A Winter DPF

Temperatures reached 50 degrees today. Jen suggested we meet for an early Dog Park Friday at 1 P.M. Jen texted me, I called Chris, and Chris called Roberta. Six people and four dogs met at the picnic table in the back field. 

It was the only winter DPF that I can remember. We only lasted about an hour-and-a-half because the sun never came out, and it got cold. 

Thanks Jen for getting us together. 

Houses of Pretentiousness

I've always hated named houses. I figured their owners were pretentious assholes. The first named home I noticed (other than famous historical places like Mount Vernon) was Byebrook in Weston, an old hunting lodge on 13 acres. 

Manor houses and plantations were established in the colonies before the founding of the United States. House numbering plans were based on local policies; many American cities in the 19th and 20th centuries improved their numbering systems.

I pass another named home in Wilton several times a week called Twist o the Hill. This one bugs me the most because it tries to be poetic in its pretentiousness. When Jeff and I went away for our anniversary, I saw signs for two named houses: Cliff's Edge and Winter Haven. 

The only named home I can approve is the Burnside Fireside from Auntie Mame. Of course Mame named her home after hearing about Upson Downs and Upson Pines--homes of the obnoxious Upson family. 

Planning for the End of the Year

Usually people make plans for the first of the year, or resolutions for the whole year. I haven't gotten around to that yet, but I did have some ideas for the last week of the year or Slug Week per Jezebel. Write, read (finish my Wives of Henry VIII book and Gaylordsville history book) work in my art journal, put away/organize Christmas decorations, take some take paintings to be rewired, go to the gym four times. 

It's only Tuesday, but I already feel like I've messed up the week. It's silly, I know. It's too early to give up. 

Get it together Lynne, and save the week. 

Back to the Gym

I went back to the gym today after six days. I had hoped to go to the gym four times during Christmas week, but I needed more time to clean and organize. I never intended to go on Christmas Eve--I had to pick up food and cook. 

I thought I might return the day after Christmas, but chose a lazy day. I have no real excuses for yesterday. At least I exercised here on Sunday and Monday. I hope to close out the year with four visits this week. 

Counting today, I've gone to the gym 85 times this year. Gyms were closed at the beginning of the year. They reopened with limited capacity in March, but I didn't feel comfortable going then. 

Jeff and I returned in mid-June. I have records of my gym visits since 2012 and this year has my fourth highest number of visits. Oh well, not working frees up time to go to the gym. Next year should even be better. 

Slug Week

Loved the description of this week on Jezebel, what I've called the week between. I was journaling the other day but didn't quite get around to what I wanted to do this week. I've toyed with the idea of taking the Christmas decorations down, but I think they should remain through New Year's Day at least. I can certainly put away presents, at least. 

I want to finish the book I'm reading about the six wives of Henry VIII, and a book on Gaylordsville history. I want to write and work in my art journal. I was hoping to catch some mini-series marathons on TV, but didn't see any starting so far. Maybe I have to create my own. 

2021: The Year in Review: Part One

I usually wait until the year is over before reviewing it. I recently heard a segment on the radio about preparing for performance reviews. The report was focused on the workplace, even though performance reviews aren't as popular as they used to be. I thought it would  be a good exercise to start a review of my personal performance.

Covid-19 overshadowed this year as well as last year. By this time last year, a vaccine (maybe two) had been developed, but it was available only to a few. We started the year sheltering and were careful throughout the year. Jeff's health problems were also challenging, and so were Lola's to a lesser extent. 

I'm the healthy one. I took care of all my long neglected health check-ups and tests, got necessary vaccinations. I returned to the gym in June (Jeff too.) Lola is helping me stay healthy too by our daily walks. I am exercising most days between gym visits, walking Lola, and working out at home (mostly stretching.) I'll list my number of gym visits when the year is over. 

As usual, we've done our alcohol fast. It starts after New Year's Day, depending on what day New Year's is. In 2022, we'll probably start Monday January 3rd and end on Valentine's Day (a Friday.) I was proud this year that I wasn't tempted to drink while Jeff was in the hospital. (Similarly, I didn't drink the year I broke my ankle in the wee hours of New Year's Day. Both events would have given me good excuses.)

Looking back at the 2021 goals I posted, they are incomplete and somewhat sketchy. My goal to read 30 books was specific. To date, I've read 33 and re-read five books. I may finish my current book and and list them.

Another specific goal was to write 200 blog posts. This is my 187th. This goal is doable as long as I have enough of interest (at least to me) to post. I've been in a bit of writing/posting mood so I'm feeling optimistic about this. We'll see. 

More to follow. 

A Stocking Gift

On Christmas morning, I found this in my stocking: a White Russian inspired by The Big Lebowski. Jeff and I split it, and it was pretty good.

I checked out the label and saw that this drink was made by Sono 1420, a local distillery. Interesting. But oddly, the ingredients were vodka and rum with natural flavors. I always thought a White Russian was vodka, Kahlua, and cream.

I was right according to this site. We'll have to try a legitimate White Russian soon. 

Happy Kwanzaa and Boxing Day

Jeff greeted me this morning with Happy Boxing Day; I responded with Happy Kwanzaa. 

I don't know much about either holiday. 

CNN offered this article on Kwanzaa. The seven principles in English are focused on community:

Unity, Self Determination, Collective Work and Responsibility, Cooperative Economics, Purpose, Creativity, and Faith.

According to Wikipedia, Boxing Day originated as a day to give gifts to the poor, but is now known as a shopping holiday. I remember seeing an episode of M*A*S*H when officers and enlisted men switched roles on Boxing Day.  Wikipedia also mentions Christmastide which led me to Saint Stephen's Day which is also today. 

Quite the day. 

A Christmas Dreary

We slept in today, especially appropriate on a dark, dreary day like today. I made Christmas breakfast--a tradition we resurrected last year. 

It was just the two of us today, and it was just as well. After I cooked the turkey breast at 350 degrees, I turned up the oven to 400 degrees to re-heat the scalloped potatoes and the stuffing and cook the biscuits. Unfortunately, the oven wouldn't get any hotter. I thought maybe I had messed up. I turned off the oven and restarted it. The oven wouldn't get any hotter. 

Luckily we have a double oven and a new, fancy toaster oven. I heated the stuffing and potatoes in the upper oven (it's small and we usually use it only for broiling) and made the biscuits in the toaster oven. At least I had cooked the turkey in the main oven; it wouldn't have fit in the other two. Dinner was better late than never. 

We watched some Christmas movies: It's a Wonderful Life is on now.

Merry Christmas. 

White Christmas Eve

I was surprised to wake up this morning and see snow. Yes, I had heard that it might snow, but I assumed it would be farther north. The snow looked beautiful on the trees, but not so nice on the roads and sidewalks. Jeff took Lola to the vet's and I went to the grocery store to pick up a few items for tomorrow. 

We had a good meal today: filet mignon, scalloped potatoes, roasted peppers, a salad of arugula and spinach, and Pillsbury biscuits. I was pleased with the results. 

I made enough scalloped potatoes for tomorrow when we'll also have turkey breast, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and salad. Here's to another good holiday meal. 

Happy Festivus and Other Thursday Thoughts

Today is the holiday for the rest of us! I had hoped to celebrate with some fellow Seinfeld fans, but that didn't work out. Happy Festivus anyway. 

I took Lola to Oyster Shell Park this morning. It was my first day of the season wearing my winter coat; I put it on when I learned the wind chill temperature was 26 degrees. I had double layers of blouses and tops which kept me warm. We lucked out walking when it was sunny and not windy. 

Today reminds me that the best and worst thing about having a dog is that you have to walk him/her every day. Lola helps to keep me healthy.

Honoring Spike

We said goodbye to Spike six years ago today and still miss him. He came to live with us in March 2002 when he was just over a year old. We introduced him to meat; I still remember how he sniffed at our broiler when he first moved in. 

Spike was a wonderful dog, companion, friend, and family member. 

The Essential Lucy

I found this article on the 16 essential I Love Lucy episodes. I'm not sure exactly what the author meant by essential: is it just the favorites? I agreed with five of the 16 selected. I went through a list of the episodes and came up with 19 favs. 

