Two Months in Essex

Last Wednesday was the two-month anniversary of our moving day. 

We've done a lot of things in those two months.

• We bought new furniture: kitchen table and chairs, living room couch and chairs, bedside tables, Sleep Number bed. 
• We found a primary care physician and other doctors. 
• I got my Maryland driver's license and registration, including a Maryland Safety Inspection.
• We got a new TV and cellphones when old ones broke.

We did that even with a five day break to return to Connecticut and five days for Jeff in the hospital when I did virtually nothing then.

Of course, there's a lot more to do. I am trying my best not to get overwhelmed. I need to focus and stick to my plans.

I underestimated  how long it would take me to acclimate myself to a new area. I'm still using GPS to get around, but less often. I've been frustrated with the various grocery stores. It's been hard to find things/brands I like. It's getting easier; having kandykakes readily available helps. 

We were here at Halloween and the neighborhood is into decorating. Even a part of the trail/boardwalk was decorated. Unfortunately, Jeff was in the hospital, so we weren't up for celebrating. 

Christmas decorations are pretty big too. I did our Christmas decorating on Sunday. It's pretty sparse. We decided not to buy a tree this year. In January, we trashed our old shedding artificial tree and don't want to deal with getting a new one. Hey, we need furniture. But if there are good post-Christmas sales, we'll keep our options open. 

Looking ahead to ringing in the New Year in our new home.

Thanksgiving Movie Night: Plane, Trains and Automobiles

I wanted to watch a Thanksgiving movie, and this is the first I've thought of--Planes, Trains and Automobile. I knew the plot outline and had heard the film was funny.

Overall, I was disappointed. Steve Martin experiences one travel nightmare after another. It's relentless and becomes boring and unpleasant to watch. Also, the happy ending for John Candy was unearned.

Complaints

It didn't seem right to write about complaints on Thanksgiving Day. 

So, I saved my complaint about the food for today. I think this was our fifth Thanksgiving with Whole Foods meals. We ordered a different meal this time. 

First, a cider brined turkey, which was good. The maple mashed sweet potatoes and orange cranberry sauce were also good, and the gravy okay. The mac and cheese was runny--it had way too much liquid. Lastly was the green bean casserole. I generally don't like these. But it was supposed to cook for 30 minutes. I cooked it for 40 minutes and it was still far from done. My attempt to finish it in the microwave failed. I'll see if I can salvage it tonight. 

I've had issues with cooking times on other occasions with Whole Foods dinners, but I didn't expect problems with the oven. I'm still in a learning curve with the electric cooktop, and the gravy and mashed sweet potatoes were starting to burn, so I gave up on casserole. 

I really missed stuffing. I just assumed stuffing would be included. D'oh. Didn't look very closely at the order. Next time, I'll be more careful.

Thankfuls

Another Thanksgiving Day--our first in our new home. 

So, I'll start with that. I'm thankful that we bought this condo and  moved here.

I'm thankful that we finally put our Norwalk condo on the market yesterday..

I'm thankful for my health. 

I'm thankful Jeff's hospital visit led to him getting physical and occupational therapy and nurse visits at home.

I'm thankful for friends.

I'm thankful for Jeff. 

Done!

I'm happy to report that I crossed a big to-do off my list yesterday yesterday. I got Jeff enrolled in a Medigap policy. Bonus: we got a policy for about $200 less than I expected. 

I'm relieved that, to quote my law school professor Bernard Schwartz and Rocky from The Rocky Horror Picture Show, that particular sword of Damocles is no longer hanging over my head. 

In other news, our freshly-painted Norwalk condo is officially on the market. It's listed as "coming soon," and the pictures look good. Here's hoping people agree. 

A Little Late, But...

Two days later than I had hoped that things would get better. It took a little longer, but I can say things are looking better. 

Finding a medical supplement plan for Jeff has been frustrating. We had a broker in Connecticut to help us. I couldn't find one here. I called insurance companies, found that there were not many options for people on Medicare under 65 years. We think we have enough information to make a good decision.

Our health care navigator got Jeff appointments with a neurologist and a primary care provider. 

Let the good times roll.

Hoping for a Better Day

This has been a horrible week--so far. 

But it's only been two days, and I'm hoping that will turn around. 

Everything I do ends in a cycle of frustration. When I decide something or do something, it opens up a bunch of additional questions or things to do. Which leads to stress. 

The latest issue involves ordering a refrigerator for our Norwalk condo. I've already spent hours on this yesterday and today. Now I'm listening to a ringing telephone.

Maybe things will start looking up this afternoon.

Reread Four: The Last Hollywood Romance by Beverly Bloombert

I met Beverly several years ago when we attended several writing retreats. She always had funny stories about her time writing for television sitcoms.  

I picked up the book a few nights ago when I couldn't find anything new to read. I don't think I read it since it was first published in 2000. 

The Last Hollywood Romance is the story of  two sitcom writers: young, optimistic Emmaline and jaded, middle aged  Bud who are teamed together on the sitcom Life with Lucky. It's a quick read and I  enjoyed it, but I don't think I'll find it memorable on this read either. 

Book 16: Mothers of Invention Women of the Slaveholding South in the American Civil War by Drew Gilpin Faust

It took me a long time to finish this book. I'm not sure exactly when I started, but it in the middle of packing and it stayed with me through moving. I didn't do a lot of reading then.

This is a scholarly work; another reason for me to read it slowly. I never thought much about what Southern women went through during the Civil War, though I did read Gone with the Wind several times. I was intrigued by Faust's use of diaries, letters. memoirs, and poetry as sources. 

Women, especially among the Southern elite, found that their traditional role of ladylike subservience ill-prepared them for managing plantations and slaves and for providing for their families. Faust records how their patriotic fervor gave way to feelings of abandonment, fatigue, and frustration as the war dragged on. 

I enjoyed reading about battles on women's home front rather than men's battlefront.

Sporadic Posting, Hospital Visits, and Halloween

I certainly don't intend to post sporadically. What's the point of having a blog if I only post three times this month?

Sometimes I'm too busy, sometimes too tired, sometimes too distracted. 

Two days after my last post, Jeff was hospitalized for five nights. It started with intense pain; then there were complications. I really don't want to go into the details. What's important is that Jeff's feeling much better now and has a home PT appointment tomorrow. 

I was lucky to have friends like Annette and George. They met me at the emergency room, picked up Jace, and then invited me to stay with them. I thought it would only be for one night, but I stayed for two more. It was nice not to be alone. I just vegged and watched TV. 

Apparently Halloween is a big holiday here. I didn't participate except Jace and I continued to walk the trails. Part of the trail was decorated with ghosts, witches, bats, and more. 

I caught two of my favorite horror/Halloween movies. The first: Black Sunday. I watched it without any distractions. It is genuinely eerie and atmospheric. I also watched Kiss of the Vampire. This is not as scary as Black Sunday, and the vampires were whiny brats, but it has some good parts. 

We're settling back into what passes for normal now: slowly getting furniture and learning more about our new town.

Three Weeks and a Day

It's hard to believe. I feel like we've been here longer. 

Last Saturday we returned to Connecticut. We stayed with our friend Jen and her Westie Katie; it was great to visit with them. I also caught up with Cynthia.

I finished packing up the things we left in Connecticut,. hired my neighbor to clean, got a quote for carpet and hardwood floor cleaning, met with a realtor, reviewed a listing agreement, and managed to leave one of Jeff's canes at Jen's. 

It was so nice to come back here. To our new home home on Wednesday. Our new bedroom nightstands arrived--my brother Jim returned this weekend and obligingly assembled them for us. Our kitchen set arrived on Thursday. 

I returned to Schultz's Crabhouse for their famous sour beef and another time for their crabcake. We tried a new restaurant for Chinese takeout. We're slowly becoming familiar with people and the area. 

Eight Nights Here

It's been a blur.  Among ongoing unpacking, we had to replace our cell phones. The sound in my phone died unless I used the speaker. Jim came back yesterday and had already offered to hang pictures and hang with Jace while we furniture shopped. 

Well, we went to the phone store instead and were there for three-and-a-half hours. We had to wait for 45 minutes before our "appointment" started.  The good news is that we got new phones at a great price, saving us money every month. Jeff even got a watch. 

It's been a pattern. Everything we had to do was complicated. 

I keep reminding myself that we're making progress. It's slow and frustrating, but it's something.

Greetings from Essex, Maryland

Tomorrow will be a week from our official move-in date. At this time (6:58 PM) last Friday, Jeff and I were on the road somewhere in New Jersey. 

