Set the a/c at 76, staying indoors today. The nineties and my bod do not get along.
Indoor chores today: tidy the pantry shelves, which have become chaotic. Tidying
gives one that nice bogus sense of control over one’s life. Bogus or not, it helps.
Murray C.July 23, 2016 / 10:16 am
Oh, yes, I know what you mean. I’m going to putter around cleaning my studio, brushing the bunny – she’s in her second shedding and looks awful, poor little thing. And she hates being picked up and stays angry at me for a long time. I did go out and do some watering earlier, but it’s not too dry, so I’m not “sweating it” – oh, ho, ho. The garden goes to hell in a hand basket (where does that expression come from???) when the weather gets hot. Going to a friend’s tonight, swimming in her pool with a drink, then dinner and a movie. projected onto a sheet in her lovely garden, chickens gently clucking in the background .
Thanks, Mich Pratt! Have you ever tried Michael Quinion’s World Wide Words? He’s an ex OED lexicographer and covers some wonderful words and expressions. The one that attracted me most when i was browsing his site was “Tapping the Admiral” – When they brought Nelson home after Trafalgar, they stored his body in a barrel of spirits of some kind but some on board would tap the barrel for a drink occasionally – and I feel sure they couldn’t have been ignorant of the contents!
Mich PattJuly 23, 2016 / 11:35 am
Eeeeewwwww! Uber gross. 😛
I’ll definitely have a look at the site, though. I love idioms and such. And I’m sad to report Evan Morris, The Word Detective, struggling with MS for the better part of 20 years, now has stage 4 cancer so the site is likely to end in the near future. This makes me so sad as his site and words have entertained me for years.
Murray C.July 23, 2016 / 11:37 am
How very sad! I signed up hoping to have a regular source of humorous and erudite posts. Michael Quinines site has gotten much more sophisticated over the years and you can sign up for it in different ways which I plan to do.
Phred's MomJuly 23, 2016 / 12:50 pm
Terrible fate for a valuable person.
Phred's MomJuly 23, 2016 / 11:48 am
Had to give the basil and parsley a long drink, they were hanging limp.
All better now.
Murray C.July 23, 2016 / 5:52 pm
Are they rabbits?????
Phred's MomJuly 23, 2016 / 7:01 pm
Basil and Parsley would be great names for buns or peegs, indeed.
Thanks, 6Rabbits! I’m bookmarking that site as well as the one Mich Patt recommended. Wow, it’s like having a team of researchers on this site.
Mich PattJuly 24, 2016 / 11:23 am
Thank you! I love this kind of trivia. 🙂
allein ?July 23, 2016 / 11:09 am
I keep trying to tell myself that.
I wanted to go to Target last night but I was so tired on my way home I just decided to go home and take a nap instead. Some of my Cartwheel deals expire today; I guess I have to decide how much I really want them. Maybe I’ll wait until the evening. When I left work yesterday it was breezy but the breeze was no cooler than the still air. Gross.
Just got up. Drinking cocoa with espresso and checking my daily websites, then I’ll take a shower and hopefully do something productive. I did take out the trash last night, so at least that’s something.
Murray C.July 23, 2016 / 11:28 am
These sorts of days make me feel as though you’re walking into a dog’s mouth.
Mich PattJuly 23, 2016 / 11:35 am
LOL! What a great way of putting it.
allein ?July 23, 2016 / 11:36 am
Ick. And I am not one who enjoys being licked by dogs.
LauraJuly 23, 2016 / 8:34 pm
Living in New Orleans, we used to describe summer as like having a wet blanket smothering you. It felt like breathing underwater sometimes, especially when there was literally not a breath of air moving, even up on the levees by the river. It was always funny to watch people from other well-known hot and humid places (like south Florida or Houston) suffer in NOLA in August. 🙂
AJJuly 23, 2016 / 10:20 am
Joining the inside club as well. Heat index inland is probably going over 100 and I was supposed to go to a wedding – outside. I finally put my foot down with hubby and said we’ll get a nice present and you can go. If I go, especially since the reception is only in a pavillion NOT inside, I’d probably pass out. No thanks. For the moment, I have a/c off so I can run a quick load of wash and fry up sloppy joes for dinner, just reheat in microwave later. Might try to catch up on the filing, it’s overtaken the dining room table and like Phred said it gives one a psuedo sense of control and accomplishment. Stay cool everyone!
BirdcageJuly 23, 2016 / 10:37 am
Mmmmmm sloppy joes.
BirdcageJuly 23, 2016 / 10:39 am
Indoor club, me too.
LauraJuly 23, 2016 / 10:47 am
Hi, all. Joining the heat club here. Plus I seem to have come down with a summer cold. My husband is out of town for a few days so it’s just me and the dogs. I’ve been getting up early to walk them. Which I simply could not do this morning. I feel about as good as one of the halk- eaten lizards dear little Sebastian keeps leaving for us. Yuck.
Plus Sebastian has skin allergies and so we’re trying a different (fish-based) food for him. Which is great — except Melody likes his food *much* better than her own so snuck in and licked his bowl clean. Dogs!
Murray C.July 23, 2016 / 11:13 am
Hope you feel better soon, Laura! Good day to take it easy.?
DuckieJuly 23, 2016 / 11:46 am
I hate summer colds!
Laura, I don’t know if it will help you, but I found that Tylenol Extra Strength really helped me this past week with mine.
Phred's MomJuly 23, 2016 / 11:51 am
Hope you feel better stat. Be good to yourself and just hang out.
amylizJuly 23, 2016 / 12:29 pm
Take it easy and feel better, Laura. I did my fair share tramping around in the heat this morning, going to the farmer’s market and running other errands. So humid here you can practically swim in mid-air. Home in my nice, cool apartment now and this is where I intend to stay, cleaning, reading, listening to favorite NPR programs. Not a bad way to spend the day!
LauraJuly 23, 2016 / 2:36 pm
Thanks, guys. I spent all morning with my feet up, didn’t even take the dogs for a walk — it’s too hot out anyway, they don’t seem to care, they’re just busy sleeping on the cool tile floor — and, unfortunately, doing a bit of work. But I’m feeling okay as long as I take it real easy. Sitting at my desk typing a bit doesn’t really make me feel any worse, fortunately.
I work with a group of folks through the reporting firm I’ve transcribed for for years and years on transcribing a particular politician’s speeches and now her new running mate as well. Political agreement is not required from anybody, we just have to get the words down accurately. 😀 And our contract manager, who’s 100% bilingual (grew up that way), was shocked that I managed to transcribe the Spanish the new running mate threw in. He’s very fluent, but hey, I lived in Texas for a long time, so even though I can’t speak more Spanish than to say, “No hablo Español,” I can sort out the words. It’s a far more phonetic language than English, thank heaven.
So that’s my great achievement for the day. But if the new running mate gives a speech entirely in Spanish, our contract manager gets all the fun! He has a real advantage over the rest of us — not only does he speak Spanish and do a lot of translation work, but he also has that convenient Latin keyboard. Whereas I have to do the Alt+number pad numbers to get any of the Latin characters!
Mich PattJuly 23, 2016 / 5:47 pm
Zoinks! Sounds like really interesting work.
Murray C.July 23, 2016 / 5:54 pm
Very cool!
LauraJuly 23, 2016 / 8:38 pm
It can be interesting — like today, hearing from the veep candidate for the first time — but seriously, after the 350th time of hearing the future First Dude telling the same tired, cheesy, folksy stories? We all wanted to just cut our own throats to put ourselves out of the misery. 😀 And the campaign staff have NO patience. They send stuff at odd times, often days after they say they need it done TODAY, and then when we do get it want it back in 2 hours. Which can be a challenge even splitting it up. I mean, we’re good, and we’re fast, but it reaches a point where it requires almost superhuman skills to meet their ridiculous expectations!
That being said, if anyone ever has a question about this candidate’s policies, I can recite them in far more detail than you want to hear, I suspect. 😀
Not am I joining the Stay Indoors Society, I even decided against making coffee this morning. Having iced tea instead.
The pretzel stand wasn’t at the farmer’s market today, so one part of my Saturday morning ritual is shot. I substituted a muffin from a vendor I’ve wanted to try ever since it joined the market a few months ago.
Phred's MomJuly 23, 2016 / 11:54 am
We were gifted the other day with a humongous bag of still warm soft pretzels.
Put some in the freezer – they get hard fast, no preservatives – and pulled one
out, warmed it and had it with a schmear of butter this morn for breakfast.
Decadent and yummy.
Murray C.July 23, 2016 / 11:15 am
So, how was the muffin? Was it a satisfactory substitute for your traditional pretzel? Inquiring minds want to know!?
I’m sure you know the old saw “Curiosity killed the cat; satisfaction brought him back”. I’m BA-A-A-A-ACK.
Mich PattJuly 23, 2016 / 11:39 am
I’m glad someone asked! I was wondering…
SoccerSueJuly 23, 2016 / 11:15 am
What is this “sleep in” of which you speak? 😛 Unfortunately our kitteh doesn’t understand the concept of a “weekend” so she was meowing loudly in my ear at 6:00 telling me it was time to get up. It’s OK, though- we’re doing a site visit on an organic farm that we volunteer at, so I’d rather get that out of the way before it gets warm. (I’m in Washington state, so “warm” will be around 80 today (sorry!))
