I've taken several pictures of ducklings along the Hopewell Trail the last two months. This is the family that I saw I most often. The last time I saw them they were almost as big as their mother. Unfortunately, I didn't have my phone with me that day to take some pictures. I looked forward to seeing the ducks every day. I miss them.
Haven't posted for a long time. Recently, the backup laptop that I've been using got infected with a virus. That's just the latest excuse.
We have a big item to check off our to-do list: we got grab bars installed in both our bathrooms. I had started research back in February but dropped the ball. Now it's done, and I'm happy with the results.
We're under another heat dome. Dubious bonus: smoke from wildfires is overtaking the area.
Bruce, our neighbor across the hall, had a stroke and will be transferred to permanent nursing care. He has a two-year-old dog JJ. Neighbors have been pitching in to help care for him. One neighbor who's been watching him went to the beach for the weekend. Another is watching JJ now, but she needs help walking him. That's me (and Jace.) We've only been on one walk so far, and I was just needed for moral support. That's good.
JJ has been through a lot this year. Earlier, his technical owner died suddenly from a heart attack. Bruce was JJ's primary caregiver even then. I'm not sure what's going to happen with him. It makes me appreciate that the wills Jeff and I are making have a provision for Jace's care if something happens to us first.
I've been thinking a lot about Bruce. I remember how he helped me walk/climb over the snow and ice after the January storm. He also helped shovel out my car. He would be happy to know that his neighbors are caring for JJ.
This post is inspired by Thankful Thursdays on The Frugal Girl. It's an especially good exercise today, because I felt lousy all day.
As I told a neighbor the other day, I'm thankful every day that we moved here. After 37 years in Norwalk, I was sick of Prospect Ridge and sick of Norwalk. I wanted to go south, but not too far south. (Okay, maybe the warmer weather we wanted didn't pan out so far.) We wanted to be able to get a bigger--more reasonably priced home.
This place had all the must-haves: two full baths, washer and dryer, balcony, over 1000 feet. Plus so much more. We have a dining room. a laundry room, and a sitting area as part of our primary bedroom. We have extra kitchen cabinets, drawers, and counters personally built by the previous owner. We even have a boat slip.
We have a wonderful trail and boardwalk down by the water. It makes me happy to see the Middle River and wildlife every day.
We have good neighbors.
I'm so glad we moved.
Last Friday morning, I was excited to see a bald eagle. It was soaring too high for me to even attempt a photo. I immediately grabbed my phone to verify that they're native to this area. Of course, it reminded me of Glory from NCNC. On our afternoon walk, I saw a crane on the pond closest to us. I took several pictures, but none were worth keeping.
The same day, the three of us tried a new restaurant Bowleys. Jeff and I had been there for drinks before. We sat at a table on the beach right on the water. We had sandwiches, fries, and beer. Jace was pretty good. We'll continue to explore the area restaurants. We've been to Carson's Creekside three times, Schultz's three times, and Loonasea twice. More to come.
We'll be getting our dining room set and coffee table from our downstairs neighbor in one week. Yesterday, I started moving things our of the dining room. I can always put stuff back in there later, but I want to see how the room will look as a traditional dining room. I've been looking at an end table in the living room online; it's different from what I would normally get, and it's fun. We also need an entertainment center for the sitting room. Slowly, but surely.
We got a lot of snow over Saturday and Sunday. The official total closest to us is 9 inches in Middle River.
Unfortunately, our new condo management is very bad at snow removal. And their office is still closed. I know this is a rare heavy snow event in the Baltimore area, but damn, it's not like we're in Mississippi or somewhere else in the Deep South where cities don't even have snowplows.
The parking lot is decently plowed but needs more work. All the walkways need to be cleared. It's especially frustrating because Jeff and I are planning to drive to Connecticut tomorrow to finalize our condo sale and take care of some other business. There's no way I can get Jeff or anyone using a walker or cane to the car.
