Our camera is back......at last. And there is my human dishwasher, hard at work! We are still a little nervous because the first pictures Paul took with the camera today had the same funny lines that showed up before we sent the camera away. The next few pictures seemed to be fine. I guess we will just have to wait and see.
Our car came back today with a brand new radiator and the windshield washer is well and happy. I hope this is the end of our appliance/car meltdown. Every once in a while we go through a stretch where our appliances and "things" start falling apart, one after the other. Whenever that happens we always say, "Well, at least our health is good". And we're saying that now. If something happens to break down I would rather it be an appliance than my body. 
Our Thanksgiving snow is gone gone gone, replaced by a foggy, balmy 60 degrees. I liked the snow so much better than the balm. We will have another day of this dreary warm weather tomorrow, with lots of wind and rain moving in from the storms in the midwest. Then it will be back to cooler weather and maybe, I'm hoping, a storm with snow for the end of the weekend.
The Thanksgiving decorations are down and ready to go into the attic, but I just can't bring myself to put out the Christmas decorations until the calendar says December. I looked at the Christmas wreaths (or should I be more politically correct and say "holiday" wreaths?) at the grocery store today and almost bought one for each door but something in me just won't let me do it until the Christmas month is really here. I do have to confess that it was a very quiet day in the media center today and because I can't stand to be idle I did put up some Christmas decorations.
We had a new radiator put in our car today so the car should be ready for another 50,000 miles, at least. We are still waiting for dishwasher parts so are doing our dishes by hand. Man, I had forgotten how long it takes to wash dishes. I had forgotten how hot it gets when you hang out by a dishpan. I had forgotten what strange things happen to your back when you lean over a sink. Or maybe that is something new now that I am so much older. I had forgotten what dishpan hands were. I will never EVER EVER EVER take my dishwasher for granted again. I cannot wait until it is repaired.
We have had two days in a row where nothing has fallen apart in this house. That is a promising sign. Will our luck last??
Thanksgiving weekend 2005 is coming to a close. Damon's plane has landed safely in Chicago. Brett and Megan have made the drive from Pennsylvania and are now snuggled in their cozy little house. Kara and Sean are packing for their move to their lovely new and bigger house. It was a good Thanksgiving holiday this year. It was so nice to be able to spend it with so many of the people I enjoy.......two of my sisters, my brother, my mother, my brother-in-law, my 3 sweet nieces, my very unique husband and one of my precious children. I have a stash of delicious turkey soup tucked away in the refrigerator. We made some happy memories. We even had snow for Thanksgivng day. I have so many blessings to count. I am very lucky. And to end the weekend on a perfect note, Gail and Charlie stopped by tonight with the perfect solution for the question of what to do with Paul when he begins his eye-glazing political discussions at the family gathering table............
I really hope it's not too cold out at our next family gathering............
Okay.......one more item for the repair list. Our windshield washer is not working. The fluid container is full but it seems unable to make it to the windshield and with the sloppy weather we are having now we really need to have the windshield washer working. So back to the car doc it goes on Monday. The radiator seems to have stopped it's leaking, for now. But I don't think I'll be taking the car on any long road trips for awhile. Paul put up a new cable today for the bird feeders. He's such a good fix-it guy. One of the feeders is very large and heavy. I was afraid when we lifted it off the ground we would find a squashed bird or squirrel underneath it, but there was nothing but clean white snow. I'm just lucky it didn't fall on MY head.
I was all set to make acorn squash stuffed with mushrooms and wild rice for dinner tonight but Paul wanted to go out. After an endless discussion of where to go we finally decided on a restaurant that just opened on Wednesday. The last restaurant that was there was absolutely horrific and only lasted a few months. We thought we'd give the new one a try and it was an "experience". Actually, the food was quite good. We had the misfortune to be stuck with a waitress who had a hard time getting those smile muscles working. She seemed like she would rather be ANYWHERE than waiting on us. It kind of makes you wonder if you did anything wrong when you walked in. She also had a cold and kept swiping at her nose with her hand which made me extremely nervous since all food is deliverd to us with those very hands.
