Trial Run

 

This is the 22 inch suitcase I purchased for the trip to Paris

in December.

 

 

Tomorrow we leave for a week's travel

to the East coast, which is always a favorite

destination.

 

I'm using this outing as a trial run

for the December trip.

My travel guru strongly urged using

only a carry-on bag

which will be a new experience for me.

 

So.  In this bag - this very small bag - I have

4 sleeveless/short sleeve layering pieces:

berry

gray

charcoal

ivory

4 long sleeve tees:

ivory

tan

charcoal

mustard

3 V-neck cashmere sweaters:

navy

gray

teal

3 button-front shirts:

denimish

gray/teal plaid

gray paisley(tunic length)

2 pants:

white cords

charcoal

1 navy skirt and tights

1 charcoal wool blazer

yoga pants. cami and oversize tee

undies and socks for a week

1 pair of shoes

1 pair of slippers

3 scarves

cosmetic bag

my kindle

assorted charging cords.

 

My tote bag holds:

 a small crossbody purse

several books

wallet

aspirin and other necessities

perfume

lipstick

pen

My watch,

pearl studs and

simple hoops are it for jewelry.

 

Tomorrow I'll wear:

 tall boots (tan)

navy pants

ivory vest

the 4th scarf

and a long sleeve tee.

(which I'll leave at Naphtali's and reclaim on our return)

There is also a weather-proof jacket

which will be thrown into the back of the car.

 

Naphtali and Aidan have offered/agreed

to keep Charlie for us while we're gone.

This is a chance for them to see how a dog would fit into

 the new school routines and

we're glad to leave him with family.

So our trip starts with an overnight in

Minneapolis, which is

always a treat.

 

It all works on paper so we'll see...

I went in today for a manicure

- I love the shellac -

so my nails will be lovely

- and indestructible -

for the duration.

 

The forecast for next week indicates mid to upper 60s

with the possibility of a 70 thrown into the mix.

Everything is set for a great time!

 

 

 

Accessories Count

 

We went to see Naphtali

and Aidan over the Memorial Day weekend.

We had a great time.

 

These were important parts of

"that look"

for Charlie and me.

 

 

I won't even try to tell Charlie's saga.

You'll have to be content knowing

he almost died,

but didn't.

 

My story will be abbreviated.

Hurt my foot,

saw the doctor - twice - and

have an MRI scheduled for next week.

I have hobbled, iced, elevated and tolerated

pain and activity for about two weeks.

 

 

 

 

 



Flotsam and Jetsom

It's snowing.

I've already shoveled twice today:

before I left for  the gym

and after my return.

My guess is an easy 6 inches so far,

and it's expected to continue through the night.

 

The library will close early

meaning I won't be working tonight.

So rather than entering my full-on

getting-ready-for-work-mode

I shall blog.

With a cup of hot chocolate

comfortably within reach. 

 

We had our first cross country skiing

experience over the weekend.

I will tell you that I'm willing to give it

 another try,

express thanks that no footage exists of our outing,

and then move on to a new subject.

 

Our trips to Minneapolis are always too short

and very busy.

This trip also included a

Chinese New Year celebration with Aidan

pizza and foosball

pot roast, roasted marshmallows

snow removal and

 our farewells to Proton.

 

 This:

 

called my name at the thrift store during a blitz stop.

I'm embarrassed to admit that

Naphtali was wearing it at the time.

We did the "Oh no, you should take it!"

routine for a couple  minutes

and then it was mine.

 

This is why I don't take pictures.

This sweater is the loveliest, lightest

 mohair concoction in a rich caramel color.

The collar

(I know "fur" is divisive)(but I love it)

creates a soft frame.

The smile it generates starts in my toes!

 

 The plan was to wear it to work today

with a black tee and jeans.

It will make its debut tomorrow!

 

In return for Naphtali's generous capitulation

I offered to alter the sleeves on a

  beautiful black linen tunic

that she would have otherwise walked away from.

See? Win-win!

 

Not one, but two new berets

have recently been finished and made their public debut.

No photos exist of either event.

 

This:

 

is the sweater I'm knitting.

Let me say that again:

I'm knitting myself a sweater!

