Habits And Routines

It took a bit of work to get into a habit of getting on the treadmill every day. Once I did and started feeling the benefits, it got easier to keep the commitment. The timing was flexible on the days my granddaughter was here, and I kept up the daily routine last summer through the problems with the floor in the family room. 

Last fall I fell into the habit of walking each morning between 9 and 10. With the treadmill in the sitting room I can monitor laundry, and I nibble breakfast while I'm walking. 

I didn't recognize how much I relied on this routine until two weeks ago when I had the house to myself for a couple days. First thing in the morning I got busy, flitting from one thing to another because I had so much I wanted to get done. Early afternoon I was frazzled and frustrated, and I took a moment to think about what was different. I had not taken time to walk. I chuckled and got on the treadmill.

This past month I have moved walking to later in the morning which has thrown me off a bit. Ken and I make use of the space in the house with an appreciation for what the other person is doing, so now it works for me to walk after 10. This isn't a big deal but it coincides with me trying to add other elements to my routine, and I'm struggling. I'm having trouble settling into time to sew, time on the computer, time for projects that I enjoy. I feel scattered and anxious.

My answer has been to turn my attention to the house - cleaning, repairing, painting. It's okay in the short term but it's not a good long-term solution. I have been in this place before and remember that things do not resolve on their own.

I am putting this out there to hold myself accountable. My doctor and massage therapist are helping me work through the havoc this time of transition is playing on my body. I have suggested adding a stretching program to my schedule, and they both think that's a good idea. Now I just need to start.

I find a way to make time for the things I value. I always have time for my kids and grandkids. I have made daily walking a priority. It takes effort to add something new to my day, to decide to add a new commitment. I have the time. It's up to me to decide how to use it. And I know once I commit to something, I will honor that commitment. I am giving myself notice. 

Two and Fifteen

Wednesday marked two years since the coronavirus began to have an impact on my life. March 9, 2020 was the start of a period of time that I could not have anticipated. Life has not completely returned to how it was in the "before time," and my expectation is that there will not be a 100% return to how life was "before covid." I will continue to make the most informed choices I can based on the best scientific information I can find. 

As I thought about the date there was something in the back of my mind which eventually floated to the surface. I got into the box of house papers and warranties under the bed for confirmation: March 9 is the date we closed on this house fifteen years ago. It's funny that I hadn't focused on that before. Every year I remember the snowstorm on March 17 that stranded us in the middle of painting each room before we moved in a week later. I think about how the kids helped us load and unload the U-haul in the rain, followed by dinner at Ruby Tuesday's and breakfast at Friendly's. That spring I was finishing my graduate work with no internet or cable at this house, and there was not reliable cell phone service. If I had known what we were in for I'm not sure I would have continued to press so hard to make things work, as there were multiple issues to resolve before the closing and the parties involved were not always helpful.

Life is often one foot in front of the other, looking for the light at the end of the tunnel. 

The journey continues....  

Saving Time?

I remember how the time changes with the phrase "spring forward, fall back." I have never been able to remember which one is Daylight Saving Time, but I hear that DST is ending tonight. Whatever it's called, I enjoy the extra hour of sleep.

We marked the event with a new dishwasher, though not by choice. I was preparing to do my due diligence in cleaning the filter and screen in the bottom of the dish washing machine. My husband had most of it apart when he moved the hose to the drain out of the way and it disintegrated in his hand. He reached down to see if he could gather the rest of it to replace and it came out in pieces. Let the online research begin!

As you may have heard, there are some items that are hard to get right now. Appliances are on that list. It turned out the online rating mattered not as much as availability. I trekked over the Lowe's, during the ghost hours of late afternoon, and asked what they had in stock. I came home to check that the one white model they had wasn't on any "must avoid" lists and decided that we better get it while they still had it.

It took a bit of jockeying and adjusting, but we currently have a new dishwasher installed and operational. Our fifteen-year-old model sounded like a helicopter taking off from the roof, while the new one is so quiet we can't tell if it's running or not. Turns out there is a light on the front that goes out when the wash cycle is finished, which takes more than twice as long as the old machine.

There will be an adjustment period.... 

Walking Again

Most of my life I have depended on my legs to get me where I want to go. We lived in Southeast D.C. until I was eight years old and then moved five minutes outside the city, where we could still walk to stores, bakeries, the library, movie theater, and school. I relied on my ability to get where I needed to be; my first job with a paycheck was at the local library in part because I could make the mile walk if I had to.

