Random Notes

Several months ago, for unknown reasons, I quit taking my hormones. Probably because the weather was so darn cold that I was fooled into thinking hot flashes were in my past. Well, I was wrong--they are back with a vengenace! I have somewhat of a disdain for modern medicine these days, thinking there are way too many drugs on the market for conditions that most of us can live with. I'm not talking life threatening problems but seriously, most of the advertised drugs are advertised for a reason. Yes, money. The thought that pharmaceutical reps can make more money than 90% of working people makes my blood boil. Whoa there Gail--this is not a political forum, this is your blog!

With that in mind, what's a woman to do? Here's a piece from the Times focusing on the dilemma most woman of a certain age face:Estrogen or Not

Switching gears here---

While chatting with Matthew on Monday afternoon, our conversation was wide ranging, from the fallout (I'm a comedian now!) from the Icelandic volcano, to the planned Olympics in London, and so on. Just yesterday I read something which stated that matronly and cool were rarely compatible in either a sentence, or our thoughts. It's funny how you come across things like that because one of the topics we covered was my business, and how my grafitti shots are big sellers. Most young people would think their mom was either crazy, or an embarrassment for selling some of the things I do, however, I think Matt is amused. Thus, he shared this cool link from The Guardian:
Philadelphia ProjectoI'm ready to hop on a plane any day for this! Before I forget we touched on parts of speech which went right over my head....

Wouldn't you just know it--earlier in the day an email invitation came from "Decoy", the talented grafitti artist in town, to an international graffiti event downtown on Saturday . I'm not sure if I'll be heading over there or not, but yesterday afternoon I went by the venue after a trip to the library. Here's what I sawNormally every surface is covered with tags, and on occasion something cool. This definitely qualifies as cool!

Those rain clouds you see over the skyline did their thing with overcast skies continuing this morning. If you can imagine I'll be posting a little later about a fantastic adventure Angela and I shared on Monday. Stay tuned....

Seasonal

As it turns out, I take the same kinds of photos each season, hopefully improving on last years output. What I mean by that is each spring I go crazy for fruits and vegetables and all of the budding flowers, and is the case with this album some peaches on the tree. I've found another gardener near the house who allowed me access to her yard--thus I now have growing peaches added to my photo library. I've taken so many new things I thought I'd put a little album together showing you what I've been up to.

I've been selling quite a few wine related shots, all taken either in the sunroom or in the back yard, that I'm constantly thinking up something new to try. I saw this jug wine while shopping with Bruce and thought maybe I could dream something up. I believe I'd call it "The Last Drop" if I have it printed. If you would be so kind as to let me know if you think either one is effective, it would be greatly appreciated.

Finally, our second throne has arrived! Actually, I'm naming all the new chairs to go along with the previously mentioned "Groovy Chair." "Throne" sounded right to me. When I get the new/old chair done with the orange zebra print, we'll be calling that the Ze-bra chair. Actually, I can't think of a way to write it, but what we're going for is how Angela pronounces zebra. I rarely notice her British accent until she pronounces something so differently. Garage comes to mind--gar-age. Just adding a little fun to our lives. Doesn't take much to amuse me, does it?

While brushing my teeth in the shower the other morning, which if you're not using the drenching time to multi-task, you are missing a good chance. I digress... What I meant to say is that I was also thinking how much I would miss my mother-in-law's reaction to our new space. One of the things that admittedly drove me absolutely crazy was how her reaction to most things new was, "Now, that is different". These days, of course, I miss hearing her say those words, which I am 100% certain she would have said on seeing my crazy choice of fabrics! On occasion I'd look up at the market, and there she would be, having made the long drive down from Zellwood without letting us know she was coming. Once she got so lost downtown, she went the wrong way on a One Way street, causing us to question her driving skills. Nevertheless, she arrived, and if I read her correctly, she was very proud of what I was doing, although she never said that. She would go through my baskets, exclaiming at all the crazy shots--"Now that is different"! You know what? She was right, I do have a lot of different things for sale. At this season of our life, I so often think about the Joni Mitchell song with the lyrics--"you don't know what you've got till it's gone". Isn't that the truth?