 

My list of things to try someday

includes several items that I should just

well, try.

This past year has already seen so many new

experiences why let

a small detail like primitive needle skills

prevent me launching another

new project?!

 

Actually, I recently read some good advice that went something like this:

Knitting dishcloths won't teach you to knit socks.

If you want to knit socks, then knit socks.

 

Here's to "knitting socks" in the new year!

Sunday Afternoon

I should be driving, so today counts as

a free day.

Free days - as you know - should

be used for projects or naps

or movie marathons

but shouldn't be wasted on ordinary

household tasks like

laundry.

 

The weather kept us from making the trip

to Minneapolis to

 say goodbye to

Aidan's dog, Proton.

He wasn't himself when they came for Christmas

and a trip to the vet yielded a

sad diagnosis.

 

We were already on the calendar for the

Chinese New Year program

coming at the of this week, but it

seemed urgent to make

the trip now.

Unfortunately the weather interfered and we

made the call to stay home.

So we skyped instead!

We were able to chat.

Charlie added his greetings.

Proton responded to our voices and wagged his tail.

 

None of us know what the next few days

will bring.  So we were glad

to see Aidan and Proton.

We talked and laughed together.

It was far from perfect, but

it was good.

 

 

For Valerie...

...because she asked so nicely
and because it's too early to go to bed.

 

Tunic length sweater, knit pants worn tucked
 into boots and my blazer.
Unless I can work some real magic on that
blazer this winter will be its last.
I can now wear it (buttoned) with both a long sleeve shirt
and my fisherman sweater.

 

 This is one of the cashmere cardigans we bought during
that long-ago shopping spree.
It is one of my few "old" pieces that still fit
and I love wearing it with this
striped shirt.
Here it is with skirt, tights, boots and pearls

and here with grey jeans, and different shoes and necklace.

These trousers have been versatile

 

 as the grey jeans are proving themselves to be.

I do love a flannel shirt

and this one is tunic length so it

presents less casual than most.

 

This worked well before the cold settled in

but we're forecast to hit near 40 this week

so it may make another appearance.

 

And the red coat continues to delight.

 

I haven't made straight-line progress

with Christmas shopping

because I keep finding things for myself.

This week  (THIS week)

I came home with new

(well, some of this was thrifted)

yoga pants

a plaid skirt

2 tops

1 sweater

and a wonderful pair of

berry/burgundy jeans.

Oh - and a new pair of

"alligator" booties.

They look so good with the new jeans.

Can you tell I love those jeans!?

I'll include a picture of them soon.

 

I'm still experimenting to find a reliable way to

take these pictures.  Often it

just doesn't occur to me

until the clothes are in a pile at the end of the day.

 

I have a haircut scheduled for Tuesday. 

It is truly amazing to see

how much my hair grows in six weeks.

 

My to-do list is pretty reasonable

for the week before Christmas.

The gym every morning.

Some last minute shopping tomorrow.

Hair on Tuesday.

Baking and cleaning as it fits

 throughout the week.

Charlie has a bath scheduled on Friday

so any last last minute

shopping can happen then, too.

Jacob flies into Minneapolis on Friday night

then he, Naphtali and Aidan will

come down Saturday.

The Jordisons descend on Sunday.

Fort Dodge on Tuesday.

Kids leave Wednesday.

Naps and sanity resume Thursday.

 

How is your week shaping up?

 

 

 



Change of Plans

 

Charlie and I are waiting for it to warm up a bit

before we take a walk

and as my run to Webster City has

been cancelled,

I have what amounts to a free day.

Yippee!

 

What to do!?

As with any free time - it will fill

much too quickly

and seem much too short.

 

It struck me, yesterday, that we

are half-way through November.  How that

happened is a mystery, but it

means that I need to get started

on Aidan's advent calendar which is

traditionally delivered

at Thanksgiving.

A tradition that started when we lived hours

 and hours away

as a way for me to share the

holiday anticipation with him.

 

One year he received fancy envelopes

containing a carol for each day.  His dad

sang them at bedtime.

 

Another year it was the pages

of a lovely story of a pine tree

 rewarded for its

kindness to other forest creatures.

 

His own tree and ornaments one year.