Paul ordered "grilled pork chops with applesauce", so it said on the menu. The chops were excellent but there was no applesauce. After about 20 minutes of trying he finally was able to attract her attention and asked, "Do you have any applesauce?" "Oh yeah", she said, "Do you want some"? Well no not really.....just checking to see if you have any around. Of course we want some. It said "grilled pork chops with applesauce" in the menu. It took her forever to come back with the applesauce. Paul was being patient and said she was probably heating it up. But when it finally arrived, delivered with those nose swiping hands, it was cold and was just a tiny dollop in a little cup that looked like the itty bitty cups they use to transport your pills to you in the hospital. That is supposed to last through 4 pork chops?? The only thing they had for dessert was 3 different types of pies, even though there were other items listed on the menu. Paul called the meal "diner fare".
Oh well, at least I didn't have to cook tonight. But that acorn squash stuffed with wild rice and mushrooms sure sounded good!
1. Dishwasher repairman came today. We need a new pump but, of course, it has to "be ordered". They never have these things with them. So it will be next week sometime before we see him again. He didn't explain what he is going to do about the fact that pieces of the inside of the door have come off and chunks of insulation are blown out into the dishwasher everytime it is washing. I guess he will address that when he comes back next week and will need "to order" another part.......like a new washer???
2. Paul had to plow the snow in the driveway with his tractor today because his truck was at the truck doctor. He slid off the edge of the driveway and had to have Charlie come and tow him out.
3. Before I went grocery shopping this morning Paul turned on the car to warm it up for me........the car we just spent megabucks on to have the head gasket repaired. I went out to get into the car and spied a bright green stream of anti-freeze flowing from under the car and down the hill. Uh Oh.........not a good sign. Paul used some Bars Leak. We'll see how that works.
4. Went out today to fill the two bird-feeders that we have strung on a wire between two trees. Dragged the old step ladder out, climbed up and filled both bird feeders full. Put the step ladder back, came in the house and heard a crash. What the heck was that?? Thought maybe the step ladder had fallen over. Looked out on the deck but didn't see anything unusual. Looked out in the yard and, uh oh, the wire had broken and both bird feeders were lying on the ground. The squirrels are going to think they have died and gone to bird-seed heaven. Another fix-it project for Paul.
5. Our two year old clothes washer doesn't seem to be spinning clothes out as dry as it should. Not a good sign. At least we bought one of those service contracts on that.
Damon is taking our other car to upper New York State tomorrow to visit Stacey. Should I be worried that something might happen to the car???
Happy Thanksgiving eve to everyone. My turkey has been in the refrigerator for two days and is still like a brick. Now I'm giving it a cold bath and that seems to be softening things up a bit. I hope it will be ready for the oven by tomorrow morning. There will be 12 of us here tomorrow. I wish it could be more but we will have a jolly time with the guests that we have.
So many years have passed since the first year that Paul and I hosted our first Thanksgiving in our basement Ithaca apartment. There I am sharing a bit of my Thanksgiving wine with the turkey. Could we look any more serious about getting our turkey basted?? Remember those bristley rollers with the little pink stick-pins? I can't believe I actually wore those things to bed EVERY night......and Paul still stayed with me!! We didn't have a dining room in that little apartment of ours and our kitchen was far too small to host a large family shin-dig, so we set up a big table in the "garage" part of the basement, sharing the space with tools, car parts, cob webs and our old wringer washer. Despite the unusual dining conditions we really had a great time. It was the first time I ever hosted a large meal. I hated cooking then as much as I do now, but I was able to get everything on the table, still hot, at the right time. That's always a challenge at Thanksgiving. And it was all GOOD! Those 35 years have gone by so fast, but I still have a large and wonderful family with whom I can enjoy Thanksgiving day. I'm looking forward to another happy day tomorrow........if the snow, sleet and freezing rain don't keep everyone away.
Well, let's see......we found out the dishwasher is still under warranty so we will have it repaired. IF it is repairable. That's a big IF!! But, of course, they can't do it until Friday so we will have a real old fashioned Thanksgiving gathering around the sink doing dishes together. THAT will bring back lots of memories. I'm hoping that the snow doesn't keep everyone away.