My first home in Maine afforded me the same luxury. I walked everywhere, and my kids did too. They all walked to middle school and high school because they didn't like to ride the bus. We often hit the pavement as a family to rent a movie or get an ice cream. If I timed it right I could do all my errands on foot within a mile of my house. I liked being on the move while being productive and self-reliant.

When we moved to our current home in the woods on a dirt road I was determined to find a way to continue walking. I measured out a mile in each direction and bought good walking shoes. Rain made the road muddy and winter was impossible due to ice. Potholes were ever present. Some days Ken and I would drive into town, park the car, and walk neighborhood streets. It was an occasional activity but not a working solution.

So after several months we invested in a treadmill. I thought Ken might use it too, but it isn't his cup of tea. I took to it immediately. We set it up in the family room because while I walk I like to be distracted, if not by the goings on along the road then by a movie or television show. [The early years in this house we had only the tv for entertainment because internet was slow and useless for streaming. That situation has vastly improved, and I am spoiled with the internet access we currently have.] The most recent treadmill placement was ideal because it was out of the way and easily accessible, so there was no excuse not to use it. I was walking daily....

until our issue with the water this summer. We had to empty the two rooms downstairs and most things, including the treadmill, found a place in the garage. The treadmill was still set up but it wasn't as inviting surrounded by furniture, boxes, tools, and recyclables. A couple days a week I would climb on and clock a couple miles, but the experience lacked the appeal it once had...

until this week. When we started putting the downstairs back together I suggested we keep the treadmill in the garage. While it isn't my favorite setting, I like the space we allowed ourselves as we intentionally moved furniture back into the family and sitting rooms. I purged all the things under and behind furniture, and we rearranged to maximize room to move. I just needed to find a way to feel the same intention with the treadmill, and with Ken's help we made that happen too. It took awhile but we cleared out the clutter and this week I climbed aboard, grateful to feel the movement under my feet. I am determined to keep moving. Some recent mishaps have reminded me that I am lucky to get up and go as I wish. 

More on that next time~ 

First of August

 Three months ago things were looking up. Numbers for the coronovirus were headed down, and the summer looked promising. Everyone eligible for the vaccine in my immediate family was fully vaccinated; mid-May we spent the weekend with our children and grandchildren in the Boston area for the first time since March 2020 and it was marvelous. My older son and his family came to Maine the last week in May, and we made plans for more weekends with family here and in Boston.

Then on the morning of Monday, June 7 I walked into the family room downstairs and stepped in a puddle. Huh. Water on the floor. I looked up...it wasn't coming from the ceiling. I looked at the floor and saw water seeping between the boards of the wood laminate. Huh. Where was it coming from? Water was coming up in an area about five by three feet where there was no apparent source. After an appropriate period of panic I started making phone calls.

The first consultation was with our heating company, who ran a series of tests on the radiant heat over two weeks and found no problem. Ken took up the laminate floor in both rooms downstairs and the floor was wet only on either side of the wall the rooms shared, a total of 30 square feet or so. With a fan and the dehumidifier running nonstop the floor dried and no more water appeared. We had to find out where the problem was.

Ken cut the wall out three feet up in both rooms; the studs were completely dry and the one drainpipe in the wall was sealed tight and completely dry. I made phone calls to local construction companies, who are all booked with work for the summer. The owner of one company, who happens to be a neighbor and who builds houses like ours, came by after work one day and said he'd never seen a problem like ours. He recommended a heating/refrigeration company he had worked with, so I gave them a call; I conferred with someone who has worked in the field for 30 years, who raised all the same questions we had and offered all the suggestions for things we had already considered and eliminated as possibilities. Ken talked with a friend who renovated houses for decades who said he had no ideas beyond what we offered.  

Meanwhile we tried to duplicate the problem. I did laundry at every opportunity, and often ran the dishwasher at the same time while we both took showers and flushed toilets. Nothing. Resigned to the possibility this was a one-time event, I hired someone to get the drywall ready for paint.

Early July we decided to consider options for new flooring and settled on porcelain tile, which withstands heavy use and is waterproof. By mid-July we had selected a tile we liked and were ready to place our order. 

It took two weeks of phone calls, voicemails, and in-person visits to discover the tile we wanted was not available. We looked at other options, even contacted other companies, and finally just last week ordered tile for the floors. The earliest they can install it is September 20.

