hand died yarn by daughter one
right colorful it is
Gratitude #83 - Sweet Biddies!
11 years ago
Thursday, December 31, 2009
memories
Last night I decided to sit in my jetta tub for a while.
Filled it with quite hot water and slid in.
On the edge of the tub I saw two little plastic cups and a teapot/watering can. I know the history of those.
A long time ago, when Emily was small she took a bath here, played with the toys and put them on the edge of the tub. It was a LONG time ago.
No one has bothered to take them away or to put them away, wherever away might be, and tonight when I got into the tub, there they were reminding me of old times.
How fast they grow up, and how fast I am growing old. Every time she has a birthday it seems I have just had one (mine is in May, hers in June).
So, when I can spend time with family, whether daughters or grandkids, I jump for the chance.
Miriam has a birthday in a couple of weeks.
Once again she will be the older. (She is January to May older than I am!)
Filled it with quite hot water and slid in.
On the edge of the tub I saw two little plastic cups and a teapot/watering can. I know the history of those.
A long time ago, when Emily was small she took a bath here, played with the toys and put them on the edge of the tub. It was a LONG time ago.
No one has bothered to take them away or to put them away, wherever away might be, and tonight when I got into the tub, there they were reminding me of old times.
How fast they grow up, and how fast I am growing old. Every time she has a birthday it seems I have just had one (mine is in May, hers in June).
So, when I can spend time with family, whether daughters or grandkids, I jump for the chance.
Miriam has a birthday in a couple of weeks.
Once again she will be the older. (She is January to May older than I am!)
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
'puters
Changing a hard drive is like buying a new computer.
Except that it does not come with all of those new programs and discs.
Everything is different. The version of iPhoto I was using is not on this drive. At $80 for a package, that is off budget right now, so I went looking for a replacement. So far I am using Picasa, which seems to be a workable alternative, except that it is a whole new program with a lot of it's own idiosyncrasies.
For one thing, it loaded all of the photographs on my HD. Problem is that I have a LOT of photographs that I did not take, tears, screen savers etc, so now my album is very cluttered. I'll keep working on that one.
Same thing with my word processing program. It was on a disc I paid for, but does not have the registation number in sight, so it won't load. I found OpenOffice which is a good program and it is free, but it is not quite the same.
Once I bought a program and installed it in my computer. Soon after that I changed computers and the old one would not load. A call to the company resulted in more frustration. I would have to buy a new copy for the new computer, so I went without.
Open source programs are pretty good. For an amateur like me they may easily take the place of the “standard” issue, but though the money price is lower, the learning price is up there.
I guess that will give me something to do!
Except that it does not come with all of those new programs and discs.
Everything is different. The version of iPhoto I was using is not on this drive. At $80 for a package, that is off budget right now, so I went looking for a replacement. So far I am using Picasa, which seems to be a workable alternative, except that it is a whole new program with a lot of it's own idiosyncrasies.
For one thing, it loaded all of the photographs on my HD. Problem is that I have a LOT of photographs that I did not take, tears, screen savers etc, so now my album is very cluttered. I'll keep working on that one.
Same thing with my word processing program. It was on a disc I paid for, but does not have the registation number in sight, so it won't load. I found OpenOffice which is a good program and it is free, but it is not quite the same.
Once I bought a program and installed it in my computer. Soon after that I changed computers and the old one would not load. A call to the company resulted in more frustration. I would have to buy a new copy for the new computer, so I went without.
Open source programs are pretty good. For an amateur like me they may easily take the place of the “standard” issue, but though the money price is lower, the learning price is up there.
I guess that will give me something to do!
catalogs
December 29, 2009
What a difference a time zone makes.
We have been in the neighboring time zone for the last 5 weeks, just an hour different. I am getting old I think, because it is a bit of adjustment.
Last night at 11 here (10 there) I was not remotely sleepy, and this morning when I got up at 8, 7 there, I was still off.
Our house has a lot of mass, meaning there is a lot of weight to the materials. That is good mostly. When the mass is warmed up it stays warm, or cool it stays cool. With the cold weather the house is like a big refrigerator.
Yesterday we kept the fire roaring all day and once it went out it was cold.
We put an extra blanket on our bed and that was very good.
There is a warming trend though. Last night it was 23ยบ.
But, the seed catalogs pile up, which suggests that some one out there is pretty sure spring will arrive at some point.
I wait, patiently, sort of.
What a difference a time zone makes.
We have been in the neighboring time zone for the last 5 weeks, just an hour different. I am getting old I think, because it is a bit of adjustment.
Last night at 11 here (10 there) I was not remotely sleepy, and this morning when I got up at 8, 7 there, I was still off.
Our house has a lot of mass, meaning there is a lot of weight to the materials. That is good mostly. When the mass is warmed up it stays warm, or cool it stays cool. With the cold weather the house is like a big refrigerator.
Yesterday we kept the fire roaring all day and once it went out it was cold.
We put an extra blanket on our bed and that was very good.
There is a warming trend though. Last night it was 23ยบ.
But, the seed catalogs pile up, which suggests that some one out there is pretty sure spring will arrive at some point.
I wait, patiently, sort of.
Monday, December 28, 2009
on line again
I have my computer back working, am on the internet, thanks to some one's generosity.
The computer required a new hard drive, which I had on hand ready to install, but a new hard drive is like a new computer. In spite of what it says about backing everything up, it does not get quite everything.
Some of the apps I was using I did not upgrade ($150 or so) so I went with open source apps instead. That is fine, but another learning curve.
Seems that every keyboard is different and like other things, there is no place like home!
Our house is a small house with lots of insulation and no central heat. The wood burning stove does a good job for us when we are here, but when we are gone and there is no fire, the house is like a giant refrigerator. Now the trick is to keep a hot fire burning for a few days and warm the whole insides up again.
Right now it is about 60 degrees in spite of a roaring fire!
The computer required a new hard drive, which I had on hand ready to install, but a new hard drive is like a new computer. In spite of what it says about backing everything up, it does not get quite everything.
Some of the apps I was using I did not upgrade ($150 or so) so I went with open source apps instead. That is fine, but another learning curve.
Seems that every keyboard is different and like other things, there is no place like home!
Our house is a small house with lots of insulation and no central heat. The wood burning stove does a good job for us when we are here, but when we are gone and there is no fire, the house is like a giant refrigerator. Now the trick is to keep a hot fire burning for a few days and warm the whole insides up again.
Right now it is about 60 degrees in spite of a roaring fire!
Sunday, December 27, 2009
home
We are home safely.
The Mac Book is running. The original HD bit the dust, but I had another bigger one ready to go.
Unfortunately I lost some photographs again. Oh well.
More later.
The Mac Book is running. The original HD bit the dust, but I had another bigger one ready to go.
Unfortunately I lost some photographs again. Oh well.
More later.
on the road yet again
Today is travel day!
We leave daughter one's comfortable and hospitable home, stop briefly at daughter two's house and head for home.
It was November 22 when we were home last. It must still be there, none of my three friends/neighbors has called to tell me otherwise and all have my phone number.
We will be glad to be home again, but we will never forget the joy and fun of this trip, of hanging with all of our grandkids, of hugging all of our daughters and then hugging them again.
It has been a good trip, but it is time to go home. Miriam has had spells of anger at me for wanting to move her, which was not a thought until she brought up the subject, but she has happily worked on jig saw puzzles and kitchen cleaning at every stop. Every day she has asked me when we were going home, and when I answered with a date too far ahead of time she would ask: "How come?"
As I look back at this year, we were away from home a month in the spring and a month in the fall and a few weeks in the middle. We were away about a fourth of the time. Nearly all of that was with family.
I am so grateful that it was possible.
We leave daughter one's comfortable and hospitable home, stop briefly at daughter two's house and head for home.
It was November 22 when we were home last. It must still be there, none of my three friends/neighbors has called to tell me otherwise and all have my phone number.
We will be glad to be home again, but we will never forget the joy and fun of this trip, of hanging with all of our grandkids, of hugging all of our daughters and then hugging them again.
It has been a good trip, but it is time to go home. Miriam has had spells of anger at me for wanting to move her, which was not a thought until she brought up the subject, but she has happily worked on jig saw puzzles and kitchen cleaning at every stop. Every day she has asked me when we were going home, and when I answered with a date too far ahead of time she would ask: "How come?"
As I look back at this year, we were away from home a month in the spring and a month in the fall and a few weeks in the middle. We were away about a fourth of the time. Nearly all of that was with family.
I am so grateful that it was possible.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Happy christmas
Happy Christmas everyone.
Emily told me to say it that way!
We are going back home Sunday. When we get there, we will be without internet, at least some water pipes are frozen (and most likely damaged), and my MacBook is off line.
So we will take things in order of importance and I'll figure that when we are there.
Coffee shops offer internet, so as soon as the Mac us up I'll be back on line. Meanwhile, top of everything to each of you.
To quote Tiny Tim: "God bless us everyone."
Emily told me to say it that way!
We are going back home Sunday. When we get there, we will be without internet, at least some water pipes are frozen (and most likely damaged), and my MacBook is off line.
So we will take things in order of importance and I'll figure that when we are there.
Coffee shops offer internet, so as soon as the Mac us up I'll be back on line. Meanwhile, top of everything to each of you.
To quote Tiny Tim: "God bless us everyone."
Sunday, December 20, 2009
perseverance
there is a story in the NY times about a 94 year old lady who has been painting for six decades (that is 60 years!) and finally this year she is the hot painter in some circle.
I am not sure what all of the lessons should be, but to me it is just a mind blaster. She is still painting at 94, that her work that has been ignored for decades has suddenly become very "modern" (whatever that means) and wildly collectible.
And talk about dedication. Artists don't always want fame and fortune, but it is wonderful if a few appreciate your work. She made her first sale of a painting whenshe was 89.
Best to you Carmen.
She is a good role model for aging artists!
For the full story: http://www.discontinuedbrandnameyarn.com/
oops, try this one:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/20/arts/design/20herrera.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=herrera&st=cse
I am not sure what all of the lessons should be, but to me it is just a mind blaster. She is still painting at 94, that her work that has been ignored for decades has suddenly become very "modern" (whatever that means) and wildly collectible.
And talk about dedication. Artists don't always want fame and fortune, but it is wonderful if a few appreciate your work. She made her first sale of a painting whenshe was 89.
Best to you Carmen.
She is a good role model for aging artists!
For the full story: http://www.discontinuedbrandnameyarn.com/
oops, try this one:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/20/arts/design/20herrera.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=herrera&st=cse
Thursday, December 17, 2009
true value
I am like a kid in a candy store.
Daughter one is a talented fiber artist. She has a large room stuffed with fiber stuff. I am hardly qualified to sweep the floor in that room, but she continues to find tools and gadgets and fabrics that work so well on my projects.
Daughter is also a MOM (capitals intended), a worker (she is caretaker for two challenged ladies), and a genuinely good person.
Sometimes we think we are doing art/craft people a favor by requesting a piece of their handiwork. Might be and might not. The problem is that it is easy to undervalue the final piece.
Right now she is working on an afghan that has a couple hundred in yarn and a month's full time work (there is no big blocks of free time in her life).
Will the receivers properly value the product?
Reminds me of an artists once who gave one of his favorite hand made pots to a friend for a wedding present. He visited later to find that they were using this prize ceramic gift as a water dish for the dog.
"Never again" said the artist.
hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Daughter one is a talented fiber artist. She has a large room stuffed with fiber stuff. I am hardly qualified to sweep the floor in that room, but she continues to find tools and gadgets and fabrics that work so well on my projects.
Daughter is also a MOM (capitals intended), a worker (she is caretaker for two challenged ladies), and a genuinely good person.
Sometimes we think we are doing art/craft people a favor by requesting a piece of their handiwork. Might be and might not. The problem is that it is easy to undervalue the final piece.
Right now she is working on an afghan that has a couple hundred in yarn and a month's full time work (there is no big blocks of free time in her life).
Will the receivers properly value the product?
Reminds me of an artists once who gave one of his favorite hand made pots to a friend for a wedding present. He visited later to find that they were using this prize ceramic gift as a water dish for the dog.
"Never again" said the artist.
hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
water and cold
The NW is just exiting a cold snap.
Portland was as cold as it gets, low teens. Idaho was below zero and E Oregon and Washington were as cold.
I think we have some frozen pipes in our house (they will be thawed out when we get there!) Friend David could not get water in the kitchen sink during the coldest part, so I had him shut off the whole system.
Daughter two lives on an acreage. There was a small leak from the pressure tank. The water got the insulation wet, so when it got good and cold, there was no insulation and everything froze up.
They have water now, but they were without any running water for well over a week while Cliff and the boys made repairs.