If I narrow it down to 16, here's my list.

Season One

Lucy Does a TV Commercial

Lucy's Schedule

Season Two

Job Switching

Season Three

Lucy Writes A Novel

The Diner

Season Four

Business Manager

Ethel's Birthday

Ethel's Hometown

Hollywood At Last (my all-time favorite)

The Star Upstairs

Season Five 

Lucy Visits Graumann's

Great Train Robbery

Staten Island Ferry

Lucy's Italian Movie

Return Home from Europe

Season Six

Building A Barbecue

Winter Solstice

Today is the darkest day of the year, at least in the Northern Hemisphere. I'm happy to report it wasn't the coldest day on this first day of winter. Lola and I got home around 4 from Winslow Park--it was starting to get dark that early. I'll appreciate each extra minute of light starting tomorrow. 

Book 33: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Note: Of the 18 books I purchased at library sales, this is the 11th I've read. 

I was a bit concerned when I started this book and found the dialogue was written in the vernacular. I remembered how difficult it was to read Mammy's dialogue in Gone With the Wind. This wasn't the same. I did have to read the dialogue more slowly than the narrative. I stumbled over a word or two, but I could understand it. Hurston's voice was more authentic than Margaret Mitchell's, I'm sure. 

I liked Janie and reading about her journey from the grandmother who stifled her in trying to protect her, through her relationships with three men who tried to control her in various ways. Janie's journey wasn't an easy one, but she found some happiness in finding herself. 

There were so many beautiful phrases in this book.

It opened with: Ships at a distance have very man's wish on board. For some they come in on the tide. For others they sail forever on the horizon, never out of sight, never landing until the Watcher turns his eyes away in resignation, his dreams mocked to death by Time. That is the life of men.

To begin the second chapter: Janie saw her life like a great tree in leaf with the things suffered, things enjoyed, things done and undone, dawn and doom was in the branches.

As I was reading this book, I came upon this link about Nora Neale Hurston. I loved reading this article about Alice Walker searching for Hurston. 

I want to read more from Zora Neale Hurston especially her memoir: Dust Tracks on a Road: a great title.

More on Anne Boleyn

I am on the email list of The Anne Boleyn Files and learned about three days of talks: what did Anne look like; was Anne a pawn or predator; and Anne Boleyn myths. I ended up reading the transcripts instead of watching the videos (the first was an hour-and-a-half.) I found there's actually an Anne Boleyn Youtube channel. I guess I'll be spending some time there. 

Writer's Remorse Part Two

I wrote 124 words yesterday--another poor showing though better than no words at all. Maybe if I post these pitiful numbers it will inspire or shame me to do more writing. 

I didn't get up with a plan to write yesterday. Instead I did some reading online, played the New York Times Mini-Crossword and Spelling Bee. I opened my document and jotted a few lines and then Lola got up. I took her out and didn't return to my writing all day. 

My point is not to blame Lola, but to show that I can write in spare moments---something to build on.

Writer's Remorse

A few times this week, I got up with the alarm with specific plans: do laundry, make turkey chili (my first attempt was a success; I wish I had made more) make spaghetti sauce. 

This morning as I lay in bed around 5 A.M. I realized I had no specific plans for my morning (except go to the gym.) I decided to work on my book for at least an hour (my fiction book, not my non-fiction book that I'm still researching.) 

I sat down at my computer and opened Word. I saw a poem that I recently wrote based on the latest Dune film. I noticed that it wasn't listed in my poems folder. I resaved it.

I worked a bit on my story. Then I went back to my folders. I had a Documents folder within a Documents folder and a Poems folder within a Poems folder. How did I do that? 

I figured I should consolidate the folders.

Soon, an hour-and-a half had passed. How did I do with my writing: 147 words. I feel like Lisa Simpson in The Book Job and Roseanne in whatever episode she procrastinated about writing. 

Sigh.

Try, try again.

Anne Boleyn in Pop Culture

I was surprised to see an article about Anne Boleyn on Jezebel.com today. I had heard before about the AMC + series starring Jodie Turner-Smith and saw her on The Daily Show. I hope I'll get to see the program.

I had no interest in the film Spencer about Princess Diana, but now I'm intrigued that Anne Boleyn appears to Diana as another victim of the crown. Anne was played by Amy Manson who I saw in The White Princess. 

This shows how Anne continues to intrigue and enchant people. 

Christmas Prep

On Sunday, Jeff put up the Christmas tree and I started decorating it. I also packed up some things we normally have out to make room for other decorations. I kind of half assed cleaned as I went along when I should have cleaned with my whole ass (thank you Homer Simpson--he once said but I was parenting with my whole ass.)

Anyway I finished decorating, but still have to finish cleaning--touching up and vacuuming in the living and dining area, cleaning everywhere else.  

I'm just about done shopping: I'd like to get one or two more things for Jeff's stocking. I'm putting together gift bags for a few friends and may add an item or two. I'm also looking for Christmas placemats. 

Next up, finalizing Christmas Eve and Christmas Day menus.

Wednesday Morning, 11 A.M.

I remember hearing/reading that Monday morning used to be wash day. This article provides an explanation. 

Living in a condo with shared laundry facilities (with an insufficient number of washers and dryers in my opinion) means I try to do laundry when the laundry room isn't crowded, such as Friday and Saturday nights and during the Superbowl. When I worked part-time and now that I've retired, I do laundry during the day. Jeff liked to do laundry on Fridays to have clean clothes for the weekend. I did that for awhile, then I had a tutoring student who liked to meet on Friday afternoons. Thursday became too busy. Recently I decided to follow the lead of a neighbor: he says the laundry room is never crowded at 5 A.M. That's a bit too early for me. I've been going around 6:30 am on Wednesdays, and it's worked well. 

I still have to put the clothes away, but the washing is done. I've also emptied the dishwasher, taken Lola to the vet's, and made breakfast for us. It's a good start to the day. Keep it going. 

Book 32: Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon

This is the second book in the Outlander series ( I read the first in 2017) and corresponds to the second season of the TV series. Overall, I enjoyed the book, though it could have been edited more. 

The TV adaptation did a good job of condensing and revising scenes. I loved the way a scene dissolved from the 1940's when Claire and Frank disembark from a plane in Boston to Claire and Jamie arriving in France in the 1840's. I liked that Jamie did not serve as a witness at Mary and Jonathan's wedding, and I especially liked that Mary killed her rapist on the show.

I'm not sure if I'll continue with the book series. The first part of Season Three dragged, but I liked the second half. I guess I'll see what I find at future book sales. 

Plans, Schedules, and Self-Sabotage

It's been a frustrating week for me. But I still have the rest of today and tomorrow to make the most of it. 

I'll start by discussing the end of last week. I had planned to write a post about plans gone awry focusing on our visit to the Christmas Shoppe at the Merwinsville Hotel. It takes about an hour to get there; I wanted to leave home at 1 and return around 4. I figured I would exercise then and maybe clean the bathroom.

I wanted to take Lola out at 11. I didn't take into account time to get gas and cash. Backed up traffic on I-95 led me to go to Cranbury Park instead of Sherwood Island Park. Then Lola and I made a wrong turn in the woods. It was 1 before I returned home and still had to eat lunch. By the time we got on the road, it was almost 2: we returned just before 5. 

One hour isn't a big deal. As a friend said, we didn't have appointments or other obligations. But if I had planned a little better, I could have taken care of my chores and left for the Hotel at 1. If I had gotten home at 4, I wouldn't have blown off exercise. As for cleaning the bathroom, that was never realistic. 

For the next several days, I got off to slow starts and faced distractions. I spent an hour Sunday looking to buy a map of Gaylordsville, only to discover that Jeff probably had the best map already as part of his Western Connecticut book of maps. D'oh. 