Mich PattJuly 23, 2016 / 11:41 am
Where in WA are you?
tinakJuly 23, 2016 / 12:33 pm
Clearly not North Seattle, though I do see a tinge of blue trying to sneak out from behind the clouds.
Mich PattJuly 23, 2016 / 12:41 pm
Hang in there! It’s GORGEOUS here in Vancouver, BC. I’ll send some blue skies your way…
SoccerSueJuly 23, 2016 / 11:43 pm
Puyallup area, and I think it only topped out at about 75 (and humid) but we were stomping through 5 foot high horsetails and other assorted weeds for an hour and a half so we still got pretty sweaty.
Mich PattJuly 23, 2016 / 11:27 am
It’s only supposed to reach 22C (that’s 72F) here in Vancouver so I’ll likely get outside for a weed/water/garden tidy. I’ll wait until later this evening, though, so I can go out without giant sunhat and sunblock. (I’m so pale, I’m translucent)
During the day, though, I’m a member of the indoors club. I had yesterday off so all the chores are done but today is the day I hang shelves to create my new hobby/sewing space. Though my hubster is the handiest man I’ve ever known, I asked if–with his guidance–I could do it myself. It helps my confidence to know I can do these sorts of things. Makes me feel capable of tackling other scary things, you know?
And as a total aside, I have to share my Thursday night experience with all of you. Hubster and I had tickets to the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. What did they play, you ask? Well, they played the movie Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone with dialogue and subtitles on a giant screen. And the VSO played the score along with the film! We both had mega goosebumps and, frankly, I got a little teary-eyed with joy at one point because the music that close, that intense, that REAL was breathtaking. Most of the time, I think humans are idiots but sometimes we’re capable of some really beautiful things. A hundred people playing in unison is one of them.
Murray C.July 23, 2016 / 11:32 am
That is way cool. And congrats on the DIYing – I have the desire but am fearful of screwing up an I don’t have guidance (my Hubby (LOVE Hubster, btw) is OK with some stuff but not patient enough to guide.
Phred's MomJuly 23, 2016 / 12:05 pm
My dad made sure I knew how to use a hand saw, wire lamps and outlets, etc.,
put stuff together, change faucet washers, and so on. When I figured out how to
cut cove molding long after he was gone, I looked at the ceiling and said, “what do
you think of this, Pop?” I was in school when girls were not permitted to take
Shop, so he showed me stuff, even his lathe, bless him. I can’t put up with
helpless females who can’t even change the batteries in a flashlight and get
all dithery without a man around for the easiest thing. Forgive the vent, pls.
It’s all a lot easier than you think. If you have any mechanical ability, like
sewing, drawing, decorating a cake, none of the so-called guy stuff is impossible,
brute strength aside. They’ve got us there.
Mich PattJuly 23, 2016 / 1:00 pm
My dad too! 🙂 He asked for and got two daughters and he was the first one to say, “You may *want* a man but no daughter of mine will *need* one”. I love that you did your own cut cove molding! We need more men (and other women!) to encourage women to do these things. You’re right, if one can craft, one can do guy stuff.
Because of Dad, I’m usually quite good with the stereotypical guy stuff. Hubster was blown away when we met because I had a full toolbox and cordless drill and knew how to use them. He asked, “What’s all this for?” I said, “What? I’m supposed to wait for someone else to hang the curtains, fix the car, rescue earrings in the drain, and install hinges? Pfft!”
That said, after 15 years of living with him, I realize I’ve kind of fallen into letting him do that stuff around the house. Just like he lets me do the bill paying and the administrative tasks (I’m a secretary). I think I mostly let him do the construction stuff because he’s a perfectionist and is so much faster at it. I’m a bit more of a “good enough” type and I’m slower because it’s not my everyday job. Letting him do these sorts of projects is sometimes out of kindness to him so he doesn’t have to watch me struggle. 😉 It’s gotta be painful to watch me measure something 16 times before I drill. ;P
Anyhoodle, I’ve just had my “this is how I would approach it” lesson from him for my upcoming shelf project. He’s handed over the box of screws and his drill (much nicer than mine). He’s off to watch the local airshow and I’ll stay home and DIY. I’msoexcited!
Finally, I like that you call it “brute strength”. In our house, if one is pushing and shoving something and it won’t budge, one says, “Just use brute force and ignorance!”
Murray C.July 23, 2016 / 2:25 pm
My dad was the WORST at the DIY stuff and he always insisted he’d do it – to save money – then he’d procrastinate or do it halfway and never finish it. He was OK if he had someone helping him. He may not have actively passed anything of that nature on to me but it’s in my genes – I can mess up anything that requires building or crafting. I’m only good at 2 dimensional surfaces.
allein ?July 23, 2016 / 3:12 pm
My dad’s pretty good but I’m still waiting for him to patch the wall below the outlet he put in my kitchen last year (it’s mostly hidden by the microwave cabinet he built me which is the reason he had to put an outlet in, because the one that was already there wasn’t in the best spot), and paint the space beneath the new range hood I got last Christmas, which is shorter than the one it replaced so there’s a few inches of wall above my stove that doesn’t match the rest of the wall.
Ms Can OpenerJuly 23, 2016 / 3:23 pm
I too followed my Dad around learning all I could from him. I used to think there wasn’t anything construction/mechanical that he couldn’t do. Later in life, I figured out that sometimes, he was improvising. If the A plan didn’t work, he’d modulate into plan B so smoothly that one thought it was supposed to be that way all along.
Now, when I’m building something or repairing something, I laugh to myself as I work through the various iterations it may take to achieve success. Thanks, Dad.
allein ?July 23, 2016 / 4:24 pm
My dad knows lots of stuff, but if plan A isn’t working out, you’ll hear it! (In ways I won’t repeat here.)
Phred's MomJuly 23, 2016 / 5:24 pm
Improvising is part of the fun of doing almost anything,
be it diy, cooking, gardening, wardrobe, whatever. I
especially like improvising furniture arrangements and
decor using what we have or can find at a thrift shop.
I’ve nailed some true treasures at thrifts. A Pennsylvania
Dutch fraktur, 19th C. etchings, and watercolors, ferinstance,
as well as the odd cashmere sweater. The fraktur created
a very nice jaunt. I Googled the names and town/county
here in Pennsylvania and we took a trip out to Lebanon
County, found the church where our boy on the fraktur was
baptised and the attached churchyard where he is buried.
There was something magical about the day. The fraktur,
in this case a baptismal certificate in German of course, is
hanging in my kitchen, where I frequently say good morning
to him – Tobias Gerberich, born in 1829. I guess this is a form of immortality since he is not totally forgotten. I like to look at this way.
Murray C.July 23, 2016 / 5:57 pm
That is so amazingly wonderful – almost magical. I love that the boy on the baptismal certificate is remembered in a way he never could’ve imagined.
Mich PattJuly 23, 2016 / 1:08 pm
Thanks for the encouragement! Not everyone is as patient as my guy but he also knows I’m endlessly patient watching him use MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc. We all have our specialities, right?
allein ?July 23, 2016 / 11:36 am
That sounds really cool!
DuckieJuly 23, 2016 / 11:55 am
Mich, I understand fully being so pale you’re translucent. Hubby often wonders why I don’t glow in the dark.
I love the Vancouver Symphony. (My uncle is second trumpet.) I would LOVE to hear them do Harry Potter. I got goosebumps just reading your comments.
allein ?July 23, 2016 / 12:22 pm
People always tell me I need to get some sun. I ask “why, so I can turn bright pink for a few painful days and then fade back to white? No, thanks.”
Mich PattJuly 23, 2016 / 1:12 pm
Allein, yes, nothing quite like the burn and peel routine, right?
When people tell me to get some sun, I say that both of my parents have had melanoma. Genetically I’ve been dealt a double-whammy and I refuse to die from something so preventable. (all true and usually shuts them up)
allein ?July 23, 2016 / 1:24 pm
Last summer I went to a bridal shower that was outdoors at a house that’s on a canal in Point Pleasant, NJ; it’s at the end of the street so the water is on two sides, and they also have a pool, which I was sitting next to. I didn’t even realize how badly I was burning until later. That was the worst burn I’ve had in years and years; probably 2nd degree is some spots.
I also have a spot on my leg I’ve been keeping an eye on. My last couple checkups they said it was fine, but last night I noticed a little scab at the edge of it. Maybe I just scratched it shaving or something, but I’m off work most of next week so I think I’ll make an appointment for another checkup just to be safe. My mom had skin cancer years ago, but it wasn’t melanoma.
Phred's MomJuly 23, 2016 / 5:29 pm
You are wise to see to that thing on the leg.
By the way, Pt Pleasant ( and it is indeed pleasant)
is just up the Delaware from us. A very pretty area,
full of history.
Phred's MomJuly 23, 2016 / 5:44 pm
I misread you, the Point Pleasant I mean is in Pennsylvania,
on the Delaware canal, which flanks the river.
allein ?July 23, 2016 / 5:56 pm
Yeah, this is central Jersey Shore.