Now I need to try to match the paint so I only have to paint one wall in each room.

Boston family has come to stay, making do with the space we have upstairs and stuff everywhere in piles. We have made the best of it.

We had hoped to be out and about this summer but the resurgence of the virus has kept us masked and cautious.

Like so many I know, this is not the summer I envisioned. I have done a lot of sewing and will share what I've been working on next time.

June Update

The start of summer marks the end of 15 weeks of "staying safe at home," the prosaic name the governor has given this period of time. One hundred five days. The 100th day of school is celebrated with games, math puzzles, stories, and special snacks. The particular 100-day mark that passed in this house last week was acknowledged for the fact that we are still healthy and have routines in place to get through the next hundred days and the hundred after that if need be.

Maine has not "opened" as quickly as some people would like, but the number of COVID-19 cases are holding steady; that's proof enough that we are doing things the right way. My osteopath's office has opened, but there are so many safety procedures in place that I have put off making an appointment. Ken has a dental appointment scheduled next month, so we'll see what that involves. My hair is the longest it has been in more than three decades, which isn't a choice so much as a product of the time. It's gotten to the point where it's manageable if I keep my bangs trimmed.

June has had the perfect weather. The first two weeks the days were in the 60's and nights in the 40's, with just enough rain to keep things watered and growing. The last week has been dry, though we do need rain at this point, and summer weather arrived at just the right time. Last weekend we made our first trip to the ocean and enjoyed the beach while social distancing. This weekend we enjoyed a socially distanced picnic dinner on my daughter's patio; our first take-out pizza in three months was delicious. Today I bought tickets online for a no-contact drive-in movie Friday night, a showing of "Back to the Future." It's an oldie but a goodie, and I will just enjoy looking up at the big screen.

This month our household jumped into the 21st century with a major technological advancement: we now have internet via fiber optic cable. The engineer, linemen, and technicians made all their visits and accomplished all their work while practicing social distancing. It was impressive. Fortunately, Ken knew how to do all the work that fell to the homeowners so we were able to get everything done in good time. And it works great! The first few days I was cautiously optimistic. Now that we've run multiple devices over a period of days at a variety of times in the house and on the deck, I am confident that we are all set. Tomorrow I will cancel the DSL service. If wifi calling works as we hope it will with our cell phones, I will cancel the land line next month. This development is a huge boon for our household for which I am grateful.

In the last few days I have decided that I am not ready to let go of teaching. I hadn't decided to "get done" and I don't like the idea of letting circumstances dictate that for me. I am not actively looking for a job as no one knows what school will look like in the fall; I have decided to maintain my certification which is up for renewal next year. My daughter-in-law shared info about quality online university courses she has taken, so I'm looking forward to taking two in the next several months. I love an excuse to go back to school.

The journey continues....

A Different Kind of July

This time of year is usually prime motorcycle-riding time for Ken. May was cold and rainy, and it wasn't until summer actually started that June turned warm and sunny. July is guaranteed to be good riding weather. Ken rides back roads, up and down the coast of Maine with an occasional foray inland. It's his time to be out and about and to stop for a slice of pie at some town's diner.

Ken's outings came to abrupt stop on June 28. He had stopped for a few groceries and was on his way home when a woman rolled through a stop sign and hit Ken's motorcycle. He was okay, though the bike went down. The back fender was dented, the tail light was cracked, and the roll bar was slightly bent. A police report was filed and he rode home. We knew the bike would be out of commission while it was repaired. We were not prepared to hear that the bike was totaled. Because of its age at 21 years and because of the way Harley Davidsons are constructed, it would cost more to repair the bike than the bike is worth on paper. Aside from the costs, some parts are no longer available. The settlement is not enough to replace "Hiatt" but will be put aside in a motorcycle fund and added to until the amount meets the purchase price of a "new" used bike.

This year the usual push and pull between riding the open road and working outside is not an issue, so this July became the month to address long-neglected landscaping. Ken dug and dug, and I helped where I could when it came time to fill and fill. I haven't yet bought any new plants but have put back what was there and transplanted from the next bed that needs to be dug out. Ken has gone so far as to rebuild support for the driveway and put in railroad ties for a new raised bed for blackberry bushes. For the first time since we've lived here I feel like it's possible to have a real shade garden. Ken plans to replace the rubber squares on the steps with stone pavers this fall.

