Thursday, February 10, 2011
CAAAAATTTTT
Why does this animal think I am her mother?
Why does she feel the need to stand on the keyboard so I cannot type, but she sends emails saying 9999999999999999999 in the subject line?
Why do cats feel that if they are not the center of attention it is their God given right to become so??
Why is it very difficult to stay annoyed at her?
sigh - I guess I am a sucker for a loud purr...
Is is Friday yet?
Busy week. My husband is producing and directing a reading/workshop of a new play by Eric Gansworth. Eric is writing it for the Public Theatre in NYC, but we were given permission to do a first read! To top it off, my husband managed to get Joanne Shenandoah to read one of the roles. She is a Native American singer, actress, and performer who has been honored with a Grammy award as well as several Nammy awards. She seems really nice. I was listening to her music earlier today, and realized there is a huge amount of Native American music recorded, yet I never knew it. The reading is tonight, so hopefully, by Saturday things will calm down.
We had the first full production meeting for our Spring show, BIG LOVE, and that will be challenging. The playwright has written in the deaths of 49 bridegrooms, someone throwing saw blades around the stage and MANY dishes breaking - can you say "messy" ???
Now, I love winter, but things might be a little easier around here if the cold that is gripping us would let up so I can get some of the ice off the driveway from last weekend. I ordered my seeds for the vegetable garden, so I am at least optimistic that Spring will come! The cucumber trellis arrived the other day. Every little step towards garden time is a good one. In the mean time, I need to get my ice skates out - in some places the pond ice is a good 10 inches thick, and the park's skating rinks must certainly be open for business.
Stay warm. Bake bread. Make stew. Cuddle.
We had the first full production meeting for our Spring show, BIG LOVE, and that will be challenging. The playwright has written in the deaths of 49 bridegrooms, someone throwing saw blades around the stage and MANY dishes breaking - can you say "messy" ???
Now, I love winter, but things might be a little easier around here if the cold that is gripping us would let up so I can get some of the ice off the driveway from last weekend. I ordered my seeds for the vegetable garden, so I am at least optimistic that Spring will come! The cucumber trellis arrived the other day. Every little step towards garden time is a good one. In the mean time, I need to get my ice skates out - in some places the pond ice is a good 10 inches thick, and the park's skating rinks must certainly be open for business.
Stay warm. Bake bread. Make stew. Cuddle.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Great weekend
I spend this past weekend at our Girl Scout camp with my Cadette/Senior troop. The whole idea was for us to get together and have a relaxed weekend. There were things we wanted to do, but nothing we HAD to do. It was an intentional break in the stress and pull of their hectic schedules.
Friday evening we met, and the seven of us crammed into my van along with all our winter gear! We went snowshoeing on Saturday with rain pouring down! We wouldn't have gotten far without the snowshoes as the snow was still knee deep in the camp. We used the old fashioned type of snow shoe which look like tennis rackets. It was a lot of fun! I felt like Nanuck of the North heading home to the igloo.
We had spa night - all the girls and leaders put on coloured face masks, cucumbers on our eyes, did our nails, etc. The girls entertained the leaders with another installment of the comedy variety show they create every trip called Comedy Block. It was very good, if a bit violent! There were crafts and cooking, home made ice cream and, of course, s'mores!
Sunday morning was icy as all the Saturday rain froze. Scraping the car was a half hour task. Two of the girls really wanted to climb the mountain to the old Fire Tower before we left. I went along, and it was wonderful. We had the mountain all to ourselves. The trees were frosted with the early morning snow. We wore no snowshoes this time, so of course, breaking the path was very tiring. We switched off every 50 yards or so. We made it about half way up the mountain and then turned around.
Then last night was the Super Bowl, which I must admit, I watched only half heartedly, as I really had no horse in that race.
Spending time with my troop was really great. What a wonderful bunch of girls!
Friday evening we met, and the seven of us crammed into my van along with all our winter gear! We went snowshoeing on Saturday with rain pouring down! We wouldn't have gotten far without the snowshoes as the snow was still knee deep in the camp. We used the old fashioned type of snow shoe which look like tennis rackets. It was a lot of fun! I felt like Nanuck of the North heading home to the igloo.
We had spa night - all the girls and leaders put on coloured face masks, cucumbers on our eyes, did our nails, etc. The girls entertained the leaders with another installment of the comedy variety show they create every trip called Comedy Block. It was very good, if a bit violent! There were crafts and cooking, home made ice cream and, of course, s'mores!