 

Last year his reading skills

allowed me to mark off

pages for him to read everyday

from a schmaltzy cute paperback

about a homeless dog looking

for a family during the holidays.

 

Other years have been a combination

of whatever

school supplies

trinkets

gum

coins

bills

games

puzzles

will fit in the chosen container.

 

Pinterest

 

It's time to choose a container and theme -

a task that gets harder as he grows older.

If I want to keep the containers manageable

the content is pretty limited.

He doesn't like chocolate

which eliminates an easy default.

He's a boy - cute stuff only goes so far.

 

So today will be dedicated to strategy.

Making plans and lists.

Sorting through materials on hand.

Necessary groundwork

for productivity

if this Christmas project

 is actually going to happen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Rainy Day

It's raining today so outside activities and

projects have been postponed.

There are a couple things calling for my attention

before work but they can wait

a few more minutes.

 

I baked gingerbread cookies yesterday

using a maple leaf cutter.

I love the mellow combination of molasses

and spices.  We enjoyed our portion and the rest

will go to work with me today.

 

This is the view outside my bedroom window.

It creates a gentle rosy glow throughout the room

but the leaves are thinning quickly

and soon we'll be surrounded by bare branches.

 

Hard to believe from this shot, but Charlie

seems to be having some anxiety issues.



I'm working to incorporate more exercise into his day,

hoping it will have the same positive effect

for him that it does for me.

 

This is the new bracelet. 

It's going to work with me today, too.

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.

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.

 

 

 

 



Worth a thousand words?

Saturday evening

It's been a long day.

 

I had wondered recently

how Proton would do with the new fence?

Not to worry -

he simply ignores it when the need arises.

 

To be fair, it has taken him almost a week,

but he did jump it today - twice.
Sailed right over it.
Apparently the dogs on the other side were too appealing
and he had to chase up and down
barking with them.

So we added what seemed like
a substantial barricade
using a trellis and the grilling table.

 

(Sorry about the fuzziness)

And he went over that about a 1/2 hour later.
We heard the grill rattle so we know he went over it.
Tim is already formulating plan B.

We put in several hours when I came home from work
building a privacy fence at the back of the yard
so the dogs didn't have our full attention.
Charlie waited in the shade watching us.
Proton watched us, waiting for his opportunity.

My wisteria is blooming.
 

 

I have a few things to finish before I can call it a wrap...

 

Thursday

My computer time has become

 less-than-predictably-reliable.

Walking the dog (dogs for another week)

and watering flowers

-activities to be finished before the day's heat settles-

 now claim the first blush of  morning.

 

google images

 

Evenings are simply too lovely to

spend at a keyboard...

 

 



Saturday Morning

Naphtali, Aidan and Proton arrived

last night.  They made good time.

Tradition says they sleep in on Saturday morning.

But I'm not sure how/why they ended up on the couch together.

 

Tim had Proton out for a walk earlier.

 

We'll head out shortly for graduation festivities.

We have plenty of sunshine but

a very cool wind is blowing.

 



Gated Community



 

Busy days ahead with

company

family events and

major projects on-going

in the house and yard.

 

 We've added some fencing

to make a section of the yard

 

dog-free.

 

Any plants that fail to thrive will fail

for reasons unrelated to dogs being dogs.

 

It's worked well for Charlie

but Proton will be here next week

and that will be the real test.

 

Naphtali and Aidan will come down Friday.

A graduation reception

and Mother's Day visits will fill the weekend.

They'll head home, Sunday, 

- with Tim's pick-up -

leaving Proton with us until Memorial Day.

 

Why?

Because they'll be moving!

 

Papers will be signed on Monday!

Painting

packing

hauling

will take up the next couple weeks

and Proton can skip that part of the process.

 

 

We're all excited to see this transitional

period end.

For so many reasons it will be good to see them

in their own home.

 

 

 

 

 

Friday Morning

Sunshine!!

And 31 degrees - but

Sunshine!!

 

I love this room in the morning sun.

I also love it cozy and dim in the evening.

Add a fire? Heaven.

 

Right now Charlie is enjoying a patch of sunlight on the floor.

His coat is glowing.