Here's what it looks like so far~
Before:

 During:

 After:

The plaque on the stone is from Quebec and says Le Jardin. The flamingos are solar lights. All the border rocks are from our property. There's more to do but this feels like a good start.

Mid-July

On June 19 school ended on a high note. Twice in the last two weeks of school the principal told me how well my students had done on assessments. She tracks data for all students in the school, and while I knew my students had made progress academically I didn't realize how much improvement they had shown. I was their teacher for two-thirds of the year and it mattered that I did a good job. I was pleased they had matured socially and felt they were all ready for second grade. Students were happy. Parents thanked me for being there. It was a good experience, and I'm glad I had the opportunity to teach in that particular school.

I hit the ground running the minute school vacation started. Day one I cleared out the family room to clean and declutter. Two days later I tackled my sewing room, cleaning and organizing and pulling out fabric for my next quilt. I've tried to make time to sew at least a square each day and almost have enough to lay out to see how it looks.

The rest of the house was put in order just in time for our Boston grandchildren to come for a visit. It had been exactly a year since my son and daughter-in-law moved east. They have been incredibly busy so it was nice to relax and visit for a couple days. Piper turns three on Saturday so we will be there to celebrate with family and friends. We went down in early June to see our grandson graduate from preschool. It is pure joy to have family living close enough that we can see them regularly. Since our younger son and his wife bought a house in February, we have our choice of places to stay, which is a luxury we never imagined.

We also relish the time we spend with our daughter and granddaughter who live locally. Whether at our house or theirs, we enjoy the chance to visit and play and share meals.

Back on the home front, I decided this was the summer to attend to the flower beds. They have been neglected since I went back to teaching because I haven't wanted to spent precious summer days weeding and fertilizing the clay soil that is everywhere. As luck would have it I had a long conversation with a local gardener in early July. We have talked before but I hadn't shared the full story of what I was up against. I was startled when she said it is impossible to amend clay soil enough to make it able to support plants and flowers. She advised me to use that soil as a base and build up twelve inches with loam and compost. That's a lot of dirt! And our house is on a slope which presents another whole set of problems. Ken and I have been hard at work, and I'm almost ready to share photos of the first flower bed we have completely rebuilt.

Summer is here and anything seems possible. I love that feeling~

Summer Time

Summer break started three weeks ago today. I didn't want to waste a minute so there has been some stress over where I put my energy ~ what I want to do, what I need to get done, and how I make best use of the days so that I don't feel like I've squandered this time. It is a challenge because I want to feel relaxed and productive, but putting pressure on myself to feel that way doesn't help.

One of the things I promised myself was that I would write here more often. Then I get hung up on getting photos organized so I can post them. Another day goes by. Then another...and another.

So here I am three weeks into summer. Before another day goes by I want to share some thoughts. Photos will have to come later.

I have done a bit of sewing every day I have been home ~ planning, cutting, sewing by machine, and/or stitching by hand. This simple act of sewing every day has made all the difference. My brain slows down and my mind goes into a different mode. Planning a project, working with fabrics and colors, making something new makes me happy. The toughest months over the winter were the times when I thought I didn't have time to sew. I was wrong. Time opened up when I gave myself permission to create. I learned that lesson. I decided this summer I would sew every day, before the house was clean or the errands were finished. Those things will get done regardless.

On the to-do list was to look for a truck for Ken. He still has a company vehicle for now but will need his own wheels when he retires next year. He started looking a year ago at what's available to get a sense of what he wants and what it would cost.

We had planned to go to the Finger Lakes Region in New York the first weekend in July, but we found a truck that might fit the bill. We changed plans and drove a hundred miles north to test drive a few options. It was fun because we weren't under pressure to make a decision, like we were when my car was totaled in March. We found exactly what he wanted and negotiated a price we felt was fair.

Then we drove fifty miles east to stay on the ocean in Bar Harbor for a couple days. It was the perfect thing to do the first weekend in July.

We were home for a quiet day July 4th. Strawberries have been plentiful, and our weekly share of locally farmed vegetables makes meal planning easy. Last weekend we went to our first free LLBean concert of the summer to hear Langhorne Slim and The Law, a fun evening of good music.