Bruce has gone back to work today after a five day respite at our home. I cannot tell you how many years it has been since he's done so. I suggested we go somewhere at least one of the days, however, he preferred his "staycation", and, quite frankly, who could blame him? Baxter and I just loved having him here.

Friday Kelly came for lunch and a visit, with Bruce sharing our chicken salad. He'd offered to leave, but I said "No way"; I'm glad he got to know Kelly a little bit better. Later that day I made the tomato tart after a quick trip to our wonderful produce store, Clemons. It was such a treat, walking in seeing the colorful produce piled high. The crops are all late due to the cold, but they are coming in fast now. Isn't the watermelon beautiful? Bill stopped by at dinner time to show off his new gigantic Hummer he purchased from Mark Tremonti. Oh my, is it huge and fancy, not to mention black. If you'll recall Mark is the guitarist for the once, wildly popular band, Creed. He's still making lots of money compared to most folks, however, nothing like he did in Creed's heyday. Bill will have plenty of room for his gear now.

For a change, the Saturday market was pretty good, and Sunday wasn't bad either. Wouldn't you just know it though--after a week of absolutely gorgeous weather, we awoke to leaden skies on Sunday, which eventually yielded rain. We closed up early amidst the rain, however, we managed to keep everything inside the tent dry. This has definitely been a challenging year weather wise.

Heading out to see what seasonal photos I can take today!

Celebrate? Who is Celebrating?

As discussed in our previous post, tax day loomed. Well, no sense putting off the pain any longer after picking up our return from Olga. Bad news for this little couple as it was even more than I told you about--$2,995! Ironically, I sent it with this stamp:

As you can imagine, we were not celebrating. Turns out self employment tax added quite a bit to the total. Bruce says be glad we have to pay plenty; no doubt that's good advice, however, it's easier said than done. At least for yesterday. That's one thing about me, I may fuss and fume for a day, but that's about it. Call me on it if I complain again, will you?

Just as I was getting in the car to head to the post office, I saw this turtle in our yard. Bruce, if you can believe it, was home taking a vacation day, and I quickly called his attention to pictured turtle. She laid two eggs which later in the day were missing from the hole.....wonder what happened???

A vacation day to some folks means rest, but not to Mr. Brucer--he finds it relaxing doing home projects. Over the weekend he began putting new door hardware on our interior doors, changing out the hodgepodge we had to sleek new brushed nickel handles. Finishing the task yesterday took most of the day, and if you'll indulge me a moment, I must say they look terrific. The old holes etc. weren't as compatible as he'd hoped, however, being the inventor that he is, he fashioned a jig to make it all work. Jigs, my friends, are patterns of a sort. I'm making this sound terribly simplistic, which of course it's not, but hopefully, you'll get the gist of things. My, aren't we getting stylish?

Later in the day Michelle came by to discuss her decorating project, and of course I couldn't resist asking her if I could take her photograph. I had to beg a bit, but here's one of them I like:

While we were taking the photos we were chatting about the viewing party Monday night for the reality show, Ryan, (Bill's bass player), is on at the moment. Have I mentioned it? If not, here's the link:"Tough Love". Scroll down the page until you come to the couple, "The Drama-Ramas", or something like that. In my opinion people are crazy to go on these shows, but as I explained to Michelle, I hardly understand young people anymore. Man, am I getting old, or what??

After our mini photo shoot we went over to Angela's house to see how the new construction is coming, as well as to show her their lovely home. With Bruce's help she recently completed a sofa table, if you can imagine. I swiped this beautiful vase of lilies to photograph while I was there. These lilies* are blooming everywhere in our neighborhood, as is everything else. It's hard not to want to photograph all of the beauty after our horrible winter. Oh, how I love spring!

Bruce is home again today and our major project for today was cleaning the roof and gutters, which I'm happy to say is now complete. Let's hope this helps with all the oak "furries", and leaves blowing into the pool from their hiding place in our gutters!

We're off to get a little paint brush and a few other errands, so until we meet again--have an awesome day!

****Driving home from our shopping excursion I realized I'd mislabeled the flowers--they are amaryllis. Duh!

Now That's More Like It!