Meanwhile, Arline's house is warm and cozy but the washing machine broke, and a new part has been ordered.
So water wise, it has been an interesting week.
The hot tub worked well though.
We sat in the hot water one evening when the temps were close to single digits. Nice and warm, but get your hair wet and it freezes quickly, and watch those steps, they are covered with ice!
We had a good time.
I think that occasionally being without one of the things we think of as essential is good to remind us of how much we depend on them.
Which brings me to my computer. . .
Portland was as cold as it gets, low teens. Idaho was below zero and E Oregon and Washington were as cold.
I think we have some frozen pipes in our house (they will be thawed out when we get there!) Friend David could not get water in the kitchen sink during the coldest part, so I had him shut off the whole system.
Daughter two lives on an acreage. There was a small leak from the pressure tank. The water got the insulation wet, so when it got good and cold, there was no insulation and everything froze up.
They have water now, but they were without any running water for well over a week while Cliff and the boys made repairs.
Meanwhile, Arline's house is warm and cozy but the washing machine broke, and a new part has been ordered.
So water wise, it has been an interesting week.
The hot tub worked well though.
We sat in the hot water one evening when the temps were close to single digits. Nice and warm, but get your hair wet and it freezes quickly, and watch those steps, they are covered with ice!
We had a good time.
I think that occasionally being without one of the things we think of as essential is good to remind us of how much we depend on them.
Which brings me to my computer. . .
back sorta
We are still 4 hours from home and will be until after Christmas.
I am writing on my daughter's PeeCee which has a strange feeling keyboard, so I will write slow and awkwardly!
We finished our "grandparent" duties on Monday, but a major storm landed. We have two passes to go through on the way home, and during a storm they can be treacherous. The grandkids pushed on me to promise to be here for Christmas, which I agreed to.
But with the storm, we could not go until Friday, and then we would need to be back here by Wednesday or so next week. Hmm.
Not the best use of time or resources, I figured.
So, we decided to stay here over christmas.
I will post daily, but my photographs are in my MacBook, so there will not be any here for a while.
We are well are having a good time with our grandkids, and I have a pretty complete book and paper box making studio setup, so I am busy and happy. Miriam works on a rather complex jig saw puzzle.
The complex puzzles take her longer, but she works on them steady until she works them out, even if it takes a month of 10 hour work days.
Yesterday the whole world here was covered in a quarter inch of ice and everything came to a stop. No schools, no work, no go. Today it is warmer and if you go off pavement, it is MUD, so today is a "normal" day. School, work and all of the usual.
Writing for some of us is a compulsive act and it feels great to be back at it here, even if it is with a crutch and an eye patch!
To miss quote Tiny Tim: "Have a roaring good day."
I am writing on my daughter's PeeCee which has a strange feeling keyboard, so I will write slow and awkwardly!
We finished our "grandparent" duties on Monday, but a major storm landed. We have two passes to go through on the way home, and during a storm they can be treacherous. The grandkids pushed on me to promise to be here for Christmas, which I agreed to.
But with the storm, we could not go until Friday, and then we would need to be back here by Wednesday or so next week. Hmm.
Not the best use of time or resources, I figured.
So, we decided to stay here over christmas.
I will post daily, but my photographs are in my MacBook, so there will not be any here for a while.
We are well are having a good time with our grandkids, and I have a pretty complete book and paper box making studio setup, so I am busy and happy. Miriam works on a rather complex jig saw puzzle.
The complex puzzles take her longer, but she works on them steady until she works them out, even if it takes a month of 10 hour work days.
Yesterday the whole world here was covered in a quarter inch of ice and everything came to a stop. No schools, no work, no go. Today it is warmer and if you go off pavement, it is MUD, so today is a "normal" day. School, work and all of the usual.
Writing for some of us is a compulsive act and it feels great to be back at it here, even if it is with a crutch and an eye patch!
To miss quote Tiny Tim: "Have a roaring good day."
Friday, December 11, 2009
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
jay and kay
I took Emily to school then we left for Olympia.
It was a two hour drive. A bit of traffic, but not bad.
It was about noon when we got there. They were so glad to see us. Miriam and Kay hugged. It had been half a year since they had seen each other.
Kay is still a beautiful red head. She looks younger than she actually is. Jay is 76 and right now he looks every day of it.
When we got there Jay was sitting in on his end of the couch with a shoe box sized tray of pills. Since his by pass surgery he has been on a lot of them. He was washing them down with orange juice. He smiled as we came in.
Jay is about 6' maybe a bit taller. He is a barrel chested big man, who weighed in at about 280, but while he was in the hospital he lost a hundred pounds and he looks a bit gaunt.
He is not as healthy as he should be. He has smoked most of his life, in fact when I saw him last spring he was still smoking. Now he is off. But he does not look good, really.
The day before we visited he took his 3 wheel motorcycle (a real work or art, powered by a 2 liter Dodge engine!), on a parade. The trike is built to look very good and to be eye catching, but it is not too protected from the weather and Jay got pretty cold.
Kay has memory issues. She won't admit it and won't let any one else admit it for her (Miriam is about the same). Jay and I talked in hushed tones. She is a decade younger than Jay and she is worried about what might happen to her if something happened to Jay.
It is a legitimate worry, unfortunately.
I relayed a message from a daughter: “Kay is family. If she needs help we will do all we can.”
He was reassured by the message.
Seeing them was good and sad both.
And I worry a bit.
I worry about all of us a little bit.
It was a two hour drive. A bit of traffic, but not bad.
It was about noon when we got there. They were so glad to see us. Miriam and Kay hugged. It had been half a year since they had seen each other.
Kay is still a beautiful red head. She looks younger than she actually is. Jay is 76 and right now he looks every day of it.
When we got there Jay was sitting in on his end of the couch with a shoe box sized tray of pills. Since his by pass surgery he has been on a lot of them. He was washing them down with orange juice. He smiled as we came in.
Jay is about 6' maybe a bit taller. He is a barrel chested big man, who weighed in at about 280, but while he was in the hospital he lost a hundred pounds and he looks a bit gaunt.
He is not as healthy as he should be. He has smoked most of his life, in fact when I saw him last spring he was still smoking. Now he is off. But he does not look good, really.
The day before we visited he took his 3 wheel motorcycle (a real work or art, powered by a 2 liter Dodge engine!), on a parade. The trike is built to look very good and to be eye catching, but it is not too protected from the weather and Jay got pretty cold.
Kay has memory issues. She won't admit it and won't let any one else admit it for her (Miriam is about the same). Jay and I talked in hushed tones. She is a decade younger than Jay and she is worried about what might happen to her if something happened to Jay.
It is a legitimate worry, unfortunately.
I relayed a message from a daughter: “Kay is family. If she needs help we will do all we can.”
He was reassured by the message.
Seeing them was good and sad both.
And I worry a bit.
I worry about all of us a little bit.
stuff
How to you put more gear a tiny trailer?
The question was asked on the teardrop forum. The owner had a small car and a beautiful small teardrop but he had it all filled with gear.
Suggestions were made to put a rack on top of the trailer. Others suggested a fiberglass pod, but one answer was THE answer: “Take less stuff.’
Three wonderful words. Easy to say to some one else.
Horrific to put into real practice.
Lia/Linda just moved from a house she had lived in for several years. She had a big yard sale, she sold stuff on Craig’s list, she gave away, and she threw away.
Her example encourages me.
We moved into our house 34 years ago. We took a few years off for an adventure in Texas and Washington State), but we have lived in that nutty little house a LONG time.
Now lets talk about “take less stuff.”
Yea, let’s talk. Lol.
The question was asked on the teardrop forum. The owner had a small car and a beautiful small teardrop but he had it all filled with gear.
Suggestions were made to put a rack on top of the trailer. Others suggested a fiberglass pod, but one answer was THE answer: “Take less stuff.’
Three wonderful words. Easy to say to some one else.
Horrific to put into real practice.
Lia/Linda just moved from a house she had lived in for several years. She had a big yard sale, she sold stuff on Craig’s list, she gave away, and she threw away.
Her example encourages me.
We moved into our house 34 years ago. We took a few years off for an adventure in Texas and Washington State), but we have lived in that nutty little house a LONG time.
Now lets talk about “take less stuff.”
Yea, let’s talk. Lol.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
more changes
A few days ago I sent an email to Dale. We will be in your town.
So today we touched base, and then spent time together.
Dale had been to a friend’s wake a few days earlier. The friend had not hit the 60 year mark and suddenly he was gone. Dale went out of his way to make sure we could spend time together.
You never know, he said.
Tomorrow we are driving 2 hours north to Olympia Washington. Miriam’s sister and brother in law live there. Kay is showing every sign of Alzheimer’s. But the big thing since we saw them in the spring is that Jay has had serious by-pass surgery and along the way his weight dropped a hundred pounds.
They were coming down here today, but he was not feeling well. He does not have the strength he used to have he said hand he just was not able to make the trip.
Suddenly it seemed important to me that we made the trip to see them. Jay is a life long smoker and that is not good. He was a big strong powerful man. Now he weighs what I do. “You won’t even recognize me,” he said.
So tomorrow we will take Emily to school then head north. We can’t stay too late, but it is essential to me that we make the trip.
Jay was glad when I told him of our decision.
“Kay will be so glad to see her sister.”
So today we touched base, and then spent time together.
Dale had been to a friend’s wake a few days earlier. The friend had not hit the 60 year mark and suddenly he was gone. Dale went out of his way to make sure we could spend time together.
You never know, he said.
Tomorrow we are driving 2 hours north to Olympia Washington. Miriam’s sister and brother in law live there. Kay is showing every sign of Alzheimer’s. But the big thing since we saw them in the spring is that Jay has had serious by-pass surgery and along the way his weight dropped a hundred pounds.
They were coming down here today, but he was not feeling well. He does not have the strength he used to have he said hand he just was not able to make the trip.
Suddenly it seemed important to me that we made the trip to see them. Jay is a life long smoker and that is not good. He was a big strong powerful man. Now he weighs what I do. “You won’t even recognize me,” he said.
So tomorrow we will take Emily to school then head north. We can’t stay too late, but it is essential to me that we make the trip.
Jay was glad when I told him of our decision.
“Kay will be so glad to see her sister.”
hill top houses
A few years ago worked on a house on a hill.
South of our valley are what we call the desert hills. There are some good vistas out there and views and MacMansions are drawn together.
So this one house was sitting on top of the hill and it had a commanding view, though most of the view was a good ways off.
I was there on an early fall day. It was cool and the lady was not in a good mood. “The wind always blows around here,” she opined.
That is why the old timers who settled in these areas put their houses down lower, much lower, survival and a degree of comfort (this was before they invented insulation, weather stripping and caulking) and even survival.
We are staying in a rental house in Portland. It is an 80’s house I think, with recent extensive upgrading. It is pretty nice, and quite tight and well insulated, except for those aluminum window frames. The glass is double, however.
But it is cold out. Not quite freezing, but with a nasty wind and high humidity, so it feels cold. And as I sit here I remember the lady complaining about the wind in Idaho.
This house is built on a pretty severe incline and today it faces right into the wind. As portland houses go it is well built, but in another area it would be considered way under insulated.
So I sit here looking out at the wind, being a tiny big nostalgic for my little burrow house with the wood stove.
South of our valley are what we call the desert hills. There are some good vistas out there and views and MacMansions are drawn together.
So this one house was sitting on top of the hill and it had a commanding view, though most of the view was a good ways off.
I was there on an early fall day. It was cool and the lady was not in a good mood. “The wind always blows around here,” she opined.
That is why the old timers who settled in these areas put their houses down lower, much lower, survival and a degree of comfort (this was before they invented insulation, weather stripping and caulking) and even survival.
We are staying in a rental house in Portland. It is an 80’s house I think, with recent extensive upgrading. It is pretty nice, and quite tight and well insulated, except for those aluminum window frames. The glass is double, however.
But it is cold out. Not quite freezing, but with a nasty wind and high humidity, so it feels cold. And as I sit here I remember the lady complaining about the wind in Idaho.
This house is built on a pretty severe incline and today it faces right into the wind. As portland houses go it is well built, but in another area it would be considered way under insulated.
So I sit here looking out at the wind, being a tiny big nostalgic for my little burrow house with the wood stove.
Friday, December 4, 2009
ahh Em!
And we keep moving.
From San Francisco to Klamath Falls Oregon and then to Portland.
Now we are with Emily (though she is in school at the moment) while Lia takes a well deserved break.
Klamath Falls temp was 19 when we woke up Thursday evening. Portland is having a cool snap and last night it frosted pretty hard, for here.