We picked up my car from the car doctor today and took it out for a spin tonight and, what do you know, the check engine light came on. Oh dear. I guess it is back to the car hospital tomorrow.
Forgot that we had another casualty. Paul's hot water heater at the office crashed. So it was off to Home Depot tonight for a new hot water heater. Tis the season for breakdowns!!
Lovely un-November-like weather today. I truly yearned to be outside but spent the day inside preparing for Thanksgiving. Since we don't use the dining room very much now that it is just us two I find the room makes a good catch-all for everything that I "will put away later". That includes all the baby stuff we had out this summer when Kara and Sean were here with the little ones. Car seat, baby swing, baby bouncer, Fisher-Price toys, trucks, riding toys........all that stuff fills up a room pretty fast. Hauled it all back up to the attic until next time and then vacuumed, dusted and polished the dining room. I have been having a problem with my right hand and the doctor told me on Friday to try not to use my right hand for a couple of weeks. Sure...........easier said than done. Easy for a man to say. I'm afraid I haven't been a very good patient in that respect. Maybe after the holidays.
We found out today that our dishwasher has a 5 year warranty on the pump. We think we got it less than 5 years ago so maybe we will be able to get this thing repaired. We're going to try because we really don't want to put the money out for a new one at this time. Paul went out and bought a dish drainer so now we are all ready for Thanksgiving day. I haven't had a dish drainer on my counter in 30 years!!
I keep hearing the word "snow" pop up in the forecast for Thanksgiving. As much as I like snow, I hope it holds off. I am going to be optimistic and buy a BIG turkey tomorrow!
Well..........2 weeks ago it was Paul's car. Last week it was mine. And now it's the dishwasher. I think we are getting into another "everything is falling apart" stage in our lives. As long as it's not our bodies that are falling apart I will be happy. Paul and I had to wash all the dishes from the dishwasher and our dinner dishes by hand tonight. I haven't done that since our newly-wed days in Ithaca. What a delightful bonding time we had tonight. The nasty thing is that I think we took out one cycle of poorly washed dishes from the dishwasher and put them away and ate off of them before we realized there was a problem. Ugh ugh ugh. I wonder what matter of germs and vermin I have taken in. I don't think this thing is worth fixing so we are going to TRY to find a dishwasher before Thanksgiving. If not, we will all have a joyous time enjoying each other's company at the kitchen sink. Just like the old days. Now I have to do some research on what is the best washer to get. Does anyone know any washers we should STAY AWAY FROM??
As I was cleaning up today I noticed that Paul had laid his favorite leather jacket on top of two bags of trash I was throwing out. I picked it up and put it on the rocking chair. As I came into the gathering room later this afternoon he pointed to the jacket and said, "I think I am going to have to get rid of that jacket. It's just getting too worn out." "Good, just throw it in the trash", I said, always eager to clean "stuff' out. He looked at it and said, "I don't think I can. You do it". No problem. I walked over to pick it up. "But that's Kara's old jacket", he said. I stopped my fast track to the jacket, looked at him and said, "Oh". That's different. I can remember when she bought it. It was the summer before she left for college. She and one of her running friends went to the mall for the day. I can remember Molly and her little sister picking Kara up in Molly's open (and of course, to my mind, VERY unsafe) jeep. I watched them as they zipped out of the driveway, laughing and having a great time. I prayed that she would be delivered back to me intact. When she came home she was so excited to show me the jacket she had bought. When she said "leather jacket" I thought it was one of those black studded zippered motorcycle type jackets and I told her "no no not a leather jacket, I don't like that. Not on you". But then she showed it to me. It was a lovely soft brown color and looked so good with her long, blonde hair. I don't think I will ever forget how pretty she looked in that jacket. Stunning. It was perfect for her. I remember she wore it on her first trip home from college, suddenly looking so grown-up. When she tired of it, Paul tried it on and found that it fit him. He loved the style. He loved the color. He wore it everywhere. When it became a bit tired looking he tried to find another of the same style but was unable to. So he wore it to death. And now it is time to get rid of it. But I can't quite do it yet. It's still sitting on the rocking chair. Maybe I can use it for a work jacket in the garden...................