On Monday, Jeff couldn't find his phone. It was in my car, but I didn't find it despite searching and despite both of us being in the car until after we bought new phones. Double D'oh! Jeff needed a cell phone to log into work, so it became an urgent task to get a new phone. Our service plan had expired, Jeff had talked about getting new phones, and apparently our old phones are from the Jurassic Era. So, we needed new phones, but I didn't want to spend two hours on Monday getting them. 

The rest of the week--well, I seemed to be rebelling against all the things I should have been doing. Many to-dos were left undone. One to-do from Sunday was to bring Christmas decorations from our storage bin in the basement. The boxes still sit in the dining area. 

On the positive side, I was more productive today. Not as productive as I had hoped, but that's a rare occurrence. Tomorrow will be better. 

The Christmas Shoppe at the Merwinsville Hotel

Today Jeff, Cynthia, and I visited the Christmas Shoppe at the Merwinsville Hotel. On our way there, I gave Cynthia a summary of the hotel's history and how Jeff and I first found it. Oddly, the way I remember first approaching the motel just doesn't make sense. My memory is faulty.

One volunteer Georganne decorated beautifully including a village with a railroad, nutcrackers, and amusement park ride models from her own collection. One of the bedrooms is decorated with a Hanukkah theme.

Items for sale included jewelry, paintings, pottery, glassware, ornaments, and shrubs. We liked that many items were reasonably priced. We bought ornaments, wooden gift tags, t-shirts, jam, honey, wine glasses, and a zip pull. 

It was a nice day for a drive, although coming home in the dark made it feel much later than it was. We got home a little before 5, and it was fully dark by then. Tis the season. 

Sustainable Change

I got an email from Laura Vanderkam yesterday, and it was helpful. To paraphrase and summarize, Laura says the end of the year isn't a finish line. You'll have the same schedule and challenges on January 3rd or 4th as you have today. Rather than wait until the new year to resolve to do something, try it today.  

It's not that I'm waiting until the New Year to do things. But I often find myself so distracted by the day-to-day to-dos that I don't focus on what I really want and need to be doing. If I can't do some writing today, it may mean my goal in unrealistic. That's a scary thought for me--I want to write two books. But this exercise could help me into a more productive, problem-solving mode. That's what I hope and need. 

Book 31: Wherever I Wind Up: My Quest for Truth, Authenticity, and the Perfect Knuckleball by R.A. Dickey with Wayne Coffey

I was a big R.A. Dickey fan when he was with the Mets; I'm wearing a Dickey t-shirt as I write this. I did not approve of his trade to Toronto; of course, no one on the Mets asked my opinion.

Dickey didn't have an easy childhood, nor did he have an easy career. Ultimately, he achieved his dream of success in the major leagues--most impressively with my beloved New York Mets. Dickey succeeded with hard work, ability to adapt, support from friends (including other baseball players) and family, and his strong Christian faith. 

One of the things I like about Dickey is that his Christianity is personal to him. He is focused on becoming a better man, husband, and Christian, and not trying to force his religious opinions on everyone else.

I remember a Mets announcer describing Dickey as an autodidact. I love that word as a former SAT prep teacher, plus I love people that learn on their own. Dickey once considered a future as a teacher; he's serious about learning. 

I wish the book had included his 2012 season with the Mets: he became the first knuckleball pitcher to win the Cy Young. 

Seen

Today as I was driving from one errand to another, I saw a car with a Christmas tree tied on top--a few days later than I expected. It made me smile; now the Christmas season is really here. 

Later I took Lola to Cranbury Park. At one point, we heard a strange tapping noise. Lola paused, and I paused to watch her. Sometimes she gets spooked by unusual noises and retreats. Then we heard some birds. Two flew to a nearby tree. They seemed to be dancing. Then a third bird appeared. I recognized them as woodpeckers. I had to check google to get more specific. They were Pileated Woodpeckers. It's nice to see and learn about new bird species. 

Lazy Weekend

I had the lazy weekend I didn't even realize I needed. The most ambitious thing I did was go to the gym Saturday. I went to the art supply store Friday as I mentioned in an earlier post,  and I took Lola for walks. Other than that, I mostly stayed in: I read, did spelling bee puzzles, played with my art journal (but not my new supplies) and watched TV/movies. We ate Thanksgiving leftovers for Friday dinner and Saturday lunch. 

Tomorrow is the first Monday in months without a writing class: we're off until January. It's hard to believe it will only be a week since my last class. It feels as if it were much longer. I need to do my own writing.

Driving around, I've noticed more lights and other Christmas decorations. Oddly, I haven't seen any Christmas trees tied to the top of cars. My first sightings of the season are usually over Thanksgiving weekend. 

It snowed this morning. Luckily it didn't amount to anything, but it wasn't a welcome sight. I'm not ready.

Black Friday Shopping: Art Supplies

Black Friday dawned bleak, raw, windy, and rainy. It was a perfect day to snuggle with a good book or Outlander binge-a-thon (which I found on TV on Thanksgiving night.) I suppose it would have been a good day to spend inside a mall, if you were inclined to shop. 

Lola had an appointment at the vet's at 9:30, so that's where we headed. We ran a few errands after that. 

Later I ventured out to an art supply store. I bought sets of watercolors and acrylic paints, a few brushes, a few pens, a small bottle of ink, a charcoal pencil, a mixed media pad, and a small paint tray. I had intended to play with my art journal last night. Instead I finished The Romanovs The Final Chapter and blogged about it. 

Later today I'll play with my new art supplies and my art journal. 

Book 30: The Romanovs the Final Chapter by Robert K. Massie

I looked for this book in the library a few years ago but couldn't find it until a recent library sale.  It was worth waiting for--a history of the search for the truth of what happened to the Romanovs, the last Tsar of Russia Nicholas II and his family. First the official accounts were incomplete and falsified. Later investigations were hampered by lack of finances, governmental support, and technology.

It's a fascinating story of how investigators finally prevailed and found the truth. At the time of the book's publication, the bodies of Maria and Alexei still hadn't been found. They were later found in 2007.

The book also details the story of Anna Anderson who claimed to be the Grand Duchess Anastasia and the long legal battle that ultimately proved she was not. The author also mentions other claimants and the Romanov relatives who argue over who and what a true Romanov is. 

Thankful Thanksgiving Thoughts

We had a delicious Thanksgiving dinner. In addition to the Whole Foods food, I made a arugula/spinach salad and butternut/pumpkin/apple soup (found in the freezer--I would have made a new batch of pumpkin apple.)

My brother brought wine and too much dessert. I'm thankful I didn't have to cook this good meal--I just heated it up.

A sampling of other thankful things (in no particular order.)

It was a beautiful day--the warmest all week. Lola and I had a wonderful walk at Winslow Park this morning. 

My brother searched to get the wine I ordered the last time we went to lunch together (unnecessary but appreciated.)

Lola is doing well with her subcutaneous fluids (although she is afraid to go to the vet. Today she was scared to get into the car even though I assured her we weren't going to the vet.)

Jeff and I are doing well despite a tough year and a half.

Watermelon overnight cream from Trader Joe's feels luxurious every night. 

It's a good exercise to think of more good things. 

Thanksgiving Eve

I spend most Thanksgiving Eves being thankful that I am not traveling. I don't remember the last time we had to drive more than an hour on Thanksgiving Day. 

We are having another easy Thanksgiving getting turkey, stuffing, cranberry orange sauce, and fingerling potatoes from Whole Foods. I'm heating up soup and rolls. I was going to make a pumpkin apple soup, but found some pumpkin, butternut squash, and apple soup in the freezer. I cleaned today, so all I have to do set the table, make the salad and heat the food. My brother is bringing wine and dessert--apparently too much dessert--from what he said. 

A neighbor lost her mother just a few days ago. This will be a tough holiday for her. I hope she can keep it together.

A Busy Two Days

Sunday was a wasted day after my Covid-19 booster shot on Saturday night. I had various body aches, fatigue, fever, and chills all day. I barely had enough energy to take Lola to Oyster Shell for a half-hour walk. I had very little appetite, only for rye toast with butter and mandarin oranges. I had prepared for a bad reaction, but hoped for less. A friend said she was ill for a day-and-a-half. Another woman told me it would be a cinch because the booster was a half-dose.