Meanwhile back home the highs are barely out of freezing, and next week single digit temps are expected. Our house will start to freeze at about 20 below zero, so we are safe for a while yet.
Lia’s house in Portland is a tall house on a very sloping lot. You go up about 8 or 10 feet to the garage level, then up stairs to the main floor over the garage with the bedrooms over that. It is a fairly small house (1200 feet) with good natural lighting all over the house.
The house was seriously remodeled recently, but the windows are all aluminum framed, but the glass is double. It has a real wood burning fireplace, and it even has a gas jet to help get the wood fire going.
And once again, Lia is away. It is a new kitchen a new house and I am fixing food! There is good food all over the place, but like our kitchen, little of it is “ready to eat.” That is good, btw.
We are going to the book store in a bit. Powells claims to be the biggest independent book store. The main store takes a full block of space. We will go to a branch store, not as big, but PLENTY big.
Tonight we go to a fashion show where two of Lia’s dresses are to be shown. Emily and I will be the “artists reps.”
It would be hard to find more devoted pair of reps!
From San Francisco to Klamath Falls Oregon and then to Portland.
Now we are with Emily (though she is in school at the moment) while Lia takes a well deserved break.
Klamath Falls temp was 19 when we woke up Thursday evening. Portland is having a cool snap and last night it frosted pretty hard, for here.
Meanwhile back home the highs are barely out of freezing, and next week single digit temps are expected. Our house will start to freeze at about 20 below zero, so we are safe for a while yet.
Lia’s house in Portland is a tall house on a very sloping lot. You go up about 8 or 10 feet to the garage level, then up stairs to the main floor over the garage with the bedrooms over that. It is a fairly small house (1200 feet) with good natural lighting all over the house.
The house was seriously remodeled recently, but the windows are all aluminum framed, but the glass is double. It has a real wood burning fireplace, and it even has a gas jet to help get the wood fire going.
And once again, Lia is away. It is a new kitchen a new house and I am fixing food! There is good food all over the place, but like our kitchen, little of it is “ready to eat.” That is good, btw.
We are going to the book store in a bit. Powells claims to be the biggest independent book store. The main store takes a full block of space. We will go to a branch store, not as big, but PLENTY big.
Tonight we go to a fashion show where two of Lia’s dresses are to be shown. Emily and I will be the “artists reps.”
It would be hard to find more devoted pair of reps!
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
more travel
Today we continue on our journey.
We have been here for a week, which is a fairly long time for 6 people to be in a very small house.
With Dea’s help I rebuilt a fence, hung a screen door and made a chain link gate. It was a good bit of work, but now it is time to move on.
Originally the trip was down in two days, stay a week and back in two days, but things have changed. Tomorrow we will head north into Oregon and stay with friends from the early 70’s. Then on to Portland.
Our youngest daughter (Lia) is to be out of town for a few days and we will “hang” with Emily, which is not punishment by any means.
Then a few days with each of the other daughters and their “above average” children!
This is winter and there is no real reason for us to stay home, but this is the first time we have ever made a round robin trip and visited every one.
It is very good.
Our trip today will be up the center of northern California on I5. The olive and nut orchards go on and on. Mt. Shasta is breath taking. It should be sunny the whole way!
We have been here for a week, which is a fairly long time for 6 people to be in a very small house.
With Dea’s help I rebuilt a fence, hung a screen door and made a chain link gate. It was a good bit of work, but now it is time to move on.
Originally the trip was down in two days, stay a week and back in two days, but things have changed. Tomorrow we will head north into Oregon and stay with friends from the early 70’s. Then on to Portland.
Our youngest daughter (Lia) is to be out of town for a few days and we will “hang” with Emily, which is not punishment by any means.
Then a few days with each of the other daughters and their “above average” children!
This is winter and there is no real reason for us to stay home, but this is the first time we have ever made a round robin trip and visited every one.
It is very good.
Our trip today will be up the center of northern California on I5. The olive and nut orchards go on and on. Mt. Shasta is breath taking. It should be sunny the whole way!
Monday, November 30, 2009
fences
Fences and edges.
When Dea’s house was built, way back in the pre WWII days, chain link fencing was the new thing.
It was new then and had a substantial look to it, but through the years we have not come to think kindly of chain link as beautiful. Solid structure, but not quite beautiful.
Before the trip Dea decided to upgrade the fence. So this week we tore out the old link fencing, wire, fasteners and such. The posts were solid, and while bent a bit here and there, they are were good for another fence.
The new fencing is wood, with a “picket” design. But, there are two wild eyed artists at work here, so it came out not quite “regular.”
Some have scolded daughters for “taking advantage” of dad for putting me to work when i come to visit.
My life did not involve a lot of the kind of wealth that goes into banks that I can pass on to my daughters, but it does involve a few skills I am glad to share with my family. So, you won't hear me complain.
Fences keep things in and things out. This one changed the entire mood in the smallish yard.
I am pleased.
When Dea’s house was built, way back in the pre WWII days, chain link fencing was the new thing.
It was new then and had a substantial look to it, but through the years we have not come to think kindly of chain link as beautiful. Solid structure, but not quite beautiful.
Before the trip Dea decided to upgrade the fence. So this week we tore out the old link fencing, wire, fasteners and such. The posts were solid, and while bent a bit here and there, they are were good for another fence.
The new fencing is wood, with a “picket” design. But, there are two wild eyed artists at work here, so it came out not quite “regular.”
Some have scolded daughters for “taking advantage” of dad for putting me to work when i come to visit.
My life did not involve a lot of the kind of wealth that goes into banks that I can pass on to my daughters, but it does involve a few skills I am glad to share with my family. So, you won't hear me complain.
Fences keep things in and things out. This one changed the entire mood in the smallish yard.
I am pleased.
cars
I remember when a classic car was any car over 20 years old.
In the mid ’50’s that meant cars from the mid 30’s, which were pretty old even then. When my friends got their first cars they were flat head Plymouths and 6 cylinder Chevys, or old Dodges.
In 1955 Chevy came out with it’s first really modern V8 and the race was on. Hot Rod people had the ideal of a horse power for each cubic inch of displacement. Now factory cars did that well.
My high school friend Roger said “Dave, think about what OUR kids will be driving.”
The engines got bigger and bigger. The first Chevy V8 was 263 cubic inch if I remember right. Soon there were 440s. GM made a few were made as large as 572 cubic inch with 700 hp. I did not ask how much it weighed.
Gas was cheap, we thought it was inexhaustible and fast was good.
The intriguing thing is that those huge engines went into huge cars, and now smaller cars with very highly refined engines of 140 or 150 inches can produce better performance.
My Dodge pickup has a 4.7 Liter engine. That is 287 cubic inches, pretty small by big standards, yet it puts out 235 hp. When I was a kid such an engine was a dream of big time hot rodders.
On our trip last week the little Cavalier got 33 mpg. The sad thing is that there are not that many cars that do much better now. Even some very small 2 seater cars with tiny engines only get 40.
Maybe we have not come as far as we think.
In the mid ’50’s that meant cars from the mid 30’s, which were pretty old even then. When my friends got their first cars they were flat head Plymouths and 6 cylinder Chevys, or old Dodges.
In 1955 Chevy came out with it’s first really modern V8 and the race was on. Hot Rod people had the ideal of a horse power for each cubic inch of displacement. Now factory cars did that well.
My high school friend Roger said “Dave, think about what OUR kids will be driving.”
The engines got bigger and bigger. The first Chevy V8 was 263 cubic inch if I remember right. Soon there were 440s. GM made a few were made as large as 572 cubic inch with 700 hp. I did not ask how much it weighed.
Gas was cheap, we thought it was inexhaustible and fast was good.
The intriguing thing is that those huge engines went into huge cars, and now smaller cars with very highly refined engines of 140 or 150 inches can produce better performance.
My Dodge pickup has a 4.7 Liter engine. That is 287 cubic inches, pretty small by big standards, yet it puts out 235 hp. When I was a kid such an engine was a dream of big time hot rodders.
On our trip last week the little Cavalier got 33 mpg. The sad thing is that there are not that many cars that do much better now. Even some very small 2 seater cars with tiny engines only get 40.
Maybe we have not come as far as we think.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
changes
Having said what I did about the Cathleen Falsani book, I need to say a bit more.
Every once in a while a transformative book comes into my hands. It is not often, maybe only fist full of times in a lifetime.
To make it harder to list, those who seem so important at the moment, may not be the most important over a life time. Still, I have this short list.
At this point for sure, Falsani is on that list. I listened to the book, the author reads it herself, right after I got it. Loaded it on my tiny iPod and listened as I worked in the garden.
Since then I have listened to it another couple of times. There is so much in this book of stories about grace, the big kind.
Last week on our way up to grandparents day, I set up the “new” iPod with a gizmo that ran the sound through the car stereo system. Our car is will be old enough to vote this year and the sound system is not fabulous, but it worked well.
Miriam and I listened to the whole book by the time we got home. It is not a long read, and the iPod plays it in real time (meaning if it took her an hour to read it takes us an hour to listen.”
Our trip to SanFrancisco and back home the long way, will involve about 24 hours of driving. I’ll make sure I have some good books on there, in addition to “tunes.”
Mozart would understand, I think.
Every once in a while a transformative book comes into my hands. It is not often, maybe only fist full of times in a lifetime.
To make it harder to list, those who seem so important at the moment, may not be the most important over a life time. Still, I have this short list.
At this point for sure, Falsani is on that list. I listened to the book, the author reads it herself, right after I got it. Loaded it on my tiny iPod and listened as I worked in the garden.
Since then I have listened to it another couple of times. There is so much in this book of stories about grace, the big kind.
Last week on our way up to grandparents day, I set up the “new” iPod with a gizmo that ran the sound through the car stereo system. Our car is will be old enough to vote this year and the sound system is not fabulous, but it worked well.
Miriam and I listened to the whole book by the time we got home. It is not a long read, and the iPod plays it in real time (meaning if it took her an hour to read it takes us an hour to listen.”
Our trip to SanFrancisco and back home the long way, will involve about 24 hours of driving. I’ll make sure I have some good books on there, in addition to “tunes.”
Mozart would understand, I think.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Thanks
It was a good day to be thankful.
We ate well, had good company, and ate some more. Good cooks. Good food. Five kinds of pie, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, collard greens vegetarian steak, some turkey for Curtis, you know, all of the regular stuff.
There were 8 of us for dinner and all of this in a tiny house.
Afterwards we went for a walk along the shore of the bay. It was cool and the wind was blowing and it was good.
Indeed, it was good.
We ate well, had good company, and ate some more. Good cooks. Good food. Five kinds of pie, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, collard greens vegetarian steak, some turkey for Curtis, you know, all of the regular stuff.
There were 8 of us for dinner and all of this in a tiny house.
Afterwards we went for a walk along the shore of the bay. It was cool and the wind was blowing and it was good.
Indeed, it was good.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
lovelock
Once not long after my mother and my step father were married dad came through this town and sent mom a post card (he was not a romantic person and this was a bit out of character).
The post card had a picture of something in the town and the message: “Lots of the first part to you.”
Lovelock Nevada, population 2006.
This is a little town, but it is the count seat (Nevada has few towns and quite large counties). Lovelock has it’s own hospital, mostly because it is a hundred miles any direction to a larger town. The town was named after George Lovelock who donated the land.
For us, it has almost exactly half way to Deanna’s house. Sometimes we drive from our house to Dea’s in one day, it is only an 11 hour drive, but any more, I try to break it into two sessions. I like to be pretty sharp when go into California.
Reno is a 93 miles west of here. Not far out of Reno is the California state line, and then over the historic Donor Pass. It is a beautiful drive, but the road tends to be a bit narrow, there is a LOT of truck traffic and the road needs to be upgraded. But it is finite! Not really white knuckle driving but time to concentrate.
Once over the pass it is a good road (with increasing traffic) through Sacramento, the state capital on to Oakland and then over the Bay bridge to San Francisco. There is a bit of a trick turn in SF, and if I get in the wrong lane it takes half an hour to get back on the right road!
We should be at Deanna’s by early afternoon, missing the real traffic snarls.
I bring gifts (I know this is not Christmas). Home made pumpkin pies, fresh bread and a whole cooler full of “Grandpa’s Great Grape Juice.” Dea’s boys ask about that one.
We make the trip down every couple of years. It is a long way, but we always enjoy our visit.
The post card had a picture of something in the town and the message: “Lots of the first part to you.”
Lovelock Nevada, population 2006.
This is a little town, but it is the count seat (Nevada has few towns and quite large counties). Lovelock has it’s own hospital, mostly because it is a hundred miles any direction to a larger town. The town was named after George Lovelock who donated the land.