Much improved my dear ones. Against my better judgement I visited Dr. Smuckler yesterday morning; he thinks it was merely a viral infection of some sorts. Because I've gone more than two years avoiding medical treatment, he suggested I have some blood work--I'm still pondering that.

Caveat--I began this post last Friday afternoon, abandoning it when Michelle called needing some decorating advice. Meeting her at Colonial Plaza, we spent the next five hours shopping, pondering, and a little decorating as well. As it was Friday night by now, I kept thinking Bruce must have fallen asleep at home, otherwise I'd have heard from him. Indeed, returning home around 8, I found him fast asleep on the couch. It's been a rough couple of months for my dear Brucer.

There is nothing quite like flowering trees is there?
Spring green on the oaks is pretty awesome as well!

Finally I got a haircut which looks only so-so. She thinned it all out in the back, leaving the rest with a blunt cut which I don't think suits me very well. Note to self--find someone new!!

On my way home, after picking up some delicious orange juice at Red Hill Groves on Conway Road, I stopped in the peacock neighborhood. One of the best things about my current gig is meeting interesting people. This little stop did not disappoint in that category. This male apparently goes by the name of Sparky. He, of course, did not tell me his name, however the woman sitting in her yard feeding about ten peacocks and peahens did. According to her, he is quite the show off, and will keep his feathers out for quite some time. The stud of the neighborhood, if you will.

Further discussion revealed that she moved to the neighborhood three years ago with some trepidation from College Park. After losing her business she was forced to downsize and move to Conway--a part of town she was unfamiliar with. All she knew was that it is generally cheaper to live in Conway than it is in College Park. What was so cool about our chat is that now she feels like she's living in the Garden of Eden (her words) after allowing her yard to become a haven for the peacocks. Who knew I'd run into a philosophy session? Her neighbor across the street does not share her enthusiasm for the many peacocks that roam their neighborhood, telling me that when he first moved in he was enamored of them, however, now he thinks they are a pain in the ass.

There's something about spring that makes me all the more camera crazy. As such, I've been experimenting once again with all of the beautiful produce available.Having a skylight in the garage is so perfect!

Back to the doctor visit. I was nearly crazed by the time I was called back--more than an hour late. It wasn't the wait that bothered me, but the blaring television, particularly the "Weather on the Ones" segments. How, pray tell can people have a job where being right 50% of the time is acceptable?

And speaking of things that bother me--I was SHOCKED to learn the other day that 47% of Americans pay NO federal income tax? What kind of a system is this??? I'm particularly cranky about it after learning from Olga yesterday that I'll be writing a check tomorrow for more than $2,000. You can bet we've already paid in a hefty chunk, but apparently they want more. I asked her how can this be? Our hard work is the culprit. After being so jazzed about my paltry sales, turns out they are costing me big time. What's a girl to do?

Doctor visit times three: When I was younger I found it fairly easy to block noise out, well, maybe not easy, but doable. Increasingly this is becoming more difficult. Some of it is also loss of concentration I'm afraid. At any rate, I did bring along a book given to me by Angela because she hated it. After a little bit of a slow start, I discovered why it was so popular. On Saturday I brought it to the market, and it was a darn good thing because it was super slow. This in turn allowed me to finish the book. Are you dying to know what the name? Shall I keep you in suspense any longer? Maybe.

I will tell you the ending had me in tears which at home works just fine but in a public place is a little less convenient. I cry all the time at the movies, but rarely out in the bright sunshine in a parking lot. With about only four pages to go, at one of the most critical moments, a man came up with some blah blah about a new product and how I'd receive a free personal training session, going on and on before I abruptly stopped him and said--leave me alone! No, I didn't really say that, however, I did say I was at a critical juncture in my book and I had no interest in what he was saying. He thanked me for my honesty.

So, here's the book:"The Elegance of the Hedgehog". As you can see from the opinions, Angela is not the only one who hated it, however, I think it is brilliant. Challenging, yes-- worth your time--absolutely!