I felt better by Monday morning for my last writing class of the fall. I was pleased to get a good response to my story, especially from the best writers in the class. I took Lola for a walk on NRVT, made a steak dinner (postponed from Sunday when Jeff got Thai takeout because I was too wiped out to cook) and dusted the dining area and part of the living room.

Today I did the grocery shopping and the laundry. In between I took Jeff to the doctor and Lola to the dog park. The grocery store was much busier than normal, but since I am taking the easy way out for Thanksgiving (catering from Whole Foods) it went smoothly. I had more laundry than expected, mainly because of a blanket that fell behind the couch and flannel sheets. We had a relatively easy dinner of manicotti from the farmer's market (the first time we tried this) with my marinara sauce and a salad.

Now I'm winding down; I need to take Lola out, get ready for bed, and read a bit. I'm reading another book about the Romanovs--this one focused on finding and identifying the bodies of the last Tsar and his family, and all the imposter claimants to the throne. 

Booster Shot

I had my Covid-19 booster shot tonight at 7 PM. It was a weird time, but it was the only time I could get in town today.  

I had gone into CVS a few weeks ago to pick up prescriptions for Jeff and asked about getting the booster. I didn't realize that I needed to make an appointment. Since I needed a second pneumonia shot and didn't need an appointment, so I got that instead. 

I planned the booster shot for today because I don't have to do anything tomorrow except walk Lola. After my two previous shots, I had fever, fatigue, and headaches, so I wanted to leave the day open.

I'll have to see how it goes. 

New Photos of Lola

 

Lola looked so sweet resting after one of our hikes, I took this photo.

At Cranbury Park. 

Lola ran up this hill with a disc golf target when a pack of dogs approached: a good defensive position if the dogs weren't friendly; they were. 

Morning Girl

Jeff used to call me morning girl because I walked Spike in the morning. Jeff took the night walk, and whoever got home first walked Spike in the late afternoon/early evening. 

Lately I'm thinking of myself as another kind of morning girl. I've gotten better about getting up with the alarm at 6:30. More importantly, I'm better at getting things done earlier, instead of lingering over my coffee and my journal. Full disclosure: I'm in a bit of a slow mode this morning. I'm writing this over coffee. I've done the NYT mini crossword and am working on the NYT Spelling Bee while I plan my day. 

During the early days of the pandemic, I started food shopping during the senior hours. While I don't get up to shop at 6 anymore, I do like food shopping in the early morning (before 9.) It's much less crowded than later hours. I've also started ordering lunchmeat online which beats waiting around at the deli counter.  

As long as I'm up at 6:30, it's easy to throw on sweats and a t-shirt and head down to the laundry room. I've been doing this for about a month and usually have the laundry room to myself. Twice people came down as I was finishing up. 

Other days I write. Last Saturday, I finished a story due for Monday's class before listening an Independent Author panel at 9. 

I am a work in progress, and I'm happy for that progress. 

Creative Happy Hour

Last night I attended the Creative Happy Hour at the Norwalk Art Space. It was billed as a writer's reception in one email I received which is why I went. There was an open mic component, so I guess someone could have read a piece or performed a poem. When I was there, there were singers/guitarist performing and easels and sketch pads were set up so people could sketch a model.

Overall, a nice evening out. 

Book 29: The Family Romanov Murder, Rebellion & the Fall of Imperial Russia by Candace Fleming

Whoops, I bought another young adult book without realizing it. Maybe that's why I read it so quickly. I was already familiar with much of the story by reading Nicholas and Alexandra and The Romanov Sisters. I still enjoyed this  book.

I especially liked the inserts with viewpoints of people beyond the palace gates such as a peasant, a factory workers, a soldiers, a revolutionary, an apprentice.

Good Things

It's unusual for me to look back on a week and feel good about it. Usually I think about what I should have done and didn't get around to doing. 

Not that this week has been perfect, but I'm pleased. I had a good reaction to the story I read in Monday's writing class. Then I immediately got an idea for next week's story. I finished the story yesterday morning around eight and made a few edits today. 

Lola and I had some wonderful walks. I've been letting her off leash wherever its allowed. On Thursday we returned to Bradley Park in Wilton. It may have been the first time this year. Lola loved it; she ran down paths, sniffed, and listened when I called her. Good weather helped. 

I had a good workout at the gym today, especially my cardio on the bike. It was my third visit this week. On days I didn't make it to the gym, I exercised here. I also had a good check up at the dentist.

Finally, I did some cleaning/organizing in our second bedroom. I filed some papers, threw out some, shredded others, and packed some for storage. Some of the work didn't need to be done today, but I know it will have to be done before we move, and I'm glad I got it out of the way. It freed up some drawer space too. 

Not the sexiest week, but productive.

Lola is Doing Well

For the past six weeks, we've been taking Lola to the vet three times a week for subcutaneous fluid infusions to flush out toxins from her kidneys. Today her vet  took a quick look at Lola and said she's looking good. 

We were happy to hear that. We noticed it on our own. Lola's been more active, and her appetite is better. She's even been jumping up on the bed, which seemed beyond her a few weeks ago. For eight of the last 10 days, her steps have exceed her daily goal of 10,000. The beautiful, unseasonably warm weather the last few days has helped. We're so happy for Lola. 

Book 28: Coronado by Dennis Lehane

This is a collection of short stories and a play by Lehane. Last year I read a collection of stories Lehane edited. I liked the story that he wrote in that collection. 

The stories in Coronado are about sad or bad people in sad or bad situations. My favorite story was "Until Gwen." It had a second person point of view, which is unusual. Lehane liked the story too. The characters stayed with him, and he ended up writing a play called "Coronado" the last selection in the book. It's another bleak story, but I like to think it has a hopeful ending of sorts. 

Blake Bortles and Normal Glass Moon

I'm not a football fan; I never heard of Blake Bortles until we watched The Good Place; one character Jason was a big fan of Bortles and the Jacksonville Jaguars. Yesterday, reading an article about Aaron Rodgers lying about being vaccinated for Covid (come for me Shallene Woodley) someone mentioned Blake Bortles in the comments. 

Then I dreamed about him. I was discussing him with nerdy friends (who weren't into football like me) based on The Good Place. I woke up thinking about him and the words "normal glass moon." 

I don't know what that means--maybe a band name?  At least it's not a frustration dream. 

Book 27: Chasing Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson

I picked this up without realizing that it was written for young people. The opening pages about the Civil War were pretty bad: the Southern soldiers wore gray and were called Rebels or Confederates; the Northern soldiers wore blue and were called Union soldiers or Yankees. 

The rest was not so condescendingly worded. Language was simplified (e.g. a young reader suggested Swanson use the word henchmen instead of co-conspirator) and the manuscript abridged to 194 pages. The adult book Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer is 391 pages. 

I still enjoyed the book and hope to read the adult version sometime.

Fall Back

Daylight Saving Time ends tomorrow morning. Traditionally you changed the clocks on the Daylight Saving eve, so you'd have the correct time displayed when you woke the next day. Now cable box clocks, cell phones, and smart clocks adjust to the correct time. You just have to change times on appliance, battery operated, and car clocks.

I remember the first year with my new clock radio. I didn't know it was a smart clock and changed the time and was too hours off. Luckily it didn't take me too long to figure that out. It's rough when your clock is smarter than you.

Today I wrote a companion piece to my poem Spring Forward.

Fall Back

Eight months later

in a chill November night

The government’s payback

for the hour they stole.

I’m glad to have the hour back

but that’s not enough

I want interest.

For Spike and Lola

Today is Spike's birthday; he would have been 21. Okay, I know that's not a realistic age for a beagle; we were happy that Chinese herbs helped Spike reach 15. Spike joined us when he was one-and-one-third years old. We gave him a good life, and he gave us love, joy, and new dog park friends. Every year around this time, I think a lot about him. I still love Spike and miss him. Here are a few of my favorite pictures of him.

Lola joined us four months after Spike died. She was around five then. She's been with us for over five-and-a-half years. We didn't know her real birthday and picked May 5th because it's Spike's half-way day

Here are some pictures of our sweet Lola. 