Mich PattJuly 23, 2016 / 1:04 pm
LOL! Yes, I’ve heard glow in the dark more than once.
Second trumpet? COOL! When the VSO finished playing the whole place ERUPTED in applause complete with standing ovation. We clapped so loud and so long, the conductor had to come back on stage and have each orchestra section stand to take a bow (as opposed to just first chair in each). When the horns stood, people went bananas! So much of the HP score has horns, it was like we were applauding extra loud in appreciation for their exhausting efforts. It really was a… ahem … magical experience. And, as a bonus, TONS of people were dressed up in their best HP outfits!
Mich PattJuly 23, 2016 / 5:54 pm
All done! (yes, those are clouds on the wall… hubster is a pilot so I painted them and made his half of the room aviation-themed)
allein ?July 23, 2016 / 5:57 pm
Nice! You wanna come do house next? 😉
Mich PattJuly 23, 2016 / 6:04 pm
Sure! How’s tomorrow? 😉
allein ?July 23, 2016 / 7:08 pm
Darn! Tomorrow’s Game Night in the afternoon.
Murray C.July 23, 2016 / 6:00 pm
WOW! I have a lovely space and everything is in containers (well, a lot of stuff) but it’s not nearly so neat. I put it down to being visually oriented and I need to SEE stuff all the time. What you have in the picture is maybe a quarter of what I’ve got in my “Girl Cave” as my husband calls it. Downsizing is boing to be a bear.?
Mich PattJuly 23, 2016 / 6:09 pm
I can certainly understand wanted to see what you’ve got. Most of my boxes have a polaroid photo of the box contents stuck on the front. I’ve love all matching clear containers though! Just too frugal to spring for them.
Murray C.July 23, 2016 / 6:18 pm
I have a lot of vintage (’20’s and ’30’s) toys and and children’s books and odd shaped containers (leaping bunnies) and the odd birdhouse and 3-d cards and old kitchen stuff that are all part of the decor. The place is stuffed with stuff. I can’t seem to help it.I’ve stopped buying anything new and am trying to decide what to get rid of. I don’t wanna!!!!!?
DuckieJuly 23, 2016 / 7:22 pm
My ears perked up at the word ‘books’.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to where I can get some 1:24 scale posable dolls at a non-wallet scalping price?
Murray C.July 24, 2016 / 12:08 am
I’m afraid I can’t help you. 1:24 is half normal dollhouse size, am I correct? I go to a miniature show every year and I can’t say I see that scale – or I may be misunderstanding you. What’s popular now is 1/4″ to a foot – not sure how to write that. Regular scale is 1″ to a foot, and with laser cutters they’re getting even smaller to the point that some of the little household items are so small you’d need a microscope to see them.
DuckieJuly 24, 2016 / 12:30 am
Yes, it’s half normal. One inch equals two feet.
I wish those miniature shows came closer to me. Love the Fraser Valley, but we miss out on a lot of those things.
LauraJuly 23, 2016 / 8:43 pm
The all-matching clear containers are fantastic for so many things. I’ve got all my yarn sorted into them; each skein is inside a baggie inside the box, to make sure no moth ever need intrude. There’s something so nice about being able to see at a glance what’s inside the box, without having to even look at the labeling I put on the top of each one.
DuckieJuly 24, 2016 / 12:32 am
Mich, our local dollar store sells the small clear boxes. Do you have any near you?
Mich PattJuly 24, 2016 / 11:30 am
Definitely! There’s one a block from here. Good thought! I’ll check it out.
Murray C.July 24, 2016 / 5:53 pm
Over the years I’ve bought quite a number of 12″ square clear boxes and three-drawer versions of the same, but my shelves aren’t deep enough, so they stick out which doesn’t allow for a really tidy appearance, but I know where everything is, so I mustn’t grumble.
Phred's MomJuly 23, 2016 / 7:07 pm
Great job!
6rabbitsJuly 24, 2016 / 12:44 am
I love your clouds!?
PuddleglumJuly 23, 2016 / 12:30 pm
Just got back from a lovely hike around Norm’s Island by the Yellowstone River, and now I am going down to my basement studio where it’s nice and cool (don’t have AC) to finish a painting I was commissioned to do for a woman fighting stage 4 breast cancer. 🙂
Cool! Yes, it is beautiful out there and you see lots of very happy dogs frolicking around. I love the fact you can walk right next to the river for most of the way. And in late fall/early spring when the leaves have fallen but it’s not too cold yet to hike, you get a very nice view of the Beartooth Mountains in the distance. There are nice benches where you can sit and bask in the view.
EmJuly 23, 2016 / 3:46 pm
Puddleglum, There are a little under 3 million women in the US who are breast cancer survivors, may your painting be imbued with their luck, their resilience, and their strength.
Phred's MomJuly 23, 2016 / 5:30 pm
Amen.
DuckieJuly 23, 2016 / 7:24 pm
Hear. ??
Murray C.July 23, 2016 / 6:00 pm
nicely expressed, EM.
PuddleglumJuly 23, 2016 / 7:24 pm
Thanks. I hope it will be.
Mich PattJuly 23, 2016 / 5:57 pm
Of course, I had to break out Dr. Google to look up where Norm’s Island is. I never made it to Billings area but I LOVED the areas of Montana I have seen. Lucky you!
What kind paintings do you do?
PuddleglumJuly 23, 2016 / 7:25 pm
Yes, Montana is wonderful and the Billings area has a lot of hidden gems to discover!
As far as painting, I do abstracts mostly with acrylic paint.
PattyJuly 23, 2016 / 12:52 pm
I am a night owl, going to bed earlier than 2am never happens for me, nor does getting up before 9am. My youngest daughter asked me to go to garage sales with her, since she hates going alone. Since it’s supposed to be triple digits with high humidity we wanted to go early, so I woke up at 7am. She bought some things, I bought cinnamon rolls at the church rummage sale, and bumped into my late brother’s wife. It was good to chat with her, since we don’t see each other much. BUT, she wanted to know all about my niece, and the emergency temporary custody I had of my great niece last weekend, which is a topic that makes me sad and angry. I wound up having no choice but to turn the baby over to her father, since my niece absconded from her Probation Officer trying to give her a surprise UA, court for the Protection from abuse/temporary custody was Monday, and people who are hiding from their POs do not go to court. The PFA was dropped, and the baby’s father gets the baby. I got some hatred from the niece because I refused to tell her where I was staying with the baby, but apparently her baby daddy and her are back together, so she gets to have the baby anyway. Her PO, his PO and DCF all know they are together, and where they live, I suppose at some point they will arrest them all for probation violations, and the baby will go into foster care.
I am so thankful for my own children, who have grown up to be decent human beings (2 of my 4 daughters volunteered to take temporary custody last weekend), and are a pleasure to hang out with.
allein ?July 23, 2016 / 1:15 pm
I’m a night owl, too. I went to bed around 11:30 and read for a little while before going to sleep. That’s pretty early for me on a Friday. And that’s even after taking a nap when I got home from work.
If the baby ends up in foster care, is there a possibility that he could be placed with you or one of your daughters? Sad situation. I hope things work out.
PattyJuly 23, 2016 / 3:35 pm
One daughter has 3 children already, one just 2 months older than my great niece. The other works at a day care, but has 2 stepsons living with her. My other 2 daughters, one is disabled and has 2 teenage sons, the other’s SO doesn’t want children. My niece has 3 siblings, one who has 2 kids, is just out of an abusive relationship and had stroke-like symptoms her doctors attributed to stress. Her brother has 3 kids of his own, and her younger sister is in the county jail right now. My sister would take the babies (the niece is due to have a boy in Sept.), but it isn’t likely that DCF will allow that because of a drug felony a few years ago. I don’t know how she and her kids wound up such a mess, I had 6 siblings, and most of us turned out pretty good. The whole thing stresses me out, mostly because I have always been the caretaker, and mediator, for the family, and I am really powerless in this mess.
allein ?July 23, 2016 / 4:24 pm
🙁
DuckieJuly 23, 2016 / 4:40 pm
Patty, you know we all send you our support and furry hugs.
Phred's MomJuly 23, 2016 / 5:35 pm
You and your family certainly seem to be in the barrel. We are sending
positive thoughts your way. Sometimes it becomes obvious that one is
indeed powerless to ameliorate situations. A very frustrating state to
be in. Sometimes other adults in one’s family behave like anything but.
Mich PattJuly 23, 2016 / 6:00 pm
Sending love and light your way while you deal with all of this. Good grief!
EmJuly 23, 2016 / 6:44 pm
Patty, Every family is as old as time, and down through those ages there were ups and downs, hard times and glorious moments that we can only imagine. So hang on, focus on keeping well & strong. Make an impact where you can, and take some time out where you can’t. Better times will come!
KarJuly 24, 2016 / 7:26 pm
I have to step in and say that while foster care may not be the desired situation, not all foster homes are warehouses by people who just want the money. And frankly, there is no money in foster care.