Chores outside and in are being addressed ~ a compost bin has been established in the yard and the clutter in the shed is being tended to. I have researched how to best clean the deck and railing and set about finding the right cleaner and tools. I have thoroughly vacuumed the house, from baseboards to windowsills. There are things to go in the attic and a fan or two to come down. There is a bit of painting to do inside and out.

And through it all I will sew because time makes more sense and life is easier when I do.

Photos next time, I promise. For the first time in a long time I feel hopeful as the journey continues ~

Of Flowers And Fire

On Sunday we stopped to see a neighbor in our old neighborhood.  He started laughing because he had just posted a picture of our old house on Facebook ~ he said he takes one every year because "our" lilacs signify spring. We could smell the blooms from his driveway.

I need to research if lilacs might grow in the shade of our current property.  I am going to try forsythia seedlings at the edge of the woods.  A splash of color would be a welcome replacement for the rhododendron that were eaten by deer.

I don't know what to call our yard other than "the woods."  We do have a few flowers~

Wild ladyslippers pop up everywhere

Hardy perennials grow on the hill

Bleeding heart thrives in a corner

The flowers that grow here are able to take care of themselves.  The trees and fallen leaves that cover most of the landscape require little maintenance but demand a certain amount of caution.  We are aware of the fire hazard of the layer of dead leaves and take measures to insure the safety of "our woods."

So I was alarmed three weeks ago when I saw smoke rising from the adjacent property recently purchased by a couple from out of town.  I trekked into the woods to see what was up and met the new owners, happily tending a good-sized bonfire.  I introduced myself, shared my sense of alarm at the sight of smoke, and asked if they had a burn permit.  They did.  I asked how they got one without a water source on the property.  They showed me three five-gallon jugs of water they'd drawn from the nearby stream.  I told them there were strict guidelines for having a fire in this town; they said they were aware of that and had procedures in place to be safe.

Two weeks later I got a call from the neighbor on the other side of us.  There had a been a fire in the woods behind our property.  The new neighbors had not sufficiently doused a fire, the embers reignited, and the flames took off through the underbrush.  Thankfully the fire department arrived in time to contain and put out the fire.  He told me he talked to the new neighbors, who said they weren't planning to have any more fires.  I sincerely hope they hold to that~

View from the road

Stretch of scorched ground

Stone wall that edges our property

I may be a city girl at heart but I take guardianship of "our woods" to heart, too.

Mid Winter

Winter is half over, and schools in Maine just had their first snow day on Friday. More snow is predicted in the next couple days. Although we haven't had a lot of snow, the deer are hungry. For the first time ever they have eaten the leaves on the rhododendron~

There is not a leaf left on any of the three bushes. Though they have never bloomed, the plants provided a welcome splash of green at the edge of the woods.

Friday's snow was the type that clings to every surface. The white backdrop was perfect for the lights on the railing~

We've never had outside holiday lights before. I didn't expect to enjoy the evening's nightlight as much as I do. The string of color may stay until spring~

Studio Space

I brought order to my studio, aka sewing/guest room, in early September so I could take photos.  I thought I might take a few more pictures but the room has been pressed into service since I got it organized and realized its potential.  It's time for the reveal~

Ken crafted this thread shelf

Stacks of squares and possibilities

Sewing corner with work table & design wall

Natural light from the north & west, with room to spread out

The room is not large by any standard, but I have room to move and plenty of surfaces to use.  It's a pleasant space, whether I'm sewing or updating photo albums or generating ideas.  There's lots of dreaming goin' on~ 

Imposed Interlude

I'm back online after almost two weeks of internet trouble.

It started with an early morning thunderstorm.  The internet went out for several hours.  Then it came back intermittently.  Over a period of days I made several attempts to troubleshoot with tech support.  When I reported there was static on the phone, it was determined that a lineman should be dispatched, which took several more days.

By the time the lineman arrived Wednesday morning the internet was completely gone and the phone was all but unusable.  The good news was that everything up to the pole was in good working order.  The bad news was that something was definitely wrong in the house.  It wasn't his job to diagnose inside problems but he made phone calls to tech support to check numbers to narrow down where the problem might be.  He suggested we upgrade the underground wiring from the pole to the house.

I left for a long weekend and returned to find Ken had pulled new wire.  The good news was that the connection on the outside of the house produced a perfect signal, confirmed when Ken hooked the modem up outside.  The bad news was that there was still no internet in the house and there was still static on the phone.