Jeff and I have been blessed with two wonderful beagles. For one thing, both Spike and Lola like to sleep in. We never had dogs getting us up at 5 or 6 AM. 

Beagles are love.

Tis the Season

I read recently that retailers are bypassing Halloween and going directly into Christmas. I noticed this years ago. I've only been to grocery and liquor stores recently. None were playing Christmas carols yet. 

I guess I'm old school, meaning I want to wait until the day after Thanksgiving--at the earliest--to deal with Christmas. 

"Deal with" is not the way I'd like to talk about Christmas. I'd rather say "celebrate." But we have to see how it goes. This year we really need get organized early because of supply problems. 

Time to start shopping.

Thoughts on Nano

In November, my thoughts turn to Nanowrimo. A few months ago, I told myself I would definitely participate. Now, I'm not going to do it. I have two books that I want to write. I previously started one and am doing research on the other. According to the official Nano rules, you can plan and outline, but not actually start writing until 12:01 AM on November 1st. A friend asked if I had to be so exact about the rules. No, but why bother signing up if I'm not going to follow the rules? I can use Nano as an inspiration for word counts even though I'm failing at writing so far this month. (I've only worked on two stories for my class--editing one on Monday morning and starting another last night whoo hoo 87 words.)

Not writing or minimal writing triggers those annoying questions including--am I really a writer? The only way to answer that is to keep writing.

Book 26: Queens of England by Norah Lofts

I have three books by Norah Lofts on my bookshelf and two are favorites, so selecting this book at the Wilton Library sale was a no brainer.  This book is what the books in Vicki Leon's Uppity Women series could be if Leon didn't try so desperately to be funny and IMHO fail miserably.

The vignettes about each queen range from two to eight pages. Lofts includes Boadicea (not a true queen) and Guinevere (a legendary queen.) Historical queens range from Matilda Queen to William the Conqueror to Queen Elizabeth II, Queen in her own right.

I enjoyed the book up to the Queen Elizabeth II chapter, which became a defense of the British monarchy. Apparently, the political world abhors a vacuum so America ended up with Nixon and Watergate, Germany with Hitler, and Russia killed its Tsar and got the Politburo. A bit simplistic, I'd say.

Happy Halloween

It was a quiet Halloween for us--no parties, no trick or treaters. Jeff got tickets for A Haunting at Mill Hill for the late show last night. But I didn't want to walk around a muddy cemetery in the rain. Sigh.

At least we watched two Dracula movies (both Hammer films) today. I also have six other scary movies recorded. Lately, we've been watching baseball. The season will end tonight with an Atlanta Braves win. 

Moving on, we'll end Daylight Saving Time next weekend and transition to the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. 

Time hurries on. 

Opening Reception: When Caged Birds Sing

Tonight, Jeff, our friend Cynthia, and I went to the opening reception at MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art) in Westport.

I'm on the MOCA mailing list and learned about the reception yesterday. I like to go to opening receptions. It sounded like an exhibit I want to see about women's rights advocates. And, I have to admit, complimentary cocktails were another draw. (Drinks are expensive at MOCA: beer for $10, cocktails for $14.)

The first room displayed Maya Angelou's poem Caged Bird, along with books written by or about the subjects of the exhibit. 

The exhibit was powerful, focusing on individual survivors: child marriage, honor-based violence, Talibanization (no education for girls) female genital mutilation, kidnapping as a child soldier, transphobia, sex trafficking, and domestic violence. All of the survivors depicted escaped their abusers and became activists. After seeing the exhibits which included a brief description of the trauma suffered by each woman, we watched a video with all of the women describing their ordeals. 

After that we did another loop around the room to take a second look at the exhibits. 

Powerful and thought provoking.

Book 25: Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House by Eric Hodgins

This was a book sale purchase; I bought it because I like the movie. 

The book is good. It includes a few more household problems than occurred in the movie, including window installation snafus, damaged bathtubs that can't be easily removed without tearing out doors, and painters showing up before the walls are finished. 

The film adds two subplots. The first involves the Blandings' attorney Bill Cole. He is no longer simply a friend and lawyer, but an old flame of Muriel (Mrs. B.) The two end up staying overnight alone in the house during a storm, making Jim (Mr. B) suspicious and jealous. It adds nothing to the story.

The second subplot involves adman Jim coming up with a slogan for Wham ham. Luckily for him, the maid Gussie saves the day when she says: "If you ain't eating Wham, you ain't eating  ham." That becomes the slogan Jim is searching for.

Fun fact: the novel is based on the author's experience buying property and building a house in New Milford, Connecticut.

Note on reading goals: With a goal of reading 30 books, I'm in pretty good shape with a little over two months remaining in the year. When I select my next book, it will be one of the shorter ones to make it easier to reach my goal. No War and Peace for a while. 

Book 24: Fear Itself by Bette Bono

I was too tired to finish this book last night, so I did it this morning. I enjoyed it. Here the time travelers investigate two groups active in the United States in the 1930s: America First and the German American Bund at the request of a woman who escaped Nazi Germany via the Kindertransport. 

This book is a sequel to Bette's first book The Better Angels, although you don't have to read that beforehand. She does a good job of weaving in the information needed from the first book without giving an info dump. 

I don't particularly care about the romantic subplot; it seems a bit too much, too soon for me 

Bette is now researching the Progressive Era for her next book. I'm looking forward to reading it.

Author Speak: Fear Itself by Bette Bono

I have 50 pages to read in this book before I can count it as Book 25. I should finish it tonight unless I stay up late to watch the Braves/Dodgers NLCS Game 6. (The score is currently 4-1 Atlanta.)

Bette's presentation was great. She read two short pieces from her book. The first selection dealt with the way seniors are depicted in the media. The second selection described a rally in the 1930's. She also gave an overview of happenings in both the United States and Germany in the 1930's. 

Her presentation was similar to this one from her first book. Since this once was on Zoom her family members in other parts of the country could participate. I was happy to see other writing friends. I've been in writing classes with Bette for a few years and love her work. 

Food Snob

Yesterday a friend jokingly asked another friend if she thought I was a food snob because I only buy fish from Pagano's and not Trader Joe's. I know she was kidding, but it got me thinking about my food purchases and frugality. 

I'm willing to spend more on food than the minimum. I buy some organic, I especially try to get organic, humanely raised meat and chickens. I spend more on things I really like: a local salad dressing that costs around $6, good vinegars, ravioli, and pesto from the farmer's market. As for ravioli, I'll continue to buy them. A friend thinks they are too expensive ($12 to $18 for a box of 36.) I focus on the fact that you get at least four meals from a box (depending on how many raviolis of course.)

Thinking about this later, I realize that I am privileged to be able to buy the expensive pasta, vinegar, and salad dressing. I'm also willing to spend more on food that I really enjoy. Some things aren't worth skimping on.

Swan Sighting

I took Lola to Winslow Park in Westport this afternoon--another beautiful sunny day in the mid-70s. After a few minutes, she pooped, turned around, and headed to the car. We didn't even make it to the off-leash part of the park. 

I stopped at Pagano's Seafood for Coho salmon, bay scallops, and stuffed clams casino. Because Lola's Winslow outing was so short, I stopped at Oyster Shell Park on the way home. Lola was much more into walking there--we did a full loop. 

As we approached the bend in the trail, I saw the seven swans on the other side of the Norwalk River. The "babies" were hard to distinguish from their parents. All were about the same size. The parents may have been a little whiter. They were too far away to get a decent picture. 

Here are some flower photos from an earlier visit to Oyster Shell. I love the colors. 

Book 23: The More the Terrier A Pet Rescue Mystery by Linda O. Johnston

I bought this book because I was intrigued by the idea of a pet rescue mystery. I've been playing with a murder mystery set at a dog park for a few years. 

The book was meh. I didn't really care about any of the characters and wasn't invested in the mystery at all. 

While I appreciated Johnston's attempt to show how a caring pet owner/parent acts, the detail was too much. I felt as if I knew Zooey the dog's routine better than I knew Lola's. 