Another great book I read earlier this year that I've neglected to mention is one Matt left. Speaking of tears, this one brings them on as well! The title? "Brooklyn"Staying up way past my normal bedtime, I finished it in one sitting. It is, indeed, that good.

Tip: If any of you out there in web land do not know this already, when there is a different colored ink in the text, it means a link to another site has been included. All one need do is click on it to find out what others are saying.

Once again, time to have some breakfast, add a little makeup to my worn face, and try to make my hair presentable for my weekly stint at the Polasek.

Have I mentioned lately how much both Bruce and I are loving our new space?

How About This?

I Won!

In the Blink of an Eye

So, there I was, sitting on the couch, loving having company (Dana) in our beautiful new space, enjoying a left over crab cake, and a glass of cool white wine, when I began to notice some abdominal cramping. I won't go into the gory details, because Lord knows, you don't want to hear them, but let's just say it got real messy before it got better. I felt bad for both Bruce and Dana. Bruce, because he was the designated clean up guy, and Dana having to be sent home abruptly.

Before you go diagnosing a case of food poisoning, Bruce and I shared the crab cake. At any rate, it was a sad ending to a lovely weekend. Yesterday was spent in bed for the most part, sleeping, dozing, and occasionally talking on the phone. Another casualty was poor Matthew. He called in the afternoon for a chat, between the phone going out, and my belly pains, I had to quickly say goodbye. He was naturally worried, going so far as to phone me from his office today seeking signs of improvement. And he got them.

Bruce was petrified leaving me alone, but I knew if I was desperate, my neighbors and family would come to my rescue. Used to be he never left on Mondays, but it seems like this whole year, he's had no choice. He was on his way to New York for his job in Syracuse, as well as to meet up with his cousin Karen in Watertown. Karen was the daughter of Mom Peck's sister who was killed in a car accident years ago. Always close, they became that much closer in their grief, thus, there were provisions in the will for some sentimental items for Karen which Bruce delivered. It made him very sad. There were things he would have liked to ask his mom, however, those days are now in the past. He mentioned how easy it is to take things for granted until they are gone. Isn't that the truth?

For a little change of pace I'm posting a couple of cheerful photos from the outside of the houseI took this after the sprinklers were done one morning. The azaleas were especially beautiful this year, but they are now fading fast. I liked how this little branch peeked out from between the tree branches.

When, and for that matter how, did these little yellow ducks become so popular??This little guy is floating around in the pool just like I will be doing in about a month--CANNOT wait!

The temperature is heating up fast now, with gorgeous, and I do mean gorgeous, blue skies. What we are enjoying the most I'd say is the low humidity. As everyone knows, we need to enjoy the perfect weather while we can.

Friday I spent the day in the kitchen, working on the birthday dinner, which, if I do say so myself, was a success. Please note my new French apron (a Christmas gift from Matt) which was so light and comfortable. The dishes piled up as I made one dish after another, loving every minute. David and Michelle were so excited about our wonderful new space. Bill had already had a sneak preview!

This may be the last picture I post of the remodel--this one is for Nancy who thinks I've neglected the bathroom. It's nice, albeit a little hard to photograph.

Ever the optimist, I'm hoping this little bout meant nothing, although my doctor would like to see me this week. We shall see....

A Tale of Two Chairs

As I lay in bed Wednesday morning after having been rudely awakened by my neighbor Pete's diesel truck (a story for another day), I thought how much I love clean sheets. My mind wandered thinking of all the simple things that bring me pleasure and a post was born. Then, however, once seated in front of my computer my eyes stung like nobodies business. Maybe the millions of particles of pollen in the air? Who knows, but one thing I did know--I just couldn't spend the hour or so in front of the computer that a decent post requires.

Instead I decided not to wait for Mr. Richard, my new upholsterer any longer, I would tackle the "Groovy" chair myself. Now, it's been quite a while since I made anything like a chair cushion, and in fact, never had I made a gusset. A gusset you ask yourself. Pray tell, what is a gusset. Well, there's this little thing called the internet that came to my rescue. Actually, Angela is the one who told me what the piece between the top and bottom of a box cushion is called. Sooooo.......using our trusty friend Google, I came across an excellent blog,Sew Mama, with not only written directions but photographic ones as well.