And in desperate need of a trim.

 

We had 2.5 inches of rain - on Wednesday.

Yesterday was a combination of rain and sleet.

At times it came sideways in the wind.

 

But today we have sunshine.

And laundry.

Mending.

Bleak House with Gillian Anderson.

Snow delay

I should be writing this from home -

 actually I should be home doing my nails

but the weather intervened and I

won't leave until tomorrow morning.

The snow was wet and heavy - 

really rather lovely.

 

 

Aidan and I shoveled the driveway and spent the day

doing a puzzle and playing Dread Pirates.

The dogs slept nicely underfoot until

 someone had the misfortune to

clink their spoon

rustle a paper

say "okay" or

"good boy"

"let's go"

etc.

The

ensuing chaos

would set us both to

laughing.  Then we'd spend the

next ten minutes getting everyone settled again.

I love listening to Aidan spell words so the dogs won't catch on!

It was a happy day.

 

 Tomorrow Charlie and I will head home.

Also a happy day.



Making lemonade

The bad news is

is that we hit our high temp for the day (6)

at about 7:30 this morning.

Wind chill factors out at around -17.

 

The good news is that the CPW

of my extravagantly expensive down coat

is becoming quite reasonable.

 

 

And for you photo junkies:

 

 

Here's Charlie,

debuting the new kitchen floor.

 





It Happened One Night

...Sunday night to be exact.

Sunday morning when I walked the dogs this was an empty city park.

Monday morning as we passed the corner had been taken over by flatbeds and travel trailers.

Each day there has been more activity as spots are paced off and equipment tested, 

leading up to the Thursday evening opening of Governor's Days here in Grimes.

Special events Thursday through Sunday.

Of course, there will be a parade Saturday morning.

Several enthusiastic library employees will be along for the ride on a float.

I will be in the crowd with Naphtali and Aidan.

(Aidan misses Proton so much they're making an emergency visit.)

Tim is going to be in the parade for Kennybrook but the details are rather fuzzy...

For $5 you can enter a cake you've decorated for judging - and then watch as the entries 

are auctioned to raise money for the library building fund. 

  

Productivity x Two

Two weeks ago we returned from moving Naphtali done the street.

 Take my word: it's been busy here though you wouldn't know it from this picture.

Have I mentioned that we brought Proton home with us?

He's ours until the beginning of July.

This morning it felt like the chariot race from Ben Hur as I walked the dogs.

Tim's bathroom has been disassembled.

The carpet has been removed from the stairs.

I helped Tim build these garden beds, which he then planted.  

We were able to use compost from my own compost bin!

I bought and assembled this arbor thingy.  Planted a wisteria alongside.  I've also added

a hydrangea to the front of the house.

The planners/owners in this neighborhood love the narrow, L-shaped beds around the house - they are everywhere!  To me they just mean tight right angles for mowing.  

This was a problem area where grass wouldn't grow and mowing was awkward so it's 

been remedied with a new outline and mulch.  Much better! 

Summer school has begun.  The instructor for my latest (and last!) 

class is pushing a pretty tight schedule.

Oh, yes, as of yesterday the hammock has been hung.

projects

This is a picture of just one of yesterday's projects. 

I painted the trim for the bathroom.

 Notice the dog.  

Notice, too, the large box in the background.

That box is the reason I cancelled a visit from my mother.

It contains our new toilet.

Plans had been made many weeks ago for my mother to come for some shopping on Sunday, overnight, and enjoy a leisurely couple stops before she headed home on Monday.  

It would have been fun.

The bathroom project was begun weeks ago after she and I made our plans.

The simple paint job took on a life of its own it becomes problematic to have overnight company with no public bathroom

and I'm still waiting to reclaim my bathroom.

Today I have a last coat of sealant to apply to the tile floor which turned out very well.  

I need to get a water line for the toilet, which has been set.

The trim has yet to go around the edges of the floor but it's been painted.  

There are hooks and knobs to be put in their respective places.

Doors to be returned to their hinges.

We'll get there.

Here's a picture of an earlier step in the process:

I'm scraping off the old flooring.

Turned around to stretch and look who's camped in the three feet of space behind me!?!

We'll get there.