I’ve met many noble foster families over the years who unfortunately are more suited than the biological ones for raising children in stable situations. If your grandniece goes into foster, I hope that they find someone who can provide that love and stability that she hasn’t had consistently before.
I hope that both the father and your niece take this as a wake up call and get their acts together. For their own sakes if not the kids.
Murray C.July 23, 2016 / 1:59 pm
What a saga! I have a friend who adopted a brother and sister who had all sorts of issues – fetal alcohol syndrome, separation disorder etc., etc., and she used to say she never thought she’d live a “Jerry Springer life”. Sounds like you’ve had a brush with just such life! My heart goes out to you and all involved, especially the kids. Sad, indeed.
PS I’m a night owl, too, but you have me beat – I usually get to bed 1-ish – lately even earlier since I can’t do any artwork to speak of because of my shoulder. Can’t read in bed if the hubby is already asleep since he’s light sensitive. But I love being a night owl despite how beautiful it can be in the early morning.
Here’s Lily the Fierce and Fabulous enjoying some of the tiny bit of sunshine we’ve had this week. I’m taking her across Puget Sound later today to visit my parents, should be a fun time!
allein ?July 23, 2016 / 1:18 pm
Such peenk earses!
Murray C.July 23, 2016 / 1:55 pm
Like the chiaroscuro effect!
FayeJuly 23, 2016 / 1:27 pm
Love this picture. Front and back view. Lily is lovely.
Does anyone know if cats sunburn? I want to take her to the park and other places (once I teach her to wear her harness) and I worry about those tender peeeenk ears!
It’s getting better. She doesn’t do it as much or as hard; often now she’ll start to bite then pull back. I also got her claws trimmed at the vet, so she’s not trying to scratch everything within reach either.
Much fun was had a my parents’ house – she loved having two more people to lavish her with attention. My dad (who claims to not be a cat person) was wrapped around her little paws in no time flat! 🙂
Gigi the cat ladyJuly 23, 2016 / 1:09 pm
I’m spending the day with a group of friends that I have known for 30 years. We do this every years, breakfast, then we take in a movie. Then ge go for dinner and drinks to The Keg ( prime ribs with garlic mashed potatoes and Long Island Ice tea ) Have a great day folks I know I will 🙂
LauraJuly 23, 2016 / 4:38 pm
What movie are you seeing? I saw the new Star Trek movie yesterday, and it was really fun. I do like the new reboot. The old characters were getting more than a bit long in the tooth for their roles, much as I love them all.
Yes it was the new Star Trek, it was not bad at all, much better that the last one.
FayeJuly 23, 2016 / 1:33 pm
Joining the it’s too hot for me club. Inside with ac and overhead fan on. Tv on. Working on two drawings. Pjs all day. Only gonna cook microwave food. I don’t have to go out until brunch tomorrow.
Must mention that NTMTOM and all of you have been so on target all week. ?
FayeJuly 23, 2016 / 6:04 pm
Two drawings inked and awaiting color. Napped. Now reading. A new book came from Amazon but only 60% through current book. Current book excellent but slow going. Couldn’t resist buying the new one. Sigh. At least 10 other books in que. I’m greedy about my two top subjects.
Mich PattJuly 23, 2016 / 11:43 pm
What kind of drawings?
What are the two top subjects?
Inquiring minds want to know!
FayeJuly 24, 2016 / 12:43 pm
Two top subjects: 1. psychology 2. color theory.
Drawings: more iterations on my PTSD. Very theraputic to get stuff down on paper. ?
Indoor club here too (I did take a quick walk around the block earlier). I’ve been up since 4AM (and awake for quite a while before that – bleargh) but feeling much more in tune after a quick nap.
I’ve got my pain meds, so I’ve been getting things done around the house – folding laundry, cooking (well, more prepping and microwaving than cooking…), washing flower pots, etc. Got PBS cooking shows on TV – how adorable is Jacques Pepin!
Murray C.July 23, 2016 / 2:29 pm
Tres!
Phred's MomJuly 23, 2016 / 5:39 pm
He does look cuddly, and I love his smile.
Murray C.July 23, 2016 / 6:04 pm
I have a lovely Parisian friend whose restaurant in the Philly area was among the first in what was referred to as the Restaurant Renaissance and she knows him and says he is as sweet as he seems. Always nice to know. But how could not be, you can’t fake that.
Murray C.July 24, 2016 / 10:59 am
I like the way he says “Budder” for butter.
allein ?July 23, 2016 / 5:16 pm
Last week I googled online jigsaw puzzles. I just started this one:
I had no idea such a thing existed.
I love jigsaws, must give this a shot.
Thanks!
allein ?July 23, 2016 / 5:59 pm
That one only took me a couple minutes. I just started a 400-piece kaleidoscope themed one. That’ll take me a little bit.
(One hint: if you zoom out a bit you’ll get more room on the screen to work. You can also click on the background and drag and it’ll just move the whole thing and you can get more blank screen that way, too.)
Phred's MomJuly 23, 2016 / 7:11 pm
I have an IPad mini, so will give your tips a shot.
My first try took four freakin’ minutes! How
embarrassing!
allein ?July 23, 2016 / 7:28 pm
I hadn’t tried it on my tablet (which is a Samsung). I just did a smaller 24-piece. Will have to try a bigger one. I might need to dig out my stylus for that, but if I don’t have to zoom out to much it’ll be easier on my hand than using the mouse to drag each individual piece all over while I sort things out!
I have a puzzle app on my tablet called Venn Flowers. It’s like jigsaw puzzle meets Venn diagram; all the pieces are circles and you have to look for where the image overlaps to put it together.
6rabbitsJuly 24, 2016 / 1:40 am
Thanks for the puzzle sites!?
alleinJuly 24, 2016 / 11:52 am
Have fun! I just finished a larger one on my tablet that I started last night. It’s a little frustrating sometimes because I have to zoom out a bit to have room to work but then the tip of the stylus makes it hard to see the piece I’m trying to place!
I’ve never heard of this website before. Lots of fun! Thank you for introducing me to this. 😀
allein ?July 23, 2016 / 7:45 pm
You’re welcome! 🙂
I just clicked on a few of the results and this was my favorite. Some of the others didn’t have great graphics.
allein ?July 23, 2016 / 7:51 pm
This one’s pretty good, too. It has a handy button that lets you see just the edge pieces. https://www.jigsawexplorer.com
allein ?July 23, 2016 / 8:03 pm
Also, when you’re done, a crowd cheers for you. 😛
allein ?July 23, 2016 / 8:17 pm
And I just discovered that it lets you change the number of pieces…up to 1050! (Click the little grid icon in the little box that comes up when you load a new puzzle.)
JulieJuly 23, 2016 / 7:09 pm
On a completely unrelated note – this picture represents the first time I have ever seen Kitty Drool…
So, I can now check that off my Bucket List.
allein ?July 23, 2016 / 7:30 pm
My girlkitty drools when she’s happy. She’ll get all comfy and purring in your lap and then you realize she’s dripping on you. It’s… kinda gross.
sugitomoJuly 23, 2016 / 8:23 pm
I made sure to run my errands in the morning, and only after a brief 2 hr or so trip outside, this is exactly what I looked like when I got home. Heat stroke / coma on the couch.
murkle46July 23, 2016 / 10:10 pm
Found on the internet, “platypuses in Virginia tomato fields”.
allein ?July 23, 2016 / 10:48 pm
6rabbitsJuly 24, 2016 / 1:39 am
Spent most of the day at my sister’s with niece and nephew. Stayed INDOORS. “Real feel” here was 97. So humid you can’t breathe. Played with baby Guinea pigs and watched a movie, “Bridge of Spies”. Excellent, based a on true story. Came home to disgruntled bunny who I appeased with blueberries.???(pretend they’re blue.)
FayeJuly 24, 2016 / 6:34 am
Baby. Guinea. Pigs. We had some when I was a kid. Cutest things on earth. Come out with fur and ready to eat.
Murray C.July 24, 2016 / 10:38 am
YES PEEGS! Oh, I want one so bad. (ly?) And, yes, Bridge of Spies was a terrific movie.
We had a pleasant evening at a friend’s pool eating, drinking, swimming, and watching “Newsies” which is a good story but not really so great as a musical, I thought – and very Disney-fied. Someone here can tell me, I feel sure – wasn’t this a real event? Parts of the movie really started to give a great sense of the difficulties of people trying to wrest some measure of power from the wealthy.
Found it – yes, it was a real strike with the papers agreeing to buy back unsold copies of the papers.
6rabbitsJuly 24, 2016 / 8:06 pm
Been a long time since I’ve seen Newsies! I do believe it starred a young Christian Bale?
The piggies aren’t really babies anymore–we just call them that! They are about 6-8weeks, so they aren’t fully grown. ( I tried to post a pic but it’s too big.) My nieces, 5 and 15, are totally spoiling them. The 15 yo. is allergic to a lot of pets, but so far the peegs don’t bother her! My sister is very attached to them also, which surprises her! (She raised mice as a teen and that’s her “go to” animal.) ?+?=GP ?
Murray C.July 25, 2016 / 1:07 am
Wow – you do good math.