Last Friday was a long day even though the movers were great. I ended up leaving some things in Norwalk. I wasn't happy about that, but I couldn't have gotten out of the house in time to meet the movers at 8 AM the next morning. It was 2 when Jeff and I hit the road. We hit a lot of traffic, went through an area without hotel availability, and snagged the last room at a place in Bel Air, Maryland around 8 PM.

Since Saturday morning, it's been unpacking. And unpacking. And still more unpacking. I have the same challenge one of my neighbor described: we have so much room in our new kitchens compared to our old places. It's hard to decide where to put things (first world problems.) Having little furniture is also a challenge. Some of our clothes are hanging in the closet; some are stuffed in boxes. 

Everything is taking longer than I imagined. 

Now, for the positive. 

We had our new bed delivered Wednesday. 

Today, we bought a kitchen set (table and four chairs) to be delivered in almost three weeks.

Our neighbors have been welcoming and helpful. .

Jace and I are enjoying the trails here. 

I keep repeating, "I can't believe I live here." It's beautiful.

Last Night to Cook

I hate using disposable plates, utensils, and napkins. I hate contributing to more things in a landfill. 

I figured I would use disposable on our last night or two here and our first night or two in Essex. But I underestimated how soon I would to want to give up cooking. The prepping and the cleanup take up too much valuable time. I reluctantly brought out the disposables last week. Many are recyclable, so I feel obligated to clean them, but it's not saving much time, and I'm still generating crap. 

Yesterday was supposed to be the last night to cook. Instead, we ate a late lunch--so we had a salad for dinner. Tonight I cooked the crabcakes--the last from Connecticut with green beans, carrots, and shallots. 

Spent the day doing laundry, running errands, packing, and frankly, fighting with tape dispensers. 

It will be an early night.

In Other News

The packing and decluttering continues. I hired two people to pack up dishes, glasswork, and miscellaneous including our Mets paraphernalia (how sad, that reminds me of the Mets.)

My brother Jim also came; he was a big help. Much more in the next few days.

It's Over

I mean the Mets season. It ended in a whimper. 

I really believed that they would make to the post season--hanging by their fingernails or by the skin of their teeth--maybe. But I thought they'd make it. 

"Wait till next year" is hollow. This was supposed to be the year. 

It will take a while to get over this. 

What's Going On?

Yesterday was Jeff's birthday. It was low-key; we went to O'Neill's in Sono for lunch. We were too full for a regular dinner. We had a salad and chocolate mousse cake. More cake tonight and more left.

I spent the morning setting up an electric/gas account and condominium payments. I had to go to the physical bank to change my address to buy checks because one organization required a voided check.

Then I started packing.

We also had visits with our nephew Matt yesterday and our friend/neighbor Cynthia today.

It's scary, having so much to do. One week left. 

Now, back to work. 

There and Back Again

Back from what I hope was our visit to Maryland. I hope our next trip will be a permanent relocation (though I doubt it.)

We had a decent ride back...that is, until we left the Garden State Parkway for the Tappan Zee Bridge. The Bridge itself was fine.

Okay. I'm writing several days later. It's been a blur of packing and making appointments. Worrying about the Mets. 

It's too much.

Update: Moving, Stress, Another Walk-Thru, and An Anniversary

Jeff and I have been married 37 years today. With all of the moving to-dos, expenses, and stress, we're not up to a big celebration. We were going to go out to dinner, but I was leaning to getting takeout. Then Jeff suggested lunch. It was a late one. We had a new mattress and box spring delivered and were the last of the jobs. 

In the middle of the mattress delivery, I quickly vacuumed the floor--years of dog hair and dust. Hmm, dog hair and dust. Could be a cologne on Wednesday. 

Anyway, it was drizzly when we finally headed out around 2:45, and we wanted to take Jace.  As we were waiting for the mattress, I researched dog friendly Norwalk restaurants that had covered outdoor dining areas. I selected Tavern on 7. It's basically a sports bar, but had some interesting specials. Unfortunately, they were out of the special I really wanted, shrimp bisque. A good lunch, but loud being right on Route 7. Our take-out dinner entree (I didn't want to cook today) and dessert were mediocre. 

People are telling me I'm going to miss Norwalk when we go. Right now, I'm pretty jaded with/by Norwalk Of course, it's more the people I'll miss. I've spent over half of my life here in Norwalk, in this condo. I hope I will find some fond memories.

We're driving down to Maryland tomorrow. Friday will be our second walk-thru of our condo. I'm packing some basic supplies in my car--what I can fit. It will be our first time seeing it empty.

We changed our moving date from September 25th to October 2. That gives us another week;  I hope it will be enough. 

Decluttering, Packing, Making Appointments

The appointments started with Jeff going to the dentist. Then Jace had his annual checkup, I got my car serviced, and Jeff got a haircut. 

Tomorrow, I get my haircut, and someone is coming by to buy/junk a lot of our things. At least I hope.

I took two boxes and several bags of jackets, sweatshirts, and coats to Goodwill today. I also bought some things at Kohl's and Home Goods--bowls to replace some we're planning to give away, towels, pillows, a king blanket. I'm wondering why I'm buying. Yes, I'll need things, but that's enough buying for now. 

Tonight I'm overwhelmed and stressed. I'll never get it all done. But I have to. 

Book 15: The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

I enjoyed this thriller. The main narrator (of three) is Rachel, a depressed alcoholic. She is the prototypical unreliable narrator. I liked hearing the story through her voice, as she agonized over the nights that she couldn't remember due to alcoholic blackouts. Ultimately, Rachel was able to piece together the shards and solve a  murder. 

There was one quotation that moved me. 

           "I don't know. I don't know where that strength went. I don't remember losing it. 

            I think that over time it got chipped away, bit by bit, by life, by the living of it."

I like that I guessed who the killer was. It was no brilliant deduction worthy of Sherlock Holmes. Instead, it was hmm, that person is sketchy and could be the murderer. 

Pat myself on the back, anyway. 

Book 14: Anne Neville Queen to Richard III by Michael Hicks

This was a recent library book sale purchase. I didn't care for Hicks's style. I found myself often rereading a sentence or two because I needed clarification. 

Most information I had about Anne Neville was based on The White Queen--especially the TV series. This history helped, but didn't fill in many details because Anne's life was poorly documented. Hicks did a good job explaining the various obstacles in canon law regarding Anne's marriage to Richard III. He concludes that they were never actually legally married. 

I have a major issue with the book. In discussing court gossip that Richard planned to divorce Anne, Hicks refers to "the comfortable single life after marriage of Katherine of Aragon and Anne of Cleves". Katherine experienced nothing close to a comfortable single life. I was appalled at this mistake, and it made me a bit distrustful of Hicks's gifts as a historian. 

First Week in September

Has it only been a week?

Jeff and I bought a Sleep Number king bed on Monday. It's a splurge, but I think it will be well worth it. 

Tuesday, I drove Jeff to the dentist. It had been a while, but he had a good check-up. I took the opportunity to take Jace to Bruce Park for the last time. We also got our favorite crab cakes from  Bon Ton for the last time and a steak sandwich from Greenwich Prime, yes for the last time.

We went out to lunch with friends Elaine and Marti, not for the last time. At least, we'll try for another lunch.

The rest of the week was spent on shopping, cleaning, and not enough packing. 

There's so much more to do. 

Book Sale

Yesterday Cynthia and I went to the Mark Twain Library book sale. We were both thinking that it will be our last book sale visit together. 

Here are my purchases:

1. Anne Neville Queen to Richard III by Michael Hicks. I once wrote that I wanted to learn more about Anne Neville. Here's my opportunity.

2. Mothers of Invention by Drew Gilpin Faust This book describes how the role of privileged white Southern women changed during the Civil War. I was intrigued that the author studied diaries, letters, essays, and memoirs for this book. 

3. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. I remember hearing that this was a good book, and the blurbs were interesting ("fun with unreliable narration")

4. The Mirror & the Light by Hilary Mantel. I won't say that I'm a fan; I wanted to complete the trilogy. 

Re-Read Three: Neptune Noir Edited by Ron Thomas

After I finished Catherine of Aragon, I caught up on magazines. Then I picked up this book as I was going through some bookshelves. 

 

Neptune Noir is a collection of essays about Seasons 1 and  2 of Veronica Mars. Topics include: father-children relationships, LoVe--the Logan-Veronica romance, comparisons between Veronica and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Veronica's loss of innocence. 