We started troubleshooting inside, checking connections in phone jacks and locating where the wire comes into the house.  With the help of a mirror, we pulled the wiring up and out of the junction box downstairs.  One of the wires had broken off.  It's a wonder we had internet and phone for as long as we did.

It has been a solid day and a half with internet connectivity and static-free phone service.  Do I dare say the problem is solved?  It's good to be back.

News from the Slow Stitching Retreat coming soon ~

Connecting The Colors

Thirteen years ago I knew I wanted a yellow kitchen with blue accents.  It was the only combination that felt right.  When we moved to our current house, I duplicated the wall color and added even more blue~

The windowsill above the kitchen sink

This past weekend those colors were front and center in my second color palette, along with splashes of different shades of purple~

Yellow & blue tables side by side make me smile

A year ago orange started showing up in my wardrobe and decorating choices.  I hadn't paired it with aqua but that combo, with splashes of green, is the basis of my primary palette~

The bottom left corner says it all

So I shouldn't have been surprised when I surveyed my fabric choices on Friday as I thought about what I wanted to sew with on Saturday.  I had grabbed the prints that most appealed to me for a project, along with pieces I had that most closely resembled solids.  Turns out I don't stash solids but buy them as needed.  On Saturday we shopped at a locally owned fabric store before we began sewing with quilter Heather Jones.  The only fabric I bought that morning that wound up in my squares was dark orange~

"Coins" on the left; "Log Cabin" on the right

Upon reflection, I saw that all the fabric I used from home was given to me by my daughter.  She often cleans out her stash so I have lots and lots of her "seconds" on hand.  It turned out that what looked like random selections went together beautifully, a point brought to my attention through my primary palette~

The paint chips hone in on what colors stand out

Yesterday I re-oriented the room where I sew.  Eight years ago the room was primarily a guest room where I used my sewing machine.  Three years ago I started calling it my sewing room.  This week I ordered a new table and have plans for a design wall.  Yes, the room will still be a nice space for guests, but primarily the room will be my studio.  I didn't know I wanted such a space until the weekend with color.  Now I know....

Unpacking

It's good to go away, and it's good to come home.  Then there's all the laundry, accumulated mail, sorting, and putting away that needs to be tended to.  This trip had an excellent element to the unpacking in the Fiesta!ware.  Some pieces are for me and some are for my daughter.  Look at the colors~

Ken picked out the sauceboat because it turns out he likes the color tangerine.  All the poppy pieces are for my daughter, as well as the red tray with handles and the medium sized bowls I now know are labeled "bistro."  The small bowls are my choice for berries, snacks, or ice cream.  Ken chose the bowls that have square bottoms; the red pitcher was my prize, although the oblong platter that is really a bread plate is fun, too.  The three pieces at the top of this second photo were special selections not bought as seconds~

Once the pieces were unpacked, washed, dried, and sorted as to who got what, I needed to make room in my cupboards.  Clearing out kitchen cupboards can be tiresome or fun, and in this case it was the latter.  I had to question why I am still hanging onto bowls we've had since the beginning but no longer use and how many drink glasses two people really need.  The goal has been to add color and usefulness, and our latest purchases accomplish both.

Looking For Tulips

I took a spin around the yard in the rain this morning, hoping against hope that I'd find a tulip.  I did see that the bleeding heart continues to bloom~

The lilies of the valley are the loveliest they've ever been, but no tulips are blooming in that bed~

There is a pink lady slipper blooming among the phlox, but no tulips~

 

 

The first iris is blooming, with the promise of more to come, but no tulips~

The three holly bushes we transplanted from my daughter's yard are doing well, but the tulips over there aren't blooming either~

Last year this time I had dozens of tulips in bloom.  This year I will have to be happy with the hundreds of tulips we enjoyed last weekend at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay.  It was the earliest in the season we've been to the Gardens, and it my daughter's first visit ever.  The bonus was that Maine residents get free admission on Memorial Day Weekend.  The tulips were gorgeous~

We went late in the day once the crowds had thinned out.  It was sunny and breezy and lovely.  Ken went for a hike along the Back River and met us back at the Visitor Center as the park was closing.  Perfect timing as there were no lines to exit~

Note to self:  next year look for tulips in Boothbay~

February Treats

I wrote the last post while I was watching The Oscars, one of the treats of February.  I had seen more of the movies up for awards than I realized.  I saw Birdman and The Judge by myself and want to see them again with Ken; I particularly enjoyed the performances of Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall in the latter; I thought Birdman was over the top, which might have been why it was so popular, and while it wasn't one of my favorites last year I wouldn't mind seeing it again to see what I might have missed. 