DuckieJuly 24, 2016 / 6:38 pm
I’m posting this right at the end, in the hope that no one will bother to read it. I’m feeling very guilty about this, especially since it’s Sunday.
Murray, I’m sorry, but the phrase “brushing the bunny” sounded a little naughty to me.
?
alleinJuly 24, 2016 / 6:42 pm
DuckieJuly 24, 2016 / 8:49 pm
Murray, second comment in this thread.
allein ?July 24, 2016 / 9:29 pm
That was supposed to be this gif, but it wouldn’t work.
Murray C.July 25, 2016 / 1:06 am
Too funny – Allein, you are a marvel. Guy’s got great eyebrows – almost as good as Stephen Colbert’s.
allein ?July 25, 2016 / 8:52 am
I miss Colbert. He’s on too late for me now, and in the last year or two of The Colbert Report, Comedy Central kept replaying it at odd times (like 6:23 pm) so I usually wasn’t home in time to catch it the next day. 🙁 I have to content myself with the occasional youtube clip.
Murray C.July 25, 2016 / 12:41 pm
I watch Trevor Noah, then the beginning of Larry Wilmore then shift over to Colbert for his monologue and early-in-the-show silliness and then, depending on who’s on shift back and forth between him and Larry W.
allein ?July 25, 2016 / 12:43 pm
I try to be in bed by 11. I did stay up to watch Noah’s first episode, and I’ve seen clips here and there, but that’s about it.
I’m off the rest of this week but I’m going to try to be good and not stay up late every night.
Murray C.July 25, 2016 / 1:05 am
As I’ve said before and will most likely say again, “a dirty mind is a terrible thing to waste.”?
EmJuly 24, 2016 / 8:49 pm
So far having a nice weekend. Was just in a store I go in once in awhile. The man who works there said his grandmother had originally come from China, and her parents had given her a jade bracelet as a wedding present, and also a present to say farewell as she left for the states. In her old age, his grandma finally took off her bracelet and smashed it to pieces. She took the parts to a jeweler and asked that each piece be made into small hearts, to make as many hearts out of her wedding bracelet as possible. All these years later, every single person in the family and their children, and their children’s children has a jade heart from grandma, and there are many more left to give. I think as I look back on the week, that’s the story that I’ll be thinking about as I head into the next.
Murray C.July 25, 2016 / 1:03 am
NICE! Wise Grandma.
EmJuly 25, 2016 / 1:42 am
Murray, Your mention of liking the history of words and phrases led me to look up the etymology of the word, “cute” –never knew that it came from the word “acute.” Have a good week and thanks for getting me back into the history of English.
allein ?July 25, 2016 / 8:59 am
I recently watch the series The Adventure of English with Melvyn Bragg (got it from the library). You might enjoy it. 🙂
EmJuly 25, 2016 / 11:41 am
Thank you Allein! Looks great!
allein ?July 25, 2016 / 11:45 am
🙂
I also get the A Word A Day email every morning (Monday – Friday). Each week has a theme and then on Saturday or Sunday he sends out a little newsletter. https://wordsmith.org/words/today.html
Murray C.July 25, 2016 / 12:43 pm
Yes, that looks wonderful. I’m keeping track of the many recommendations people have been posting over the last few weeks so that I have lots to keep me entertained and informed while I’m stuck in a chair for the best part of a month.
Set the a/c at 76, staying indoors today. The nineties and my bod do not get along.
Indoor chores today: tidy the pantry shelves, which have become chaotic. Tidying
gives one that nice bogus sense of control over one’s life. Bogus or not, it helps.
Oh, yes, I know what you mean. I’m going to putter around cleaning my studio, brushing the bunny – she’s in her second shedding and looks awful, poor little thing. And she hates being picked up and stays angry at me for a long time. I did go out and do some watering earlier, but it’s not too dry, so I’m not “sweating it” – oh, ho, ho. The garden goes to hell in a hand basket (where does that expression come from???) when the weather gets hot. Going to a friend’s tonight, swimming in her pool with a drink, then dinner and a movie. projected onto a sheet in her lovely garden, chickens gently clucking in the background .
The Word Detective knows all: http://www.word-detective.com/2012/01/hell-in-a-handbasket-2/
Thanks, Mich Pratt! Have you ever tried Michael Quinion’s World Wide Words? He’s an ex OED lexicographer and covers some wonderful words and expressions. The one that attracted me most when i was browsing his site was “Tapping the Admiral” – When they brought Nelson home after Trafalgar, they stored his body in a barrel of spirits of some kind but some on board would tap the barrel for a drink occasionally – and I feel sure they couldn’t have been ignorant of the contents!
Eeeeewwwww! Uber gross. 😛
I’ll definitely have a look at the site, though. I love idioms and such. And I’m sad to report Evan Morris, The Word Detective, struggling with MS for the better part of 20 years, now has stage 4 cancer so the site is likely to end in the near future. This makes me so sad as his site and words have entertained me for years.
How very sad! I signed up hoping to have a regular source of humorous and erudite posts. Michael Quinines site has gotten much more sophisticated over the years and you can sign up for it in different ways which I plan to do.
Terrible fate for a valuable person.
Had to give the basil and parsley a long drink, they were hanging limp.
All better now.
Are they rabbits?????
Basil and Parsley would be great names for buns or peegs, indeed.
Lol. That would be so cute.
This has the most accurate date of origin info.
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/hell-in-a-handbasket.html
Thanks, 6Rabbits! I’m bookmarking that site as well as the one Mich Patt recommended. Wow, it’s like having a team of researchers on this site.
Thank you! I love this kind of trivia. 🙂
I keep trying to tell myself that.
I wanted to go to Target last night but I was so tired on my way home I just decided to go home and take a nap instead. Some of my Cartwheel deals expire today; I guess I have to decide how much I really want them. Maybe I’ll wait until the evening. When I left work yesterday it was breezy but the breeze was no cooler than the still air. Gross.
Just got up. Drinking cocoa with espresso and checking my daily websites, then I’ll take a shower and hopefully do something productive. I did take out the trash last night, so at least that’s something.
These sorts of days make me feel as though you’re walking into a dog’s mouth.
LOL! What a great way of putting it.
Ick. And I am not one who enjoys being licked by dogs.
Living in New Orleans, we used to describe summer as like having a wet blanket smothering you. It felt like breathing underwater sometimes, especially when there was literally not a breath of air moving, even up on the levees by the river. It was always funny to watch people from other well-known hot and humid places (like south Florida or Houston) suffer in NOLA in August. 🙂
Joining the inside club as well. Heat index inland is probably going over 100 and I was supposed to go to a wedding – outside. I finally put my foot down with hubby and said we’ll get a nice present and you can go. If I go, especially since the reception is only in a pavillion NOT inside, I’d probably pass out. No thanks. For the moment, I have a/c off so I can run a quick load of wash and fry up sloppy joes for dinner, just reheat in microwave later. Might try to catch up on the filing, it’s overtaken the dining room table and like Phred said it gives one a psuedo sense of control and accomplishment. Stay cool everyone!
Mmmmmm sloppy joes.
Indoor club, me too.
Hi, all. Joining the heat club here. Plus I seem to have come down with a summer cold. My husband is out of town for a few days so it’s just me and the dogs. I’ve been getting up early to walk them. Which I simply could not do this morning. I feel about as good as one of the halk- eaten lizards dear little Sebastian keeps leaving for us. Yuck.
Plus Sebastian has skin allergies and so we’re trying a different (fish-based) food for him. Which is great — except Melody likes his food *much* better than her own so snuck in and licked his bowl clean. Dogs!
Hope you feel better soon, Laura! Good day to take it easy.?
I hate summer colds!
Laura, I don’t know if it will help you, but I found that Tylenol Extra Strength really helped me this past week with mine.
Hope you feel better stat. Be good to yourself and just hang out.
Take it easy and feel better, Laura. I did my fair share tramping around in the heat this morning, going to the farmer’s market and running other errands. So humid here you can practically swim in mid-air. Home in my nice, cool apartment now and this is where I intend to stay, cleaning, reading, listening to favorite NPR programs. Not a bad way to spend the day!
Thanks, guys. I spent all morning with my feet up, didn’t even take the dogs for a walk — it’s too hot out anyway, they don’t seem to care, they’re just busy sleeping on the cool tile floor — and, unfortunately, doing a bit of work. But I’m feeling okay as long as I take it real easy. Sitting at my desk typing a bit doesn’t really make me feel any worse, fortunately.
I work with a group of folks through the reporting firm I’ve transcribed for for years and years on transcribing a particular politician’s speeches and now her new running mate as well. Political agreement is not required from anybody, we just have to get the words down accurately. 😀 And our contract manager, who’s 100% bilingual (grew up that way), was shocked that I managed to transcribe the Spanish the new running mate threw in. He’s very fluent, but hey, I lived in Texas for a long time, so even though I can’t speak more Spanish than to say, “No hablo Español,” I can sort out the words. It’s a far more phonetic language than English, thank heaven.