For us, it has almost exactly half way to Deanna’s house. Sometimes we drive from our house to Dea’s in one day, it is only an 11 hour drive, but any more, I try to break it into two sessions. I like to be pretty sharp when go into California.
Reno is a 93 miles west of here. Not far out of Reno is the California state line, and then over the historic Donor Pass. It is a beautiful drive, but the road tends to be a bit narrow, there is a LOT of truck traffic and the road needs to be upgraded. But it is finite! Not really white knuckle driving but time to concentrate.
Once over the pass it is a good road (with increasing traffic) through Sacramento, the state capital on to Oakland and then over the Bay bridge to San Francisco. There is a bit of a trick turn in SF, and if I get in the wrong lane it takes half an hour to get back on the right road!
We should be at Deanna’s by early afternoon, missing the real traffic snarls.
I bring gifts (I know this is not Christmas). Home made pumpkin pies, fresh bread and a whole cooler full of “Grandpa’s Great Grape Juice.” Dea’s boys ask about that one.
We make the trip down every couple of years. It is a long way, but we always enjoy our visit.
Monday, November 23, 2009
being useful
Yesterday I helped to help a lady move.
The move was in the same retirement building, but on a different floor with a bit more space for her.
The engineer in charge had it all figured out: box the contents of a book case (there were lots of them), move the book case to it’s new place and then put the same books on the same shelves, in a different room.
Had he been working alone he could have pulled it off. But there were a lot of helpers, maybe a dozen or so and it got a bit scrambled.
The lady has a lot of books (literally thousands) and she is not ready to give up on them now. They are her friends, as she put it.
We all grumbled good naturedly as we worked, going up and down the elevator with boxes and boxes and hand carts and hand trucks full of stuff.
I suggested to one of the girls that she guess at how many people hours were involved in this project, multiply times $10 and see how spendy this move was. We laughed together!
Still, I am glad to help people who need help. Moving is arduous any day.
Some years ago a new pastor arrived in our town. He built a new house for himself and is family. The church group rallied around with untold hours of help on that house. I set the kitchen cabinets for him and put the counter tops on.
I don’t object or feel bad about what was done then, or what we did yesterday. And as long as I have strength, I’ll keep helping people when I can.
I am retired, I have time and a bit of strength left. Helping is the least I can do.
The move was in the same retirement building, but on a different floor with a bit more space for her.
The engineer in charge had it all figured out: box the contents of a book case (there were lots of them), move the book case to it’s new place and then put the same books on the same shelves, in a different room.
Had he been working alone he could have pulled it off. But there were a lot of helpers, maybe a dozen or so and it got a bit scrambled.
The lady has a lot of books (literally thousands) and she is not ready to give up on them now. They are her friends, as she put it.
We all grumbled good naturedly as we worked, going up and down the elevator with boxes and boxes and hand carts and hand trucks full of stuff.
I suggested to one of the girls that she guess at how many people hours were involved in this project, multiply times $10 and see how spendy this move was. We laughed together!
Still, I am glad to help people who need help. Moving is arduous any day.
Some years ago a new pastor arrived in our town. He built a new house for himself and is family. The church group rallied around with untold hours of help on that house. I set the kitchen cabinets for him and put the counter tops on.
I don’t object or feel bad about what was done then, or what we did yesterday. And as long as I have strength, I’ll keep helping people when I can.
I am retired, I have time and a bit of strength left. Helping is the least I can do.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
grace
Grace: Getting what we really don’t deserve.
Some time ago an online audio book company asked if I would like to download a contemporary book. The book looked interesting, so I took them up on their offer.
The book was “Sin Boldly.” by Cathleen Falsani. The title comes from a quote from Martin Luther, the great reformer from a long time ago. Luther did not mean that you could sin boldly without any retribution.
But without grace, religion will suffocate us.
Justice is getting what we deserve, grace is not.
When I deal with God I like, even expect a great outpouring of grace. When I am dealing with others, well not so much.
In my country the deciders came up with the idea of a new 45 million dollar jail to be built a half dozen miles from the court house. The jail is full they said, to do JUSTICE to wayward citizens we have to build a new bigger one.
Others say the jail is not nearly full and we put too many people in jail who would be better punished in other ways and that jail site is a long way from the court system. The doubters won this time.
A nearby county had a vote on a jail bond 8 times before it finally passed, and out deciders said they would try us again in May.
Does grace fit into any of this? We sure would not want those “criminals” to think they could find “grace” in the “justice” system, would we.
But God? A little more please.
Some time ago an online audio book company asked if I would like to download a contemporary book. The book looked interesting, so I took them up on their offer.
The book was “Sin Boldly.” by Cathleen Falsani. The title comes from a quote from Martin Luther, the great reformer from a long time ago. Luther did not mean that you could sin boldly without any retribution.
But without grace, religion will suffocate us.
Justice is getting what we deserve, grace is not.
When I deal with God I like, even expect a great outpouring of grace. When I am dealing with others, well not so much.
In my country the deciders came up with the idea of a new 45 million dollar jail to be built a half dozen miles from the court house. The jail is full they said, to do JUSTICE to wayward citizens we have to build a new bigger one.
Others say the jail is not nearly full and we put too many people in jail who would be better punished in other ways and that jail site is a long way from the court system. The doubters won this time.
A nearby county had a vote on a jail bond 8 times before it finally passed, and out deciders said they would try us again in May.
Does grace fit into any of this? We sure would not want those “criminals” to think they could find “grace” in the “justice” system, would we.
But God? A little more please.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
1912 Singer
Today I unwrapped an old friend.
A long time ago (30 years give or take a few) I had a friend who was a sewing machine repairman. One day he came by and gave me this ancient Singer. He had serviced it and he assumed me that it worked well. And it did one thing sew straight ahead.
Some of my sculpture has involved some sewing and that old machine worked through art school. People often wondered about the old girl sitting I the corner of my studio.
Well today I got her out (have a book project that I want to do some sewing on). The old gal had been wrapped in plastic so it was clean. I got the serial number to check with the guru’s online.
It turned easily and should work, except that the wiring is totally shot, bare copper in a lot of spots, but that is fixable, and easily so.
She is a 1912 version of the trusty old Model 66. She sews straight ahead, and that is all. But she will sew leather and thick fabrics. My skills are somewhere beginner and beginner and I don’t need anything complex.
It is sorta like an old Brownie camera. Not a lot of complications, not a lot of adjustments and sure not a lot of modernity!
Most likely this lady started out in a treadle cabinet, but was electrified at some later point. That was almost a hundred years ago.
Any way, it was good to find something useful that is older than I am!
A long time ago (30 years give or take a few) I had a friend who was a sewing machine repairman. One day he came by and gave me this ancient Singer. He had serviced it and he assumed me that it worked well. And it did one thing sew straight ahead.
Some of my sculpture has involved some sewing and that old machine worked through art school. People often wondered about the old girl sitting I the corner of my studio.
Well today I got her out (have a book project that I want to do some sewing on). The old gal had been wrapped in plastic so it was clean. I got the serial number to check with the guru’s online.
It turned easily and should work, except that the wiring is totally shot, bare copper in a lot of spots, but that is fixable, and easily so.
She is a 1912 version of the trusty old Model 66. She sews straight ahead, and that is all. But she will sew leather and thick fabrics. My skills are somewhere beginner and beginner and I don’t need anything complex.
It is sorta like an old Brownie camera. Not a lot of complications, not a lot of adjustments and sure not a lot of modernity!
Most likely this lady started out in a treadle cabinet, but was electrified at some later point. That was almost a hundred years ago.
Any way, it was good to find something useful that is older than I am!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
I give up
OK it didn’t work
There are a lot of reasons for me to move my clean studio into the shop building. And, I got it mostly done then it all fell apart.
Every time she came into the studio and saw me in there, she would fuss. Big ugly fuss.
Days ago it was her suggestion that we just as well let it all go. That conversation went away very soon and it was trouble trouble.
Some one who knows nothing about AD said that patents should not be put on behavior medication but instead should have counseling. Hmm. All of that beautiful counseling would be gone about the time the patient got to the door
So, this afternoon, I moved back into the outside studio.
I won a small victory. The inside studio was used as a catch all. I cleared it out and now I can use it for storage. The art/craft I am doing has a lot of inventory. Much of that can be housed there.
All of this does not make me happy but seeing and hearing her really unhappy does not help either, so I do what I have to do.
But right now, as we are sitting here in the evening, she is talking about something I do not understand. Something about clay. That thought won’t go away. She wants to have the wheel setup so she can work on throwing pots. A while back she wanted to sew a pillow. We bought the fabric, she sat down and worked an hour an has not touched it since.
Moving that studio may have been a huge mistake on my part. I stirred up a horrible hornets nest.
There are a lot of reasons for me to move my clean studio into the shop building. And, I got it mostly done then it all fell apart.
Every time she came into the studio and saw me in there, she would fuss. Big ugly fuss.
Days ago it was her suggestion that we just as well let it all go. That conversation went away very soon and it was trouble trouble.
Some one who knows nothing about AD said that patents should not be put on behavior medication but instead should have counseling. Hmm. All of that beautiful counseling would be gone about the time the patient got to the door
So, this afternoon, I moved back into the outside studio.
I won a small victory. The inside studio was used as a catch all. I cleared it out and now I can use it for storage. The art/craft I am doing has a lot of inventory. Much of that can be housed there.
All of this does not make me happy but seeing and hearing her really unhappy does not help either, so I do what I have to do.
But right now, as we are sitting here in the evening, she is talking about something I do not understand. Something about clay. That thought won’t go away. She wants to have the wheel setup so she can work on throwing pots. A while back she wanted to sew a pillow. We bought the fabric, she sat down and worked an hour an has not touched it since.
Moving that studio may have been a huge mistake on my part. I stirred up a horrible hornets nest.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
friends or family
There was one more funeral that I did not talk about.
The couple had moved to my town a few years ago. I must have greeted them, that was my job, but I have no memory of them at all. He was a retired pastor with fairly advanced Alzheimer’s.
They had a daughter here so I am sure that was the reason they moved here, but they never made a splash any way, and we did not get to know them. That is not a recommendation for us, btw.
But the man died, I saw the name but could not put a face with it. The funeral was in a town 20 miles away where he had some family history.
My guess is that they moved here because of family, for the help they could give. In the process of gaining help from their family, they gave up their friends.
Last week my Bible study group had a potluck after church, as we do regularly. There were 27 of us there. We have been a group for well over a decade and our friendship is deep. The food was extraordinary, with a great variety and just the right amount of almost everything. It was a feast.
We all reveled in the joy, not just of good food, but to be with old and trusted friends. The hostess had tables set up all over the house. Miriam and I ate with two other couples in the office.
Jan graduated from high school with Miriam. We knew her husband from soon after that. Our paths went opposite directions, but now in retirement, we are back in the same town. The other couple, Ray and Betty have been close friends for about 30 years. So these were long term close friends. The whole group fell into that category.
Now, we don’t have family here, but we have this bevy of true and tested friends.
So which is more important? Friends or family? I think the best answer is YES.
Right now we are doing alright here with our friends and with our family a bit further away. We seem to see them quite often, which is truly good, but it is not the same as being there with them. The time will come when we will need to have family closer, and that will mean WE will relocate.
That is how it has to be, I fear, but I will miss the people who have worked and camped and prayed and studied and ate and cared for us all these years.
I will. I will.
The couple had moved to my town a few years ago. I must have greeted them, that was my job, but I have no memory of them at all. He was a retired pastor with fairly advanced Alzheimer’s.
They had a daughter here so I am sure that was the reason they moved here, but they never made a splash any way, and we did not get to know them. That is not a recommendation for us, btw.
But the man died, I saw the name but could not put a face with it. The funeral was in a town 20 miles away where he had some family history.
My guess is that they moved here because of family, for the help they could give. In the process of gaining help from their family, they gave up their friends.
Last week my Bible study group had a potluck after church, as we do regularly. There were 27 of us there. We have been a group for well over a decade and our friendship is deep. The food was extraordinary, with a great variety and just the right amount of almost everything. It was a feast.
We all reveled in the joy, not just of good food, but to be with old and trusted friends. The hostess had tables set up all over the house. Miriam and I ate with two other couples in the office.
Jan graduated from high school with Miriam. We knew her husband from soon after that. Our paths went opposite directions, but now in retirement, we are back in the same town. The other couple, Ray and Betty have been close friends for about 30 years. So these were long term close friends. The whole group fell into that category.
Now, we don’t have family here, but we have this bevy of true and tested friends.
So which is more important? Friends or family? I think the best answer is YES.
Right now we are doing alright here with our friends and with our family a bit further away. We seem to see them quite often, which is truly good, but it is not the same as being there with them. The time will come when we will need to have family closer, and that will mean WE will relocate.