Now I'm thinking about renewing or restarting my rewatch. 

Has It Been a Week?

Sometimes time can mess with you. 

It's been a week since we closed on our condo in Maryland.

But here we are in Connecticut. Everyone asks if I'm packing. Yeah, but I also have the daily chores and errands. Most recently, I've been reviewing moving companies and contracts. I think we're okay in that area. 

So much work to do. I alternate between being overwhelmed and being confident. 

Thursday I gave myself two to-dos. I did them and felt good about it. I need to be more ambitious. 

No Jury Duty for Me

Last month I was summoned for jury duty. I filled out the juror questionnaire and prepared to appear today at Stamford Superior Court. 

Between the time I submitted the questionnaire and today, Jeff and I bought our new condo. The last thing I wanted to do was sit around a courtroom even if it were for just one day. Plus, I had to go to Stamford by 8:30.

Luckily, last night I got a text that my jury service is cancelled. Works for me. 

Happy Anniversary Jace!

Yesterday was our third anniversary with Jace. I'll never forget the date; it's also my mother's birthday. 

We celebrated with a filet mignon dinner (yay, filet was on sale.)

We can't wait to show Jace our new place. He'll love it. 

Two Condos!

As of Friday, August 22nd, Jeff and I are owners of two condominiums. It won't be for long. At least we hope not. 

We're figuring out what we have to do when. It won't be fun, but I can't wait till it's over. Jeff's mother once said something like it's an escalator, take it, and you'll get there. 

Closing Postponed

The closing of our new condo in Essex, Maryland is postponed from next Tuesday to next Friday. It's not a big deal--actually it gives us a little breathing room. 

The most disappointing thing is that the sellers will be staying in the condo an additional week. We had agreed to this to make the most attractive offer and because we are in no rush to move, but I'm disappointed. I had planned to start taking a few things down. Oh well. We'll get there.

Book 13: Catherine of Aragon by Garrett Mattingly

I've read a few novels about Catherine of Aragon before, but this is the first history. I realized that while I knew the broad outlines of Catherine's life, I didn't know many details. For example, I wrote about her uncertain future after Arthur's death and deprivations and embarrassment she experienced, but it was worse than I realized. In addition to being a pawn of Henry VII and Ferdinand of Aragon, she was also hurt by conflicts between her servants, clergymen, and ambassadors. In many ways, she stood alone as she did years later after Henry VIII dissolved their marriage. Her strength never failed her in either struggle. 

I sometimes thought it was only stubbornness that kept her from retiring to a nunnery when Henry made it clear their life together was over. But it was her strong determination to save her soul, her daughter's, her husband's, and even the souls of her adopted countrymen. I hadn't realized that it was Catherine that kept England from another civil war. 

I didn't care for Mattingly's writing style; I found it awkward and sometimes melodramatic and overwrought. It was still a worthwhile book to read. 

Last Day at New Canaan Nature Center

I've been volunteering with the birds of prey at the New Canaan Nature Center (NCNC) for three years. Today was my last day. Our closing for the Maryland condo is next Tuesday. I'll be spending most of my time after that packing.

I took particular care cleaning the aviaries and said goodbye to all the birds. 

Maybe I visit them one more time before I relocate. 

Back Again

I don't know why I haven't posted. I've been busy, but that doesn't cut it. 

We have big news. We bought a condo in Essex, Maryland! It wasn't either of the two we had already seen. It's in the same complex as one that we were considering, but it's so much nicer than the first. 

We close next Tuesday. We're nowhere near ready to move yet. I haven't done as much packing as I would have liked. I've been dealing with banks and other financial institutions and reading condominium documents.  

My work is cut out for me. 

Book 12: Green Darkness by Anya Seton

This is a tale of romance and reincarnation. This story begins in 1968. Recently married Celia Marsdon is unhappily hosting weekend guests at her husband Richard's ancestral estate. During a tour at a haunted manor house, Celia faints and later falls into a coma.

The second part of the book takes place from 1552 to 1559 through the reigns of Tudor Monarchs Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I. Young Celia Bohun lives with her aunt at her family's former estate now owned by Sir Anthony Browne. Celia falls in love with Brother Stephen, a young monk who serves the Browne family.

In the 16th Century, Celia and Stephen's love ends in tragedy, as will Celia and Richard's in the 20th Century unless Celia and Richard can relive the events of their previous lifetimes.

I was intrigued by the book's description as a reincarnation story set in Tudor England. I had previously read two Anya Seton books, and decided to give this a try. The 1968 portion of the book wasn't particularly interesting; the Tudor portion was much better, especially the portions that dealt with the upheavals caused by the official religion changing from Protestantism to Catholicism and back again. 

Book 11: Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler

Parable of the Talents is the sequel to Parable of the Sower. I loved both books. 

Lauren Olamina's daughter Larkin aka Asha Vere is the narrator. The novel includes excerpts from Lauren's journal, as well as writings from Larkin's father and her uncle Marc. 

Lauren's journals begin five years after she and her followers have settled and built an Earthseed community called Acorn on land owned by Lauren's husband. Things take a tragic turn when a group of  "Christian" invaders take over Acorn, enslave the adults and take the children away to be raised in "good Christian" homes." The Acorn community members were enslaved for over a year, escaping when a storm and landside render their control collars useless.

I cried as I read the novel's bittersweet ending. Lauren is eventually able to fulfull her dream of building new Earthseed communities. She is reunited with her daughter who rejects her and her teachings. Larkin seems to blame her mother for her own unhappy childhood, even though she is kidnapped at two months old. 

I have read three of Butler's novels; the first was Kindred. All three books were so good, I started rereading parts of them almost immediately. Butler is a wonderful writer. 

Update

Once again, I've neglected this blog for too long. I wish I understood why.

We've been back from Delaware and Maryland for a week. We finally had a little luck. We found two places that we liked. We've been doing research since then, trying to get a better sense of both areas, considering what work we would want to do to the bathroom in one condo, etc. I've been going back and forth on which place I prefer. Our Baltimore realtor sent us listings of six other places. There's one that will work for us and I hope we can see it next week. I think we'll be returning Sunday or Monday.

We finally caught up with a friend we hadn't seen in months. We talked, listened to music, ate some munchies, and drank some wine. It was a relaxing afternoon.

I had volunteered to work at the Merwinsville Hotel last Sunday. Unfortunately, I had a bout of colitis and had to cancel. I ended up sleeping most of the afternoon. My sleeping patterns have been a mess lately. I'm waking up in the early mornings and having trouble falling asleep again. It's been frustrating, but I'll muddle through it.

Back to Delaware

Tomorrow Jeff, Jace, and I are headed back to Delaware. We're seeing some new places and one we saw before. I didn't like the hallway; it gave me an eerie feeling.

We're hoping to find something we like. 

Mid Year Review

This isn't a fun post to write. It hasn't been a great year for me.

Let's start with the fact that I never put together a list of goals. Here's what I  used for the first quarter review.

Gym visits: I should have 75 visits to be on target for my annual goal of 150. As of June 30th, I have 62 visits (and 5 in July.) Not bad, especially compared to 78 visits for all of last year. I'm happy with my physical activity. I'm walking Jace about 1.5 hours daily. I usually exercise here for a half hour when I don't go to the gym. I have real biceps. I'm now working more on my left bicep so it will match the right. I notice muscles in my thigh that I never noticed much before. 

Reading: I've read 10 books this year. Parable of the Sower was the best. I reread two books: a Nancy Drew mystery and a novel about Anne Boleyn. The other night I picked up Dune when I headed into bed. I just wanted to read something that wasn't a magazine. I got three books at the library today, so no more rereading for a while. 

Blogposts: This is my 61st post. January through March I was writing over 10 monthly posts. Then I fizzled out. Not posting is part of a bigger problem--not writing. Journaling has also suffered. This is something I need to change. 

While I haven't written about moving as a goal, Jeff and still hope to move this year. We've spent a lot of time looking at condos and houses online and have made two trips to Delaware. I continue my decluttering efforts. We just need to find a place to live.

Book 10: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: A Savannah Story by John Berendt

Overall, I'm disappointed with this book. Part One reads like an encyclopedia of colorful characters. I reread the jacket cover. Wasn't this a murder story? Oh yeah, that's Part Two. 

The author's insistence that this book was nonfiction, while changing names and descriptions of the characters annoyed me. It seemed disingenuous. 

I'm not sure what to read next.