Our weather is taking us on quite a roller coaster ride. Today was brrrrry cold, especially at school where we have our own little ecosystem. Right now it is down to 23, but by Sunday we will be enjoying temperatures in the 50's. The beginning of next week looks like a big storm is heading this way. They are not sure yet whether it will be rain or snow or both. I am hoping for the white stuff.
I found a movie to watch tonight which was fun and enjoyable. It was just a little PG13 romantic comedy chick-flick called "13 Going On Thirty". I had never even heard of it but it really was a fun movie to watch. It had alot to say about what is really important in life and being true to yourself and your friends and doing what is right and not what is the "in" thing to do. Fun movie. Good message.
Speaking of friends...one of my friends had an MRI yesterday. She had to take some anti-anxiety medication because of her fear of being in confined spaces. She was very hungry afterwards so her husband took her out to breakfast. She must have been one doped up lady because she remembers very little of it. Her husband said she kept telling him how hungry she was and by the time her food came she had used a spoon and eaten the jelly right out of five of those little Kraft jelly foil containers. She order a stack of pancakes and two scrambled eggs. She poured maple syrup over EVERYTHING, even the scrambled eggs (!!!) and ate it all. Oh yuck. She said the thought of eating maple syrup on scrambled eggs sickens her and she can't believe she did it. But she remembers absolutely nothing of this. The people in the restaurant must have thought she was a few sandwiches short of a picnic.
This weekend will be spent getting ready for Thanksgiving. I'm hoping the weather will cooperate so everyone will be here....including OUR CAMERA!!
A really warm day today for November. Close to seventy degrees. Tonight we are getting the weather that was out in the mid-west yesterday, but not as severe. We are having lots of heavy rain and wind and the temperature is dropping. I really really really want some snow. There is a mention of snow showers on Wednesday. We're getting closer..........
Today was picture day at school. I never ever ever ever ever ever had my picture taken for the year book because I really do not like to have my picture taken at all, especially for something like that. But this year all the staff was required to have them taken because we are going to be issued ID cards which will have to be worn in school. So I reluctantly walked down for my "photo shoot". First they asked me what color background I want. What color background?? I don't really care. I just want to have the picture taken so I can leave. Well, what goes best with my jacket, I ask. How about green, I ask. A look of shock and horror on the photographer's face.....oh no no no no. Not green. That's very bad. Not a good color at all. You wouldn't like it. I guess I failed that part of my photo shoot venture. She settled on blue (I look terrible in blue) and then took my picture. As she finished she smiled and said, "I used a soft focus on you". Oh?? Soft focus?? Does my face look that old and grizzled and tired out that we need to soften it up?? Was she taking pity on me?? She said, "We use soft focus on all the staff". Yeah. Right. I bet she doesn't use it on the cute little twenty somethings. I wish she hadn't told me about the "soft focus". Then when I got my picture back I would have looked at it and said, "Hot Damn.......I didn't know I looked so good!"
Off to bed to read while listening to the wind and rain. Reading a really good book called "Fragments". Memoirs of a Jewish man who spent most of his childhood in a Nazi concentration camp.
We spent all day yesterday preparing for winter. I mulched the last of the leaves and raked those that I couldn't mulch. I finished cutting back the perenniels. We put the pool cover inside. Paul tilled the garden. We worked until dark. Just as I was finishing up I looked at the bare trees and thought how beautiful they really are, even though they are leafless. The shape and twists of the bare, bony branches moving with the wind against the darkening sky was quite a lovely sight. And then I saw the full Beaver Moon (as the full moon is called in November) rising in back of the skeletal branches of the Maple tree. Nature truly is heart-stoppingly beautiful sometimes. And quite romantic, too. I have a few more little odds and ends to do outside but we are pretty much tucked in for the winter. And basketball season has started. So let it snow!!!