Ken and I both liked Wild; I got so absorbed in the movie I forgot Reese Witherspoon was acting, and in a different year I think she could have won the Oscar.  Ken and I thought Grand Budapest Hotel was weird, but that kind of movie often does well with voters of The Academy; I don't want to see that one again.  We did like The Imitation Game, but instead of seeing it again I want to learn more about the mathematician Alan Turing and how his mind worked.  We saw Begin Again on DVD, and that is the sort of movie I will watch again because I like the story and the actors and the music is good.  I saw Into the Woods with my daughter and it was good fun; Anna Kendrick has an amazing voice, and Meryl Streep certainly held her own.

While still watching The Oscars I added movies we haven't seen yet to our Netflix queue:  Boyhood, Selma, The Theory of Everything, and Big Hero 6.  The winning song from Selma gave me goose bumps.

There are some movies from last year that I don't care to see at all.  I read the book Still Alice and thought it was well written, but now that I know the story I don't want to see the movie, though I'm sure Julianne Moore did a terrific job and deserves the Oscar.  I am just as sure J. K. Simmons earned his Oscar, but I don't want to see Whiplash because I don't enjoy movies about one person intentionally abusing another.  American Sniper and Foxcatcher are based on true stories, and I don't want to see them because I know enough about those tragedies already.  After last year's Academy Awards we gave in and rented Gravity, which was as bad as I thought it would be; I will not be suckered in this year to watch Interstellar.

That Sunday evening awards show was the perfect way to end February vacation.  I was relaxed and well rested.

Then I went back to work.  I have been tired every night, so tired that I have climbed into bed early the last two nights.  The frustration of the job is tiring, as is the frigid cold weather and the mountains of snow.  Sometimes the best thing is to climb into a warm bed with a good book ~ I'm on my third re-read of favorite Elizabeth Berg novels.

Another treat of February is that it is the shortest month, so no matter how cold or snowy it is we know it will be over soon.  It's also the last full month of winter.  We have no illusions that spring is anywhere close, but it feels good to say "the last month of winter."

We get accustomed to the snow as it piles up.  I took photos after the January 27 blizzard and again on February 22 after the storm the day before.  Yes, we had a lot of snow in January, and photos show how much more we have now.  Ken does a terrific job of keeping us cleared out ~

Results of the Blizzard of January 2015 ~

After the February 21 Snowstorm ~

He gets those nice clean edges and keeps the driveway wide by blowing snow right up against each side.  It's a lot of work but it sure makes it easier to come and go.

By Feet And Inches

As promised it snowed on Groundhog Day - more than a foot.  That made for snow day #4 with a late start for schools the next day in hopes that roads could be cleared and people would be able to get out.  For the most part it worked and we had a clear day that Wednesday.  Snow throughout the day on Thursday delivered another five inches and made for the most treacherous roads so far this winter, but with no time off everyone made the best of it and left plenty of time to travel.  We had two days to shovel out before snow arrived again this past Sunday morning and continued right through Monday evening, topping off with another fresh six inches.

For those of you keeping count, in central Maine we have had over five feet of snow since January 1.

Ken cleared away a few inches Sunday evening before he headed out of town for the week.  He called yesterday and offered to come home but I said I would be okay.  I took a personal day today and had a lot to do, but I decided if I had trouble I would figure something out.  As it was I got out of the driveway alright but got stuck trying to make it back up the hill.  Somehow I managed to back down [after a lot of back and forth] and went about shoveling my tire tracks and putting down sand.  It worked!  I made it into the garage.  I will make it out in the morning and not worry about the trip back up the hill until I get home.

Aside from the weather, this year got off to a tough start.  It really has been a day-to-day slog.  There have been few bright spots.

Luckily, the last few days have seen a bit of an upturn.  Friday evening Ken prepared a lovely meal and our daughter joined us for a relaxed visit.  A friend took me to the movies on Saturday.  My mom sent me chocolates and last evening I had a nice chat with her on the phone.