That is how it has to be, I fear, but I will miss the people who have worked and camped and prayed and studied and ate and cared for us all these years.
I will. I will.
no complaint
A lady i work with (I as a volunteer) and her husband are going on vacation for the next two weeks.
That is not a big deal. She and her husband are going to see one of their grand children, and that is not a big deal, but child lives with her parents in Australia!
Thirty six hours over and thirty six hours back and just a few days with family.
I was going to feel sorry for myself for having to drive 10 or 11 hours to San Francisco to see daughter 3 (Dea) and her family. I take back the thought of thought of complaining!
And we went to see Matt this week. That is about a 3 or 3 1/4 hour drive. My grandkids sure do live close!
Thanks daughters (and sons in law).
That is not a big deal. She and her husband are going to see one of their grand children, and that is not a big deal, but child lives with her parents in Australia!
Thirty six hours over and thirty six hours back and just a few days with family.
I was going to feel sorry for myself for having to drive 10 or 11 hours to San Francisco to see daughter 3 (Dea) and her family. I take back the thought of thought of complaining!
And we went to see Matt this week. That is about a 3 or 3 1/4 hour drive. My grandkids sure do live close!
Thanks daughters (and sons in law).
Monday, November 16, 2009
an answer?
Last wednesday was AD support group day.
Several new people. Most were taking care of their spouses. One was looking after a 91 year old mother.
Most are coping quite well, some exceedingly well.
There are also a couple of ladies who lost their husbands some time ago. One AD husband went 25 years ago, but she continues to attend the meetings.
But one couple really pulled at my heart strings. She said first thing that she has seizure disorder. I know a little about that one. She has frequent seizures, and two teen age children. He has AD and is not easy to get on with I gather.
She has to guide him when they go places. He can’t remember where to go. She said he hollered and was noisy a lot. The children were only mentioned in passing, but you know this is having a huge affect on them.
What do you tell people who are going through this kind of thing ? I was and still am at loss. All of the easy answers fail.
She had great internal strength. You could tell. That was the one positive thing.
But I wish there were answers. Any answer would help.
Several new people. Most were taking care of their spouses. One was looking after a 91 year old mother.
Most are coping quite well, some exceedingly well.
There are also a couple of ladies who lost their husbands some time ago. One AD husband went 25 years ago, but she continues to attend the meetings.
But one couple really pulled at my heart strings. She said first thing that she has seizure disorder. I know a little about that one. She has frequent seizures, and two teen age children. He has AD and is not easy to get on with I gather.
She has to guide him when they go places. He can’t remember where to go. She said he hollered and was noisy a lot. The children were only mentioned in passing, but you know this is having a huge affect on them.
What do you tell people who are going through this kind of thing ? I was and still am at loss. All of the easy answers fail.
She had great internal strength. You could tell. That was the one positive thing.
But I wish there were answers. Any answer would help.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
grandparents day
Tomorrow is Grandparents day at Matthew's school.
As long as he has been in that school, we have always have been able to attend.
So, when Matt called Friday, all full of apologies for not telling us sooner, this weeks plans were changed.
Matt (Sid and Arline's youngest) lives 3 1/2 hours away, so it will be a good afternoon drive.
I like to talk to Matt's teachers. He makes a face at what I tell them, but secretly he is glad I care. I tell the teachers that Matt is bright and capable and to please not let him get away with sloppy work. And you can quite me if you need to.
Teachers catch heck from students family much more than they get compliments. That is too bad. They deserve better.
On the way home toorrow we will stop and visit with Andrew and Brianna and Amy. Lora works tonight so she will be sleeping, but we will have a good visit with the young uns.
It is cold this morning, but little or no snow on the pass, so we should have an uneventful drive.
As long as he has been in that school, we have always have been able to attend.
So, when Matt called Friday, all full of apologies for not telling us sooner, this weeks plans were changed.
Matt (Sid and Arline's youngest) lives 3 1/2 hours away, so it will be a good afternoon drive.
I like to talk to Matt's teachers. He makes a face at what I tell them, but secretly he is glad I care. I tell the teachers that Matt is bright and capable and to please not let him get away with sloppy work. And you can quite me if you need to.
Teachers catch heck from students family much more than they get compliments. That is too bad. They deserve better.
On the way home toorrow we will stop and visit with Andrew and Brianna and Amy. Lora works tonight so she will be sleeping, but we will have a good visit with the young uns.
It is cold this morning, but little or no snow on the pass, so we should have an uneventful drive.
happy day after birthday Sid!
Yesterday was Sid's birthday.
Sid is my longest son in law. He may be the tallest too.
For as long as I can remember he has been married to the lovely Arline, my firstborn daughter.
Of all of my daughters I have loved her the longest!
Sid is in the same category.
Happy day after your birthday Sid!
And,
It was also Ray's birthday.Betty and Ray moved her a long time ago. They had a daughter the same age as one of ours, and we were drawn together. That friendship has gone 30 years and it has been a good one.
So Happy day after to you too Ray.
Sid is my longest son in law. He may be the tallest too.
For as long as I can remember he has been married to the lovely Arline, my firstborn daughter.
Of all of my daughters I have loved her the longest!
Sid is in the same category.
Happy day after your birthday Sid!
And,
It was also Ray's birthday.Betty and Ray moved her a long time ago. They had a daughter the same age as one of ours, and we were drawn together. That friendship has gone 30 years and it has been a good one.
So Happy day after to you too Ray.
Friday, November 13, 2009
spam
First time I had span on this site. Guess i was lucky.
I could not figure a way to delete just the comment, so i took out the whole message.
It was about getting Davey board.
If there is a way to remove comments would someone tell me how. Please
I could not figure a way to delete just the comment, so i took out the whole message.
It was about getting Davey board.
If there is a way to remove comments would someone tell me how. Please
from the comics, again
Born Looser:
I bought a new puppy -- It's a Portuguese Water Dog.
I didn't know you speak Portuguese.
I don't.
Then how is the dog going to understand your commands?
Maybe that is what is wrong with Leo, I need to learn Italian!
I bought a new puppy -- It's a Portuguese Water Dog.
I didn't know you speak Portuguese.
I don't.
Then how is the dog going to understand your commands?
Maybe that is what is wrong with Leo, I need to learn Italian!
it was a dream
Emily was 3 or 4 in my dream. She was sitting in the floor crying and saying: “I not stinky.” and then she cried some more.
Apparently Grandma had described her condition and Em had taken exception. Grandma had gone to start the bath water.
I called: “Come here Emily.” She came over to me an she was stinky.
I picked her up and wrapping my gorilla arms around her. She stopped crying.
“Papa loves you. He will always love you.”
I don’t want Em to be 3 or 4 again. She is growing to be a very beautiful lady and I am proud of her, but I can be forgiven if I look back at those days with a bit of nostalgia.
Rumor is that the other grandkids were in a similar condition from time to time, but they did’t spend as much time in my house. They lived further away. And when they were in my house and in a similar position, there was a mother hovering around to solve such problems.
The Big Guy upstairs says the same thing to me. “Yes, you are a stinker, but you are My stinker and I love you.”
I love you Emily. I always will.
(Same goes for Joshua and Jessica and Matthew and Brianna and Ben and Alan and Griffith and Andrew and David and Amy, who is still the littlest of them all! I love you guys.)
Apparently Grandma had described her condition and Em had taken exception. Grandma had gone to start the bath water.
I called: “Come here Emily.” She came over to me an she was stinky.
I picked her up and wrapping my gorilla arms around her. She stopped crying.
“Papa loves you. He will always love you.”
I don’t want Em to be 3 or 4 again. She is growing to be a very beautiful lady and I am proud of her, but I can be forgiven if I look back at those days with a bit of nostalgia.
Rumor is that the other grandkids were in a similar condition from time to time, but they did’t spend as much time in my house. They lived further away. And when they were in my house and in a similar position, there was a mother hovering around to solve such problems.
The Big Guy upstairs says the same thing to me. “Yes, you are a stinker, but you are My stinker and I love you.”
I love you Emily. I always will.
(Same goes for Joshua and Jessica and Matthew and Brianna and Ben and Alan and Griffith and Andrew and David and Amy, who is still the littlest of them all! I love you guys.)
Thursday, November 12, 2009
move
I am moving my small art studio.
That does not sound difficult, but it gets complex.
The studio I have been using is small (which is workable) and it was well insulated in the old days but now with retirement financial restrictions, heating it in cold weather with an electric heater is not so good.
Then there is the issue of downsizing, of getting rid of things and stuff and junk we no longer need or will use.
There is another space, a tiny bit larger that is next to my wood shop in the same building. It is not much better insulated, but that can be upgraded quite easily. I used to have my cabinet shop office in that space. It is a decent space with a 9 foot ceiling (lots of room for tall shelves!).
Back before she retired I told miriam I would make her a ceramic studio in that space and that promise and the firestorm that any out loud consideration produced, put any move on the back burner. But ceramics is a spendy hobby to setup, and she the time when she could do the work has past I fear.
So, moving my studio to a more friendly and easier to heat space makes more sense.
So I began working on making that studio work. The window had a broken pane, so I installed a new window that I had left over from a job, and began relocating all of the stuff inside the space.
I have worked on it all week, quite steadily. It is looking good. It will be a good place to work, and as a bonus, it has a nice window that looks over a very private space. The law of unintended consequences is at work here too.
The walls need paint and the trim on the doors and the base needs to be changed, and the lights can be upgraded and and and!
What was I thinking, I wonder at times. I am not always sure.
That does not sound difficult, but it gets complex.
The studio I have been using is small (which is workable) and it was well insulated in the old days but now with retirement financial restrictions, heating it in cold weather with an electric heater is not so good.
Then there is the issue of downsizing, of getting rid of things and stuff and junk we no longer need or will use.
There is another space, a tiny bit larger that is next to my wood shop in the same building. It is not much better insulated, but that can be upgraded quite easily. I used to have my cabinet shop office in that space. It is a decent space with a 9 foot ceiling (lots of room for tall shelves!).
Back before she retired I told miriam I would make her a ceramic studio in that space and that promise and the firestorm that any out loud consideration produced, put any move on the back burner. But ceramics is a spendy hobby to setup, and she the time when she could do the work has past I fear.
So, moving my studio to a more friendly and easier to heat space makes more sense.
So I began working on making that studio work. The window had a broken pane, so I installed a new window that I had left over from a job, and began relocating all of the stuff inside the space.
I have worked on it all week, quite steadily. It is looking good. It will be a good place to work, and as a bonus, it has a nice window that looks over a very private space. The law of unintended consequences is at work here too.
The walls need paint and the trim on the doors and the base needs to be changed, and the lights can be upgraded and and and!
What was I thinking, I wonder at times. I am not always sure.
for a while, the last please
In the last week and a bit, we have been to three funerals.
All were women, all were friends.
One was a year younger than my mother would have been. One was within a few months of my age, an one the age of a beloved daughter of mine.
They were all good women.
Elizabeth, who was born a year after my mother, came to our town some years ago when her granddaughter was going through a divorce and had three small children. She told her son that granddaughter needed her.
She did what had to be done and a lot more. Her grandson, who is about 12, wept deeply at the service. She had been there his whole life. He, above all, will miss her.
Grandmothers are so special. If you have one, hug her, write her, call her. If you do not, find a “grandmother” that needs a bit of attention and adopt her!
All were women, all were friends.
One was a year younger than my mother would have been. One was within a few months of my age, an one the age of a beloved daughter of mine.
They were all good women.
Elizabeth, who was born a year after my mother, came to our town some years ago when her granddaughter was going through a divorce and had three small children. She told her son that granddaughter needed her.
She did what had to be done and a lot more. Her grandson, who is about 12, wept deeply at the service. She had been there his whole life. He, above all, will miss her.
Grandmothers are so special. If you have one, hug her, write her, call her. If you do not, find a “grandmother” that needs a bit of attention and adopt her!
Monday, November 9, 2009
switch
My head is seriously hijacked -- often.
Those catchy little tunes, often that have little or no meaning, but stick like ugly glue, you know the one?
Sometimes I pick one up at church and days later my head is still going in circles with that tune.
Sometimes a bit of Tchaikovsky or Brahms drowns the hijacker out, and sometimes it just has to live its life. And sometimes the demon is a phrase from the aforementioned composer.
And if there are words, they muddle and change into something totally different.
Wish I had a switch.
Those catchy little tunes, often that have little or no meaning, but stick like ugly glue, you know the one?
Sometimes I pick one up at church and days later my head is still going in circles with that tune.
Sometimes a bit of Tchaikovsky or Brahms drowns the hijacker out, and sometimes it just has to live its life. And sometimes the demon is a phrase from the aforementioned composer.