Thank goodness for our friendly and helpful neighbors. One couple on the first floor shoveled from their patio to the street and will widen that path. They lent me a cart to take our luggage downstairs through their unit. Two neighbors will help Jeff get into the car. I appreciate their help but am disappointed that I need to rely on them and not the management company that we are paying.
On top of all that, there is the potential for another snow event next weekend. Jeff and I may have to cut our trip short. We'll see.
As I've been thinking about the past year, our biggest accomplishment was our move to Essex. I hadn't listed it as as a written goal, but Jeff and I agreed that we wanted to move by October. Moving day was October 3rd.
Of course, I can't say that we've finished moving. Most of our clothes are still in boxes in our closet (thank God for a walk-in bedroom closet.) Boxes took over our dining room/library on day one and show few signs of retreating. We'll get there someday Our next focus is bureaus/drawers in the bedroom.
I've been thinking a lot about the whole moving process, our options, and the choice we made. First, I'm glad we didn't select Delaware. We would have been settling. The first place we really liked wasn't dog friendly and didn't have a good neighborhood to walk in. We didn't like the ownership/condominium status in the Milford condos we visited. We also looked into having a single family home built for us, but the builder was the defendant in a class action lawsuit. The allegations were disturbing.
We decided to look in Maryland. We seriously considered a unit we saw in Perryville, Maryland. It had three bedrooms, two baths, two balconies, a wonderful soaking tub, a walk-in shower, covered parking, indoor mailboxes, and a view of the Susquehanna River.
It was the town itself that was the problem. It was a little too isolated--about a half hour from medical facilities. After Jeff had been hospitalized in October, he said "Imagine if we were in Perryville." I would never have been able to rely on Annette and George.
Then we headed down to the Baltimore area. We liked a a unit in this complex--Hopewell Pointe. We took a return trip to see it and the Perryville unit. We saw another four or five condos in the Baltimore area.
This place was by far the best for us. I liked Essex from the first time we saw it September 2024. I like our location. Our street consists of two condominium complexes. The buildings are 20-25 years old--a far cry from Sheffield Ridge.
We are half a mile from Old Eastern Road, near the pool, the boat slips, and the trails. Jace and I have been on all the trails and walked around the neighborhood as well. When it gets warmer, we'll walk down Old Eastern to a nearby park. We'll also get a chance to enjoy the pool; it closed in mid-September. It will be nicer to explore, in general.
Here's to 2026.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The attack on Jace certainly screwed up our Christmas spirit. But he is resilient and strong, and doing well.
Jim came over for Christmas Eve dinner. On Christmas Day, Jeff and I ate some delicious leftovers (beef tenderloin) and watched Christmas movies (It's A Wonderful Live, Christmas in Connecticut, The Man Who Came to Dinner, even National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.) The last one won't remain in the Christmas rotation.
It's been a cold few days, warming up to a few rainy days starting tomorrow. I've been happy to be a homebody.
Monday afternoon after a quick lunch, I took Jace for a walk. I had planned to run some errands, afterwards, including picking up our Christmas Eve dinner from Balducci's (beef tenderloin, fingerling potatoes, green beans, and salad.)
Unfortunately, on that walk, a dog attacked Jace. Actually there were two loose dogs and two men. It took both men to get the attacking dog to release its hold on Jace's ear. It was horrible; I was helpless.
Jace just wanted to get home as quickly as possible. I cleaned off his ear and called the vet. We spent the afternoon in the Pet ER. After we heard Jace would be okay, I ran a few errands (at the doctor's suggestion) while Jace had the recommended blood work.
Today I went back to the house where the attack occurred, and met the couple who live there. I was relieved that the attacking dog did not live there, because we walk by that house often. At the time of the attack, the dog was in a car, but the owner had left the door open. The owner claimed the dog had never attacked anyone before.
Apparently the couple and the dog owner had been expecting me to come by earlier. I left Jace's vet bill and am hoping for the best.
