Reflections on a Lazy Night

It's Beggar's Night in Grimes.

Answering the door falls to me, so

tonight's tasks can't be anything that needs

undivided attention.
With knitting and reading out of the question
this seemed like a good way
to occupy my time.

 

I've been enjoying the rhythms of the season.

Harvest has ended for many local farmers.

One has begun planting posts for

snow fencing.

 

The trees have been lovely.

Over the weekend we drove past a

fairly new tract of homes

and I was encouraged to see how many

new trees had been planted.

For some reason those spindly trunks topped by

their brilliant scarlet leaves

made a statement about young

(presumably young) homeowners

investing in the future

when a new patio set may 

have had a more immediate payoff.

 

I'm also feeling a certain

squirrel-like urgency in these last

 few days before daylight savings ends.

Darkness late into the morning  and

falling early in the evening

makes the day too short and too busy 

when there are projects to tackle!!

 

290/365 Lost Time

Darkness crowding both

Ends of day makes each minute

As precious as light.

289/365 Vagaries

Laugh, cry.  Black, white, red!

Short, long.  Together, alone.

Today, tomorrow.

288/365 Secrets

Shining eyes disclose

The excitement that careful

Wording seeks to hide.

287/365 Mixed Reactions

Joy and sorrow, at

Times, sit too closely making

Our tears bittersweet.

286/365 October Morn

Scarlet leaves atop

Thin branches quiver, touched by

Autumn’s frosty air.

285/365 October Outing

Sunshine, reflected

In smiling faces, warms a

Lovely afternoon.

Friday!?

Did your week pass as quickly as mine?

 

Two days were spent sitting in

the dark as training sessions introduced 

the staff to a new cataloging/records

system for the library.

That kind of disruption in normal routines

always challenges my sense of

days/time.

You know that feeling, right?

 

It has been a productive week, though.

Furniture has been re-arranged.

Closets and cupboards addressed.

And with the onset of colder days my

kitchen has seen some action.

 

These two ideas/recipes were from

Pinterest:

 

 These pumpkin muffins contain just a dab

of molasses which makes them so

moist and mellow.

 

The apple chips - easy and oh, so tasty -

were a hit at work.

 

So I started thinking...

why wouldn't this work with potatoes?

 

Guess what's in my oven?

 

I used our garden potatoes - flavorful! -

 tried different thicknesses

sprinkled salt

and added cayenne to a small sample.

 

The very thin slices took hardly any time

to crisp and were so delicious!

Yes, that past tense is correct. 

 

My mantra for the rest of the day is

Mustsavesomefortim.

 

 

284/365 Refuge

From low‘ring clouds and

Spitting rain throughout the day

The warmth of home calls.

283/365 For Pops

Certain events will

Prompt remembrances of those

Dear to us.  Go Cards!

282/365 Tuesday

Warm scents of baking

Fill the house holding biting

Winds and sleet at bay.

Ya Gotta love it!

For as long as I can remember

any occasion involving gifts

generally includes  a conversation

with Naphtali along these lines:

 

N - I got your present today.  Do you want to open it?

Me - No, I'll wait.

N - I found it at a little shop downtown,

it's gorgeous.  Do you want to open it?

Me - It's only a week - I'll wait.

N -You're really going to like it. 

Do you want me to tell you what it is?

Me - Really, I'm happy to wait.

 

Honestly, that routine is aired

several times each year.

 

When I arrived on Thursday afternoon

one of the first things she said to me was that

she had put my birthday present in my room.

With that in mind I should be excused

for taking a peek, right?

 

 

I did peek - it was only a bag - and

found four beautiful fabric bundles with

tags that didn't help me identify them.

 

 

So I commented on the beautiful fabric

- said thank you -

and asked if they are bath towels.

 

You guessed it:

Mom!  Those are for your birthday!

You weren't supposed to look yet!

 

Naphtali is a very generous gift-giver.