Overall, a disappointment. 

The Danbury Railway Museum or Searching for Sylvanus Part Two

Last Saturday, I visited the Danbury Railway Museum. I didn't have any reason to believe that it might have information on Sylvanus Merwin, but it would be negligent not to check out a place within 45 minutes of Norwalk. If it didn't have specific information on Merwin, it might help me become more familiar with local railroads. 

The trip was disappointing. Most of the display materials and paraphernalia were from the 20th Century. I did see a map listing Merwinsville as a destination on the rail line. A small exhibit covered how the rail and telegraph industries were related. (Fun Fact: Samuel Morse built a telegraph in 1843--the same year the Merwinsville Hotel opened.)

I happened to visit during the autumn fundraising. The usual $7 admission was raised to $15, but included a train ride to the Pumpkin Patch (usually priced at $15.) I could have walked two minutes to get to the destination of the 10-minute train ride, but I did get cider and cookies. Also the engineer showed me the Railway Post Office Car. That was interesting.

Book 22: Orange is the New Black My Year in a Women's Prison A Memoir by Piper Kerman

This was a purchase from the Wilton Library Book Sale last month and is the basis for the Netflix TV series of the same name. I loved the show, so bought the book. 

The basic plot line is the same, but there were several differences between the book and the show. Both Piper Kerman (book Piper) and Piper Chapman (show Piper) are sentenced to 15 months in a minimum security prison for delivering drug money ten years earlier. Book Piper marries her boyfriend Larry and has minimum contact with her ex-girlfriend, drug smuggler Nora. Show Piper is imprisoned with her ex-girlfriend Alex and eventually marries her.  

Prison protocol keeps book Piper from asking her fellow inmates what they did to be sentenced to prison, although they freely talk about the length of their sentences. The TV show did a great job delving into the past of most of the characters and dramatizing their crimes. The TV show also featured more sex and violence. 

Book Piper was much more likeable, thoughtful, and self aware than show Piper, recognizing how her crime had ruined the lives of people like her inmate friends. These inmate friends were the ones who helped Piper going through her sentence, the humiliations, arbitrary rules, and customs. 

A Good Dream...For a Change

Usually when I write about my dreams, I am talking about frustration or anxiety dreams. They involve me being unable to do something, such as making a phone call.

Last night I saved a dog from a teenager hunting it with a bow and arrow. All I had to do was get the dog on private property. 

There were many other weird things in the dream, but I want to focus on something good. They are few and far between in my dreams. 

Thursday Thoughts

Thursday night feels like the end of the week even though I'm not working, and if you think of the week as running from Monday to Sunday, it's really mid-week. 

Whatever. I'm feeling like another week went by with minimal accomplishments on my part. For one thing, I'm committed to driving Jeff for treatments for his foot twice a week. While he can drive himself, we feel more comfortable with me driving. Sometimes his foot burns afterward and it's a 45 minute drive. I use the 45 minute appointment time reading, playing Spelling Bee, doing New York Times crossword puzzles, and occasionally journaling. 

Lola still has toxins in her kidneys, so she is getting fluid injections three times a week. Usually Jeff and I both take her, although either of us can do it alone. For the past week, we've scheduled Lola's appointments at 9 on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and Jeff's for 10:45 on Tuesday and Thursday. It's easier to plan around the appointments when they are consistent. This is still a work in progress. Jeff's been on this schedule for two weeks, and Lola for one.

I'm doing most of the walking with Lola (sometimes both Jeff and I go.) It's frustrating because she no longer will walk around the neighborhood--I can't explain it. It's also frustrating to take her somewhere such as the Norwalk River Valley Trail--a 30 to 40 minute roundtrip--and she walks for barely 20-25 minutes. I've been trying to enjoy our walks more while the weather is nice. We've had a string of beautiful, unseasonably warm days, and I know they won't last. I'm letting Lola off-leash more. So far, so good. She runs a bit and seems to enjoy herself more. I just realized that I can now take her to Westport beaches (as of October 1.)

I've really fallen behind in cleaning and writing. Both areas will require more planning and scheduling to get back on track. I can't wait for convenient times or moods. One good thing is I've gotten back into a gym routine the last two weeks. 

I'm continuing to try new recipes usually from the New York Times. Last night it was Skillet Chicken with Black Beans, Rice and Chiles. It got rave reviews. We were disappointed. I was also annoyed that it was billed as a one-pot dish, when you needed two. It took about an hour to cook, which can be too much on a weeknight for most. 

Throwback Thursday. I finally backed up my computer and looked through some old photos. I found this of Spike from our New Year's visit to Daufuskie Island around 2005? He is in his element with a favorite squeaky ball, taking a rest from chasing it down the beach. As much as I love Lola, I still miss Spike.

Re-read: Nancy Drew Number Four: The Mystery at Lilac Inn

After I finished Bloodless, I picked this book up; I knew it would be a quick read. 

Nancy's friend Emily is coming into an inheritance of the Crandall family jewels. Unfortunately, the jewels are stolen when Emily's careless guardian stops at Lilac Inn for lunch with the jewels in her handbag.

Of course, Nancy solves the mystery and recovers the jewels, but she solves it more through her prejudice and snobbery than by following clues. 

Racism alert: Nancy is interviewing potential servants, a colored woman, an Irish woman, a Scottish lassie, and a dark-complexioned girl who stared at Nancy almost impudently.

Book 21: Bloodless by Preston & Child

I loved this book. 

After a challenging case in Florida, Agents Pendergast and Coldmoon are diverted to Savannah, Georgia to investigate a case in which persons were completely drained of blood. Could it be the work of the infamous Savannah Vampire of legend?

The authors skillfully weave the eerie setting of Savannah graveyards, city history, police procedurals, the legend of D.B. Cooper, and quantum physics into an incredible story. It even has a bit of romance. Once again, I loved this book. 

It's one of the best of the Pendergast series, and that's saying a lot.

Searching for Sylvanus

On Saturday I had an appointment with the New Milford Historical Society to do some research on Sylvanus Merwin. The results were disappointing. There was information, mostly promotional materials about the renovation of the Merwinsville Hotel. I did get some tidbits of information that the researcher kindly copied for me. I had wanted to buy a book on the history of New Milford, but the gift shop was unexpectedly locked. I could have bought the book online, but preferred to give the sale to the Historical Society. 

I had expected to do research for a few hours, but was done in about a half hour. I headed up to Merwinsville Hotel for an art show. I talked to a few people there about my research and then found two books that could be helpful to me in the museum. I had expected more from one book; it only had about three pages about the hotel. The second was a tome of the Merwins in America. I found the entry for Sylvanus, and I think my best bet may be to find his descendants. I just didn't have to time or inclination to research further. I had opened the book on a display case, and it was just not conducive for research.

I need to carefully review the material I have on hand and make plans.

Westport Library Book Sale

Yesterday my friend Cynthia reminded me of the Westport Library Book Sale this weekend; we went today.

I bought seven books:

1. The Mystery at Lilac Inn by Carolyn Keene (1930.)This is the fourth in the Nancy Drew series. I couldn't resist. I almost also bought The Secret of the Golden Pavilion; I regret not picking it up now. I remember liking it.

2. The More the Terrier A Pet Rescue Mystery by Linda O. Johnston. This looks like fun; I may give it to my terrier loving friends after I read it, of course. The author also wrote Beaglemania, which I have to read.

3. Wherever I Wind Up by R.A. Dickey with Wayne Coffey. When Dickey wrote this book, he was a New York Met, where he won a Cy Young award. I still have a Dickey t-shirt and have heard good things about this book. 

4. Chasing Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson. I just noticed this version is written especially for young people. Whoops. I'm not sure that that means, but will find out.  

5. Coronado by Dennis Lehane. This is a collection of short stories. Last year I read a collection of stories Lehane edited.

6. The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir. I bought this book even though I wasn't sure if I had already read it. It's not on my bookshelf or mentioned in my blog, so I assume no.