Every time I look at Jace and see the scratches and bite marks and the cone, I feel horrible. I hadn't protected him when he needed me. .
It hasn't been the best week. Sometime in the early morning on Tuesday, Jace had massive diarrhea. I spent much of the day cleaning up. I got Jace to the vet on Tuesday afternoon. I've been feeding him chicken and rice cooked in chicken broth. The vet prescribed pills too.
It's been cold in the mornings. I've been wearing a hat the last few days, and put Jace's Mets jacket on him. One thing about Jace is that he wears coats and jackets without fighting, unlike Spike.
Many people in the neighborhood have not taken down Halloween decorations. Thanksgiving isn't a big outdoor decorating holiday. I've seen a few turkeys. One house posts Peanuts inspired signs every year. A few people have put up Christmas decorations already: one with a countdown board of days until Santa arrives.
I packed up a few things today to go to Goodwill. This is just the beginning in of decluttering. I'm glad that I got started, but we have a long way to go.
I went out to eat twice last week. On Thursday, I went to lunch with friends, Marti and Elaine at Tengda in Greenwich. The food's delicious and it has parking. The last time we went to a restaurant on Greenwich Avenue, it was hard to park, and the meters only allowed quarters.
On Saturday, Jeff and I went to a new for us brewpub Sly Bandit in Wilton for a late lunch. Enjoyed some good beer with fried pickles and pulled pork flatbread.
Francisco Lindor won the Silver Slugger Award--his fourth. He deserves all the accolades for the season he's had. I still believe he's the MVP.
It's been a rough week. I don't want to go into details, but Jeff and I had a fight, we're dealing with a lot of paperwork, winter has made its reappearance, and I'm having sleeping problems.
Let's look at the good things. I took our tax paperwork to the accountant on Wednesday. I took Jace with me. We went to Danbury Dog Park which he loved for a half hour (we left at his choice) and then we went to Schenk's Island.
I have some fun things to do soon. I'm going into NYC tomorrow to see art, and I'm meeting a friend for lunch next week. The cold isn't going to last--it's spring.
I saw a bizarre Easter decoration today.: a bunny astride a dino bunny? I don't understand this at all. Can it be a modern cartoon that I don't know? At least they seem happy.
Easter outdoor decorations are nowhere as big as Christmas and Halloween decor. I've seen egg-shaped wreaths and lights before, but nothing like this.
Here's a sign I've seen walking Jace. I thought it was a clever take on the normal no-poop sign.
The daffodil was the highlight in another bleak, chilly, rainy day.
Walking with Jace this morning, I noticed a sign "Welcome spring" on a Magnola Street house. It may be a bit early--13 days to be precise--but knowing spring is imminent helps to deal with four the bleak, chilly, rainy days in the past week. It also helps that I saw daffodil and crocus buds this morning.
I was thinking of putting my winter boots in their off-season storage spot, but I don't want to tempt fate.
13 more days.
I was talking with someone whose dog had recently died. She was saying how freeing it was to not have to take her dog on walks. She also suggested we move to a place with a nice back yard so I wouldn't have to walk Jace at all.
Walking Jace is one of my jobs. And walking Jace is a priority. It may not be the first thing I do each day, but it has to be done (multiple times) each day. Of course, there are days when I hate the idea of even going outside, especially when the weather is bad or I'm not feeling well. But, that's the deal.
Luckily, I like walking; it's a great form of exercise. I like feeling that I'm part of the neighborhood; I don't get that by driving around. I like that people recognize us and wave or say hi. Most of all, I like meeting other dogs.
I also like that I'm doing something good for myself by walking. About two years ago, a bone scan indicated that I have a 25 percent change of sustaining a broken bone. Walking can help slow bone loss in the legs.
It may sound corny and cliched, but a positive attitude really helps here. I know Jace loves his walks; I get some time with him; it's good for me. I even enjoy them myself...most of the time. Now, after two weeks of clouds, rain, and fog, I'm looking forward to seeing the sun again on our walks.