And if there are words, they muddle and change into something totally different.
Wish I had a switch.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
goodbye my friend
Joan’s family handled the whole thing differently.
When we have a death in my sub sub culture, we usually have some sort of a memorial service at the church. The service is followed by a dinner for the family of the diseased sponsored by members of the church.
But Joan’s family do it differently.
The service was grave side. The weather was good. Her younger son, Dennis, gave a beautiful eulogy. She was an only child, born in Anchorage Alaska, raised in the Seattle area and met her beloved in southern California. He was in the middle of 7 siblings, so she instantly had a huge family.
He said that she would call for him, often: “You come here Buster Brown.” He said he was 9 before he figured it out that his name was not Buster Brown.
We said good bye to Joan.
Then the whole party was invited to a buffet dinner at the college cafeteria. Good food was provided. I took Miriam with me to the service, but we were taking care of Lynda’s mom, so I took her back and went alone.
I had an appointment quite soon after the dinner began, so I could not stay too long. I had not intended to even eat. I talked with Dennis and explained my dilemma.
People were offered time to speak about Joan. She was in my study group at church and had been for a decade or longer. The group was very important to her. I was asked to speak. I went first.
Joan, I said, was a classy lady and we will miss her. She had a constant smile, even when she hurt inside. After her beloved Art died a few years ago, she carved out a good life for herself, a life that tragically was cut short.
Our group will not be the same without her.
It has been said that none of us are indispensable, but I disagree. The world may go on without us, but no one will ever take our place to our family or our friends.
There will always be a void where Joan and Art were.
You were a good woman, Joan. We are proud to have been your friend.
When we have a death in my sub sub culture, we usually have some sort of a memorial service at the church. The service is followed by a dinner for the family of the diseased sponsored by members of the church.
But Joan’s family do it differently.
The service was grave side. The weather was good. Her younger son, Dennis, gave a beautiful eulogy. She was an only child, born in Anchorage Alaska, raised in the Seattle area and met her beloved in southern California. He was in the middle of 7 siblings, so she instantly had a huge family.
He said that she would call for him, often: “You come here Buster Brown.” He said he was 9 before he figured it out that his name was not Buster Brown.
We said good bye to Joan.
Then the whole party was invited to a buffet dinner at the college cafeteria. Good food was provided. I took Miriam with me to the service, but we were taking care of Lynda’s mom, so I took her back and went alone.
I had an appointment quite soon after the dinner began, so I could not stay too long. I had not intended to even eat. I talked with Dennis and explained my dilemma.
People were offered time to speak about Joan. She was in my study group at church and had been for a decade or longer. The group was very important to her. I was asked to speak. I went first.
Joan, I said, was a classy lady and we will miss her. She had a constant smile, even when she hurt inside. After her beloved Art died a few years ago, she carved out a good life for herself, a life that tragically was cut short.
Our group will not be the same without her.
It has been said that none of us are indispensable, but I disagree. The world may go on without us, but no one will ever take our place to our family or our friends.
There will always be a void where Joan and Art were.
You were a good woman, Joan. We are proud to have been your friend.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Thursday, November 5, 2009
another
Last night word came that one of my favorite grandmothers had passed on.
Elizabeth was in her mid 90's. She lived with her granddaughter in my town. Granddaughter is about the age of my daughters. Elizabeth was a tiny woman who was always smiling. In the last few months I have seen her decline, and I did not like that at all.
One of her great granddaughters, Gabrielle, is a good friend of Emily's. Every time Em was in town she was invited to Gaby's house for a spell.
All I can say now is that she was a wonderful woman, like another mother.
I am running out of mother figures.
Elizabeth was in her mid 90's. She lived with her granddaughter in my town. Granddaughter is about the age of my daughters. Elizabeth was a tiny woman who was always smiling. In the last few months I have seen her decline, and I did not like that at all.
One of her great granddaughters, Gabrielle, is a good friend of Emily's. Every time Em was in town she was invited to Gaby's house for a spell.
All I can say now is that she was a wonderful woman, like another mother.
I am running out of mother figures.
emily called
Yesterday Emily called.
She was walking from her house to the bus stop and as she often does, she called.
She was all bubbling about what a beautiful day it was in Portland and how much she loved fall and fall weather and how much she loved her school (her 3rd high school in two years). She was so happy, and I wished I could have walked with her and then give her a hug just before she got on the bus.
Her attitude was contagious. It was a good day here too. There was sun shine.
Indeed, fall is beautiful.
Life and fall, is what you make it, I think.
Thanks Emily.
She was walking from her house to the bus stop and as she often does, she called.
She was all bubbling about what a beautiful day it was in Portland and how much she loved fall and fall weather and how much she loved her school (her 3rd high school in two years). She was so happy, and I wished I could have walked with her and then give her a hug just before she got on the bus.
Her attitude was contagious. It was a good day here too. There was sun shine.
Indeed, fall is beautiful.
Life and fall, is what you make it, I think.
Thanks Emily.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
from the comics:
The Born Looser:
"Sigh. . . I was just thinking back on the good old days. . .
When I realized I don’t really have many good old days. . .
Mostly just mediocre days."
And from Garfield the cat:
"No matter how little I do . . .
. . .
. . . I always feel I could do less."
"Sigh. . . I was just thinking back on the good old days. . .
When I realized I don’t really have many good old days. . .
Mostly just mediocre days."
And from Garfield the cat:
"No matter how little I do . . .
. . .
. . . I always feel I could do less."
back home
We are back in our house again.
Spending time with Lynda’s mom was hardly a chore. She is a delightful lady, who, at almost 90 is legally blind, but has a good mind and a great memory.
The names here get complex. This is David my good friend. His wife is Lynda, who is not to be confused with my daughter Linda / Lia. We were staying in David and Lynda’s house looking after Lynda’s mother Dixie.
Grandma and Miriam made a good combination. Grandma could remember and Miriam could see. Lynda left me a 3 page set of instructions and I think we hit on all the high spots, but missed a few of the others, I am afraid. But, if we missed something important, grandma would remind us. That was good.
The biggest inconvenience for me was to have to cook in some one else’s kitchen yet again. I solved that partially by bringing frozen foods from home. Grandma said she liked my soups. I am glad. Not that she is hard to please. Miriam, as usual, did the cleanup and dishwashing. David will now have to find where she put things.
During the day, after breakfast, I would leave grandma and Miriam and go back to my house to work. We live about 3 or 4 blocks away, so traveling back and forth was not an issue
I do not often get time without Miriam around, so I made the most of it, clearing out a storage space and even giving away some of her unworn clothes. She won’t let me do any of that when she is around.
Like all trips, no matter where or how pleasant, it is good to be home. Glad David and Lynda had a safe trip.
I am glad David will be here through the winter.
Spending time with Lynda’s mom was hardly a chore. She is a delightful lady, who, at almost 90 is legally blind, but has a good mind and a great memory.
The names here get complex. This is David my good friend. His wife is Lynda, who is not to be confused with my daughter Linda / Lia. We were staying in David and Lynda’s house looking after Lynda’s mother Dixie.
Grandma and Miriam made a good combination. Grandma could remember and Miriam could see. Lynda left me a 3 page set of instructions and I think we hit on all the high spots, but missed a few of the others, I am afraid. But, if we missed something important, grandma would remind us. That was good.
The biggest inconvenience for me was to have to cook in some one else’s kitchen yet again. I solved that partially by bringing frozen foods from home. Grandma said she liked my soups. I am glad. Not that she is hard to please. Miriam, as usual, did the cleanup and dishwashing. David will now have to find where she put things.
During the day, after breakfast, I would leave grandma and Miriam and go back to my house to work. We live about 3 or 4 blocks away, so traveling back and forth was not an issue
I do not often get time without Miriam around, so I made the most of it, clearing out a storage space and even giving away some of her unworn clothes. She won’t let me do any of that when she is around.
Like all trips, no matter where or how pleasant, it is good to be home. Glad David and Lynda had a safe trip.
I am glad David will be here through the winter.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
funeral number one
It has been a weekend of funerals.
Two of my friends, both women, a generation apart, were put to rest this week.
The first service was Saturday afternoon. Our church has a capacity of about 500 and every seat was full. The parking lot was full.
Eulogies can have a little “who is that” about them. After all, why emphasize the departed’s foibles. But it is refreshing if there is a tiny balance, somewhere.
Jeanne did not know a stranger. She knew every kids name in the church, even those who just moved her last week. She also knew every one’s business, and remembered all the details.
It is not that she used that information for evil, she just knew.
Her two college age sons spoke eloquently about her as a mom, about their good times, and even about them arguing, but they never questioned her love.
The curious thing is that so many people attended but there was only a death notice in the paper. Her husband did not want an obituary and there was none. I can only guess the reason, and my guess is not particularly ennobling.
She was a good person who went way to soon. We worked together for some years in various church projects. She had the tendency to do more, to dominate, but she never shirked her duty.
I will miss her. I was an unflinching member of her fan club. RIP my friend.
Two of my friends, both women, a generation apart, were put to rest this week.
The first service was Saturday afternoon. Our church has a capacity of about 500 and every seat was full. The parking lot was full.
Eulogies can have a little “who is that” about them. After all, why emphasize the departed’s foibles. But it is refreshing if there is a tiny balance, somewhere.
Jeanne did not know a stranger. She knew every kids name in the church, even those who just moved her last week. She also knew every one’s business, and remembered all the details.
It is not that she used that information for evil, she just knew.
Her two college age sons spoke eloquently about her as a mom, about their good times, and even about them arguing, but they never questioned her love.
The curious thing is that so many people attended but there was only a death notice in the paper. Her husband did not want an obituary and there was none. I can only guess the reason, and my guess is not particularly ennobling.
She was a good person who went way to soon. We worked together for some years in various church projects. She had the tendency to do more, to dominate, but she never shirked her duty.
I will miss her. I was an unflinching member of her fan club. RIP my friend.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
work ethic
It has been a cold rainy week.
There was work that I could do outside, but most of my outside work has past the “must do” stage to the “I should do” or even the “if I get around to it” stage.
So I spent a good bit of time in my little studio.
But my brain kept doing these evil tricks with me.
“Why are you goofing off in the studio, when you should be working.” It is hard to quiet that voice. I suppose I could blame my mother, but I don’t think that will work. Miriam’s mom would catch her doing art work and would tell her to stop and do something important.
But I still was struggling with that work thing. I am an old guy, thoroughly retired and living easy on the land, but feeling a twitch of guilt.
Truth is that one of the few times I have been able to work on art and not feel like I was flaking out, was when I was in graduate school. I had a studio in an old dormitory, 12 by 16 feet of solid concrete. It had electricity, a window, heat and AC and it was all mine for a few years.
Maybe once again, I could trick my over trained brain into thinking that my studio is my “job” which it was, at that time.
I am working on it. Some of my art projects are useful, some will go for gifts and some are just whimsical. Right now I am working on a small book: 2 ½ by 4, with about 500 pages and a wood cover.
Not much use for such a thing, and I think I’ll make a box just for that book when I am finished.
Some one once said that real fine art has no practical use, that the value is purely sensory. This one should be high art then!
There was work that I could do outside, but most of my outside work has past the “must do” stage to the “I should do” or even the “if I get around to it” stage.
So I spent a good bit of time in my little studio.
But my brain kept doing these evil tricks with me.
“Why are you goofing off in the studio, when you should be working.” It is hard to quiet that voice. I suppose I could blame my mother, but I don’t think that will work. Miriam’s mom would catch her doing art work and would tell her to stop and do something important.
But I still was struggling with that work thing. I am an old guy, thoroughly retired and living easy on the land, but feeling a twitch of guilt.
Truth is that one of the few times I have been able to work on art and not feel like I was flaking out, was when I was in graduate school. I had a studio in an old dormitory, 12 by 16 feet of solid concrete. It had electricity, a window, heat and AC and it was all mine for a few years.
Maybe once again, I could trick my over trained brain into thinking that my studio is my “job” which it was, at that time.
I am working on it. Some of my art projects are useful, some will go for gifts and some are just whimsical. Right now I am working on a small book: 2 ½ by 4, with about 500 pages and a wood cover.
Not much use for such a thing, and I think I’ll make a box just for that book when I am finished.
Some one once said that real fine art has no practical use, that the value is purely sensory. This one should be high art then!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
open air canning
The stove on the left sterilizes the jars, the little one burner in the right center keeps the lids hot and sterile, and the stove on the right runs the steamer.
I ran all three stoves almost continuously for two days went through a gallon of stove fuel, but got the grapes all juiced.
And what i spilled on the "floor" will fertilize the grass!