The Last Night at Sedona Tap House

We had a final dinner at Sedona Tap House last night. STH has been in Norwalk for 10 years (the official anniversary would have been sometime in July.) Jeff and I were there for the first night as well as the last. We used to go to beer school and once a cider class. It became our favorite place.

We had about a month's notice before STH closed. Still, the closing snuck up on us. Jeff, Jace, and I went to dinner there on Friday and Monday, and lunch on Sunday. On Saturday, I went there with a friend for drinks. We are really going to miss it. 

TCM Movie Matinees

On the third day of the four day heat wave, I only left our place as necessary--to walk Jace. Over breakfast, I turned on Fog over Frisco with Bette Davis. 

I like this movie.  The cast is good (except Douglas Dumbrille) and the story is fast-paced. Plus, one of the stars is Skippy, the portrayer of Asta in the Thin Man series. Unfortunately, I can't find the article I read the other day: it contrasted the bedroom styles of Arlene (Bette Davis) and Val (Margaret Lindsay) and how they reflect the sisters' personalities. How did I miss that?

I guess I have a reason to watch the movie again.

Crack-Up is the only art oriented noir I've ever heard of. After surviving a train wreck, George Steele (Pat O'Brien) breaks into the art museum where he worked and destroys a sculpture. But there was no train wreck, and Steele remembers nothing after that. Just what did happen? Steele is determined to find out, supported by Herbert Marshall and Claire Trevor (wasted in a blah role as the girlfriend.)

After another miserable loss by the Mets, we caught about half of Now Voyager. Bette is fantastic as repressed "spinster aunt" who finds herself through therapy, a makeover, love, and a new purpose in life. I love the whole cigarette lighting thing that she and Paul Henreid do. The whole cast is great. For the first time in years, I cried at the end. The power of a good movie. 

Two Stories Revisited

After I read Parable of the Sower, I remembered that I had previously read a story by Octavia Butler. It was from 1984 called Bloodchild. I can't say I enjoyed it--it was creepy, but well-written. It was in an anthology, Women of Wonder The Contemporary Years Science Fiction by Women from the 1970s to the 1990s. 

Then I re-read Nancy Kress's selection, And Wild for to Hold in.the same anthology. I recognized the title as a line from a Thomas Wyatt poem about Anne Boleyn as soon as I saw it I'm sure it was the first story I read. 

I enjoy re-reading stories and books. But there are many new things to read as well.

Book Nine: Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

I picked up Parable of the Sower at the library last week. I was actually looking for a historical novel about Richard III, but didn't see it and wandered over to the science fiction section. 

Lauren Olamina is an African American teenager living in a walled community outside Los Angeles with her father, stepmother, and stepbrothers. The world is ravaged by climate change, poverty, and unemployment. Lauren explains that outside walled communities, most of the street poor (squatters, winos, junkies) are dangerous--desperate, crazy or both. 

Lauren's mother used drugs during her pregnancy leaving Lauren with hyperempathy syndrome or sharing. She feels sensations, especially pain, that she sees in others. 

When Lauren is 18, outsiders invade and destroy her neighborhood. Lauren is able to escape the fires and violence and later sees two other neighborhood survivors Harry and Zahra. The three head North together with no particular destination but with hope to find a better place. 

While on the road, they find others to share their journey. Lauren shares her new religion, Earthseed. Its core tenets are that God is change and that humans can shape God. 

Lauren's story continues in Parable of the Talents.

Another Reread: The Concubine by Norah Lofts

One night recently I wanted to read a book, but nothing from my dwindling TBR pile appealed to me. I picked up The Concubine by Norah Lofts. I  have fond memories of this book. I think I first read it when I was 17, and stole its format for my term paper on Anne Boleyn. 

I don't know if I would still rank it as one of my favorite books, but it's still a good book. 

It's Been A Lot

I decided three weeks (minus one day) is enough. I have to post. But it's 9:44 PM as I start this and I'm tired.

I'm not up to a detailed description of the past few weeks. We had several medical appointments and made a disappointing home hunting trip to Delaware. 

Sedona Tap House is closing at the end of June. Sedona has been one of our favorite places. We went to dinner there last night and will really miss it. 

The Mets were swept for the first time this season by the Rays. They still top the National League.

And so it goes.

Book Eight: Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

It took me a while to get into this book. I told myself if I read to page 100 and didn't want to continue, I wouldn't.

Well, I decided to keep reading, despite my doubts. I had trouble relating to Fanny; she is so passive--she is hardly living her own life. But she is also described as the most moral person, whose judgment is always proper and correct. That can get tedious. 

Then there is the difficulty of reading early 19th Century work--some words mean something different than their modern counterparts and some spellings are different. Of course, the style is also different from that of modern novels.

Austen is such a good writer, that I wanted more. That's why I finished the book (even if I did skim some passages.) 

Three Birthday Lunches and a Sun-shower

In the last eight days, I've been on three birthday lunches. The first was with Jeff, his sister and her husband. We went to Rive Bistro, a restaurant I've been meaning to visit for a long time. 

Next, it was Jeff and me. We went to the Goose. Today my brother and his girlfriend took us to Sedona Tap House.. 

I could get used to this. But alas, a birthday is just once a year.  

Although I enjoyed our meal at the Goose, I was very disappointed on my birthday. It was also Jace's birthday. Okay, we don't know his real birthday. I learned from asking about Lola's birthday that when stray dogs are taken to a vet, the day of the visit becomes the birthday. We picked a date for Lola's birthday. We liked that Jace and I had the same bday. 

It was cold and damp on our birthday with temperatures topping out around 52. I had hoped for a warm day when we could eat outside. Well, we didn't get out with Jace then, so we owe him a restaurant meal. 

We finally saw some sun today. In fact, when I took Jace out this afternoon, we walked in a sun-shower. I sang parts of this song. I love sun-showers, but it's odd to find them after a nor'easter. But the weather is screwed now. At least there are no sharnados ...yet. 

Frustrating Day

I drove Jeff to physical therapy only to find that his insurance will not cover PT in a hospital setting. The office said they called to let us know, but we didn't get a message. 

It is cold--it feels like March. Yesterday morning, the temps were in the forties, but at least it warmed up to the 70s. Today it started and stayed in the fifties with wind. Tomorrow, we're expecting a nor'easter. This is the lead-in to Memorial Day 2025. Ugh.

I took a large plastic container downstairs to our storage bin and brought up two three suitcases, a box of extra pieces of  wood flooring and a large bag. One suitcase was so old, the handle fell off. It was so heavy, I had to take half the things out to carry it upstairs and out to the trash.   

I also accidentally set the dryer cycle for no heat and had to run it again.

At least the Mets won, ending their three game losing streak. 

Tuesday Topics

I had a strange realization last night. I had finished doing the dinner dishes, half watching/half listening to the Mets game. I was thinking about writing, and then I was talking myself out of it. That's scary if you think of yourself as a writer. 

So, I wonder why am I avoiding writing. I don't have an answer. I have to keep thinking about it and keep on writing. 

I went to Trader Joe's today with a list of healthy frozen foods according to a list I saw online. Of the items I found, most had high sodium content. I found two with low sodium and two others I had found before. I was happy to see Thai wheat noodles I couldn't find last time. Most importantly, lemon pesto is back! I bought four bottles. I haven't seen it for months, and was just thinking I should break down and buy something more expensive online. 

I picked up the cinnabar lamps today and put them on the living room end tables. It's nice to have them. I know that Jeff has always wanted them.

We've been spending a lot of time looking at real estate online mostly in Maryland. Then, Jeff saw a condo in Milford, Delaware that he likes. There's also some new construction there. So, we're going to check out the area. We may have to stay in Rehoboth Beach when we visit. There isn't much in the way of dog friendly motels in Milford.

The Mets are in a slump. It always seems to happen when I decide to write about them, but don't actually do it. Am I a jinx?

Mother's Day Musings

I may not be a mother of humans, but I'm a dog mom. I'll take that as a reason to celebrate. 

Today I celebrated by not cooking. Generally, I enjoy cooking, especially compared to other household chores like laundry or cleaning. But, again generally, you have to cook everyday, and it gets time consuming. Especially because I chop veggies and lettuce most days. The planning also gets to me. Sometimes I wake up and my first thought is "What are we going to have for dinner?" Ugh.

It's been a beautiful weekend--the first without rain in awhile. Jace and I are taking longer walks. Today we walked an hour and a quarter, going to Oyster Shell Park. I went there often with Lola, because for many years, she was afraid to walk in the neighborhood. But Jace enjoys our neighborhood walks. 