So that’s my great achievement for the day. But if the new running mate gives a speech entirely in Spanish, our contract manager gets all the fun! He has a real advantage over the rest of us — not only does he speak Spanish and do a lot of translation work, but he also has that convenient Latin keyboard. Whereas I have to do the Alt+number pad numbers to get any of the Latin characters!
Zoinks! Sounds like really interesting work.
Very cool!
It can be interesting — like today, hearing from the veep candidate for the first time — but seriously, after the 350th time of hearing the future First Dude telling the same tired, cheesy, folksy stories? We all wanted to just cut our own throats to put ourselves out of the misery. 😀 And the campaign staff have NO patience. They send stuff at odd times, often days after they say they need it done TODAY, and then when we do get it want it back in 2 hours. Which can be a challenge even splitting it up. I mean, we’re good, and we’re fast, but it reaches a point where it requires almost superhuman skills to meet their ridiculous expectations!
That being said, if anyone ever has a question about this candidate’s policies, I can recite them in far more detail than you want to hear, I suspect. 😀
Not am I joining the Stay Indoors Society, I even decided against making coffee this morning. Having iced tea instead.
The pretzel stand wasn’t at the farmer’s market today, so one part of my Saturday morning ritual is shot. I substituted a muffin from a vendor I’ve wanted to try ever since it joined the market a few months ago.
We were gifted the other day with a humongous bag of still warm soft pretzels.
Put some in the freezer – they get hard fast, no preservatives – and pulled one
out, warmed it and had it with a schmear of butter this morn for breakfast.
Decadent and yummy.
So, how was the muffin? Was it a satisfactory substitute for your traditional pretzel? Inquiring minds want to know!?
Deee-lish, as a matter of fact. 😀
I’m sure you know the old saw “Curiosity killed the cat; satisfaction brought him back”. I’m BA-A-A-A-ACK.
I’m glad someone asked! I was wondering…
What is this “sleep in” of which you speak? 😛 Unfortunately our kitteh doesn’t understand the concept of a “weekend” so she was meowing loudly in my ear at 6:00 telling me it was time to get up. It’s OK, though- we’re doing a site visit on an organic farm that we volunteer at, so I’d rather get that out of the way before it gets warm. (I’m in Washington state, so “warm” will be around 80 today (sorry!))
Where in WA are you?
Clearly not North Seattle, though I do see a tinge of blue trying to sneak out from behind the clouds.
Hang in there! It’s GORGEOUS here in Vancouver, BC. I’ll send some blue skies your way…
Puyallup area, and I think it only topped out at about 75 (and humid) but we were stomping through 5 foot high horsetails and other assorted weeds for an hour and a half so we still got pretty sweaty.
It’s only supposed to reach 22C (that’s 72F) here in Vancouver so I’ll likely get outside for a weed/water/garden tidy. I’ll wait until later this evening, though, so I can go out without giant sunhat and sunblock. (I’m so pale, I’m translucent)
During the day, though, I’m a member of the indoors club. I had yesterday off so all the chores are done but today is the day I hang shelves to create my new hobby/sewing space. Though my hubster is the handiest man I’ve ever known, I asked if–with his guidance–I could do it myself. It helps my confidence to know I can do these sorts of things. Makes me feel capable of tackling other scary things, you know?
And as a total aside, I have to share my Thursday night experience with all of you. Hubster and I had tickets to the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. What did they play, you ask? Well, they played the movie Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone with dialogue and subtitles on a giant screen. And the VSO played the score along with the film! We both had mega goosebumps and, frankly, I got a little teary-eyed with joy at one point because the music that close, that intense, that REAL was breathtaking. Most of the time, I think humans are idiots but sometimes we’re capable of some really beautiful things. A hundred people playing in unison is one of them.
That is way cool. And congrats on the DIYing – I have the desire but am fearful of screwing up an I don’t have guidance (my Hubby (LOVE Hubster, btw) is OK with some stuff but not patient enough to guide.
My dad made sure I knew how to use a hand saw, wire lamps and outlets, etc.,
put stuff together, change faucet washers, and so on. When I figured out how to
cut cove molding long after he was gone, I looked at the ceiling and said, “what do
you think of this, Pop?” I was in school when girls were not permitted to take
Shop, so he showed me stuff, even his lathe, bless him. I can’t put up with
helpless females who can’t even change the batteries in a flashlight and get
all dithery without a man around for the easiest thing. Forgive the vent, pls.
It’s all a lot easier than you think. If you have any mechanical ability, like
sewing, drawing, decorating a cake, none of the so-called guy stuff is impossible,
brute strength aside. They’ve got us there.
My dad too! 🙂 He asked for and got two daughters and he was the first one to say, “You may *want* a man but no daughter of mine will *need* one”. I love that you did your own cut cove molding! We need more men (and other women!) to encourage women to do these things. You’re right, if one can craft, one can do guy stuff.
Because of Dad, I’m usually quite good with the stereotypical guy stuff. Hubster was blown away when we met because I had a full toolbox and cordless drill and knew how to use them. He asked, “What’s all this for?” I said, “What? I’m supposed to wait for someone else to hang the curtains, fix the car, rescue earrings in the drain, and install hinges? Pfft!”
That said, after 15 years of living with him, I realize I’ve kind of fallen into letting him do that stuff around the house. Just like he lets me do the bill paying and the administrative tasks (I’m a secretary). I think I mostly let him do the construction stuff because he’s a perfectionist and is so much faster at it. I’m a bit more of a “good enough” type and I’m slower because it’s not my everyday job. Letting him do these sorts of projects is sometimes out of kindness to him so he doesn’t have to watch me struggle. 😉 It’s gotta be painful to watch me measure something 16 times before I drill. ;P
Anyhoodle, I’ve just had my “this is how I would approach it” lesson from him for my upcoming shelf project. He’s handed over the box of screws and his drill (much nicer than mine). He’s off to watch the local airshow and I’ll stay home and DIY. I’msoexcited!
Finally, I like that you call it “brute strength”. In our house, if one is pushing and shoving something and it won’t budge, one says, “Just use brute force and ignorance!”
My dad was the WORST at the DIY stuff and he always insisted he’d do it – to save money – then he’d procrastinate or do it halfway and never finish it. He was OK if he had someone helping him. He may not have actively passed anything of that nature on to me but it’s in my genes – I can mess up anything that requires building or crafting. I’m only good at 2 dimensional surfaces.
My dad’s pretty good but I’m still waiting for him to patch the wall below the outlet he put in my kitchen last year (it’s mostly hidden by the microwave cabinet he built me which is the reason he had to put an outlet in, because the one that was already there wasn’t in the best spot), and paint the space beneath the new range hood I got last Christmas, which is shorter than the one it replaced so there’s a few inches of wall above my stove that doesn’t match the rest of the wall.
I too followed my Dad around learning all I could from him. I used to think there wasn’t anything construction/mechanical that he couldn’t do. Later in life, I figured out that sometimes, he was improvising. If the A plan didn’t work, he’d modulate into plan B so smoothly that one thought it was supposed to be that way all along.
Now, when I’m building something or repairing something, I laugh to myself as I work through the various iterations it may take to achieve success. Thanks, Dad.
My dad knows lots of stuff, but if plan A isn’t working out, you’ll hear it! (In ways I won’t repeat here.)
Improvising is part of the fun of doing almost anything,
be it diy, cooking, gardening, wardrobe, whatever. I
especially like improvising furniture arrangements and
decor using what we have or can find at a thrift shop.
I’ve nailed some true treasures at thrifts. A Pennsylvania
Dutch fraktur, 19th C. etchings, and watercolors, ferinstance,
as well as the odd cashmere sweater. The fraktur created
a very nice jaunt. I Googled the names and town/county
here in Pennsylvania and we took a trip out to Lebanon
County, found the church where our boy on the fraktur was
baptised and the attached churchyard where he is buried.
There was something magical about the day. The fraktur,
in this case a baptismal certificate in German of course, is
hanging in my kitchen, where I frequently say good morning
to him – Tobias Gerberich, born in 1829. I guess this is a form of immortality since he is not totally forgotten. I like to look at this way.
That is so amazingly wonderful – almost magical. I love that the boy on the baptismal certificate is remembered in a way he never could’ve imagined.
Thanks for the encouragement! Not everyone is as patient as my guy but he also knows I’m endlessly patient watching him use MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc. We all have our specialities, right?
That sounds really cool!
Mich, I understand fully being so pale you’re translucent. Hubby often wonders why I don’t glow in the dark.
I love the Vancouver Symphony. (My uncle is second trumpet.) I would LOVE to hear them do Harry Potter. I got goosebumps just reading your comments.
People always tell me I need to get some sun. I ask “why, so I can turn bright pink for a few painful days and then fade back to white? No, thanks.”
Allein, yes, nothing quite like the burn and peel routine, right?
When people tell me to get some sun, I say that both of my parents have had melanoma. Genetically I’ve been dealt a double-whammy and I refuse to die from something so preventable. (all true and usually shuts them up)
Last summer I went to a bridal shower that was outdoors at a house that’s on a canal in Point Pleasant, NJ; it’s at the end of the street so the water is on two sides, and they also have a pool, which I was sitting next to. I didn’t even realize how badly I was burning until later. That was the worst burn I’ve had in years and years; probably 2nd degree is some spots.
