ready for occupancy now but needs some cleaning in the back room. Residual detritus from the autumnal attack of some varmint. I was able to spend some time reading on the deck at home which is one of my favorite things. How appropriate that I combined this with a visit to the dermatologist! "Do you use sunscreen?" Well, no, oh wait, I do when I go to the beach. That doesn't really count. I read 2 books and finished The art of fielding, which I really enjoyed. I read Tracy Chevalier's latest book and Gail Godwin's latest as well. Gail Godwin is one of those women writers whose books carried important messages and stories about women, written decades ago. Like Marge Piercy, Nancy Thayer, and others. I used to read voraciously and focused on women's fiction (which I guess I still do), which I think resulted in a feeling of empowerment and strength on my part.
I've had dinner with Linda & Erdvilas a few times--L is trying hard to cook Weight Watchers-friendly meals, though we've both gained a little weight in the past 2 weeks. I've only gained a pound but that's discouraging. I never seem to make the connection of late night snacking and weight gain while I'm eating during the evening...
I hope to stop at J & M's tonight because I haven't seen them in a long time. I didn't visit much with anyone except Linda while I was being so productive last week. I had dinner with a retired librarian friend on Friday night in Lake Placid. She isn't adjusting terribly well to retirement and needs more structure in her life. I had mixed feelings about retirement, looking forward to returning to work but enjoying immensely my time at home. It's such a final action, retirement, that I need to be sure for sure that it's what I want to do. Which is what I think most days.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Nice weekend--after some drama
It was a good weekend, I relaxed and did a few chores, went to the dump, bought some more flower plants, planted a couple of containers, cleaned JUNK out of the laundry room and managed to give some stuff away to Lin and her son Jay.
I left work early on Friday, using up some time. Ran errands, then went home--to discover that Steve found a fire in the woods below my house. Yikes. It was dramatic, flames 8' high and lots of crackling. A power line came down & started the fire. I called the Fire Dept., they came, they brought tankers, they extinguished the blaze before any camps were affected. Very efficient. The firemen (volunteers) were fantastic--took it very seriously, acted quickly, were really polite. I thanked them profusely, and plan to send a contribution to the Fire Department with a note of thanks. Following my mother's example: when she had a chimney fire last year her volunteer fire dept. showed up right away and put it out, so she sent them money. I think that's an appropriate response, since these are volunteer fire depts.
After the excitement of the fire died down (which took a few hours for sure) I had a quiet time. Saturday morning I visited with Fred at his camp--his hip surgery is this week so he's trying to get everything ready. We had a really nice visit, then I went to the dump + to Lamoy's for plants. Bought a few more flower plants, not too many. I planted some, will take geraniums and portulaca to the cemetery (probably not until this weekend). I was sitting in my living room yesterday, pondering things, knowing it would be a good time to go to the cemetery, but just couldn't drag myself out of the house.
The black flies are out in full force, which is one of the reasons I couldn't drag myself out. I did some outdoor gardening--you have about 10-15 minutes before the flies find you, so you can get some things done quickly.
Friday night I visited with J&M, who arrived last week and are settling in for the summer. They're both great.
I had a quiet Sat. night, went to bed extremely early--it's light until quite late, so I'm getting good at sleeping while it's still very light out. This meant I got up at 5:30 on Sunday, which was fine. I waited a while, then went for gas (discovering that my gas place doesn't open until 7 on Sunday, but they were kind enough to turn on the pumps for me before then). Lin & her son were cleaning at Linda's and I offered them lunch before discovering that I had nothing much to feed them. So back to the store I went, bought bread & turkey & drinks. They came for lunch at 11 or so and we had a great visit.
My cousins came this weekend--they have a camp across the lake, which they opened as well as putting in the docks at our camp. Very nice of them. They fixed the gate, which the power company made a mess of a couple of years ago. I like having engineers in the family--though my brother was very scornful of engineers as a group--because they can figure out how to fix things easily. I never would have figured out how to put the gate back up, but they knew exactly how to do it. duh.
