I’m working at loving autumn which, while not quite here yet, is heading our way in the northern hemisphere. Aside from raining constantly for the past three days, it’s been glorious here. Also cooking again–for awhile there all I did was type and sleep–so making stir fry and spaghetti was a real thrill (not exaggerating). I bought an egg bite maker–I was intrigued, okay?–and I’ll be playing with that. And I’m hauling trash out of here like there’s no tomorrow. While typing a lot.
So what did you do this week?
As term is fast approaching, I am slowly getting back in the swing of things.
Right now, I am reorganising my new module course page on the virtual learning environment.
The colleague who taught that course before has a very different brain from mine. She is a complete squirrel. There are tonnes of resources, many many gems, but they are scattered around so I am having a good look at everything and trying to organise what I want to keep in a way that doesn’t make my brain hurt.
I adore egg bites! Delicious and so many choices! I had the sheer luck to do mostly nothing but lay around in the last week, other than work of course. It’s a rarity to just curl up with a cozy blanket and be a vegetable anymore. I don’t feel like I savored it enough, though, and need to do it again soon. And I am ecstatic that fall is coming! I even saw some leaves on the ground yesterday! It gave me hope!
Today is non-working Wednesday for me—the first day of my vacation. Yellowstone here I come! Off to the airport to pick up my rental car in a few.
Weirdly, it’s a manual transmission. I was surprised to see it come up as an option.
Worked the weekend but off on Monday- so I bought a car to replace my much loved 2013 Jetta. I will mainly miss the CD player.
I hear you! I rented a car a few months ago and hadn’t realized how much technology had passed me by. My big case of CDs didn’t even make it into the rental – we had to stream from my friend’s account, connected to the car speakers.
My 18-year-old granddaughter moved in with us last week, so we took the plunge and started culling books from the three floor-to-ceiling bookcases in what was the guest room with the intent to get down to a single bookcase.
I kept my Crusies, my Heyers, my Evanoviches and my Harry Potter set, along with a few special faves (like Rowena Rides the Rumble, about a cross-country motor tour in 1931). I mostly read ebooks these days, so if I want to reread an old favorite, I’ll buy an e-copy. (Which is why I had to hang onto Rowena.)
My husband and I both had birthdays last week – he turned 70 – and our daughters flew in from Canada to help us celebrate. We are still very fatigued from covid, so it was a low-key celebration. I managed to get some photos taken of my newest knitting project and to post it on my blog: https://knitigatingcircumstances.com/2022/09/04/it-had-to-be-blue/.
I love that sweater! Such a pretty color.
Great sweater. Horrible pun. (Knitigating Circumstances?!?) I groan happily in you general direction. (Well done!)
The pun makes me very happy!
Cheered me right up, too. 🙂
A good groan’ll do that.
Ooh! What a gorgeous color!
“architectural piece of garment theatre.” I _needed_ that phrase!
That color blue is not a blue I usually like, and I love it, which must be the yarn’s doing. It looks glorious on you.
That looks great!
I spent a long weekend at a quilt retreat. I brought uncut fabric and managed to get through two of three parts to the next quilt. The process pictures are here:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CiNRs76usGM/
It’s still in pieces, but it’s going to be spectacular when I get it all done! But alas, now I’m back home and have other things to do – work around the house, chores, etc.
I spent a little time encouraging DH to work on his list of tasks. It looks like the power washing and repair of the deck has moved up, since he managed to break one of the rotten boards when he was walking on it. Glad it wasn’t me! and doubly glad he didn’t get hurt!
I can’t wait to see how that will look when it’s done.
That is a really amazing and gorgeous pattern. And I love it with the colors and subpatterns (is that a word?) you chose, which graduate beautifully from one to the next.
Wow! Lovely.
Oh, wow. That’s intricate.
I cut out the Joe Pye Weed in the Rain Garden because it was finished blooming, and the little fuzzy pink seeds were going everywhere. It felt good to get that out of there. However, the consequences were a sore back for going on three days. It feels good to do the work, but by nighttime, lying in bed, it comes back to roost. So, other things will have to wait a bit. It has been so great in the mornings! Mid-sixties and a little breeze. The humidity has been high for the first few hours, though. I love this time of year. It’s just too easy to overdo.
We are on vacation and I am reveling in the do-nothingness of it all. Also by some serendipitous miracle we chose the Exact Right Week to be Out Of Los Angeles, because it’s hotter there than where we are; our vacation rental has endless air-conditioning and cable tv; our home internet has, apparently, been down since Sunday; and, well, vacation. 🙂 I am sorta kinda thinking about the two writing projects for which I loaded notes into Google Drive, but have yet to type a word on either of them. Instead, since Saturday, I have read six books.