Had I harvested the grapes a week earlier I would have gotten more, but the pesky birds got ALL of the red and white seedless grapes. Still I got about 60 quarts from the purple grapes.
Good stuff!
content
There are always people worse off.
A friend attends a support group (his wife is in final stages of AD). He says one reason he goes is to find others whose life is worse than his.
That motive is a bit problematic, it seems. Still, there is a point there.
Last night on PBS there was an hour long piece about people whose lives have been changed by the recession. Big changes.
So many good hard working people in their 50’s simply will not find work again that was comparable to what they did before. So much misery.
So I come back to my modes little life. We are warm, we are fed - we have a few luxuries (home made muffins for breakfast). But that does not make me feel a lot better. My children are not homeless, but all are struggling. One sold her house. She needs more flexibility in her life and home ownership (overblown advantage sometimes) is not always a positive.
She moved into a newer, larger, nicer house for a good hunk less money. In her area houses are difficult to sell, her advisors tell her. Some people cannot give their houses away, she was told.
There was a chap in the Big Book who looked at someone of a lower class, who he perceived as being less fortunate then him and said something like: “Thank god I am not like him.” The story ends with a rebuke.
So I want to put it in terms of being thankful for my little life. Contentment is a gift, as is gratitude, I think.
A friend attends a support group (his wife is in final stages of AD). He says one reason he goes is to find others whose life is worse than his.
That motive is a bit problematic, it seems. Still, there is a point there.
Last night on PBS there was an hour long piece about people whose lives have been changed by the recession. Big changes.
So many good hard working people in their 50’s simply will not find work again that was comparable to what they did before. So much misery.
So I come back to my modes little life. We are warm, we are fed - we have a few luxuries (home made muffins for breakfast). But that does not make me feel a lot better. My children are not homeless, but all are struggling. One sold her house. She needs more flexibility in her life and home ownership (overblown advantage sometimes) is not always a positive.
She moved into a newer, larger, nicer house for a good hunk less money. In her area houses are difficult to sell, her advisors tell her. Some people cannot give their houses away, she was told.
There was a chap in the Big Book who looked at someone of a lower class, who he perceived as being less fortunate then him and said something like: “Thank god I am not like him.” The story ends with a rebuke.
So I want to put it in terms of being thankful for my little life. Contentment is a gift, as is gratitude, I think.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
aloneness
Friends come and go.
Lately I have lost a whole lot more friends than I have gained. That happens a lot easier than I might have thought.
Some made the final journey. Some have just gotten tired of my shtick. Some moved away, or I moved.
I had a good friend in Texas. We spent a lot of time talking, mostly about computers. But in time we ran out of something to talk about. We just did not have enough in common to pursue another subject or subjects.
And, there is glue. My wise cousin (I have several) once said that if he was not related to his brother they would not even be friends. Blood binds us. So does church.
But even the friendship of closeness changes. Grandkids grow up and have their own very busy lives. They are not “unfriendly” just other friendly. Grandpa becomes more of a luxury than a necessity.
Right now I am feeling the loss, sometimes feeling quite alone.
Miriam has been my best friend for most of my life (literally), but her ability to use her cognitive skills have gone. And I am feeling a degree of loneliness to which I am not accustomed.
The upside is that I am as much a loner as a social being. I do not resent being alone,
Artists are like that, I am told.
Lately I have lost a whole lot more friends than I have gained. That happens a lot easier than I might have thought.
Some made the final journey. Some have just gotten tired of my shtick. Some moved away, or I moved.
I had a good friend in Texas. We spent a lot of time talking, mostly about computers. But in time we ran out of something to talk about. We just did not have enough in common to pursue another subject or subjects.
And, there is glue. My wise cousin (I have several) once said that if he was not related to his brother they would not even be friends. Blood binds us. So does church.
But even the friendship of closeness changes. Grandkids grow up and have their own very busy lives. They are not “unfriendly” just other friendly. Grandpa becomes more of a luxury than a necessity.
Right now I am feeling the loss, sometimes feeling quite alone.
Miriam has been my best friend for most of my life (literally), but her ability to use her cognitive skills have gone. And I am feeling a degree of loneliness to which I am not accustomed.
The upside is that I am as much a loner as a social being. I do not resent being alone,
Artists are like that, I am told.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Jeanne and Joan
In less than a day I lost two of my women friends -- to cancer.
Joan was the smiling member of my bible study group. She was kind and considerate, and loved by all.
Jeanne was my assistant in the Deacon/Deaconess department at the church. When Jeanne saw something that needed to be done she did it with all of her might.
They were both good women and I will miss them.
Joan was the smiling member of my bible study group. She was kind and considerate, and loved by all.
Jeanne was my assistant in the Deacon/Deaconess department at the church. When Jeanne saw something that needed to be done she did it with all of her might.
They were both good women and I will miss them.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
confession
Much to my friends aggravation, I am an environmentalist.
It would be easier to be a communist in this state, and many consider them one and the same.
My favorite America conservative politician was an avid environmentalist. He was also a really great photographer. But that was a long time ago.
It is easy to push each other into big uncomfortable categories. Unless we are unduly shaped by an outside sources, most of our values and life limits are a mix, some of us have a real blender mix of ideas. But we still find ourselves pushed into these big generalizing categories.
At the least it would seem that it is our duty as citizens (not to mention christian citizens) to treat God’s creation with a modicum of respect. Nature was intended to be used, but not abused. Unfortunately it is easier to destroy than to nurture.
Christians who are sure that the 2nd coming is so soon that caring for our surrounding is a waste of time, might want to remember that every generation since the christian era began has had more than a few who were sure that their generation would be the last.
And as the old curmudgeon Edward Abbey once advised: "One final paragraph of advice: Do not burn yourself out. Be as I am-a reluctant enthusiast... a part time crusader, a half-hearted fanatic. Save the other half of yourselves and your lives for pleasure and adventure. It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it is still there. So get out there and mess around with your friends, ramble out yonder and explore the forests, encounter the grizz, climb the mountains. Run the rivers, breathe deep of that yet sweet and lucid air, sit quietly for a while and contemplate the precious stillness, that lovely, mysterious and awesome space. Enjoy yourselves, keep your brain in your head and your head firmly attached to your body, the body active and alive, and I promise you this much: I promise you this one sweet victory over our enemies, over those desk bound people with their hearts in a safe deposit box and their eyes hypnotized by desk calculators. I promise you this: you will outlive the bastards."”
I didn’t say that word, I just quoted the man!
It would be easier to be a communist in this state, and many consider them one and the same.
My favorite America conservative politician was an avid environmentalist. He was also a really great photographer. But that was a long time ago.
It is easy to push each other into big uncomfortable categories. Unless we are unduly shaped by an outside sources, most of our values and life limits are a mix, some of us have a real blender mix of ideas. But we still find ourselves pushed into these big generalizing categories.
At the least it would seem that it is our duty as citizens (not to mention christian citizens) to treat God’s creation with a modicum of respect. Nature was intended to be used, but not abused. Unfortunately it is easier to destroy than to nurture.
Christians who are sure that the 2nd coming is so soon that caring for our surrounding is a waste of time, might want to remember that every generation since the christian era began has had more than a few who were sure that their generation would be the last.
And as the old curmudgeon Edward Abbey once advised: "One final paragraph of advice: Do not burn yourself out. Be as I am-a reluctant enthusiast... a part time crusader, a half-hearted fanatic. Save the other half of yourselves and your lives for pleasure and adventure. It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it is still there. So get out there and mess around with your friends, ramble out yonder and explore the forests, encounter the grizz, climb the mountains. Run the rivers, breathe deep of that yet sweet and lucid air, sit quietly for a while and contemplate the precious stillness, that lovely, mysterious and awesome space. Enjoy yourselves, keep your brain in your head and your head firmly attached to your body, the body active and alive, and I promise you this much: I promise you this one sweet victory over our enemies, over those desk bound people with their hearts in a safe deposit box and their eyes hypnotized by desk calculators. I promise you this: you will outlive the bastards."”
I didn’t say that word, I just quoted the man!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Happy Happy Jessica
Today is Jessica’s 16th birthday.
For me it has been a short/long time since she was born, to her it has been forever.
Jess is the oldest of our granddaughters. We had 4 grandsons in a row and we were ready to have an all boy grandlist, but along comes Jessica and changes it all.
I am very proud of Jessica. She is tall and beautiful. She works very hard and has her head properly screwed on.
In reality I don’t mind Jess having birthdays, except for one small matter: Whenever she has one, I have one seven months and two days later, but, as they say who is counting!
Happy birthday Jessica.
For me it has been a short/long time since she was born, to her it has been forever.
Jess is the oldest of our granddaughters. We had 4 grandsons in a row and we were ready to have an all boy grandlist, but along comes Jessica and changes it all.
I am very proud of Jessica. She is tall and beautiful. She works very hard and has her head properly screwed on.
In reality I don’t mind Jess having birthdays, except for one small matter: Whenever she has one, I have one seven months and two days later, but, as they say who is counting!
Happy birthday Jessica.
Monday, October 19, 2009
sisters
+with+sisters.jpg)
My maternal grandmother and her sisters about 1910.
Grandma is the 2nd from the right.
Both of their parents had emigrated to the US from Denmark, as adults.
Grandpa came to avoid going into the army!
my neighbor the squirrel
I was sitting in a lawn chair on the back lawn, thinking and writing in my garden journal.
Each year I hope that the next garden will be better in a host of ways, and I was deep into thinking and writing.
Then I noticed movement. A squirrel came down the grape arbor (a row of grapes vines a hundred and some feet long). She (can’t prove that one) had a big walnut in her mouth.
The closest producing walnut tree is 75 or 100 yards away. There was a tree closer but it was cut down earlier. Where did this nut come from? I can only guess.
The squirrel stopped and ran up a grape vine trunk and stared at me for a long time. I was 20 or 30 feet away.
Then she made a beeline to my garden and the soft dirt where I grew peppers this year. She looked at me briefly, then dug a hole, buried the nut, back filled the hole and tamped it down. Then she scurried away.
Just for fun I’ll mark the spot to check and see if she comes back and gets the nut or whether I have another seedling walnut tree! I don’t need another and have no real place to put one.
But this is how the little lady stores her food and spreads the bounty for later. That nut might be dinner some cold winter day, and it might be a seedling come spring.
I share with the critters but they can be greedy too. More on that tomorrow.
Each year I hope that the next garden will be better in a host of ways, and I was deep into thinking and writing.
Then I noticed movement. A squirrel came down the grape arbor (a row of grapes vines a hundred and some feet long). She (can’t prove that one) had a big walnut in her mouth.
The closest producing walnut tree is 75 or 100 yards away. There was a tree closer but it was cut down earlier. Where did this nut come from? I can only guess.
The squirrel stopped and ran up a grape vine trunk and stared at me for a long time. I was 20 or 30 feet away.
Then she made a beeline to my garden and the soft dirt where I grew peppers this year. She looked at me briefly, then dug a hole, buried the nut, back filled the hole and tamped it down. Then she scurried away.
Just for fun I’ll mark the spot to check and see if she comes back and gets the nut or whether I have another seedling walnut tree! I don’t need another and have no real place to put one.
But this is how the little lady stores her food and spreads the bounty for later. That nut might be dinner some cold winter day, and it might be a seedling come spring.
I share with the critters but they can be greedy too. More on that tomorrow.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
gardening season
Gardening season is about over for another year.
That is both bad and good. A big garden can be a lot of work, but the goodies are more than reward. For me gardening is as much therapy as food. I still have Kale that will be eatable all winter and the cold frame has some salad greens, but mostly it is over.
Yesterday I backed the big flat bed trailer up to the garden and began loading debris that does not compost easily. I cut the tops off all of the asparagus, pulled out the tomato and pepper plants, stacked the tomato supports and got ready to attack the corn patch.
This morning I am going to make some peach crisp. Never heard of such a thing but as daughter said: why not? I was going to make a peach cobbler but the recipe called for an egg. We are out and grocery shopping day / pay day is later this week.
The freezer is full of the bounty, the fruit jars will be full after the grapes. Grandsons are anxious that I bring some grape juice Thanksgiving.
I wil miss grabbing a knife and heading out to the garden to get fresh veggies for dinner.
We gardeners dream of “next year,” the rows will all be straight, the strawberries red and the weeds will magically disappear. Already my garden journal already has pages of notes for next year.
Pilots “hanger fly.” When they can’t be flying they sit and talk about it. I “paper garden.” Soon seed catalogs will begin to arrive!
That is both bad and good. A big garden can be a lot of work, but the goodies are more than reward. For me gardening is as much therapy as food. I still have Kale that will be eatable all winter and the cold frame has some salad greens, but mostly it is over.