She loves to give, and

she loves the search for something special.

 

 

I think she scored, again,

with lovely foutas for my bathroom.

 

 

 

 

 



281/365 Family

Bound by durable,

Proven ties we take delight

 In shared memories

Tea Time

Several weeks ago,

while I was sick,

I drank copious amounts of

hot water with lemon and honey.

 

 

It made me think that maybe it was time to revisit

my quest to learn to drink tea.

After all, how much different would tea be?

So, I have been trying.

 

google images


I've worked my way
through a box of Lemon Zinger
-which in some minds may not even qualify as tea -
but it was progress.
Polite company would doubtless
look askance at the amount
of honey added to my cup, but it was progress.

More helpful, though, was that
I finally understood my difficulty with tea.
It's not the sweetness, but the lack of saturated flavor
that I miss.  Maybe double bagging would help.

Today, I've brought home a
 lemon-based green tea. 
Fresh lemon has been added, as has
ginger
cinnamon
and honey.
Less honey than I've been using.
Progress, I tell you, progress.
 

 



280/365 Sunday Routines

The familiar sounds

 Of home surround me like a

Favorite blanket.

Saturday Night

The day is winding to a close.

The radiators have us all feeling coddled

and a scrumptious dinner has put

us in a mellow frame of mind.

Chickpeas with cumin and tomatoes

fingerling potatoes roasted in olive oil and rosemary

grilled chicken breast

a salad that defies its simple designation

warm baguette with dates and feta.

 

How will we'll actually remember this evening?

A good meal after a busy day

served with love by candlelight.

Aidan whistling nonchalantly as he scootched

his chair toward the light switch.

Waving a cutting board under the fire alarm.

Several times.

Dogs inching closer to the table.

The butterscotch versus caramel debate.

Laughter.

Plenty of laughter.

 

Tomorrow will find us headed home

- trying to avoid construction delays -

and thinking about our own

projects to tackle before winter.

 

We have everything - and a few extras -

crossed off Naphtali's list

for  this weekend.

Her cottage is cozy and ready for

whatever weather comes their way.

Aidan's homework is done.

Grandpa is tired.

 

And we'd do it all again in a heartbeat.

279/365 Welcome

Cozy warmth spills out

The door as guests crowd in, cheered

By friendly voices.

278/365 October Afternoon

Pallid sunshine and

Chill winds conspire to hasten

Winter’s arrival.

Thursday Morning

Ooh! but it's dark and cold, now, in the early morning.

Bumps in my schedule have sent

me to the gym for the 6AM class

twice this week!

Once I'm up and out it's okay

but getting out of bed and ready to go

can be a challenge.

 

I do enjoy the different sights of an early morning

 (those that can be seen in the dark) like:

the reflective spots on the runners' shoes

 bobbing along the path

or

the moon - nearly full - hanging

huge, low and golden on the western horizon

or

the single light shining in a dark house

or

Traffic!?

a surprising amount for 5:37!

 

Today we'll head north for a weekend

with Naphtali and Aidan.

There are a few last details to attend

and then Charlie and I will hit the road.

Good times.

 

 

 

 



277/365 Early Morning

Winking tail lights trace

An intricate path as folks

Make their way to work.

276/365 Anticipation

Preparations add

to the growing excitement

surrounding a trip.

275/365 Slow Night

Crawling painfully

past each number the clock's hands

bring me no relief.

274/365 Windy Day

Russet, gold and green

Quiver against cloudless skies

As autumn winds blow.

Surrender

Who am I kidding?

 

There will be no wrap-it-all-up

posts to finish the trip to Oregon.

We returned about a month ago

 and I don't know how that is possible.

 

Much has - as it does - happened in the last month

and keeping up is enough of a challenge

without always trying to catch up.

 

So forget about a description of the

incredible fresh crab bisque

I enjoyed at the coast.

Not going to happen.

 

There will be no tales of

grilling fresh fish

fingerling potatoes from the garden or

steamer clams.