Sunday morning was icy as all the Saturday rain froze. Scraping the car was a half hour task. Two of the girls really wanted to climb the mountain to the old Fire Tower before we left. I went along, and it was wonderful. We had the mountain all to ourselves. The trees were frosted with the early morning snow. We wore no snowshoes this time, so of course, breaking the path was very tiring. We switched off every 50 yards or so. We made it about half way up the mountain and then turned around.
Then last night was the Super Bowl, which I must admit, I watched only half heartedly, as I really had no horse in that race.
Spending time with my troop was really great. What a wonderful bunch of girls!
Saturday, January 29, 2011
ICY
I have never seen a winter quite like this one. No matter where you are - upstate NY, New England, Mid Atlantic States - there seem to be icicles dripping from every roof. Not mere dribbles of frozen water, but javelin sized, use as a murder weapon - type icicles. When visiting Connecticut recently, the mounds of snow and drifts were three, four, five feet high in places, but what was stunning to see were the numbers and sizes of icicles on every roof. Gorgeous to look at, but the pragmatist in me also see damaged gutters, water running into soffits (and thus, attics), and the real danger of getting hit by one of these behemoth water stalagtites.
Today we looked in the sill of our upper floor windows and saw ice a half an inch thick between the windows and the screens (we have no storm windows - former owner never got them when they installed new windows). With a marlin spike and a meat mallet we broke the ice, then started leaning out the windows to break down some of the icicle curtain. The following shots should give you an idea of their size and scope.
I keep looking at the snow and ice and thinking of the birds - the feeders are filled and I bought suet cakes yesterday. On principal, I will not feed the deer after they destroyed my rhododendrons last year.
The snow is falling gently - again - and the kids and hubby have just come in from sledding. The fire is burning, the house is warm. I guess there is nothing to do with a winter as solid as this one except enjoy it!
Today we looked in the sill of our upper floor windows and saw ice a half an inch thick between the windows and the screens (we have no storm windows - former owner never got them when they installed new windows). With a marlin spike and a meat mallet we broke the ice, then started leaning out the windows to break down some of the icicle curtain. The following shots should give you an idea of their size and scope.
 |
| The ice curtain outside the window |
 |
| She is about 5 foot 3 inches tall - the icicle was about 4 and a half feet long |
 |
| Breaking the ice that had filled the sill |
 |
| what else is a child to do with icicles??? |
The snow is falling gently - again - and the kids and hubby have just come in from sledding. The fire is burning, the house is warm. I guess there is nothing to do with a winter as solid as this one except enjoy it!
Monday, January 24, 2011
More massages
I spent this last weekend in the Finger Lakes region of NY at an inn and spa. It was a get away weekend with my husband to celebrate our anniversary (a bit belatedly, but it was the earliest we could work it into our schedules). What a lovely place - Mirbeau Inn and Spa.
We got massages the first night we were there, during which my massage therapist asked me if it had been a while since I had a massage. (ha!) Afterwards, she told me, "You really could use a few more massages for those shoulders." What a great thing to say - now I can say a professional said I need more massages! Surely that means I should take her advice!!
I really enjoyed the room with its deep soaking tub, fireplace and comfy chairs, and a mattress I wanted to strap to the top of the car and drive off with. The Aqua Terrace with its outdoor whirlpool/hot tub with the waterfall was wonderful, but the best part had to be the chaises in the relaxation room. I met the challenge my husband put forth, and just lay still relaxing and not moving for at least an hour - it was bliss. The room looked like something out of Pompeii (sans ruins) with pillars and frescoed walls, a small pool with water dripping from the center stone, all in shades of terra cotta and gold. Very calming, very restful. I want to turn my basement into a relaxation room now!
Even the drive home through the lake region was lovely. We had sunshine - yes, SUNSHINE - all weekend. I think it had been about a month and a half since I saw the sun, so this was impressive.
Now we are back and I have to get to work, but I must take the advice I was given and get more massages. Surely even I can squeeze that into my schedule.
We got massages the first night we were there, during which my massage therapist asked me if it had been a while since I had a massage. (ha!) Afterwards, she told me, "You really could use a few more massages for those shoulders." What a great thing to say - now I can say a professional said I need more massages! Surely that means I should take her advice!!