Yesterday I backed the big flat bed trailer up to the garden and began loading debris that does not compost easily. I cut the tops off all of the asparagus, pulled out the tomato and pepper plants, stacked the tomato supports and got ready to attack the corn patch.
This morning I am going to make some peach crisp. Never heard of such a thing but as daughter said: why not? I was going to make a peach cobbler but the recipe called for an egg. We are out and grocery shopping day / pay day is later this week.
The freezer is full of the bounty, the fruit jars will be full after the grapes. Grandsons are anxious that I bring some grape juice Thanksgiving.
I wil miss grabbing a knife and heading out to the garden to get fresh veggies for dinner.
We gardeners dream of “next year,” the rows will all be straight, the strawberries red and the weeds will magically disappear. Already my garden journal already has pages of notes for next year.
Pilots “hanger fly.” When they can’t be flying they sit and talk about it. I “paper garden.” Soon seed catalogs will begin to arrive!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
cars
Spendy little critters, on a good day, but important to our life out here I the rugged west.
Today I get Miriam’s little car. It has been in the shop all week. The repair price is about half the “book” value of the car, but that number is skewed, I fear. My back up account will take a hit on that one.
I like to buy as nice a car as I can afford and then drive it the rest of it’s reliable life. At 17 this car is still an acceptable ride. Miriam gave her good care. Mile wise, it is about at it’s half life now.
GM never made the best cars I the world, and this is not an example of their best work, but it is a solid little buzzer. It is noisy and it rides hard. But in the years we have owned it, we have put remarkably small amounts of money into maintenance. Not a great car for sure, but a pretty solid one.
Maintenance is crucial for a long term keeper car. I am not a mechanic, so when there was a problem I found a good mechanic and paid them to repair it. I have used the same shop for a decade. They know me by my name or by my cars! “This is Dave with the Blue Cavalier” and they know exactly who they are talking to!
Once again the guys with the chrome plated tools have done their magic. The shop foreman, a man named “Sparky,” tells me that it is solid now, that this model has a weakness with the head gasket and that yes, they have replaced a good number of them.
This little blue critter is not overly afflicted with creature comforts, but it has a good AC, that is wonderful in summer, and in winter the heater works well.
Compared to my father’s brand new 1940 Ford, this car is pure luxury!
Today I get Miriam’s little car. It has been in the shop all week. The repair price is about half the “book” value of the car, but that number is skewed, I fear. My back up account will take a hit on that one.
I like to buy as nice a car as I can afford and then drive it the rest of it’s reliable life. At 17 this car is still an acceptable ride. Miriam gave her good care. Mile wise, it is about at it’s half life now.
GM never made the best cars I the world, and this is not an example of their best work, but it is a solid little buzzer. It is noisy and it rides hard. But in the years we have owned it, we have put remarkably small amounts of money into maintenance. Not a great car for sure, but a pretty solid one.
Maintenance is crucial for a long term keeper car. I am not a mechanic, so when there was a problem I found a good mechanic and paid them to repair it. I have used the same shop for a decade. They know me by my name or by my cars! “This is Dave with the Blue Cavalier” and they know exactly who they are talking to!
Once again the guys with the chrome plated tools have done their magic. The shop foreman, a man named “Sparky,” tells me that it is solid now, that this model has a weakness with the head gasket and that yes, they have replaced a good number of them.
This little blue critter is not overly afflicted with creature comforts, but it has a good AC, that is wonderful in summer, and in winter the heater works well.
Compared to my father’s brand new 1940 Ford, this car is pure luxury!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
yes we can, i think
“I am a nurse, we can do it.”
That from my child bride.
My dear friend David is here with his wife and aged mother in law. Mom is about 90 and while she can get around OK she needs someone to be with her all the time. David and his wife do it well.
But they really need to go out of town for three days. Would Miriam and I be willing to look after mom? I am not good at looking after other people’s people. I am scared of all sorts of things, so I tried to wiggle out.
But when I got home I mentioned it to Miriam and got that response.
So, we will be hanging out at David’s house for a few days soon. Miriam can look after grandma mostly, and I will cook and wonder (and wander too?).
There are not many people in this world who would ask me to do that and there are even fewer that would get a positive answer from me, but good friends are not that easy to find.
I know we will be OK.
That from my child bride.
My dear friend David is here with his wife and aged mother in law. Mom is about 90 and while she can get around OK she needs someone to be with her all the time. David and his wife do it well.
But they really need to go out of town for three days. Would Miriam and I be willing to look after mom? I am not good at looking after other people’s people. I am scared of all sorts of things, so I tried to wiggle out.
But when I got home I mentioned it to Miriam and got that response.
So, we will be hanging out at David’s house for a few days soon. Miriam can look after grandma mostly, and I will cook and wonder (and wander too?).
There are not many people in this world who would ask me to do that and there are even fewer that would get a positive answer from me, but good friends are not that easy to find.
I know we will be OK.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
'taters'
I planted a fair sized hunk of garden to potatoes: yellows, reds, whites.
This week it was time to dig and sort potatoes. And I did!
As much care as I had put into growing them my gopher friend put into eating them. Half of what I planted were Idaho Russets. Boy did Gopher like those. He ate, or ate at most of the crop!
He liked the Reds pretty well too, and ate a fair hunk of those too, but he did not like Yukon Golds at all, or didn’t get that far.
So now we have potatoes. The ironic part is that the whites keep the longest, and I have the fewest of those. So for now we are going to eat a LOT of yellow and red potatoes. That is not bad, they are very tasty.
Even then I got over a hundred pounds of good potatoes. Good thing we like to eat them!
But next year (gardeners live by next year) I have got to find a better location for friend gopher, maybe even gopher heaven.
This week it was time to dig and sort potatoes. And I did!
As much care as I had put into growing them my gopher friend put into eating them. Half of what I planted were Idaho Russets. Boy did Gopher like those. He ate, or ate at most of the crop!
He liked the Reds pretty well too, and ate a fair hunk of those too, but he did not like Yukon Golds at all, or didn’t get that far.
So now we have potatoes. The ironic part is that the whites keep the longest, and I have the fewest of those. So for now we are going to eat a LOT of yellow and red potatoes. That is not bad, they are very tasty.
Even then I got over a hundred pounds of good potatoes. Good thing we like to eat them!
But next year (gardeners live by next year) I have got to find a better location for friend gopher, maybe even gopher heaven.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
camping
In our part of the country it is often very warm in the day so the shade tent is very useful, but it can get quite chilly at night. So we carry both shade and warm blankets to use in the tear.
The Cavalier I bought for Miriam 17 years ago has some mechanical problems at the moment, so we were using the pickup. Room for a lot more stuff, but some how it lacks the discipline of limits.
loved
Some things are too nice to use.
Like that gold edged china that sits in our cupboard. We bought it at a yard sale from friends who got it somewhere else. Hasn’t had more than a meal or two on them in 20 years.
Rv’s fit into that category too. Particularly hand made teardrop trailers. There are some truly museum quality trailers out there. The wood is used expertly, the trip is perfect. They are truly a visual feast.
But how much are they really used?
Ours is a different story. I built it to use and we have. So far we have logged 9000 miles and slept in it for 85 nights. One night in a truck stop near Winnemucca, Nevada will hardly qualify as a good night sleep -- those truckers are noisy. And there was that night we drove from SF to Winnemucca in early December.
The thermometer I the Dodge read 6 degrees and we stopped in a rest area (among several much larger RV’s). It was bloody cold in that trailer and it took a LONG time to get it warmed up.
Sometimes, when the moon is nearly full, we have to throw a towel over a window because the light is so bright (the tear does not have curtains), but mainly I sleep extremely well, and so does Leo and Miriam!
My tear is not as wonderful made as many -- it cost a lot less to build than most, and it is lighter than almost any. But most of all it used and loved.
Like all things wood that are around water, this one has some maintenance issues, so after our last trip of the year (not done quite yet!) it goes into the shop for winter upgrade and maintenance.
Bill gave me a boat I enjoyed one year. He traded me back the boat for a ’56 Dodge car, which I sold, and used the cash to finance the building of the tear.
Thanks Bill!
Like that gold edged china that sits in our cupboard. We bought it at a yard sale from friends who got it somewhere else. Hasn’t had more than a meal or two on them in 20 years.
Rv’s fit into that category too. Particularly hand made teardrop trailers. There are some truly museum quality trailers out there. The wood is used expertly, the trip is perfect. They are truly a visual feast.
But how much are they really used?
Ours is a different story. I built it to use and we have. So far we have logged 9000 miles and slept in it for 85 nights. One night in a truck stop near Winnemucca, Nevada will hardly qualify as a good night sleep -- those truckers are noisy. And there was that night we drove from SF to Winnemucca in early December.
The thermometer I the Dodge read 6 degrees and we stopped in a rest area (among several much larger RV’s). It was bloody cold in that trailer and it took a LONG time to get it warmed up.
Sometimes, when the moon is nearly full, we have to throw a towel over a window because the light is so bright (the tear does not have curtains), but mainly I sleep extremely well, and so does Leo and Miriam!
My tear is not as wonderful made as many -- it cost a lot less to build than most, and it is lighter than almost any. But most of all it used and loved.
Like all things wood that are around water, this one has some maintenance issues, so after our last trip of the year (not done quite yet!) it goes into the shop for winter upgrade and maintenance.
Bill gave me a boat I enjoyed one year. He traded me back the boat for a ’56 Dodge car, which I sold, and used the cash to finance the building of the tear.
Thanks Bill!
Friday, October 9, 2009
The bank called
I am not in the habit of hearing from my bank. Used to be that one of the officers of the bank would call me in the morning if my account was in arrears, that stopped a long time ago!
But this time the line was different.
The lady identified herself and said: “I see some unusual activity on your bank account,” She said.
Now, I am an extremely small portion of their customer base, on a graph I would be so close to the line you could not see the space, but this time I was being asked about a charge on my debit card.
No I had not authorized that charge, nor another one just above it. I noticed the charge earlier in the day and was planning a trip to the bank to protest.
But, the bank called me instead. “Hmm.” she said, “Your account has been compromised. I am going to cancel your account immediately, and issue you a new card.”
Today I go into my branch bank where I know quite a few of the people and finish the arrangement.
I am still a bit amazed at what made them suspicious about that “unusual activity” and more than a bit pleased by their vigilance.
But this time the line was different.
The lady identified herself and said: “I see some unusual activity on your bank account,” She said.
Now, I am an extremely small portion of their customer base, on a graph I would be so close to the line you could not see the space, but this time I was being asked about a charge on my debit card.
No I had not authorized that charge, nor another one just above it. I noticed the charge earlier in the day and was planning a trip to the bank to protest.
But, the bank called me instead. “Hmm.” she said, “Your account has been compromised. I am going to cancel your account immediately, and issue you a new card.”
Today I go into my branch bank where I know quite a few of the people and finish the arrangement.
I am still a bit amazed at what made them suspicious about that “unusual activity” and more than a bit pleased by their vigilance.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
juice
I canned tomato juice yesterday.
We came home from out last trip to some frost, but lots of good ripe tomatoes. We picked all the ripe ones, even the cherry tomatoes before hard frost took them all. Yesterday I juiced and canned. The juice turned out to be a fairly thick, but should make great soup base).
Some small shell pasta, a pint of juice, a bit of flavoring (Miriam said I had a bit too much) and it was good with grilled cheese on fresh home made bread.
Along the way, I spent some time organizing our fruit shelves. They can get to be a real jungle, with good fruit buried. I found some 8 year old plums that will aid the compost pile, among other treasures.
We have half gallon jars that we will never use, and a few gallon ones. I don’t know if any one uses half gallon jars any more, but they are way too nice to just throw out.
Space for invention.
Now the pint jars that are what I prefer. The tomato juice I did yesterday went into pint jars, they seem about right for two people.
We came home from out last trip to some frost, but lots of good ripe tomatoes. We picked all the ripe ones, even the cherry tomatoes before hard frost took them all. Yesterday I juiced and canned. The juice turned out to be a fairly thick, but should make great soup base).
Some small shell pasta, a pint of juice, a bit of flavoring (Miriam said I had a bit too much) and it was good with grilled cheese on fresh home made bread.
Along the way, I spent some time organizing our fruit shelves. They can get to be a real jungle, with good fruit buried. I found some 8 year old plums that will aid the compost pile, among other treasures.
We have half gallon jars that we will never use, and a few gallon ones. I don’t know if any one uses half gallon jars any more, but they are way too nice to just throw out.
Space for invention.
Now the pint jars that are what I prefer. The tomato juice I did yesterday went into pint jars, they seem about right for two people.
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