I also have a spot on my leg I’ve been keeping an eye on. My last couple checkups they said it was fine, but last night I noticed a little scab at the edge of it. Maybe I just scratched it shaving or something, but I’m off work most of next week so I think I’ll make an appointment for another checkup just to be safe. My mom had skin cancer years ago, but it wasn’t melanoma.
You are wise to see to that thing on the leg.
By the way, Pt Pleasant ( and it is indeed pleasant)
is just up the Delaware from us. A very pretty area,
full of history.
I misread you, the Point Pleasant I mean is in Pennsylvania,
on the Delaware canal, which flanks the river.
Yeah, this is central Jersey Shore.
LOL! Yes, I’ve heard glow in the dark more than once.
Second trumpet? COOL! When the VSO finished playing the whole place ERUPTED in applause complete with standing ovation. We clapped so loud and so long, the conductor had to come back on stage and have each orchestra section stand to take a bow (as opposed to just first chair in each). When the horns stood, people went bananas! So much of the HP score has horns, it was like we were applauding extra loud in appreciation for their exhausting efforts. It really was a… ahem … magical experience. And, as a bonus, TONS of people were dressed up in their best HP outfits!
All done! (yes, those are clouds on the wall… hubster is a pilot so I painted them and made his half of the room aviation-themed)
Nice! You wanna come do house next? 😉
Sure! How’s tomorrow? 😉
Darn! Tomorrow’s Game Night in the afternoon.
WOW! I have a lovely space and everything is in containers (well, a lot of stuff) but it’s not nearly so neat. I put it down to being visually oriented and I need to SEE stuff all the time. What you have in the picture is maybe a quarter of what I’ve got in my “Girl Cave” as my husband calls it. Downsizing is boing to be a bear.?
I can certainly understand wanted to see what you’ve got. Most of my boxes have a polaroid photo of the box contents stuck on the front. I’ve love all matching clear containers though! Just too frugal to spring for them.
I have a lot of vintage (’20’s and ’30’s) toys and and children’s books and odd shaped containers (leaping bunnies) and the odd birdhouse and 3-d cards and old kitchen stuff that are all part of the decor. The place is stuffed with stuff. I can’t seem to help it.I’ve stopped buying anything new and am trying to decide what to get rid of. I don’t wanna!!!!!?
My ears perked up at the word ‘books’.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to where I can get some 1:24 scale posable dolls at a non-wallet scalping price?
I’m afraid I can’t help you. 1:24 is half normal dollhouse size, am I correct? I go to a miniature show every year and I can’t say I see that scale – or I may be misunderstanding you. What’s popular now is 1/4″ to a foot – not sure how to write that. Regular scale is 1″ to a foot, and with laser cutters they’re getting even smaller to the point that some of the little household items are so small you’d need a microscope to see them.
Yes, it’s half normal. One inch equals two feet.
I wish those miniature shows came closer to me. Love the Fraser Valley, but we miss out on a lot of those things.
The all-matching clear containers are fantastic for so many things. I’ve got all my yarn sorted into them; each skein is inside a baggie inside the box, to make sure no moth ever need intrude. There’s something so nice about being able to see at a glance what’s inside the box, without having to even look at the labeling I put on the top of each one.
Mich, our local dollar store sells the small clear boxes. Do you have any near you?
Definitely! There’s one a block from here. Good thought! I’ll check it out.
Over the years I’ve bought quite a number of 12″ square clear boxes and three-drawer versions of the same, but my shelves aren’t deep enough, so they stick out which doesn’t allow for a really tidy appearance, but I know where everything is, so I mustn’t grumble.
Great job!
I love your clouds!?
Just got back from a lovely hike around Norm’s Island by the Yellowstone River, and now I am going down to my basement studio where it’s nice and cool (don’t have AC) to finish a painting I was commissioned to do for a woman fighting stage 4 breast cancer. 🙂
I have a friend who lives in Billings and takes his dog (Cairn Terrier named Fergus) out to Norm’s Island – he says it’s beautiful!
Cool! Yes, it is beautiful out there and you see lots of very happy dogs frolicking around. I love the fact you can walk right next to the river for most of the way. And in late fall/early spring when the leaves have fallen but it’s not too cold yet to hike, you get a very nice view of the Beartooth Mountains in the distance. There are nice benches where you can sit and bask in the view.
Puddleglum, There are a little under 3 million women in the US who are breast cancer survivors, may your painting be imbued with their luck, their resilience, and their strength.
Amen.
Hear. ??
nicely expressed, EM.
Thanks. I hope it will be.
Of course, I had to break out Dr. Google to look up where Norm’s Island is. I never made it to Billings area but I LOVED the areas of Montana I have seen. Lucky you!
What kind paintings do you do?
Yes, Montana is wonderful and the Billings area has a lot of hidden gems to discover!
As far as painting, I do abstracts mostly with acrylic paint.
I am a night owl, going to bed earlier than 2am never happens for me, nor does getting up before 9am. My youngest daughter asked me to go to garage sales with her, since she hates going alone. Since it’s supposed to be triple digits with high humidity we wanted to go early, so I woke up at 7am. She bought some things, I bought cinnamon rolls at the church rummage sale, and bumped into my late brother’s wife. It was good to chat with her, since we don’t see each other much. BUT, she wanted to know all about my niece, and the emergency temporary custody I had of my great niece last weekend, which is a topic that makes me sad and angry. I wound up having no choice but to turn the baby over to her father, since my niece absconded from her Probation Officer trying to give her a surprise UA, court for the Protection from abuse/temporary custody was Monday, and people who are hiding from their POs do not go to court. The PFA was dropped, and the baby’s father gets the baby. I got some hatred from the niece because I refused to tell her where I was staying with the baby, but apparently her baby daddy and her are back together, so she gets to have the baby anyway. Her PO, his PO and DCF all know they are together, and where they live, I suppose at some point they will arrest them all for probation violations, and the baby will go into foster care.
I am so thankful for my own children, who have grown up to be decent human beings (2 of my 4 daughters volunteered to take temporary custody last weekend), and are a pleasure to hang out with.
I’m a night owl, too. I went to bed around 11:30 and read for a little while before going to sleep. That’s pretty early for me on a Friday. And that’s even after taking a nap when I got home from work.
If the baby ends up in foster care, is there a possibility that he could be placed with you or one of your daughters? Sad situation. I hope things work out.
One daughter has 3 children already, one just 2 months older than my great niece. The other works at a day care, but has 2 stepsons living with her. My other 2 daughters, one is disabled and has 2 teenage sons, the other’s SO doesn’t want children. My niece has 3 siblings, one who has 2 kids, is just out of an abusive relationship and had stroke-like symptoms her doctors attributed to stress. Her brother has 3 kids of his own, and her younger sister is in the county jail right now. My sister would take the babies (the niece is due to have a boy in Sept.), but it isn’t likely that DCF will allow that because of a drug felony a few years ago. I don’t know how she and her kids wound up such a mess, I had 6 siblings, and most of us turned out pretty good. The whole thing stresses me out, mostly because I have always been the caretaker, and mediator, for the family, and I am really powerless in this mess.
🙁
Patty, you know we all send you our support and furry hugs.
You and your family certainly seem to be in the barrel. We are sending
positive thoughts your way. Sometimes it becomes obvious that one is
indeed powerless to ameliorate situations. A very frustrating state to
be in. Sometimes other adults in one’s family behave like anything but.
Sending love and light your way while you deal with all of this. Good grief!
Patty, Every family is as old as time, and down through those ages there were ups and downs, hard times and glorious moments that we can only imagine. So hang on, focus on keeping well & strong. Make an impact where you can, and take some time out where you can’t. Better times will come!
I have to step in and say that while foster care may not be the desired situation, not all foster homes are warehouses by people who just want the money. And frankly, there is no money in foster care.
I’ve met many noble foster families over the years who unfortunately are more suited than the biological ones for raising children in stable situations. If your grandniece goes into foster, I hope that they find someone who can provide that love and stability that she hasn’t had consistently before.
I hope that both the father and your niece take this as a wake up call and get their acts together. For their own sakes if not the kids.
What a saga! I have a friend who adopted a brother and sister who had all sorts of issues – fetal alcohol syndrome, separation disorder etc., etc., and she used to say she never thought she’d live a “Jerry Springer life”. Sounds like you’ve had a brush with just such life! My heart goes out to you and all involved, especially the kids. Sad, indeed.
PS I’m a night owl, too, but you have me beat – I usually get to bed 1-ish – lately even earlier since I can’t do any artwork to speak of because of my shoulder. Can’t read in bed if the hubby is already asleep since he’s light sensitive. But I love being a night owl despite how beautiful it can be in the early morning.
Here’s Lily the Fierce and Fabulous enjoying some of the tiny bit of sunshine we’ve had this week. I’m taking her across Puget Sound later today to visit my parents, should be a fun time!
Such peenk earses!
Like the chiaroscuro effect!
Love this picture. Front and back view. Lily is lovely.