Suffice it to say that this project was not easy at all. I began 10ish in the morning and worked all day long. What took so long you're probably wondering? Well, there's the measuring, attaching the trim, making all the welting and then attaching it to the bottom cushions. A zipper in each, and then the gusset. By 5:00 Angela called asking why I wasn't done....the nerve of her! She came over to inspect the progress, pronouncing it pretty amazing after all. In England her college major was textiles, thus she knew to call that long piece in the middle, a gusset. I decided I'd had enough for one day, and sat down in our new little seating area for a chit chat.

Speaking of areas, I'm delighted to report that my sewing experience, aside from technical difficulties, was wonderful. It all just felt so roomy, with space on all sides of me to make a mess. And a mess it was! Batting, scraps of fabric, the old cover, measuring tools, trim, cording and of course the machine. By the way, I used my Bernina, leaving the Singer for something I know how to make!

At any rate, yesterday morning after having my tea and orange juice, I finished it all up and here you have it!Those of you who've never seen the "Groovy" chair, and for that matter, don't know it's history, it used to be painted a yellowish white with a reddish cover with very fuzzy trim for the cushions. Before Matt left he spray painted it that wonderful brown, and now I think it really looks groovy!

So that is the tale of one chair, let's talk about a second one.

Tuesday afternoon, the aforementioned Mr. Richard called saying my chair should be ready either later that day or Wednesday morning. All the while I was working on my project I assumed the phone would ring any minute. Alas, it did not.

Although he told me it might take a week, I was hoping that would not be the case. But, it was. I was so hoping to have it back for the little birthday dinner tonight that I called him Thursday morning. Apparently, he's not that great a judge of time because he said he'd be here within the hour. Impatiently I waited. Must have been four or five hours later he showed up and I am delighted with the results! I decided to photograph the before and after, prior to his taking chair # 3:Now, when I chose this fabric, our intention was to have the two chairs on the wall where the piano stood for all those years, thus brown on blue. Now that I have a new design, I was very anxious about how it would look against the drapes. I like it. As you may recall, I purchased the chairs for several reasons, one of which was comfort. Turns out some of that comfort came from all the sagging upholstery, so now that it's all fresh and new, it's comfortable in a new and improved way. Here's another angle:
Checking out my work, his pronouncement was pretty good. He also mentioned how hard the trim I'd chosen was to work with, and I couldn't have agreed with him more! Apparently fringe is the way to go...

So, now it will be yet another week, but now that I've seen his excellent work, I know the wait is worth it. In the meantime, he gave me a few pointers on the antique chair I've purchased the orange zebra fabric for. He said, if I could do the "Groovy" chair I can certainly do this one. Did I tell you that I had him leave the original name in the slipper chairs? Made by Tomlinson, in probably the 50's, they are from the "Sophisticate" line, which I think you'll agree, they look the part now. He also said when they were new they probably cost around $800! I haven't found much online regarding these chairs but here is an interesting link to some cane chairs from the same line,Sophisticate. Notice the similarities in the legs.

I'm going to have to come up with a name for the Zebra chair--any ideas?

Finally, I've settled on some lamps and that shopping is DONE! Mr. Baxter had to get into the picture on this one! Since taking it, I've moved the table next to the curtains, and the pole lamp on the high end of the wall. I like it. Looking closely, you'll see one of the lamps on the buffet. Because they were a sale item at Lightstyles I couldn't return them. Fortunately, when Mr. Bruce finally arrived home after four grueling days of travel, he was pleased.

A glorious spring day around here. The laundry is hung, and the time has arrived for me to begin preparing the birthday feast for our wonderful twin sons, who turned 31 yesterday. Bill and David never liked birthday cake, opting instead for a homemade ice cream cake, however tonight I'm insisting, if only for a place to put a candle. I've already made some mini pound cakes this morning, ready for a candle, strawberries, and whipped cream. Crab cakes to start, followed by good old fashioned fried chicken, potato salad, cold asparagus with sliced tomatoes and lemon-caper dressing and biscuits. You know the ones--Mary B, of course!