Early this morning Paul took the car down to have the snow tires put on and while he was driving back he was suddenly enveloped in a cloud of white fog. Uh Oh. He drove it right to the car doc instead of home. The head gasket is gone. That is a pretty whopping bill.....$1500. But it's a one time fix and cheaper than buying a new car. I'd much rather have to spend money on fixing my car than my body. I have to count my blessings.
I just read on the internet that the Jones Soda Company has come out with a new flavor.........Salmon Soda. It has a smoked salmon taste. Oh, dear Lord. That is utterly disgusting. Is there anyone who will actually buy that?? Probably not, because this is what the owner of the Jones Soda Company has to say about it:
Asked whether he liked his new salmon soda, van Stolk said: "I cannot finish a bottle, I just can't".Enough said!!
We're having lovely weekend weather. Just right for that last push to get the lawn cleared of the dribs and drabs of leaves that are left, the garden tilled, the perenniels cut back and the last of the lawn furniture put away. It will all be just in time because the extended forecast calls for mixed snow and rain next weekend. Paul spent most of the day adding to our winter store of wood. He has quite an impressive collection to keep us warm and toasty this winter. I was invited to attend a Christmas church function at the Valley Community Baptist Church in Avon. What an impressively HUGE church it is. They even have their own full size gym. They had sold over 1300 tickets to this event. We started with coffee, tea and breads and then perused their Christian bookstore. Then to the sanctuary for a brief program. After that we went to the gym for a craft program. I actually became creative, followed instructions and made the craft item without having it look like a 3 year old worked on it. We did some Christmas glass etching on votive candle holders. Very easy to do but looks quite professional. Went back to the sanctuary to listen to a motivational speaker and then followed that up with a lovely, delicious lunch. A very pleasant morning with friends. By the time I got home it was 2:30 and I spent the rest of the day raking the darn nuts off the lawn. Paul has been wanting to test a new restaurant that opened down the road from us so tonight we took the test. I would say that they didn't do too well on the test. We both had an eggplant parmesan grinder but it was the strangest eggplant parmesan grinder I have ever had. I could hardly chew the pieces of eggplant. They looked more like the outer leaves of an artichoke. I tried to cut them with my knife and they looked like globs of fiber. Isn't eggplant always kind of soft?? I could chaw away on these things forever and still not have them suitable for swallowing. I wonder if it was an eggplant SKIN grinder?? I think I have taken in my share of fiber for the week or maybe even for the month. Today I want to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my little sister Lauri-ann Jane, Baby Ann, Lala, or Spaz. The girl with many names!
Mother wanted to have two children close together so we would be good friends and when I was 15 months old my new good friend suddenly appeared. I don't ever remember life without her. Our Aunt Mary sewed all our dresses and always made them matching. Daddy cut our hair and gave us the same hairstyle. We spent our first years looking like little twins. We were always together. At my birthday party we stood side by side next to the door to greet my guests. I grabbed my presents and she said to each guest what I should have been saying, "thank you, thank you, thank you". We would write plays and then perform in front of our very patient mother. We shared the same room and spent most of our young life playing dolls and school in that room. At night we would lie in bed and make up stories to tell each other. We called them "sick and throw up stories" so you can imagine what nastiness they involved. We were always trying to outgross each other. We would make tents with our bedsheets instead of going to sleep. Sometimes we would wind ourselves up tight in the sheet and ooze our way out of it and drop out onto the floor. This was a simulation of a calf being born, a game we called "coming out of the cow". (This fascination with bovine reproduction carried over to the thrill of sitting on a stool toghether behind the cow and watching the artificial inseminator do his work)
Mother would get so frustrated with our chatting and giggling and silly games when we were supposed to be sleeping that she would threaten to turn out the hall light if we didn't quiet down. We didn't and she did, despite our howls of protest. By the time we hit our teens things had changed a bit, as they usually do, and we had drawn an imaginary line down the middle of the room and misery came to whoever let their stuff drift over onto the other side. Up until we hit our teens we were constant companions and best friends. She still is my best friend. I only wished she lived closer. Thanks, Mom, for giving her to me!