After coffee and a protein drink, I went to the gym for about 40 minutes. It was the first time this year, I went four times in a week. On the way home, I picked up bagels I had previously gotten smoked salmon and cream cheese. Later we got take out sushi for dinner. 

Couldn't watch the Mets because the game was on Roku. It always annoys me when games appear on some unusual channel or service. We already have SNY for the Mets games. At least the Mets won. It's been a great season so far.

Book Seven: Bleeding Kansas by Sara Paretsky

This is one of two books I picked up at a recent Wilton Library Book Sale. I had only found one other book: Connecticut Railroads An Illustrated History. I'm a big fan of Paretsky's VI Warshawski novels, so I picked this up. 

It's a hard book for me to characterize. It's set in a farming community in Kansas in the early 2000s (probably the first time I used that description--it sounds funny) and focuses on two families who were once allies in the antislavery movement. The Grelliers and the Schapens now disagree on just about everything--most importantly in their versions of Christianity. 

It took me about 15 chapters (of 58) to really get into the story. Then I was compelled to read on--to find out what would happen to all these crazy characters. That's what good writing can do.

Leftover Turkey Casserole

ShopRite has a holiday promotion--spend $400 in a certain time period and you can get a ham, chicken, turkey breast, or frozen lasagna. I cooked our "Easter" turkey breast about a week-and-a-half ago. We've had turkey fajitas and sandwiches, and I made turkey broth. Even after giving Jace turkey and rice for his digestion problems, we still had a lot of turkey.

I did some googling and found this recipe. It wasn't as easy as it's purported to be. Part of it is me; I always take more time than the recipes estimate. This time, I made another step for myself by not using cream of chicken soup. I made a substitute with turkey broth, butter, flour, and half-and-half. It didn't taste like chicken (or turkey) but it worked. I dirtied many dishes in the cooking process. Ugh.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much we both liked the casserole. I'll have to keep it in mind.

A Re-read: The Mystery of the Tolling Bell by Carolyn Keene

This is Book 23 in the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories, published in 1946. I've always been a fan of Nancy's and have taken several opportunities to re-read the "old" mysteries--meaning the books published before the revisions began in 1959.

I picked up this book in an antique mall in Newark, Delaware. The store had a few of the older books (blue covers with a silhouette of Nancy holding a magnifying glass) along many more of the revised books with yellow covers and illustrations. 

I selected The Mystery of the Tolling Bell because I remembered it as a good one. Well, either my memory was wrong or my tastes changed because this time around I found the mystery to be mediocre. 

Oh well, you can't win them all. 

Book Six: The Autobiography of Henry VIII, With Notes by his Fool, Will Somers by Margaret George

I really enjoyed this book; I'm glad I didn't pass it up as I had previously. 

In the Prologue, Henry VIII's fool is writing to Catherine Carey Knollys, the daughter of Henry VIII and Mary Boleyn  to send her the journal that Henry wrote. (Note: it's unclear if Henry VIII really was Catherine's father.)

The journal begins with Henry recalling his first memory of becoming a Knight of the Bath at age 3. This rang true because I had recently watched a program that described how important this ceremony would be--one of the few times Henry would even see his father Henry VII. 

George does a good job of showing how Henry rationalizes his beliefs and decisions. Does he really believe only he knows the true thoughts of God? It reminded me of Henry's grandmother Margaret Beaufort as described by Philippa Gregory in The Red Queen. 

Near the end of the book, Henry is seeking the love of his children. I wonder how any of his children could truly love such a rash and dangerous man. Especially Mary, who suffered horribly through Henry's divorce from Catherine of Aragon and the reign of Anne Boleyn. 

Thinking of Lola

 

Today is Lola's designated birthday. I wanted to take a moment to honor her. I feel guilty because I didn't even think of her on April 22, which is the anniversary of her coming to live with us. I was focused on Delaware real estate, I guess. 

We will always love Lola.

More Catching Up with a Side of Miscellanea

It's been a lot. 

I'm not sure why I haven't been writing. I've barely journaled either. Keeping myself incommunicado. Keeping my thoughts to myself. But it's counterproductive. Journaling helps keep me grounded. At least, I journaled today; I need to get back into the habit.

Our trip to Delaware was...disappointing. I had hoped to find several good housing options for us. Instead, we found only one. Reviewing the condo documents, we discovered another problem. The place is just not dog-friendly. 

We need to look further. We've been invited again to visit friends in the Baltimore area and look from there. We just have to figure our a schedule--they're away now.

I brought up three large plastic boxes from our storage bin in the basemen, including two boxes of Halloween costumes, props, and accessories. I threw out some old make-up, but I packed up the rest for Goodwill. The bags are in the back seat of my car: I was afraid I would forget about them if I put them in the trunk. 

I set up some PT appointments for Jeff, but need to reschedule two of them. It's another week before he starts. Only Jace and I have medical appointments this week.

I went to the gym one day this week. I did back, chest, leg, and ab exercises. I exercised at home most other days. I went to the hotel gym once in Newark. Jace and I didn't do much walking around the hotel. I guess Jace didn't like the neighborhood. He did enjoy walking the green at UD. Jace was a big hit, especially with the ladies. As usual.

Had another expensive week with unexpected car repairs .I needed a headlight bulb replacement, a new battery, and windshield wiper blades. At least I don't have a car payment to worry about. 

Finally got into a bit of a cleaning mode today. The feeling doesn't last long, so I have to act on it. 

It's only a good start if I continue.

Catching Up

I remember checking this blog last Sunday, realizing I hadn't posted in a week. Still, didn't post on Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday.

Why not? I don't know: I was too lazy, too tired, too whatever. 

Last week was an expensive one. I picked up a few prescriptions for Jeff totaling over $300. I hope it's that high because he just changed insurance programs and has to meet a new deductible. We knew one prescription was expensive, but $300 was a surprise. 

What I thought was a slow tire leak ended up with me needing three new tires. At least I took care of that now and not during our upcoming visit to Delaware.(More on that later.)

I went to the dentist. I just needed cleaning--I take good care of my teeth. Preventive maintenance is well worth the cost, but it's still another bill for the week.

I found a place to repair the antique cinnabar lamps we inherited from Jeff's grandparents by way of his sister. I started looking for lamp shades back in December and had trouble with that, before finding I also needed some parts of the lamps repaired. That will cost around $200.

Then there's grocery shopping; I bought many things to avoid tariff increases. But I don't want to keep depressing myself, so I'll just stop here.

A Warner Brothers Saturday Morning

Scrolling through selections on TCM yesterday, I picked Crime School (1938.) Humphrey Bogart who sets out to improve conditions at a reform school where the Dead End Kids were sentenced to two years.

Crime School was the second film with the Dead End Kids after the iconic Dead End. It's also a somewhat milder remake of 1933's  The Mayor of Hell starring James Cagney. The following year brought yet another remake called Hell's Kitchen with Ronald Reagan and Margaret Lindsay as the reformers. One subplot in Crime School--a bad guy manipulates an inmate to discredit a reformer--is used another Bogart film, San Quentin.

I don't know if other studios remade as many films or recycled as many plots as Warner Brothers did. I remember turning on TCM once and hearing dialog I recognized from the Bette Davis film Dangerous. But it was Singapore Woman that was on TV: a remake of Dangerous set in a new locale using recycled sets from another Davis film The Letter. In They Drive by Night, Ida Lupino killed her husband using the same technique Bette Davis used in Bordertown. Both characters also went insane on the witness stand in the hero's murder trials. 

The Dead End Kids made 89 films under several names:

Dead End Kids 1934-1939

Little Tough Guys (later known as Dead End Kids and Little Tough Guys 1938-1943 

East Side Kids 1940-1945

Bowery Boys 1946 - 1958  

I grew up watching the Bowery Boys--there are 48 films in that series.

When Crime School was released, the characters were still fresh and their environments gritty. As the various series continued, the plot lines became more and more comic.

The next film I watched was Marked Woman from 1937 starring Bette Davis and Humphrey Bogart. I've always loved this film a fictionalized version of Thomas Dewey's legal pursuit of Lucky Luciano. I can't say much more about the film than I said here. Well, there's one more thing. This could be a good candidate for a modern remake without the Hays Code restrictions. Come on, the women are prostitutes, not clip joint hostesses. Martin Scorsese, where are you?

First Quarter Review

It looks like I never officially made a list of 2025 goals. I'll review this quarter based on 2024 goals. 