7. The Family Romanov Murder, Rebellion, & The Fall of Imperial Russia by Candace Fleming. I love reading about Nicholas II and his family

To update my recent library sale books: I have three Russian themed books, three British royal themed books, two TV themed books, two books by early 20th Century Black women authors, three classics, others harder to catalog.

I like having many reading choices close at hand. 

Rally for Abortion Justice

Last Saturday October 2, I participated in a rally for abortion justice. We met on a bridge heading into the main shopping area of Westport, CT. We waved our signs, chanted "My body, my choice," "Mister, Mister, keep your laws off my sister," and "We won't go back," and cheered as passing motorists beeped at us. We were most encouraged by truck and bus drivers beeping to show their support. 

At first, I was annoyed that the organizers expected us to bring banners. Then I figured out what would work for me. I played around with sizes and fonts on my pc and printed out two 8.5 x 11 pages: one read "Abortion is Healthcare," and the second read "Keep Abortion Legal." I glued them on 9 x 12 mixed media pages. Next I taped them to a yardstick, so I had a two sided sign. My sign (not me) made the local News 12 telecast.

Here are two of my favorite signs from the rally.  I cropped out the people because I don't have permission to use them in my blog.

                "When government controls decisions for her, she is being treated as 

           less than a fully adult human, responsible for her own choices."

Other favorites:

"Hey GOP I'm only three but I already know it's my body."

"Nevertheless, she persisted."

There were a few signs with coat hanger imagery, "I Stand with Planned Parenthood" (I had this on a bumper sticker on my last car) and "My body my choice." I think I was the only one with "Abortion is Healthcare."

I only saw three people in cars who gave us a thumbs down. Many cars just drove by, but many beeped in support or waved. 

Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal showed up with a local candidate I didn't know (I don't live in Westport.)

I hope the politicians paid attention to us and all of the rallies across the nation.

Keep Abortion Legal.

Abortion is Healthcare. 

On Writing and Not Writing

Eight days ago, I pulled up my blog and saw that I hadn't posted that week. Not only that, but I hadn't written anything for the two books I've committed to writing, and I only wrote one sentence for a story due for my class on Monday. 

That got me thinking. It took me a long time to think of myself as a writer. Do you have to be published be a writer? What do you have to produce to be a writer?

I remember a writing instructor said: A writer is someone who writes. My mother scoffed at that, but she didn't understand the self-doubt. 

This week I wondered can I be a writer if I only wrote one sentence this week? I don't want to know the answer. I can say I did 1.5 hours research on one book. I can say I scribbled about three pages of journaling to work through a blog post about schedules and planning. But I never wrote that post. 

On Monday, I read this from a daily email I get from A.Word.A.Day:

”Working” has a different meaning for writers. If you are a writer, writing doesn’t necessarily mean typing away on a keyboard or scribbling on a piece of paper. Writing happens when you are walking or taking a shower or pulling weeds in the backyard. Simply staring out a window also works. Once your writing is done, you just need to dump it on a sheet of paper or into a computer.

I don't agree with that. Yes, I get several ideas when walking Lola. In fact, I've written almost full stories on our walks. I've also thought about stories, gotten ideas, and worked out problems while doing chores, or staring out windows. That's great, but these things don't really count if they don't get dumped on a sheet of paper or into a computer.

I need to actually write, or it doesn't count. 

Book 20: One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

I didn't particularly like this book, but I didn't particularly dislike it either. That's why I finished it. Plus, it's considered a classic and a selection for Oprah's book club. I haven't abandoned a book since 2019. I guess I'm choosing my books well. 

The book contains some beautiful images and writing. I loved the description of the family's discovery of ice. I also learned some Columbian history from Wikipedia's entry on the book. 

Overall, not a book for me. 

Requiem for the Mets

Today was the last game of the regular baseball season. Unfortunately, it was also the last game of the whole season for the Mets.  

As a Mets fan, I'm used to losing seasons. But it seemed like this would be a winning season. The Mets were in first place for several months this year. The beginning of the end was an early August series with the Phillies. 

Today I wore my favorite Mets t-shirt. It's a blue v-neck with 2015 World Series, Destiny: the NY in Destiny is the Mets logo. I also wore a pair of my Mets earrings. If only I remembered my Mets shorts, it would have been a Mets trifecta.

I watched most of the Mets final game. They couldn't even manage a run in a 5-0 loss to the Atlanta Braves.  

Wait until next year. 

Bonanza: The Wilton Library Book Sale

 I got ten books today for $23.50 at the Wilton Library Book Sale, listed in the order I took them out of my shopping bag. 

1. Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon: this is the second book in the Outlander series. I enjoy the TV show although Claire often drives me crazy. I doubt I'll read the whole series of books, but wanted to check this one out.

2. Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman: another TV inspired purchase. I loved the series, so I'm looking forward to reading the book. 

3. The Romanovs The Final Chapter by Robert K. Massie: I loved Massie's Nicholas and Alexandra as well as the film version. This book describes the exhumation of the mass graves to solve the mystery of the Romanovs' executions.

4. Katherine of Aragon The True Queen by Alison Weir: this is the first in a series of six novels about Henry VIII's queens.

5. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston: After reading There is Confusion, earlier this year, I added Hurston to my reading list. This is a 20th century classic.

6. Jubilee by Margaret Walker: Another title I recognized from my reading list. This is the true story of Walker's great-grandmother that Walker wrote weaving together her family's oral history with her research. 

7. Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House by Eric Hodgins: a film inspired purchase--this book was in the nostalgic section of the sale. I can't wait to see how it compares to the movie. 

8. Queens of England by Norah Lofts: I have two books by Norah Lofts about Anne Boleyn: one nonfiction and one fiction. This book covers Boadicea (not technically a queen) to Queen Elizabeth II. 

9. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy: I was inspired by Laura Vanderkam to read this book. It's lots of short chapters. In the version I bought today, it's only 696 pages, but small print. 

10. Jane Austen: Three Complete Novels Sense and Sensibility; Pride and Prejudice; Emma: I loved Pride and Prejudice (when I finally got around to reading it.) Now I have three books in one volume.

Plenty of reading material for me. 

Don't Blink

I feel as if I blinked, and not only is summer over, but September too (well just about.) I guess it hit me when I realized that next week is October. 

I feel I should have done more this summer, but can't think of anything specific right now. I spent a lot of time walking Lola at Oyster Shell Park, or so it seems, watching egrets and baby swans. We did fun things such as DPF's, outside dining, listening to music, looking at art. I participated in a class reading of stories, have continued writing and made writing plans even if I haven't been very productive. 

In September, we went to a celebration of life and a memorial service (both postponed by Covid) visited with family, celebrated our anniversary with a mini-getaway, and celebrated Jeff's birthday yesterday. Jeff, Lola, and I went to the Biergarten at Nod Hill Brewery for lunch. Later we met friends at the grand opening of 314 Beer Garden. 314 was too loud and crowded, so we headed to Sedona Taphouse. 

Jeff and I were too full to eat a regular dinner, so we had salad and chocolate mousse cake. I had made vodka sauce Friday. Tonight's dinner will be penne a la vodka--to make it a birthday weekend.

September is almost over, but it's just the beginning of fall--my favorite season. I need to plan some fun things to do, make a list, and anticipate them. Don't blink; don't let the fall get away. 

Welcome Fall

It's been cool enough the last few mornings for me to have hot instead of iced coffee. 

It is now officially fall, as of 3:20 this afternoon. 

We don't have any specifically fall plans. I'll have to think about it.

Right now, we are planning for Jeff's birthday this Saturday. More to come. 

A Catch-Up Post: Our Anniversary Getaway

It's been a busy eight days since my last post. On Wednesday, I met a friend I haven't seen in about 10 years for coffee. It was great to catch up, and we promised not to wait another 10 years. I came home to do laundry, finish packing, and give Lola a bath.

Jeff had a doctor's appointment Thursday morning, but it's on the way to Interlaken. Lola and I walked around outside, and I played my Spelling Bee game on my phone as we waited.