Today was pleasant. It was quiet. It was coooooollllllddddd. I enjoyed every minute of staying home. In my heart, I really do enjoy being at home. I didn't do anything exciting. I did some cleaning. I filled the bird-feeders for the first time this season. It is safe to do that now that the bears have settled down for the winter. I bought some wine and made a nice little pasta, tomato and asparagus dinner, which we ate in front of the fire after we made a toast to all the Veterans. Then we watched the movie, Patton. Paul's hero. It was a nice way to remember who we pay tribute to on this day and why.I want to wish a very special Veteran's Day wish to two of my favorite veterans.
First to my Paul, who served in the Air Force from 1960-1964. He looks so young in this picture. This is the image of many of the young men who we have trusted to defend our country over and over again. They are the personification of bravery. How do they do it when they are so young and have hardly begun to live, or even shave??.................................................................
.............and my mom, who was a U.S. Army nurse during World War II. Proudly, her name is listed in the Women In Service To America memorial in Washington, DC. It goes without saying that our country would never be the place that we enjoy so much today if it were not for the sacrifices of the men and women of the armed forces. They are all my heroes because they do what I would never have the courage to do. My gratitude and thanks go out to them all. May they always be treated with the respect they deserve.
While doing bus duty this afternoon (which consists mostly of prying apart little pre-teens who are locking lips for one last smooch before leaving each other for the loooooong evening apart) I know I know I know that I saw a few flakes of snow. Our school is up so high that it has it's own little weather system, akin to the North Pole. It was bitterly cold and windy today and there really were a few flakes of snow flying around. I wish it were more but it will be here before too long.
It seems our political climate is changing in Torrington as much as the weather. In this very heavily democratic city our 22 year old Republican candidate ousted our 50-something two term Democratic mayor. It was really quite a stunning and unexpected result. This must be the year for young blood to take over for there were a couple of other mayoral elections that were won by really young men. I think the youngest was an 18 year old. Handling a city of this size will be difficult for this young man, but his mother is a state representative and his grandfather was too so I'm sure he will get lots of guidance. Interesting times!
I read in the Lakeville Journal tonight that the movie theatre that was so much a part of my young life, the Colonial Theatre in Canaan, has been completely renovated. It had been abandoned for many years and was close to making friends with the wrecking ball when it was thankfully bought by someone with a vision. He has completely renovated it and turned it into a cafe movie theatre, my favorite way to go to the movies. They have a scrumptious sounding menu, play Glen Miller/WWII music before the show while you are eating, have cozy burgunday and cream walls, frosted sconces and checkerboard floors. We are going to have to try it soon because it sounds like a fun (and nostalgic) way to spend a Saturday night. I haven't been inside that theatre for almost 40 years.
That was the theatre where I had my very first date when I was in the 8th grade. It was a pretty disastrous date. I could talk to this boy easily in school but on a date...........I froze and so did he. I think the only things we said to each other the entire time were "hello", "thank you" and "good-bye". That 15 minute car ride to the theatre and back again was the longest ride I have ever taken in my whole life. It couldn't end soon enough.
Some of my 8th grade girl-friends and I would often take the train from Falls Village to Canaan on a Saturday. We thought we were SO grown-up, away from parents for a day. We would go shopping at Hart's Five and Dime (usually for bras), go out to lunch for a hamburger and coke and then go to the matinee, where the admission was only a quarter. One Saturday they had a live show at the theatre. I don't remember much about it except there was a young, cute boy playing a guitar and singing. We screamed our little guts out........you would think we were in the presence of Elvis himself. Those were really simple days, but you never saw a happier group of girls.
When we were really really little, like 6 year old little, the theatre had a program for the local schools at Christmas time. The whole school would be bussed to the theatre to enjoy a Christmas movie. I remember we were all given an orange as we went in. They might as well have given me a gob of gold.......I thought it was so special. I somehow don't think that kids today would get that excited over an orange. They probably would be happier with nothing less than an ipod for each child.