Dryuary Plus: I didn't drink from January 2 until Valentine's Day. It was only difficult on one stressful day.

150 Gym Visits: Through March 31, I've gone to the gym 34 times, just a bit off the pace to hit 150. I only made it to 150 once, but it's doable at a pace of three visits per week. It was April 2024 that my gym visits virtually stopped for several months. I can't let that happen again. 

Reading: Last year my goal was 40 books, but I only read 27. By the end of March last year, I read four books. This year, I read five. I also read a simplified version of Little Women, which I'm not officially counting. The five are: Five Points. Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII and his Court, Road of Bones, and Angel of Darkness. All of my books so far are good. 

Blogposts: My 2024 goal was to write 150 to 200: I wrote 132 and 35 through March 31. I wrote 38 by March 31 this year. on pace to write 152.

Writing: Once again, I didn't do specific writing goals, but I had been working with the plan of writing 500 words a day. I did it several days, but kind of lost my way. I averaged 334.6 words per day on the days I wrote (January 2 through February 8.) I started revising in late March. Have to get back into the daily habit. There's lots of time left in the year.  

A Discouraging Word

I've been in a weird pattern the last few weeks. Every good day, whether I was productive, wrote about Merwinsville, or the weather was nice, was followed by two days of being unproductive, not writing, or cold/raw/foggy/rainy weather. Even last Saturday's beautiful weather took a sudden change for the worse--it plunged by about 10 degrees in a few minutes and just kept getting colder. The Mets season start has been underwhelming. Overall, it's been disheartening, depressing, and frustrating. 

So, I've been trying to focus on the positive. I've seen many more beautiful daffodils since I saw my first spring blossom. That always makes me happy. The forsythia are turning yellow. The Mets had a promising home opener, winning 5-0, reaching a winning record of 4-3 for the season.

I still have more to-dos than I know what to do with. I knocked off a few items this week. It gives me a little boost to cross off to-dos. I just have to keep plugging away. 

Book Five: The Angel of Darkness by Caleb Carr

I enjoyed reading The Alienist, and this follow-up is even better. A year following the events in The Alienist, Dr. Laszlo Kreizler and his team are working on a new case--the infant daughter of a Spanish diplomat has been kidnapped. The investigation leads to a woman suspected to be a serial killer of children. 

The Angel of Darkness is narrated by Stevie Taggert who was saved from the streets by Kreizler and worked as his carriage driver. Stevie is a great choice to show us the street life that he escaped. His habit of hinting of bad things to come at the end of chapters helped build suspense. 

I liked the interactions of the characters with historical figures Theodore Roosevelt, Clarence Darrow, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Darrow in the courtroom scenes was fascinating.

It's Opening Day: LGM!

It was great to see a real game again with the regular line-up except for injuries. It didn't end the way I wanted, but the Mets had their chances. Especially in the top of the ninth, bases loaded and nobody out. Well, it was exciting for a minute. I had been thinking about how I'd write here about their loss, then how their great their comeback was, and no, that didn't happen. 

Tune in tomorrow. 

First Daffodil in the Wild

I bought two bunches of daffodils last week and have seen several daffodil sprouts and buds around the neighborhood. Yesterday, I saw my first bloom on the walk with Jace in front of the hospital's old cancer care entrance on Stevens Street. 

I stopped to take two photos, but they were too blurry to post here. I blame Jace for pulling the leash and me. I actually argued with him about it. 

Luckily, I'll see more daffodils in the near future. 

TV Talk: What We're Watching

It's been a few months since I've posted about TV. So, here it is.

Outlander: Jeff got a special promotional price for a year of Starz, so we finished Season 7.  My main issue with the show is that I don't care much about some of the younger characters. I'm ambivalent about Brianna and Roger. I was intrigued by the Jem kidnapping, but that fizzled out. I like Ian, but his wife Rachel does nothing for me. I dislike William Ransom, Jamie's son. I have no interest in the sex scenes of Roger and Brianna and Ian and Rachel. 

Squid Game: I had trouble getting into Season 2 until they returned to the actual game. This time, a group of players tries to stop the games, but there's a traitor in their midst. 

Nobody Wants This: We've been fans of Kristen Bell since Veronica Mars. I also heard or read that this was a good show. We agree. Bell is a sex podcaster dating a rabbi (Adam Brody.) It's cute (though I hesitate to use that word) and funny.

Only Murders in the Building: Again, we heard or read that this was good, so we tried it. We just started the fourth season. 

Matlock: I like Kathy Bates, and we tried this on a whim. It has a similar structure to that of Veronica Mars: a season long mystery with cases of the week. I'm enjoying both the weekly and seasonal stories. 

I've been watching a few things on my own.

The White Queen: Another Starz series and a re-watch from 2013. I've always been into the Tudors, but the Plantagenets are fascinating on their own. 

Miscellaneous Tudor history series. These shows have historians discussing the various people and places with actors dramatizing some scenes. There tend to be three episodes per show. The first, The Private Life of the Tudors, focused on Henry VIII. 

Another Henry VIII series was called something like, Man, Monster, Myth .A third I just started was about the King's men--the men who influenced Henry VIII. One name (so far) surprised me--Anthony Plantaganet. He was Henry's mother half-brother. The historian made a point to mention twice that he was illegitimate. I also saw a program about Lady Jane Grey. (Why don't they call her Queen Jane, anyway?) 

In my viewing, I learned something about Jane Seymour. Male doctors were allowed in the confinement chamber when she gave birth to Edward. A historian believes Jane may have died because the doctors didn't have experience in delivering children. They should have listened to the mid-wives. 

A Family Holiday

Our great niece Daphne turned one today. I even got our presents to her early (not like she'd know.) I was happy with the gifts we sent. Got a nice text from our nephew about the photo. It made me feel good.

Today is also the 23rd anniversary of when Spike came to live with us. Spike was a wonderful dog. No wonder we got two beagles after him. 

We love you, Spike!

A Cold Vernal Equinox and Random Thoughts

Yesterday--the first day of spring was foggy, damp, raw, and cold. It felt like winter was giving us the finger. But I'm thankful that Jace and I got a nice afternoon outside on Wednesday.  

Jeff and I went out to lunch twice this week--which is very unusual. It was Sedona Tap House for St. Patrick's Day and Tengda Asian Bistro today with our friends Elaine and Marti. Jace wasn't happy with us for leaving him. He is spoiled.

Feeling overwhelmed--again--with all the things I have to do. Recently I've taken to worrying when I wake up to pee sometime in the early morning hours. Lately, I've been worrying about things related to moving. 

Our decluttering efforts have been going well. As Jeff reminds me, we're not downsizing--we'll be moving into a larger place. We still have too much stuff. We've been working on clearing out our storage bin. We still have three large storage boxes to go through. Two are of Halloween costumes. That surprised me: I thought we only had one. Oh well, easy enough to get rid of that stuff. 

Jeff's been on a low sodium diet for four years. We had to give up some of our go-to meals. I especially missed rotisserie chicken. Our regular store's chicken has 20 percent sodium. I recently discovered that Stew Leonard's chickens have only 4 percent sodium. Made my day. I bought two Stew's chickens yesterday. We had chicken for dinner and I'll be making broth tomorrow.

It's going to be a homebody this weekend. Cleaning, making broth, going through emails and paperwork. And I'll be starting out behind the eight ball because I left a few dishes in the sink. I better get a good night's sleep.

Just One More Day

I started counting a month ago. We made it to the first of March, the beginning of Daylight Saving Time, Pi Day (we had a triple berry pie) and Saint Patrick's Day (we went out for lunch and had Guinnesses.)

Spring begins tomorrow at 5:01 AM. 

We got a preview this afternoon. I had to drive up to Danbury to pick up our income taxes. I took Jace with me, and we visited Danbury Dog Park. I didn't see any dogs in the large dog area, so I got an okay from people in the small dog area for us to join them. (A sign limited the area to dogs under 20 pounds.)

It was sunny and warm; we were there for over an hour. Spike did a little running so that was good. And he got to smell new smells and meet new dogs. 

One woman there said snow is predicted for Friday. Apparently, there's a chance of snow somewhere in Connecticut, but not near here. I don't think I could bear it. 

Good News Everyone

(Said in Professor Farnsworth voice from Futurama.) On Friday the 7th, we got the news that Jeff was approved for Social Security disability benefits. The process took 14 months, when we were told it would take four to six months. There were several rounds of phone calls, and documents filled out online and on paper.

