Sunday, April 27, 2008

Let me just check my Daybook...



simple-woman-daybook-large


Monday, April 28th

Outside my Window

...I see the cats “roaming in the gloaming” of twilight- Daisy is laying on the patio, soaking the warmth from the bricks into her old bones, Poppy is exploring the perimeter of the beds, smelling each green thing, & Dahlia has flattened herself into the grass, waiting to pounce on an unsuspecting bug.

I am thinking...about all the activities of the weekend- the heat & sounds of the
Highland Games in Sacramento, the beauty & variety of Filoli Estates.


I am thankful for...the gift of a big hat & the miracle of sunscreen (SPF 30) ; I was outside all weekend, wandering in the hot sun, & not a single sunburn!

From the kitchen...the scent of tea brewing for a pitcher of sweet tea- black tea with lemon peel & spearmint

I am creating...two little knitted washcloths for a surprise baby shower later this week.

I am going...to the Michael Buble concert in Sacramento on Sunday, a gift for myself

I am wearing...a pale yellow challis skirt with large coral roses & green leaves, a coral colored polo, & spring green knitted low-rise socks


I am reading... The Grey Mask by Patricia Wentworth, & finishing up Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Arnim


I am hoping...that the weather will be kind during Chris’ sojourn in Denver, & that no crisis will extend his stay beyond the two weeks


I am hearing...the sounds of the television show Chris is sleeping through, Sam taking his evening shower, & Beatrice the Lovebird singing her “Goodnight Aria” to her cousins outside the window.

Around the house...everyone is shedding clothing to get comfortable- it got rather warm today & it’s hard to sleep in a stuffy room; I think I’ll turn on the A/C for a bit.


One of my favorite things...clean sheets on a freshly made bed

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...commemorate the 45th anniversary of my entrance to the world today; finish the second washcloth & put together another row on the Church quilt; Thursday is the National Day of Prayer & our choir is performing at the banquet.

Here are some picture thought I am sharing for you...


April 2008 094


April 2008 120



April 2008 101


Please drop by Peggy’s blog, “The Simple Woman”, to join (or just read along) the other ladies as they take a snapshot of their day & focus on the simple things.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

I think the band was "Kansas"

Spring fever has landed around the Garden this past week, which is my only excuse for neglecting this page. Well, that & the antihistamine hangover that has led me to my bed by 8:30 every evening. While I do suffer from seasonal allergies, this is not the season that bothers me- I have more problems in the late summer & early fall, when the grains are harvested. No, this time of year it is the nemesis of every diligent homemaker & neat freak that drives me to the bottle- dust.

One of the notable features of my area of California is the preponderance of wind, euphemistically called “Delta Breezes” by local forecasters. It was an adjustment at first, having to really think about my car’s spatial relationships to other vehicles (the wind can snatch a door right out of your hand), training myself & the children to wear sunglasses everyday (much more attractive then goggles), & learning to gauge the proper weight & placement of yard furniture to increase your chances of keeping it on your patio (or at least finding it still in your own neighborhood). The first major concession I had to make was my hair; I had worn it in a pre-Raphaelite style, nearly waist length & full of mousse-coated curls. It took only about a month to admit the truth- unless my hair was braided tightly, within 20 minutes of leaving the house, my hairdo went from “Belle Dame Sans Merci

 

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to “Rosanna Rosanna Dana”,

 

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and so off it came.

I admit that when I overhear complaints from newcomers about the wind, my empathy is heavily woven with amusement & aggravation- I mean, really, what did they expect when the view of the hills to the west includes legions of windmills, every shape & size, spread 15 or 20 miles in either direction? It’s rather like complaining about the noise when you buy a house next to the airport or the pungent smell when you live next to a pig farm- it comes with the territory, so why bleat on about it?

Anyway, the return of warmer temperatures has been followed by an increase in the force of local winds, which in turn has churned up an abundance of dust liberally mixed with acacia pollen. I briefly considered wearing a mask for protection, but after seeing our local nutcase (not P.C. I know, but there’s no other way to describe her) shuffling along the sidewalk lugging her tote bag, wearing her cardigan, sensible shoes, & a surgical mask- well, I just couldn’t bring myself to mirror her style choices any further.



I did not make it back to yoga this past week; as a matter of fact, it will probably be a while before I can attempt it again. I guess I injured my arm a bit more severely than I thought- no bones were broken, but it appears that all the bruising I had was from some torn muscles, which are taking their sweet time healing.

I had treated myself to a nice long soak in the tub the other night, complete with some sweet smelling bath salts & my new read along book; when I went to push myself out of the water, my left arm folded like a cheap lawn chair & the resulting bath water tidal wave drenched poor Dahlia, who was laying next to the tub, waiting for me to come out & play.

I suppose I ought to go back to the doctor for some follow-up treatment, but can’t seem to motivate myself quite that far- more time off work is not something I need right now.



Sam’s yard sale success was minimal; his concept of visible signage needed some adjustment, as well as his assumption that since everyone sleeps in on Saturday mornings, a 10:00 am start would be sufficient. Our agreement was that we would supply the stuff & the change, he would provide all the labor & supervision, & we would share the proceeds 50/50; his cut was a grand total of $17.50 & he was okay with that, but wants to try again next week. He had some good ideas, like having hot coffee & donuts available for sale (the kids in the neighborhood bought them all) & his color-coded pricing system, so with an earlier start & a bit more work on his displays (the wind was pretty vicious that day, so we were chasing things down all afternoon), he should do well.