No school tomorrow. It will be too cold to do much outside but there is plenty for me to do inside. And I can ALWAYS cozy up on the couch with a cup of tea and a book.
It was a great day to spend at home. The weather was cooperative enough so that I could spend most of the day outside cutting back my flower beds. It was so nice and quiet out there. How nice it would be not to have to go to work and spend every day doing what I did today. Quite relaxing. But would I get bored and feel isolated after a while?? I don't think so. I have so many things I want to do that I could live for 600 more years and still not get them all done.
I was IM'ing Brett tonight and he said how he was thinking he might like to come to the Warner here in Torrington to see the Nutcracker. He had seen a performance on PBS and remembered how we used to go see it every year when he was growing up. I had almost forgotten about that and how much I enjoyed it. What a wonderful way to begin the Christmas season. The first time I went was when Kara was about 4 or 5. It was one of the first times the Nutmeg Ballet company performed it and they used the tiny little theatre at the high school. Kara was in awe. She loved the music. She loved the dancing. She loved all the pretty costumes. And she insisted I sign her up for ballet lessons. I did and it wasn't long before she tried out for a part in the performance and danced her little heart out as an angel and soldier and a mouse....albeit a dead mouse. I still get the old tears flowing when I hear the music that heralds the entrance of the soldiers on stage and think of my little blonde baby girl strutting out on stage, so proud of herself.
When Brett was about 4 I started taking him to see the show and he was equally entranced.....he sat straight up in his seat, eyes focused on the stage and didn't move a muscle throughout the whole long performance. When it was over he told me he wanted to take dancing lessons too, although today he vehemently denies that he ever said such an appalling thing.
Little Damon was less enthralled. I was sure he would be just as "into" it as his brother and sister. But he sat slumped in his seat and after about 10 minutes he pulled on my sleeve, interrupting my peaceful reverie, and asked in a disgusted voice, with his little teeth tightly clenched, "Doesn't this play have any talking in it?" When I told him no he flapped his little arms around and moaned and sank even farther into his seat. He is so much like his father.
One of these years I should treat myself to a Nutcracker evening. It's changed over the years. It has moved to the large stage at the Warner Theatre. The Nutmeg Ballet Company is now a professional company and has dancers from all over the world. They dance to the music of a live symphony orchestra instead of tapes that skip and stop in the middle of a dance. But it would be so nostalgic. I better make sure I come with a supply of kleenex.
It is a rare occurance for a mother with two or more children, but every once in a while there comes a fleeting moment when it seems that all your children seem to be having a good day at the same time! Today was one of those days. Nothing big or momentous happened. I just felt like they were all smiling together today. Brett's kitchen is in working order for the first time since May and they now have gas, water and electricity.......and it is looking GREAT.
After months of looking at furniture in his new apartment that consists of stacked up boxes, Damon has transformed his living room from a cardboard ghetto to a room that would rival something from House Beautiful. In addition to that he has a lovely girl friend who shares his enthusiasm for the fun of Chicago.........and is finally getting him to eat spinach instead of McDonald's Bacon, Sausage and Cheese breakfasts!
And Kara has a real good prospect for the sale of her house after only a little more than a week of it being on the market, which means she will be able to go ahead with the purchase of their new and bigger home. She talked to me on the phone tonight and neither of the little ones were fussing......they both seemed to be happy at the same time. Another mother who is having one of those fleeting moments of time when both children seem to be having a 5-star horoscope at the same time. It doesn't happen all the time, but when it does it feels so good.
We have no school tomorrow. Election day. We are having local elections tomorrow for mayor. It is probably the first time I am not going to vote. I do not like the present mayor and I think the young man who is running against him has the potential of doing the job but I can't bring myself to vote for someone who is only 23. Younger than my own son! That seems a little young to be in control of a city of 35,000. Is this the best our city has to offer us??
Paul talked to the camera hospital today. Our camera is in the process of being repaired. Hopefully it will be back by Thanksgiving, you lucky people!