Of course you have.
No freelance work, so I’ve mostly been gardening. Just back from a plant shopping trip, plus a couple of hours at Powis Castle, which gave me a good planting idea. Next priority is to plant what I’ve bought, including narcissus & crocus bulbs (will leave the tulips till later) – though will have to dodge the thunder showers: I got soaked today. (Here’s a photo of the thundery sky en route this afternoon: https://www.instagram.com/p/CiNkJLuMN1r/)
The rain should make weeding the allotment easier – I gave up digging out the bindweed the other day: it was breaking off too near the surface.
We had a really spectacular thunderstorm on Monday (?) evening this week. It was nicely dark, so I really enjoyed just sitting listening and watching the thunder and lightning for the few minutes it lasted. I do enjoy a thunderstorm as long as I’m inside nice and dry (we don’t tend to have the sort that cause damage to people/buildings/etc). I also love the noise of the heavy rain.
I have not, however, enjoyed being drenched the couple of times it’s decided to downpour while I’m doing school pick-up. The parents/pick-up person stand (in theory in a queue, lol) outside the appropriate door to the school for your class and the children are released one at a time so the teachers know that they are going to the right person. It’s all very good humoured and the wait-time is good for a chat, but I’m told that it is practically a certainty that if there is going to be any rain at all on a weekday, it will be at school pick-up…
Had two straight days of rain, which was wonderful, but also gave me the droops.
I’m working on hacking out bittersweet without laming myself, and remembering that it doesn’t have to be done any particular time, it just needs to be done.
Putting out clothes for my trip to France, which the black cat sleeps on when I’m not looking. Fortunately, the clothes are mostly black or dark blue. And will be washed before I go.
Working on my editing project, and getting ready to contact recruiters and companies to go back to full time.
I’ve started doing what I call ‘opportunistic decluttering’. Have had a bit of an epiphany lately that some day I’m going to die (what?) and no one will want all the stuff I’ve collected over the years (double what?) and so maybe it would be easier to at least get rid of the stuff I never use, never plan to use, don’t care about, don’t like, etc. I’m not taking an organized decluttering approach; simply, as I encounter these things while going about daily life, opportunistically declutter them. Today was the wine carafe and crystal ice bucket that I never use because I don’t drink – people gave them to me and so I felt obliged to keep them around but really 15 years is long enough. Out onto the curb they went. Were picked up within the hour by someone who will no doubt give them a deserving home.
I once read a book called The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning. It was really fun and lovely, and deals with what you are experiencing, I think. I enjoyed it. I just spastically clean and declutter in times of stress…
It figures the Swedes would have that. I used to work for Ericsson or /// as we wrote it and got to know the Swedish culture a bit. A very dour people. I read one of their popular mystery series – Mankel? I think? – anyway, honestly, the entire thing kind of went like: “He looked at the lipstick on the glass and thought it was probably a clue and wondered about the impermanence of life.”
That is SO Swedish. 🙂
Right?
Argh. Our system and internet at work were both down for an extended amount of time today, which was frustrating for us and our customers alike. Back up, finally, so now we are catching up on everything that couldn’t be done this morning.
I used up all the 8 inch canvases I was using and am struggling to settle on a new project. Should I go bigger or smaller, what subject to choose. I don’t know.
When the internet is down can’t you use that time to catch up on the newest Alessandra Hazard on audio??
No ideas for you on new project; I am mute there.
Cuz that content would be sooo work appropriate…
No, I got to tell people repeatedly that I couldn’t help them. You would think that I would get more satisfaction out of that…
Maybe you have to say it with a smug tone and pursy mouth? I know I would get satisfaction out of doing that.
And hey, don’t be knocking Alessandra.
Ants. Seems all I do is fight epic battles with ants. In the house- kitchen, bath, walls. In the truck. Nothing like trying to drive while ants crawl all over your face, neck, chest, and arms. I want winter so bad. Come and freeze their butts off!
I feel your ant-pain. This morning they were in the kitchen, swarming out of the electrical outlets and the window frame. I try to avoid toxic chemicals when I can, especially with an everything-goes-in-the-mouth puppy in the house, but today was a swarm-too-far. After spraying with Raid, the current batch is gone except for a few stragglers. Here’s hoping they don’t return in the morning with a few thousand of their friends.
Rained for 3 days. We need it, of course. But made the dog sad because the squirrels wouldn’t come out to play.