Evenings are being devoted to getting the yard & garden into order; Chris is leaving for a minimum two-week stay in Denver next week. We’ve been trying to get all the plants we want this Spring put in, supports installed, sprinkler heads replaced, lawns fed & weeded, & the vegetable bed drip lines rerouted, so I can handle the majority of the upkeep- preferably one handed- while he’s away. One project I would love to have done is converting the former rabbit cage stand into a raised planter box for herbs; when we were last at Filoli Gardens, I saw these wonderful miniature Victorian knot gardens, done in raised boxes, which mirrored the full-sized ones nearby. I saw something similar in the recent Better Homes & Garden magazine, complete with tiny furniture, greenhouses, trellises & such- now I’d like to give it a try (though maybe not quite that elaborate)



I will be back later this week with another peek at my Daybook~ I have some ambitious plans for the next week or so. Hope you all are well & I’ll do my best to drop by for a visit.

Monday, April 14, 2008

A glance at my Daybook

For Today, April 14, 2008


Outside My Window...
Trees bending in the wind, silhouetted against a bright blue sky
I am thinking...about my little vegetable plot, the plants waiting to go in the ground, & the goodness I hope to harvest this summer
I am thankful for...God’s provision- we owe some tax money to the state & the side job my husband did this weekend covered the whole of the debt.
From the kitchen...Salmon filets, rice pilaf, & a seedless watermelon are waiting for the first cook to arrive home
I am creating...a tangled mess by frogging (for the third time) the beret I’ve been working on since January; first it was too small-more like a beanie; then the crown shaping went wonky & the cables were skewed; now it’s way too big & slouchy *sigh*
I am going...take a short walk this evening, to test out my new shoes on my suffering foot (plantar fasciitis)
I am reading... “The Enchanted April” by Elizabeth Von Arnim, “The Moving Finger” by Agatha Christie, & “Simple Abundance” by Sarah Ban Breathnach
I am hoping...to get caught up on my work at the office, since looming deadlines disturb my peace of mind.
I am hearing...Bach’s “Suite #4 in D Major” playing over my computer speakers
Around the house...there are too many little piles of paper & clutter; we have all become lax about keeping things tidy
One of my favorite things...the rumbling, contented purr & crooked, gap-tooth smile of my littlest feline flower, Dahlia
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: Venture back to yoga on Wednesday evening- I have to test out my left arm at some point; pull out some things for an impromptu garage sale this Saturday- the boy needs to raise some funds for a convention & the community-wide Spring Cleaning pick-up will be a week from Thursday; work on the very neglected quilt for the Women’s Ministries auction- I haven’t had the pieces out of the bag since November
Here is picture thought I am sharing...

My Silly little Dahlia- I wish you could see her funny little smile

Please drop by Peggy’s blog, “The Simple Woman”, to join (or just read along) the other ladies as they take a snapshot of their day & focus on the simple things.

Friday, April 11, 2008

Friday Funnies 4

ready for the weekend
see more crazy cat pics




The return of....

Cat Haiku

(author unknown)

Terrible battle.
I fought for hours. Come and see!
What's a 'tax return'

Cat face




Yes, it's that time again; my forms are signed & ready- but I keep the check until Tuesday, by golly!

I'm having my ears lowered after work, then need to collect the photos I plan on working with tomorrow; Sunday is the docenting gig, a bit of garden maintenance, & boxing up the goodies for my latest swap partner on Ravelry.  I'll probably be MIA until mid-week or so (I am soooo behind at work!)

Hope you all have a lovely, restful weekend

Monday, April 07, 2008

Confessions of a Not-So-Superwoman



Thank you all for the solicitous & sympathetic wishes sent my way this past week; I am healing- slower than I would like, but probably quicker than is warranted, given the type of injury & my inability to remember for the umpteenth time that I cannot move my arm “like that” just yet. The bruising has faded considerably- instead of resembling a psychedelic Easter egg, my arm now looks like it just needs a good scrubbing after working in the garden. My normal range of motion was roughly 150°, & a day after falling it was about 50°; I can now bend it about 95° without pain, though lifting things is still a challenge.

Being a functional invalid has its perks as well as some disadvantages- & not just for me. Sam finally passed his written driver’s test (it took 3 tries & he ended up missing the max allowed- kept second guessing himself), so he is now the proud holder of a California Learner’s Permit. This is a new experience for me (someday, I’ll tell you about Jessica’s “shortcut” to her license- I have yet to drive in a car with her :-p), but those of you who have traveled this road will be familiar with the drill: anytime we need to go somewhere, anytime I pick up my keys to unlock the shed, anytime time I even walk by the basket containing my keys or near the front door, he jumps up & cries “I’ll drive!” Fortunately for Sam, I am perfectly content for him to be my chauffer- I learned quickly that reaching back to put on my seatbelt is one of those automatic movements that makes my elbow scream.

Here are a few of the things I’ve learned during my tenure as a one-armed woman:

 

1.  There are many concerned, well-meaning, nosy people in my life

2.  Yes, I can get tired of talking about myself (at least in regards to being injured)

3.  I am responsible for entirely too much lifting & toting in my very white collar job

4.  Getting dressed employs more flexibility, muscle groups, & force than expected

5.  Putting an Ace bandage on your own arm is virtually impossible

6.  When the doctor says I shouldn’t lift anything over 5 pounds, he is correct (as witnessed by the lump on Dahlia’s head)

7.  Cats make very efficient (& forgiving) heating pads

8.  There is a limit to the number of items my husband will return for on one trip up or down the stairs (three)

9.     My son is very secure in his masculinity- he carried my pink & white backpack, with the huge “American Princess” patch on it, all over DC without batting an eye

 

Pampering is all well & good, but I am ready to get my routine back to normal; this is my weekend at Ravenswood (I still owe you all the second installment *sigh*) & I've been invited to an all-day scrapbook crop event on Saturday (I’ve got to make a dent in that stack of pictures). Independence is calling!

Saturday, April 05, 2008