It was a nice weekend for working outside. Nice warm weather. Some of our leaves are finally falling so I spent most of Saturday raking some leaves to spread on the garden and then mulching the rest. What a dirty job. I was coated with leaf dust, even in my mouth. We were asked to go out to dinner at the Country Club by some friends and I was so grateful for that. It was so nice to take a nice shower and then relax with a good meal that I didn't have to cook after working outside all day. I had stuffed cornish game hen with apricot glaze that was SO good. Followed it up with a nice piece of medicinal dark chocolate cake! Paul had venison medallions. Not my type of meal ( I hate the thought of eating deer things) but he said it was terrific. Today was mostly a ho-hum day. Cleaned house. I looked at the area rug we have had in our gathering room for 17 years and decided I couldn't stand looking at that disgusting thing for one more second. I made a quick executive decision and rolled it up and threw it out the door. Gone. Done with. Put down a rug that we had bought at Ocean State Job Lots (we only shop at the best places!) for Paul's office but decided not to use because it really didn't go with his new linoleum. We have been carting it around in the car for weeks now because we had nowhere to put it. It really looks quite fine in the gathering room. Much better than the disgusting rag I took out of there. It is just a little big smaller than what I would like but at least I don't have a cloud of dust following me anymore each time I walk across the room.
Great week at work this week. Two days off and two half days of school.
Well........here it is November 3 and not only do we still have leaves on the trees, but they are GREEN. GREEN LEAVES IN NOVEMBER??? AWK!! What is going on here? This feels so strange. The weather is warm, the leaves are green. Did we skip winter and go right into spring?? The maples have suddenly turned their lovely bright yellow and orange and are really spectacular on the ride home from school when they sit against the bright blue sky and are back-lit by the sun. But they look a little odd sitting next to the green leaves of the other trees.
And speaking of riding home from school, I left school yesterday and was merrily bumping down the highway on my way to have my flu shot when my car stalled. Oh heck...what now? I started it up and went about 20 feet and it stalled again. Started it up and went 10 feet. Tried to start it up again and nothing but spinning engine noise. I am completely and totally and utterly lost when it comes to car problems and our cars ONLY die when I am alone, NEVER when Paul is with me. Of course. But praise the Lord praise the Lord praise the Lord for cell phones......my precious link to my car help line, Paul. I know how much he loves to get these calls from me...."Paaauuuulll........ my car isn't working very well." I had actually driven Paul's car to work since mine was in the car hospital. It never rains but it pours. Paul couldn't come and rescue me so he called the car doctor who drove my newly repaired car up to get me and pushed the sick car onto a side street. I really hate sitting by the side of the road in a disabled car. I feel really and truly pathetic. I just don't want anyone I know to see me and stop and ask if I need help. I was so glad to get back into my car. I was even happy to be waiting for eternity in a line ever- so- long for my flu shot. It was better than sitting like a pitiful little soul in a loser of a car.
Kara said she can't publish her blog tonight. We'll see if mine works. Thank goodness tomorrow is Friday. I am really looking forward to the weekend.
I can't believe this.......we just got our digital camera back and it is acting up again. Different problem. Terrible picture quality. If we bang on it it works for a while, but what good is a camera that you have to bang around in order to make it work. Soooooo, back it goes to the camera hospital. They have told us that they will put it on the "fast track" this time so hopefully it won't take as long to get back to us. I really would like it back by Thanksgiving.
Wonderful Indian summer weather today. Cathy's cafe was open for lunch. How nice to be able to sneak outside for half an hour in the middle of the day. A little mini vacation. Someone has reinforced our maxi-pad table and it shows promise of lasting us a long time. It doesn't look as if it is as likely to go tumbling across the parking lot when it gets caught by a gust of wind. The kids were all suffering from post-Halloween hyperglycemia in school today. They were carrying around bags stuffed with trick-or-treat candy and cramming it in their little mouths all day long, despite the no-gum-or-candy-in-school rule. The only thing in our favor was that it wasn't a Friday and a full moon. That, combined with the day after Halloween, is deadly.
I'm reading "Atonement". It was a little slow in the beginning. The author has a different style of writing that I'm really not used to, but now I'm hooked. A really good read.