And waiting. During the waiting, we saw an episode on Last Week Tonight. Many potential recipients declare bankruptcy because the process takes so long. Luckily, we didn't have to worry about that. 

In the following week, we figured out his health insurance. Jeff's losing Cobra coverage at the end of the month. Luckily, the insurance broker I use for my medical supplemental insurance could help. I also got our paperwork to our accountant. Today the taxes are ready, and we're getting a refund. Funny, these were the two things that I didn't even put on my to do list.

Still lots more to do; I need to redo my to-do list 

Book Four: Road of Bones A Billy Boyle World War II Mystery by James R. Benn

I picked up this book over a year ago at a library book sale. This is my third Billy Boyle mystery. Benn is a good writer, the characters are engaging, and there's a lot of action. 

The Road of Bones is a road that prisoners are building on permafrost in Siberia. Many prisoners die in the process. The authorities decree that interments be made in the roadbed as it is dug. Avoiding it is a major motivator for one character. 

I enjoyed learning about the Night Witches, a regiment of young Soviet women who flew at low elevations to bomb German sites. I just wish they would have been more involved in the story. I also enjoyed reading about the Byzantine workings (or not workings) of the Stalinist government.

Overall, a good book, although not as good as The Devouring. I'll keep an eye out for Billy Boyle mysteries. 

We Sprang

Today was the first full day of Daylight Savings Time--another milestone on the way to spring.  

Next is Pi Day, then Saint Patrick's Day, then the Vernal Equinox. 

I'm ready.

Here's my Spring Forward poem.

Spring Forward

The government stole an hour from me

2 am Sunday morning

when all decent people are asleep

no witnesses.

 

The government stole an hour from me

they don’t admit to stealing; they call it legislating

but the two aren’t mutually exclusive.

 

The government stole an hour from me

they’ve got everyone in cahoots with them

big business, schools, and the media

I can’t fight them all.

 

The government stole an hour from me

they say they’ll give it back in November

But I want it now

 

Who knows?

In November, my time may be up.

 

###

 

Two Weeks

I clicked on this site and saw the last title, "A Month Away," and thought it hasn't been that long. Just two weeks. 

Last week was bad, and the week before it had its own issues. Jeff was in a lot of pain last week; it was hard for him to even walk around our apartment. We cancelled all his appointments even the physical therapy that he needed; just walking from the car to the PT office would have wiped him out. At least he's feeling better--his normal level of pain. It sucks to have a normal level of pain on an everyday basis. He got back to PT yesterday and goes again tomorrow. We booked PT sessions through March. 

About two weeks ago, I felt like I had too many things that I needed to manage. It was if I were juggling and was losing some of the balls in the air. I pulled out a notebook and made a to-do list. Nothing earthshaking here--I just wanted to have everything in one place rather than scattered across my planner. I had nine "to-dos" and was thinking about how/when to do them. 

I quickly realized that I had forgotten two vital items: income tax prep, and health insurance research (Jeff is losing his Cobra coverage in April.) I added two more items. Over the last two weeks, I crossed off five items. That's not good, but not too bad considering. 

Anyway, time to make a new list. A new priority: my grandniece Daphne will be one in two-and-a-half ways. I'm buying her (and my other grandniece Ella) a book my cousin Deb wrote. I also have a copy of Go, Dog, Go! for Daphne. One of my favorite Cooper family photos is one of Daphne's father Kurt with his grandfather who is reading Go, Dog, Go! Unfortunately, that photo is in storage now. Recently, I've been displaying fewer photos, and put several good ones away. Oh well, I need to continue with my decluttering anyway.  

Bad news from the New Canaan Nature Center: the black vulture Mort has died. It might have been the Avian Flu. Mort was easygoing, vocal, and always hungry. Sad: NCNC just lost Ralph in February.

It's not all bad things recently. We had a week of nice weather. First the winds died down, and then it warmed up. Countdown to spring is progressing. We made it to March and are watching the Mets. This weekend we spring forward.

I went to a program on Rails to Whistlestops and made a contact with a Housatonic Railroad historian. This helped me get back into my Merwinsville work after a slow February. I'm also back in a good exercise routine. It helps with the stress and keeps me going. 

A Month Away

I checked the dates. Spring begins on March 20. It's just one month away, and I'll be counting the days. 

It hasn't been a snowy winter here--our biggest snowfall was four inches. The flurries that we're getting now are part of an originally predicted snowfall of 14 inches. Flurries are a relief.

While the snow's been light, the temperatures have been bitterly cold. At least I don't have to wait a month for relief. Temperatures will rise to the 40s beginning Sunday. Maybe I can lose a layer of clothing when I go outside.

Book Three: Henry VIII and his Court by Neville Williams

Full disclosure: I discovered this book in my high school library and read the parts about Anne Boleyn. This book was a major source of my senior year term paper. It's only 260 pages with several photographs, but there are a lot of facts, names, and dates in a small amount of text. 

I was able to identify the book by the language, "Playful bandinage, perhaps, but exceedingly dangerous." It was a description of an conversation between Anne Boleyn and Henry Norris. I had never heard of that word before, and I never heard it since. Note: I just checked the dictionary, and it only lists badinage, meaning banter. 

Overall, a good background book on Henry VIII with lovely photographs. 

Another Steak Ends

I didn't exercise on Monday and Tuesday. I didn't feel well on Monday and was running around a lot yesterday. I only mention this because I've mentioned my exercise routine several times in these posts. I also only went to the gym twice last week instead of three times. 

I knew that I couldn't keep up a routine of exercising every day, but I can keep trying. I went back to the gym today.

Rails to Whistlestops

Tonight I attended a slide show presentation, Rails to Whistlestops about railroad stations in Southern Connecticut and what happened to them by Sue Del Bianco. Here's a flyer. 

Sue had a good selection of photographs and stories. She asked me to speak about Merwinsville. 

It was a horrible night to be out, bitterly cold. But at least it was still light as we were driving up to Bridgeport. That really helped. 

It was nice to get back to thinking about 19th century railroads and have a new contact with similar interests.

Wet Weather

It feels like it's always snowing. I know that isn't true. Didn't it snow/rain three times this week? And three times the week before that?

There are hints of more snow to come later this week--possibly a lot more. 

Not even two-thirds through winter. How am I going to hold on? The Mets play their first spring training game next week. Maybe that will help. 

Book Two: Anne Boleyn A King's Obsession by Alison Weir

I enjoyed this book. Weir writes both historical and fictional treatments; her fiction works are rooted in historical facts.

Here, the story is told from Anne's point of view. Anne didn't love Henry but after his relentless pursuit started to include a proposal of marriage and a queenship, Anne decided why not? I like this interpretation because it matches my own view.

Weir adds a love between Anne and Henry Norris, which is never consummated. I had imagined that Anne and Harry Percy remained in love throughout their lives.  

While Weir had said that feminism was unknown in Tudor England, she recognized that Anne spent years in the households of  Margaret of Austria and Marquerite of Valois. There Anne was exposed to an intellectual movement that questioned traditional concepts of women. She may have even met Leonardo da Vinci 

A King's Obsession is the second of the Six Tudor Queens series. I previously read the first and enjoyed that too. I've started another book about the Tudors--they are fascinating. 

Monday Blahs

We had chili yesterday, a Super Bowl tradition for us. Unfortunately, it didn't agree with me. I didn't sleep well either. 

I dressed for the gym this morning, but didn't go. I just wasn't up for it. Instead I did some stretching here, ran some errands, and took Jace to Sherwood Island. It's a state park; the parking lot is well plowed, and many of the walking paths are clear of snow.  I don't remember when we were last there. We walked for about 35 minutes, which is much longer than we've been walking around the neighborhood. There are too many uncleared spots around here especially after four inches of snow Saturday night. And...there's potential for two more snow events this week.

I have a case of the blahs or many cabin fever. Haven't even made it halfway through February.

More Snow..and Cooking

It's snowing tonight for the third time this week. We got off easy the last two times--only about two inches. It doesn't look like we'll get off easy again. The latest forecast is five to eight inches. We'll see. At least, I don't have to go anywhere tomorrow, except to take Jace out. 

Speaking of Jace, he's had a rough week; he had diarrhea twice. I took him to the vet today and got him some medicine. I'm so glad I bought more chicken yesterday. I made chicken and rice for him and chicken parmesan for Jeff and me. 

I also made bison and black been chili for tomorrow. It's one of Jeff's traditions to have chili for the Super Bowl. 

As for me, I'm looking forward to the Puppy Bowl.