Today I considered going shopping and getting my hair cut short.  I did neither.  Instead I turned in the paperwork necessary to refinance the house [further cutting our interest rate so that it is now almost half of what it was when we bought the house in 2007] and changed long distance companies [someone from some department at CREDO finally called me about the email and letter I sent to say how thoroughly dissatisfied I was with their customer service; she not once apologized or offered any form of compensation but said over and over how this sort of thing never happens; well it happened to me and not only do I feel better now but I will save over 50% on my long distance bill by changing companies].

Today was productive and uplifting as well.  I received the perfect cards from my two oldest friends, both across the country and valued beyond words for their friendship.  I received a bonus phone call from my friend in New Mexico, who sees right into my heart and says exactly the right thing.  Then my sister surprised me with a phone call from Scotland.  The day topped off with phone calls from my son in Boston and Ken in New Hampshire.

Happy Birthday to me.  I am going to count today as a fresh start to the year.

Wait

We had a different kind of Thanksgiving this year ~ my younger son hosted the day in Boston.  We had eight fresh inches of snow on the ground in Maine, but that didn't keep my husband, daughter, and I from leaving early with the turkey in tow.  It was the kind family day the four of us enjoy, which means sharing good food in good company with a board game on the side.

Then I spent Friday and Saturday at home puttering and catching up.  It was much needed.

Monday night I was finally able to reach an oil guy who came highly recommended.  He has installed and serviced boilers and furnaces for 30 years and had plenty of time to talk.  He assured me that the sounds I described are the natural sounds of pipes as they heat and cool in a house that is still settling.  We talked about heating in general and he had some good ideas.  I'm sure we will talk again. 

The ice arrived Wednesday morning.  There were meetings at school and no students until 9:30 so I waited to leave for work.  I am not often in the car at the right time to hear The Writer's Almanac on NPR, but I'm glad I was yesterday.  The poem that Garrison Keillor read was a salve for my anxiety and the message has stayed with me: stop struggling and wait.

Wait
by Galway Kinnell

Wait, for now.
Distrust everything, if you have to.
But trust the hours. Haven't they
carried you everywhere, up to now?
Personal events will become interesting again.
Hair will become interesting.
Pain will become interesting.
Buds that open out of season will become lovely again.
Second-hand gloves will become lovely again,
their memories are what give them
the need for other hands. And the desolation
of lovers is the same: that enormous emptiness
carved out of such tiny beings as we are
asks to be filled; the need
for the new love is faithfulness to the old.

Wait.
Don't go too early.
You're tired. But everyone's tired.
But no one is tired enough.
Only wait a while and listen.
Music of hair,
Music of pain,
music of looms weaving all our loves again.
Be there to hear it, it will be the only time,
most of all to hear,
the flute of your whole existence,
rehearsed by the sorrows, play itself into total exhaustion.

I Was Wrong

It has been four weeks since I last wrote and things have gone downhill in every area.

The cell phone problem was never resolved.  Two weeks ago I emailed the co-founders, the CFO, and the VP of Marketing, and I have received no response.  I have composed a letter that I will snail mail to each of them.  My next step is formal complaints with the FCC and Better Business Bureau.  I will never again recommend Working Assets or CREDO to anyone.

At work I am out-talked, talked over, and corrected when I am not wrong.  I have asked to split my duties so I am outside for recess duty for 22 minutes and inside for cafeteria duty for 22 minutes, but nothing has changed and there is no sign that anything will.  The saving grace is the kids, but I need to get back into my own classroom.

The deck is finished.  The railings are finished.  They look good.  Enough said.

This coming weekend I will see my west coast family.  My son, his wife, and my grandson are coming east for a wedding.  I am driving to Boston to babysit and for what I thought would be a relaxing weekend to visit with family.  It has turned into a whirlwind of here, there, and the other place that makes me faint to even think about. It is hard to be an introvert when extroverts are making the plans.  So I will see my grandson for 24 hours and come home.

On Sunday someone said things to me that were disrespectful and inexcusable.  That person knows I will not call them out here because I do not want you to think less of them.  Later, when I tried to talk to them, I was told to leave them alone.  They never said another word.  Okay.  Done.  My life moves on.

I am sad.  

Two nights ago I had a dream about a friend who died nine years ago this month.  It was the night before the anniversary of her funeral, and it was so real that I could hear her laugh.  I miss her as much as I ever did and need her as much as I ever have.

I didn't expect to be gone from here for four weeks.  I thought that things would have to get better....