Did a bit more outdoor work in the afternoon, trying to get rid of the horrible and mean blackberry bushes that are taking over my yard. I assessed the situation on the back of the southern side of the house: trees! Many, many trees are getting quite large and are very close to the house. I'll ask Annie to cut them with her chainsaw when she next comes (in June). I cut down one but it was too small to count. The cherry trees are very pretty, all in bloom. I have a lot of them, and they're a favorite tree of mine, but some of them will just have to go. The apple trees are also blooming.
Restless night last night--early to bed, then up at midnight, then back to sleep around 2, then up at 6:30 for work. Dogs find this routine puzzling but they go back to bed easily. I made arrangements to board them later this week. I'm going to Alexandria Bay for a meeting, will spend the night there, so the dogs go back to Dapper Dog kennels. Complicated arrangements to drop them off & pick them up--which is interfering, my job or the kennel's hours? Anyway, they conflict so it's complicated.
Poured rain this morning, which is good. I have a lot of seedlings and some seeds I'm trying to get to germinate. Hope the water wasn't too much for the little darlings.
I left work early on Friday, using up some time. Ran errands, then went home--to discover that Steve found a fire in the woods below my house. Yikes. It was dramatic, flames 8' high and lots of crackling. A power line came down & started the fire. I called the Fire Dept., they came, they brought tankers, they extinguished the blaze before any camps were affected. Very efficient. The firemen (volunteers) were fantastic--took it very seriously, acted quickly, were really polite. I thanked them profusely, and plan to send a contribution to the Fire Department with a note of thanks. Following my mother's example: when she had a chimney fire last year her volunteer fire dept. showed up right away and put it out, so she sent them money. I think that's an appropriate response, since these are volunteer fire depts.
After the excitement of the fire died down (which took a few hours for sure) I had a quiet time. Saturday morning I visited with Fred at his camp--his hip surgery is this week so he's trying to get everything ready. We had a really nice visit, then I went to the dump + to Lamoy's for plants. Bought a few more flower plants, not too many. I planted some, will take geraniums and portulaca to the cemetery (probably not until this weekend). I was sitting in my living room yesterday, pondering things, knowing it would be a good time to go to the cemetery, but just couldn't drag myself out of the house.
The black flies are out in full force, which is one of the reasons I couldn't drag myself out. I did some outdoor gardening--you have about 10-15 minutes before the flies find you, so you can get some things done quickly.
Friday night I visited with J&M, who arrived last week and are settling in for the summer. They're both great.
I had a quiet Sat. night, went to bed extremely early--it's light until quite late, so I'm getting good at sleeping while it's still very light out. This meant I got up at 5:30 on Sunday, which was fine. I waited a while, then went for gas (discovering that my gas place doesn't open until 7 on Sunday, but they were kind enough to turn on the pumps for me before then). Lin & her son were cleaning at Linda's and I offered them lunch before discovering that I had nothing much to feed them. So back to the store I went, bought bread & turkey & drinks. They came for lunch at 11 or so and we had a great visit.
My cousins came this weekend--they have a camp across the lake, which they opened as well as putting in the docks at our camp. Very nice of them. They fixed the gate, which the power company made a mess of a couple of years ago. I like having engineers in the family--though my brother was very scornful of engineers as a group--because they can figure out how to fix things easily. I never would have figured out how to put the gate back up, but they knew exactly how to do it. duh.
Did a bit more outdoor work in the afternoon, trying to get rid of the horrible and mean blackberry bushes that are taking over my yard. I assessed the situation on the back of the southern side of the house: trees! Many, many trees are getting quite large and are very close to the house. I'll ask Annie to cut them with her chainsaw when she next comes (in June). I cut down one but it was too small to count. The cherry trees are very pretty, all in bloom. I have a lot of them, and they're a favorite tree of mine, but some of them will just have to go. The apple trees are also blooming.
Restless night last night--early to bed, then up at midnight, then back to sleep around 2, then up at 6:30 for work. Dogs find this routine puzzling but they go back to bed easily. I made arrangements to board them later this week. I'm going to Alexandria Bay for a meeting, will spend the night there, so the dogs go back to Dapper Dog kennels. Complicated arrangements to drop them off & pick them up--which is interfering, my job or the kennel's hours? Anyway, they conflict so it's complicated.
Poured rain this morning, which is good. I have a lot of seedlings and some seeds I'm trying to get to germinate. Hope the water wasn't too much for the little darlings.
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