The Streak is Over

This is the third day since I worked on my Merwinsville book. My last few entries were tough--none of them hit 200 words. 

I'm not sure what to write next. I haven't decided where to end my story. The renovation of the hotel? That seems too easy. The spirit of Sylvanus lives on? I just don't know, right now. 

I do need to add things. I started a file called Additions, because I was getting distracted finding things and opening older documents to add things. I can do that at another time. 

I may need to rewrite the pieces I wrote last year. Well, technically I have to re-write or at least edit everything in the spirit of the shitty first draft (thank you Anne Lamott.)

Instead of working on Merwinsville, I wrote a few blogposts and journaled. 

It's not an impasse, just a temporary lull. 

First Re-read Book: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott Adapted by Lucia Monfried

I picked up this illustrated version of Little Women for my grandniece. I decided to re-read it first. I don't remember exactly when I originally read Little Women; I think it was when I was in fifth or sixth grade.

I re-read the book over the weekend. Something was off. The story seemed disjointed. One thing that I remembered specifically was a chapter called "Meg Goes to Vanity Fair." It was Chapter 9 in the original. In this adaptation, Chapter 6 is "Meg Tries to be Fashionable."

I'm disappointed that I bought an "adapted" book. And, by the way, the illustrations are horrible. I don't even want to give it to my niece and will return it to the library for another book sale. 

RIP Ralph

This is Ralph a turkey vulture from New Canaan Nature Center (NCNC). She died last Thursday at the age of 21. She arrived at NCNC in 2004 when she wasn't even a year old after suffering a partial left- wing amputation.

Ralph always seemed to be hungry and was usually knocking at the door when I or other volunteers went to feed her. She was very feisty. I can't count all the times she nipped at my shoelaces or pants cuffs.

About two years ago, I was assigned to write a story for a fiction class from the point of view of an animal. I chose Ralph as my narrator. 

I'm feeling guilty that the last time I saw Ralph, I called her a bitch. 

Today was my day to volunteer at the Nature Center. It was weird to see Ralph's aviary empty.

RIP Ralph.

Book One: Five Points The 19th-Century New York City Neighborhood That Invented Tap Dance, Stole Elections, and Became the World's Most Notorious Slum by Tyler Anbinder

Last year I read two books, Angel of Vengeance and The Alienist, that took place primarily in Five Points as well as The Cabinet of Dr. Leng in 2023. I wanted to learn more about the setting of these books. Then I saw this book at a library sale. 

The book details the background of the neighborhood, the people who lived there, how they lived and worked, their politics, play, crime, and religion. Anbinder also details the different ethnicities that called Five Points home focusing on the Irish, Italians, and Chinese.

I like the structure of the book. Each chapter has a prologue with an individual story that relates to the larger story in the chapter. 

It took me awhile to read this book because I tend to read history more slowly than fiction. My time was well worth it. 

On To February

I'll be happy to see February, not because I like February, but because it gets me closer to spring. I'm seeing more light later in the afternoon. 

Some snow remains from from the 20th because it's stayed cold for the most part. We have clear areas, snow patches, and piles of plowed snow. At least we're one third through winter. Actually, a little more than a third now. Yay.

Why isn't Groundhog Day on my calendar? It's not a real holiday but deserves a spot. I've already heard a news story that Staten Island Phil aka Charles J. Hogg  is the most accurate groundhog. I wonder if he has a PR person.

I've had a good January. I've been to the gym 13 times (I think--too lazy to check.) I've exercised at least a half hour when I didn't go to the gym. Of course, I'm also walking with Jace. Our walks have been less frequent and shorter

I've written every day since the second. I often get distracted from the actual writing by checking facts or going off on what may be tangents. One day it was how to learn the Morse code; another day it was women's fashions of the 1840s. I've enjoyed following where the story took me. Even if I don't end up using those pieces.

Valentine's Day is in two weeks. A local distillery is offering a welcome cocktail, whiskey tasting, and chocolates for $44 per person. Just out of curiosity, I checked out Valentine's Day menus of a few restaurants: $150 per person. That's just crazy. 

We haven't made our plans. Sometimes I cook, sometimes we get takeout. Time enough to decide. 

What We're Watching

Jeff and I record The Daily Show, Jeopardy, and The Simpsons. I guess we're recording The Simpsons more out of habit, but it's still worth a laugh or two. As I mentioned recently, we've been watching Dark Shadows to the end. So, we were ready to move on to new shows. 

The Bear. A fine-dining chef returns home to take over his brother's sandwich shop after his brother commits suicide. The characters are complicated, and the actors are excellent. We just started the third season with the opening of the renovated restaurant.

Watson: Sherlock Holmes partner, Dr. Watson is back practicing medicine after Holmes's death. There was a surprise appearance by Professor Moriarty--who was also supposed to be dead--at the end of the pilot episode. We've only seen the pilot, but it looks like the focus will be on medical mysteries. I'm not sure I want to watch that. But I do like Morris Chestnut as Watson.

We also watched two movies over the weekend.

Star Trek: Section 31:I'm a big Star Trek fan, but this was just okay. Michelle Yeoh was terrific as Philipa Georgiou, the emperor of the Terran Empire in the Mirror Universe who has traveled to the Prime Universe. My biggest problem is that the beginning of the movie considers Georgiou the evilist evil that ever eviled. By the end, she's just another one of the team. Yes, she helps destroy the Godsend weapon, but it just seems too pat. 

Gladiator II: Another okay film. Hanno is a prisoner who trains as a gladiator, but is actually Lucius from the original movie. Even though one of the last lines in Gladiator is "Lucius is safe," his mother sends him away from Rome to save him from assassins. It's also revealed that Lucius is the son of Maximus. I didn't like either change mainly because they arbitrarily change the original film. I've written before about how I dislike the secret  son tropes. Here it's a secret parent, but it's the same idea to increase the stakes for the hero--a cheap trick. Overall, meh. 

This is why I keep watching classic films.

Writing Update

I've been writing every day since January 2nd, working on my Merwin novel. I have not been writing 500 words in a half hour, but I've been writing. When I get up in  the morning, Jace gets up too, so I can give him breakfast. I wash up or shower, dress, and take him for a walk. When we return, I make a cup of coffee and sit down to write. At least, that's how it's supposed to work. I usually do sit down, but I don't always get around to writing. Sometimes I have morning appointments and didn't get up early enough. I easily get distracted. Sometimes I get hung up on a detail--did they drink coffee in Connecticut in the mid 19th century? Other times, the distractions are external. 

I've been able to write at night on the days when I didn't write or didn't write enough in the mornings. It's harder for me to write at night with even more distractions. 

Last night was the worst. I decided to return to a piece about Helen Merwin. I decided I didn't like the tone--it was too historical. I made the tone more personal and deleted several sentences. I only wrote 149 words last night--my weakest showing. I was really disappointed in myself. 

Today I went back to the same piece and reworked it again and added information about the telegraph and the Morse Code. Researching the Morse Code was my distraction today. I worked for about an hour including the distraction and wrote 203 new words. 

I need to get into bed earlier and get up earlier to write. Then I need to take time later in the day to research, re-read my notes, etc. I'd also like to make a list of characters. I need to continue to write daily and improve my practice. I'm on a roll. I've written over 11,000 words this January. 

The End of Dark Shadows

Last night, Jeff and I finished watching Dark Shadows:1245 episodes and 20 storylines (according to the Dark Shadows wiki.) We didn't watch every episode--I skipped around in the early storylines, and Jeff watched fewer episodes than I did. But we did watch all episodes of the last several storylines. 

The last storyline was Parallel Time 1841.The start of this storyline is kind of jarring: a wounded Lamar Trask stumbles into the mysterious room that is a portal to Parallel Time, is trapped there, and apparently dies. In all the other time travel storylines on Dark Shadows, one of the original time line characters make the trip with us.

This time, we are suddenly following new characters in a new timeline including Bramwell Collins, played by Jonathan Frid, the portrayer of Barnabas Collins. The backstory is that Frid was sick of playing a vampire and wanted to play multiple characters as the other actors did. 

Parallel Time 1841 concentrated on a family curse and a lottery where a member of the family had to spend a night in a terrifying room. A subplot was a Wuthering Heights-type romance. 

The last scene of the storyline was discovering that Melanie Collins had been bitten by a vampire. It felt like a return to the basics. But no. The show ended with a voiceover from Thayer David that it wasn't a vampire bite after all. Everyone lived happily ever after and there were no more dark shadows. A disappointing end in a whimper.