She’s so lovely – I love her nose dot – “Boop here, please!” 😀
It is an eminently boopable nose!
Does anyone know if cats sunburn? I want to take her to the park and other places (once I teach her to wear her harness) and I worry about those tender peeeenk ears!
Unfortunately yes she can sunburn. Here’s an article about that
http://www.catster.com/lifestyle/cat-health-tips-sunburn-light-colored-fur
Good news is they make feline sunblock so you might want look into that, don’t want to scorch those beautiful peenk earsies.
Hows the biting coming along? Hopefully that’s tapering off.
It’s getting better. She doesn’t do it as much or as hard; often now she’ll start to bite then pull back. I also got her claws trimmed at the vet, so she’s not trying to scratch everything within reach either.
Much fun was had a my parents’ house – she loved having two more people to lavish her with attention. My dad (who claims to not be a cat person) was wrapped around her little paws in no time flat! 🙂
I’m spending the day with a group of friends that I have known for 30 years. We do this every years, breakfast, then we take in a movie. Then ge go for dinner and drinks to The Keg ( prime ribs with garlic mashed potatoes and Long Island Ice tea ) Have a great day folks I know I will 🙂
What movie are you seeing? I saw the new Star Trek movie yesterday, and it was really fun. I do like the new reboot. The old characters were getting more than a bit long in the tooth for their roles, much as I love them all.
Yes it was the new Star Trek, it was not bad at all, much better that the last one.
Joining the it’s too hot for me club. Inside with ac and overhead fan on. Tv on. Working on two drawings. Pjs all day. Only gonna cook microwave food. I don’t have to go out until brunch tomorrow.
Must mention that NTMTOM and all of you have been so on target all week. ?
Two drawings inked and awaiting color. Napped. Now reading. A new book came from Amazon but only 60% through current book. Current book excellent but slow going. Couldn’t resist buying the new one. Sigh. At least 10 other books in que. I’m greedy about my two top subjects.
What kind of drawings?
What are the two top subjects?
Inquiring minds want to know!
Two top subjects: 1. psychology 2. color theory.
Drawings: more iterations on my PTSD. Very theraputic to get stuff down on paper. ?
Indoor club here too (I did take a quick walk around the block earlier). I’ve been up since 4AM (and awake for quite a while before that – bleargh) but feeling much more in tune after a quick nap.
I’ve got my pain meds, so I’ve been getting things done around the house – folding laundry, cooking (well, more prepping and microwaving than cooking…), washing flower pots, etc. Got PBS cooking shows on TV – how adorable is Jacques Pepin!
Tres!
He does look cuddly, and I love his smile.
I have a lovely Parisian friend whose restaurant in the Philly area was among the first in what was referred to as the Restaurant Renaissance and she knows him and says he is as sweet as he seems. Always nice to know. But how could not be, you can’t fake that.
I like the way he says “Budder” for butter.
Last week I googled online jigsaw puzzles. I just started this one:
http://www.jigidi.com/jigsaw-puzzle/K1TZGG1K/U-will-poke-me-for-the-last-time-DOG
I had no idea such a thing existed.
I love jigsaws, must give this a shot.
Thanks!
That one only took me a couple minutes. I just started a 400-piece kaleidoscope themed one. That’ll take me a little bit.
(One hint: if you zoom out a bit you’ll get more room on the screen to work. You can also click on the background and drag and it’ll just move the whole thing and you can get more blank screen that way, too.)
I have an IPad mini, so will give your tips a shot.
My first try took four freakin’ minutes! How
embarrassing!
I hadn’t tried it on my tablet (which is a Samsung). I just did a smaller 24-piece. Will have to try a bigger one. I might need to dig out my stylus for that, but if I don’t have to zoom out to much it’ll be easier on my hand than using the mouse to drag each individual piece all over while I sort things out!
I have a puzzle app on my tablet called Venn Flowers. It’s like jigsaw puzzle meets Venn diagram; all the pieces are circles and you have to look for where the image overlaps to put it together.
Thanks for the puzzle sites!?
Have fun! I just finished a larger one on my tablet that I started last night. It’s a little frustrating sometimes because I have to zoom out a bit to have room to work but then the tip of the stylus makes it hard to see the piece I’m trying to place!
I’ve never heard of this website before. Lots of fun! Thank you for introducing me to this. 😀
You’re welcome! 🙂
I just clicked on a few of the results and this was my favorite. Some of the others didn’t have great graphics.
This one’s pretty good, too. It has a handy button that lets you see just the edge pieces. https://www.jigsawexplorer.com
Also, when you’re done, a crowd cheers for you. 😛
And I just discovered that it lets you change the number of pieces…up to 1050! (Click the little grid icon in the little box that comes up when you load a new puzzle.)
On a completely unrelated note – this picture represents the first time I have ever seen Kitty Drool…
So, I can now check that off my Bucket List.
My girlkitty drools when she’s happy. She’ll get all comfy and purring in your lap and then you realize she’s dripping on you. It’s… kinda gross.
I made sure to run my errands in the morning, and only after a brief 2 hr or so trip outside, this is exactly what I looked like when I got home. Heat stroke / coma on the couch.
Found on the internet, “platypuses in Virginia tomato fields”.
Spent most of the day at my sister’s with niece and nephew. Stayed INDOORS. “Real feel” here was 97. So humid you can’t breathe. Played with baby Guinea pigs and watched a movie, “Bridge of Spies”. Excellent, based a on true story. Came home to disgruntled bunny who I appeased with blueberries.???(pretend they’re blue.)
Baby. Guinea. Pigs. We had some when I was a kid. Cutest things on earth. Come out with fur and ready to eat.
YES PEEGS! Oh, I want one so bad. (ly?) And, yes, Bridge of Spies was a terrific movie.
We had a pleasant evening at a friend’s pool eating, drinking, swimming, and watching “Newsies” which is a good story but not really so great as a musical, I thought – and very Disney-fied. Someone here can tell me, I feel sure – wasn’t this a real event? Parts of the movie really started to give a great sense of the difficulties of people trying to wrest some measure of power from the wealthy.
Found it – yes, it was a real strike with the papers agreeing to buy back unsold copies of the papers.
Been a long time since I’ve seen Newsies! I do believe it starred a young Christian Bale?
The piggies aren’t really babies anymore–we just call them that! They are about 6-8weeks, so they aren’t fully grown. ( I tried to post a pic but it’s too big.) My nieces, 5 and 15, are totally spoiling them. The 15 yo. is allergic to a lot of pets, but so far the peegs don’t bother her! My sister is very attached to them also, which surprises her! (She raised mice as a teen and that’s her “go to” animal.) ?+?=GP ?
Wow – you do good math.
I’m posting this right at the end, in the hope that no one will bother to read it. I’m feeling very guilty about this, especially since it’s Sunday.
Murray, I’m sorry, but the phrase “brushing the bunny” sounded a little naughty to me.
?
Murray, second comment in this thread.
That was supposed to be this gif, but it wouldn’t work.
Too funny – Allein, you are a marvel. Guy’s got great eyebrows – almost as good as Stephen Colbert’s.
I miss Colbert. He’s on too late for me now, and in the last year or two of The Colbert Report, Comedy Central kept replaying it at odd times (like 6:23 pm) so I usually wasn’t home in time to catch it the next day. 🙁 I have to content myself with the occasional youtube clip.
I watch Trevor Noah, then the beginning of Larry Wilmore then shift over to Colbert for his monologue and early-in-the-show silliness and then, depending on who’s on shift back and forth between him and Larry W.
I try to be in bed by 11. I did stay up to watch Noah’s first episode, and I’ve seen clips here and there, but that’s about it.
I’m off the rest of this week but I’m going to try to be good and not stay up late every night.
As I’ve said before and will most likely say again, “a dirty mind is a terrible thing to waste.”?
So far having a nice weekend. Was just in a store I go in once in awhile. The man who works there said his grandmother had originally come from China, and her parents had given her a jade bracelet as a wedding present, and also a present to say farewell as she left for the states. In her old age, his grandma finally took off her bracelet and smashed it to pieces. She took the parts to a jeweler and asked that each piece be made into small hearts, to make as many hearts out of her wedding bracelet as possible. All these years later, every single person in the family and their children, and their children’s children has a jade heart from grandma, and there are many more left to give. I think as I look back on the week, that’s the story that I’ll be thinking about as I head into the next.
NICE! Wise Grandma.
Murray, Your mention of liking the history of words and phrases led me to look up the etymology of the word, “cute” –never knew that it came from the word “acute.” Have a good week and thanks for getting me back into the history of English.
I recently watch the series The Adventure of English with Melvyn Bragg (got it from the library). You might enjoy it. 🙂
Thank you Allein! Looks great!
🙂
I also get the A Word A Day email every morning (Monday – Friday). Each week has a theme and then on Saturday or Sunday he sends out a little newsletter.
https://wordsmith.org/words/today.html
Yes, that looks wonderful. I’m keeping track of the many recommendations people have been posting over the last few weeks so that I have lots to keep me entertained and informed while I’m stuck in a chair for the best part of a month.
EM, I’m glad for that. It is fun. ?