My sister is supposed to come visit on Monday (Covid exposure so she may not), so lots of cleaning.
I do hope I can mow the lawn tomorrow. It all has to dry out enough.
And meetings, meetings, meetings.
I decided to approach housework (getting ready for guests in October) the way I did de-cluttering: one thing a day. So, for the entire month of September, I’m committed to doing one tiny bit of a housework that’s above and beyond daily chores. And it can include some relatively fun things like finishing quilt UFOs, which counts as getting rid of clutter. But I’m also scrubbing doors and windowsills and detailing appliances — fall cleaning sorts of things that haven’t been done in years.
I’m hoping that if I break the projects down into small pieces, and do whichever project appeals to me on a given day, that I’ll actually get the area the guests will see/use into a reasonably clean condition.
Well! This thread started cheerfully enough, but my buzz was killed when I started thinking about my mortality and clutter. Nobody will want my junk! Nobody will want my eLibrary. The very idea makes me so, so… annoyed… that I’ve decided to live forever.
The food portion: I had to look up “egg bite maker.” I’ve owned on of those! I also owned a mini-waffle maker and a burger maker. They did not give me joy and are gone now. I do own omelet makers for the microwave, and I did make an omelet because “egg bite maker.” My omelet had shallots and cream and chili. I ate it with a soft taco shell. I was much pleased.
The garden portion: I posted about expanding my farms with Kratky jars. That post is already obsolete. Today, my quart-sized amber Mason jars arrived, accompanied by a grow light and seed-pod adapters for the jars (and I’m expecting more). This means I’ve already retired the clear pint-sized Mason jars. I’ll give them to my niece – she cans stuff. Any unused amber jars will join the other amber glass on my bookshelves. Very decorative.
The work portion: I managed to do the recycling, get the regular trash out, run the vacuum, partially clean my toaster oven, do the dishes, and gather up stuff for a donation. The dotter said her BF was setting up his new apartment, and did I have any Tupperware-type stuff I wasn’t using? 😀 This is me grinning, hugely. Goodwill already got any Ziploc or Gladware or Sterlite my dotter didn’t want. I threw open the cupboards and looked critically at what I still own (all Rubbermaid). Then I ruthlessly pruned entire shapes and sizes of containers, including the big cake/lasagna container. I will not miss this stuff. Much.
My car needs an oil change.
I’m so sorry that I rained on your mortality and junk parade. I like your plan to deal with it though.
I was over it by the time I finished cleaning up after the omelet. Good food does that. 🙂 Feel free to copy my plan.
Mason jars – when we had a garden we put tomatoes up in them. That was then. For a time when my children were small we would walk the beach and gather sea glass and put them in the jars. Fast forward a few years and my son takes his kids over to the beach and gathers everything it seems. One time my grandson found what looked like a piece of a gun it was a metal circle with five bullet size holes. I suppose the sixth bullet was in the chamber. Maybe/maybe not. My oldest granddaughter looks for rocks and tumbles them in a rock tumbler and coats them for display. She mailed some to me and I put them in a glass candy dish. Got to love her.
REPORTING GOOD NEWS:
A federal judge ordered that “Cowboys for Trump” founder Couy Griffin be removed from his position as Otero County commissioner on Tuesday over his participation in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
New Mexico District Court Judge Francis J. Mathew found that Griffin had engaged in insurrection during the Jan. 6 riot and was constitutionally disqualified from holding federal or state office, including his current position.
Source: The Hill 9/6 Julia Shapero
Will be back later to read comments and comment myself. Couldn’t resist spreading this good news!
Today was the day I had earmarked for cleaning the ceiling fans but instead we went out and did errands. Good day for a ride. On the way back we stopped at the fancy shmantzy market in our neighboring town so my husband could get some bok choy for a stir fry tonight. They are just starting to load up on all the pretty and colorful squashes and pumpkins. I also wandered off to the bakery aisle and got my fix looking at all the goodies. I may just have to go back and get those cookies that I had my eye on.
House hunting in Edinburgh.
Oh my.
My casual, if I see something good apply for it, did not work out. I got more serious, applied for everything in our price range that wasn’t obviously wrong for us. Also limited my attempts to places that had been posted online within 24 hours. In three days we have sent messages to perhaps 30. We’ve been offered 3, three! viewings. . One so horribly overpriced that on the way there a cab driver was upset for me, even stopping in front of “to let” signs on the way there. He wasn’t wrong. There was a duct tape repair to the top of a dresser, for instance. I knew it was over priced but I thought it would at least be nice inside. The other two were better but only one I’d be willing to live in.