We stopped in Kent for lunch and a little shopping. After we checked into our room, we headed to Harney & Sons in Millerton, New York. We were disappointed that the tea tasting bar wasn't open. We drove around Lakeside and Salisbury and checked out restaurant locations. (We were also disappointed with the Morgan's Restaurant menu at the hotel.) 

We decided to eat at The Woodland Restaurant; it was listed as dog-friendly and had outdoor seating. When we arrived, we learned that they weren't serving outside. We had a drink at the bar as we waited for takeout. Woodland had no utensils to go; we got them from Morgan's. We talked with another couple at the bar. They insisted we shouldn't eat in our room. Instead we should go to a park (without utensils apparently) or go to another restaurant with our Woodland food. I thought that was the height of rudeness. We were fine eating in our room (even though we had steaks, and I neglected to get steak knives.) Oh well, the steaks were delicious and large enough to provide Saturday night's dinner as well. 

The next day--Friday--we stopped at a local farm to buy meat. It's usually open Friday, but was closed that Friday. We also attempted a visit to a winery we hadn't been to in years. It's also usually open Fridays but closed that Friday. Bummer. 

We drove to Norfolk; I wanted to see the house where I had attended a writer's retreat, but wasn't sure which house it was. We walked around the small downtown, then headed home. 

We stopped at White Silo Winery for a wine tasting and a cheese plate for a late lunch. We really like the dry rhubarb wine (as weird as it sounds.)

We met a friend at the dog park and got a bit wet when it drizzled. Dinner became a bit of a problem. We wanted to eat outside with Lola, but we were worried about the rain. We had trouble getting reservations and a parking space, but ended up having a good dinner at Sedona Taphouse even though they screwed up my entree. 

Overall, a good anniversary despite some disappointments. 

Plan, Anticipate, Revise

In a recent post, I mentioned our plan to spend our anniversary at Interlaken Inn. I started packing yesterday and today unfolded our gift certificate: it's on 8.5 by 11 cardstock, was folded in thirds, and given to us in an envelope. 

Whoops, our certificate is only good Sunday through Thursday at this time of the year. I called Interlaken to see if they would honor the certificate on Friday night--no luck. Now, we're going up Thursday, will wake up there on our anniversary, and return home that day. 

I'm disappointed, but we originally planned to go on Thursday, thinking Friday prices would be higher. The person taking our reservation should have told us about the gift certificate limitation, but we should have read the complete certificate of course. I'm just glad I saw it before we drove up there on Friday.

It won't make a big difference in our plans, and if the weather cooperates, we may make Dog Park Friday. 

In this post so far, I've covered plan and revise. What about anticipate? Laura Vanderkam is big on planning things because she enjoys anticipating them. See an example here. 

I've been anticipating this mini-getaway. Luckily, I read the gift certificate, so the getaway wasn't doomed before it started. 

On September 11

So it's September 11th, the 20th anniversary of that September 11th. Most of the news coverage for the past week has been about the news from 20 years ago. 

I get it: September 11, 2001 is a seminal moment of this century's history. Everyone will be asking where were you then.

I'm watching the Mets/Yankees game now. I was at the Mets/Braves game on September 21, 2001: the night baseball returned to New York. I know what that game meant.

There are enough stories without reporters needing to weave them out of nothing. I'm thinking of a Ken Rosenthal report on the Fox broadcast. I think the report was about Anthony Rizzo. Rosenthal gave a build-up of Rizzo's connection to the World Trade Center. Here it is: his uncle (I think) worked on its construction. Big deal. Maybe that's a story for a family dinner but not for a national TV broadcast. What's next? Random player's mother/father/brother/aunt once went inside the World Trade Center?  It's irrelevant. I'll go as far to say these random connection stories demean the meaningful memories,

It's September 11th, but every utterance does not have to be about that September 11th. 

Deep Space Nine: In the Cards

This is a light-hearted episode in the vein of the holosuite baseball episode, occuring just before the Federation abandons Deep Space Nine.

Everyone is depressed about the potential of war with the Dominion, when Jake learns about the availability of a Willie Mays rookie baseball card at an auction. It will be just the thing to cheer up his baseball-loving father. He enlists Nog's aid, but they don't have enough money to get the card. 

Jake says it's destiny to get the card, and they start negotiations with the auction winner. The winner decides they aren't involved with the soulless minions of orthodoxy and agrees to work with them. 

Jake insists that they keep their plan a surprise from everyone on the station. Their plan requires a series of favors exchanged. In the end, everyone is happy: Bashir gets his "teddy bear" back from Leeta, Worf gets to listen his operas in perfect pitch, O'Brien gets to shoot the rapids on the holosuite, Kira gets a standing ovation for her speech at the agricultural delegation. Even Weyoun gets a chance to go into a life enhancing machine.

Of course, Sisko revels in his Willie Mays card, but doesn't understand why everyone else is so upbeat. 

Thoughts for Thursday

A rainy day, luckily not like last week when Ida came to town. We got off relatively easy then with a few leaks, although I was upset at the time. So many lost so much more. 

I think (hope) that Lola is getting into longer walks. Last evening we did a full loop around Oyster Shell Park, as we did this morning in a drizzle. I took her out last evening because she hardly walked in the morning. Lola has regressed; she's more fearful recently and doesn't want to walk around the neighborhood. It's frustrating. 

We're going to a potluck dinner tomorrow at the Merwinsville Hotel. I wouldn't normally go to this, but the speaker will be discussing forgotten railroad stations, and I want to hear his presentation. After some thought, I am bringing a curry-chutney cream cheese dip. I am also making a salmon cream cheese dip when we visit some friends for drinks and snacks on Saturday, after a celebration of life for my sister-in-law.  

 

I've been trying some new dishes to get out of a cooking rut. Some are successful; some are failures; some just aren't worth the work. Tonight I made Chicken Milanese a favorite I learned from Blue Apron. Unfortunately, for the first time I messed up and much of the breadcrumbs came off. Ugh. 

The latest New York Magazine has two annoying features: a three page cover that unfolds when I try to turn the pages and two magazines in one: you have to turn the magazine upside down. The Cut is the upside down magazine. It has an article "Good-bye to All Black." Subtitled: "New Yorkers, for the first time since forever, are wearing actual color."

I don't wear black. About 30 years ago, my sister bought me a color analysis for my birthday. It was in the time of Color Me Beautiful, but it was a more thorough analysis. I learned why dresses I loved didn't work on me. It confirmed what others told me about black and white (they washed me out.) I learned that colors I hadn't considered--olive green for one-- look good on me. 

I remember taking a class in New York City and a classmate told me that I was brave for wearing an orange coat. (Bitch.) Maybe I was just ahead of my time. 

September

I can hardly believe that September is here; why is this year flying by? 

As I mentioned in my last post, we had a busy weekend. We also have three events next weekend (okay, things to do is more accurate than events.) 

The following Friday is our anniversary. We're returning to Interlaken Inn for probably the last time. We'll use our gift certificate from Christmas 2019. Unfortunately, I'm worried we might be sheltering-in-place again soon, so we better use it while we can. 

I'm disappointed that Interlaken is no longer offering its petaway package. Actually, there are no packages listed on the website. Morgan's Restaurant used to be a highlight of an Interlaken visit. It's gone downhill, and I don't know what to expect from the "light dinner menu" listed on its website. We will still enjoy our visit. 

Family Weekend

It was a busy weekend. Jeff's sisters and their families were in town.

Many of us had spent Friday at Tod's Point, now called Greenwich Point, in Old Greenwich; I haven't been there in over 30 years; Jeff took me there a few times when he lived in Greenwich. Then a family dinner Friday night at Tutti Pazzi in Stamford where luckily our nephew could get a safe gluten-free meal (he has celiac disease--I had no idea how tough it can be for him to eat out.)  

We had a service for Jeff's mother on Saturday at the First Presbyterian Church in Greenwich. She died last December 26th. Half of the family left after the service for a wedding of a relative in Vermont. 

After the service, the rest of us visited a completely gluten free bakery. We were also able to get a gluten-free dinner at Mecha Noodle Bar. 

I hung out with local friends on Sunday and Monday, possibly our first Dog Park Monday.