 

Fajitas

 featuring peppers, onions and tomatoes

from the garden?

You'll never hear about them.

 

Fresh eggs from backyard chickens?

Pretend it didn't happen.

 

The polite, handsome,

cowboy/students

who offered to replace our broken

windshield wipers in Laramie

will not get the ink the deserve.

 

The last blurry, rain-soaked

seventeen hours in the car to make it home

will simply remain a memory.

 

I'm through talking about it.

 

 

It's 5AM Monday morning and

I'm headed to the gym.

 

 

 



273/365 Autumn on the Lake

Crisp reflections on

Still water mirror scarlet

Accents set in gold.

272/365 Twilight

Tasks left for day’s end

Are rescheduled, as fading

Light forces a halt.

271/365 Friday Evening

Shared conversation

And food create mellow moods

And week’s end good will.

270/365 Peek-a-Boo Moon

October crescent

Hangs low above the roofline

Hidden by treetops.

269/365 Hummingbird

Green flash against clear

Azure sky seems misplaced as

Golden leaves languish.

268/365 Conspiracy Theory

Our best intentions

Are thwarted as well-meaning

Loved ones interrupt

267/365 Making Hay

Bold in the warm sun,

Marauding squirrels pilfer

Nearby bird feeders.

266/365 Fire

Flickering chatter

Warms the room holding the damp

Autumn night at bay.

Short Shrift

I'm afraid Mt. Hood and remaining portion of our trip

are going to be condensed.

 

 

Lessons from Daily Living 101

interfered with our plans

 for a day of hiking on Mt. Hood, but the necessary

phone calls were made,

details feel into place,

a late start was deemed better than no start

and we drove over to the mountain

on a cloudless afternoon.

 

Mt Hood is a beautiful sight. 

Unfortunately, an unexpected camera glitch left

me with no pictures.

You'd be right in guessing we took the long way

and enjoyed our glimpses of it's  

classic, snow-capped shape as the curving road

brought us closer.

 

Tim and I also went on our own

one afternoon when Jacob was working and

found Lucia and Moulton Falls

near Battle Ground, WA.

 

 

 We clambered around on the rocks,

Tim picked up bottles and cans left by

inconsiderate partyers,

and we marveled at the size of the trees.

This was the type of old Pacific coast forest region

that I'd been expecting.

 

Food?

The food deserves better treatment

than to be summarized thus:

it was great!

So I will put together one last post

soon.

 

 

 



265/365 Relaxation

Weekend rhythms slow

As homely concerns call for

 Leisurely efforts.

264/365 Sick Day

Of all the ways we

Express those “three little words”

Chicken soup’s matchless.

263/365 Waiting for the Rain

Dark clouds gather, pass,

Then re-form, through a long day

In which no rain falls.

Sauvie Island

The next stop on our recent travels

in Oregon was Sauvie Island.

Only 10 miles from Portland, Sauvie Island is

a blend of agriculture

and wildlife.  And shipping.  There are several camp grounds

and a marina of house boats.  It's one of Jacob's

favorite local spots.

 

 

My guess is that this is the Sauvie Island

excursion boat.

 

But this one is on its way to the ports.

As we stood there we googled the name of the ship

and were connected to a real-time gps signal

 tracking it - including our location - and its

progress toward Portland.

Who knew?

We drove through orchards and truck farms.

These are hydrangeas

- one of several fields -



 

and the were surrounded by fields of roses.

 

We stopped at a local market and bought

apples

sweet corn

pepper jelly

and a beautifully utilitarian market basket.

 

We followed a sign to a nearby orchard,

looking for gravensteins,

and heard some of the local

history/legends from a woman who grew up

on the island.

 

A good day.

262/365 Serendipity

Unexpected gems

Drop from unknowing lips to

Prompt inspiration.

261/365 Focus!

Sweeping second hands

Chides us about dawdling as

Deadlines creep nearer.