One of the owners told me he received 55 requests, 28 of which were possible, he offered viewings to 7 people. It was a small, expensive flat, on a busy road, at least 20 minutes by bus from the centre. Longer to the university. The housing market here might be a little impacted.
Sorry – the UK housing market is seriously broken, and just keeps getting worse. I’m deeply thankful I’m no longer renting.
PS. Do keep putting the word out to all your contacts – I got a really good flat via a friend of a friend.
Know anyone in Edinburgh? Other than his work colleagues we know two people who live here. They had us to dine right before they moved to California for six months. 🙂 Oh and the other couple at dinner just bought a house near Cambridge. The problem with well travelled friends, they tend to travel. The two couples talked about their kids and grandkids, I think one of the families lived in Scotland and the rest were well scattered around the world.
I will keep it mine though, just in case. I did ask that concerned can driver if he knew anyone…
Sorry, can’t help. What about your husband’s employer? I’d have thought they should be helping, if not sorting this for you!
Yeah, sorry the housing market in the UK is a bit squished. Something will turn up, but it will likely take a bit of time and perseverance. Good luck!
Doesn’t help that our last place was in Sydney. Why bother with an overseas reference when you you have ten local applicants that are just as good.
We’re in the midst of “excessive heat” here in beautiful California, so the past few days have been spend attempting not to burst into flame. With of high of 110 on Monday and no air conditioning in the house, it was a struggle. A few of my plants in the front yard are dead as doornails and the petals of the roses that had the misfortune to open were singed around the edges–something I’ve never seen before. The puppy, who is bored out of her mind, spend the last few days moving from one cool tile floor spot to another. Everytime she started to go outside, she took two steps and hightailed it back into the house. We’ve been playing a lot of indoor fetch–to the detriment of the clean white walls, I’m afraid.
This is one of the few times that I wish I was still working in the office, rather than remotely. At least the office had air conditioning.
That sounds dreadful. At least the long days here, when we had our (much less extreme) heatwave, allowed me to get up early and do a fair amount before it got too hot. But I imagine the overnight temperatures are really high too, aren’t they?
Hi Jane. Yes, on the day it was 110, it only went down to 85 at night. Cooler, but still uncomfortable for sleeping.
That’s only a few degrees below our daytime heatwave temperatures!
This week I’m…. recalibrating. DS started full-time school for the first time at the age of 4 (he’ll be 5 in December) – they did a couple of shorter days to start the week, first full day (8.30-3.10) on Wednesday. So my days are also going to be very different!
I have grand plans for various different projects and achievements – part-time work, serious decluttering/organisation (we moved into this house when DS was 9 months, and so there’s a lot of “proper sorting out” that has not been done yet), fixing stuff, painting stuff… A long list.
So far I’m like an easily distracted squirrel, flitting between the little stuff, and just feeling twitchy because my little human is not here demanding my attention (feels wrong, lol). I figure I’ll get used to it, but at present I’m wandering around feeling vaguely guilty that I’m somehow neglecting my childcare responsibilities – logically I know I’m not, he is *supposed* to be at school, but I’m having moments of “Where is he? I can’t hear him, what’s he up to?”/”Am I late for school pick-up?” (no, it’s 11.30, you’ve a while yet)/”I can hear a noise, what’s he up to?” It’s a bit disconcerting…
I still remember putting Mollie on the bus the first day. She was wearing a navy blue skirt with lavender rosebuds and a lavender T-shirt and carrying a bag with a bouquet for the teacher (I used to teach at the school she was going to) and she was so little … I still get a catch in my throat when I think of her.
That first day is a killer for moms.
When our eldest went of to play school all was fine as I had youngest son. Then we moved to Peru for a year. Eldest very social son went to kindergarten which as it turned out was or still is equal to UK grade one. Tried youngest son in the three year old play school, (he loved going to Steve’s play school before we left, he didn’t want to leave the school room). He lasted a week, hated it. He told me all the little kids stared at him. He couldn’t speak Spanish and the kids couldn’t or didn’t spark English. Was very happy to be home with me.
Sigh, I felt I had failed my son for taking and leaving him for three hours a day.
When we came home eldest son was tested as I said he was reading, printing and doing maths. Turned out he was reading grade three level, current with the levels for maths and talks a lot in class. Hmm, sounds like mummy. Youngest son cried for a month when I tried to leave him at the old play school he loved before we left Canada. Good friend who was a teacher, took him to play school and he was fine.