I really enjoyed the room with its deep soaking tub, fireplace and comfy chairs, and a mattress I wanted to strap to the top of the car and drive off with. The Aqua Terrace with its outdoor whirlpool/hot tub with the waterfall was wonderful, but the best part had to be the chaises in the relaxation room. I met the challenge my husband put forth, and just lay still relaxing and not moving for at least an hour - it was bliss. The room looked like something out of Pompeii (sans ruins) with pillars and frescoed walls, a small pool with water dripping from the center stone, all in shades of terra cotta and gold. Very calming, very restful. I want to turn my basement into a relaxation room now!
Even the drive home through the lake region was lovely. We had sunshine - yes, SUNSHINE - all weekend. I think it had been about a month and a half since I saw the sun, so this was impressive.
Now we are back and I have to get to work, but I must take the advice I was given and get more massages. Surely even I can squeeze that into my schedule.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
winter days
The sleet/freezing rain seems to have stopped, but it is hard to tell. The snow has a crisp ice crust which should make sledding fast and slightly dangerous - the best combination! Our back yard has the perfect sledding run that ends one of two ways (well, maybe three) and you always hope for the first.
1. You start at the top of the hill near the red maple and race down towards the shed, and aim to stop by hitting the front of the shed with your body at a sideways angle. Headfirst happens, but it is not fun.
2. You hook to the left at the bottom of the hill and run the danger of sledding off the edge of the "cliff" created a few years ago when a flood washed away a large chunk of our hill. It is not as dangerous as it used to be, since we have about four years worth of leaves and branches starting to build things up.
3. You hook left and as a means of avoiding flying down the cliff, you get tangles in the yews that were planted to try and hold some of the soil and curtail erosion. A prickly alternative.
The children are off from school due to weather. The cat is on the windowsill asleep after watching the bird feeder. Classes do not begin for me until the day after tomorrow as I teach only on Tuesdays and Thursdays this term. I have a ton of reading for school to finish, a hot tea kettle and a warm fire. Good day.
1. You start at the top of the hill near the red maple and race down towards the shed, and aim to stop by hitting the front of the shed with your body at a sideways angle. Headfirst happens, but it is not fun.
2. You hook to the left at the bottom of the hill and run the danger of sledding off the edge of the "cliff" created a few years ago when a flood washed away a large chunk of our hill. It is not as dangerous as it used to be, since we have about four years worth of leaves and branches starting to build things up.
3. You hook left and as a means of avoiding flying down the cliff, you get tangles in the yews that were planted to try and hold some of the soil and curtail erosion. A prickly alternative.
The children are off from school due to weather. The cat is on the windowsill asleep after watching the bird feeder. Classes do not begin for me until the day after tomorrow as I teach only on Tuesdays and Thursdays this term. I have a ton of reading for school to finish, a hot tea kettle and a warm fire. Good day.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
no tomatoes for you
There was the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld - "No soup for you" and this season, I must be the tomato Nazi. I cannot give in. January arrived and so did the dozens of seed catalogues who have me on their mailing lists. I love this time - so cold and snowy outside, but daydreams of harvest time rolling around in my head.
Every year I try something new, something I have not grown before. Last season was tomatillos - pineapple tomatillos, too be precise. The verdict was: They are WONDERFUL! So easy to grow and very prolific. I love crops I can eat straight from the plant, as I am weeding. However, last year, for the second year in a row, my tomato plants succumbed to the late season blight. So this year, in hope of freeing the garden from it, I am bypassing the tomato sections of the catalogues. I hope a season without them will mean next year will be better.
So this season I will be focussing on greens - lettuces, spinach and chard - and trying kale for the first time. I plan on beets, because, well, I like beets! They also make some lovely dye. We will have the requisite pole beans and zucchini, but perhaps we will skip the gigantic space eating winter squashes. I may tuck in some amaranth, as it is so lovely, and finally cucumbers. But, no tomatoes for me...
Every year I try something new, something I have not grown before. Last season was tomatillos - pineapple tomatillos, too be precise. The verdict was: They are WONDERFUL! So easy to grow and very prolific. I love crops I can eat straight from the plant, as I am weeding. However, last year, for the second year in a row, my tomato plants succumbed to the late season blight. So this year, in hope of freeing the garden from it, I am bypassing the tomato sections of the catalogues. I hope a season without them will mean next year will be better.
So this season I will be focussing on greens - lettuces, spinach and chard - and trying kale for the first time. I plan on beets, because, well, I like beets! They also make some lovely dye. We will have the requisite pole beans and zucchini, but perhaps we will skip the gigantic space eating winter squashes. I may tuck in some amaranth, as it is so lovely, and finally cucumbers. But, no tomatoes for me...
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