Off Road/Shoes & Dreams

My NEW shoes finally arrived. In the new size, which fits. Army Green. Which to me is perfect as Gardener Green or Greenhouse Green. These shoes have deeper treads on the soles which will, I hope, take longer to wear smooth. When the soles of these shoes get smooth, the water covered cement floor in the greenhouse is dangerously slippery.

I purchased a new occillating sprinkler for the garden yesterday along with a metallic purple wand for hand watering. And then I used both to water my newly planted (Sunday) plants. Was it really only Sunday? Seems like weeks ago.

And I purchased a test half pint of royal purple to use as an accent color on the half round table or a planter for the front of the house. I decided I needed a "punch" of color up there. I had always hoped to, eventually, get around to making a bead mosaic (36 inches square) for the bare space on the porch. I purchased bags of Mardi Gra beads in gold, purple and green plus Christmas tree trim at 70% off in magenta and aqua. I was thinking of a large floral pattern. My daughter and I were going to make it as a winter craft project. But it didn't happen. We were also going to renovate the Spooky House.

I deposited my inherited money into the bank here in Maine yesterday. Have you ever dreamed of what you would do if you received a large amount of unexpected money. "If I win the lottery" types of dreams. How you would use it? How it might change your life? Free you to do things you always wanted to do? Well, I'm there. Perhaps THIS is why I procrastinated about claiming the money. Now I have choices that I never, ever, had in my entire life. Let me just say, it (the money/ the possibilities) pretty much screws with your mind.

I think the first things I want are a large, old fashioned drafting table. The kind that slants almost to the floor. And a small etching press. So I can go back to one of the processes I actually LOVED in college. Intaglio print making. Craig's List? Uncle Henry's? Or do I just ask the Universe for these things and see if the Universe provides? You have to really want what you ask for in order to get a reply.

Yesterday's mail brought a sample copy of the new Maine FiberArts Map which will be going out to over 30,000 locations statewide. An image of one of my quilts is on the upper right front of the map. It's like sending out 30,000 postcards. Heady stuff.

Yesterday my son (C) and I worked on making meatloaf. He wanted to know how. Tomorrow, I think we'll make Chicken Pot Stickers or one of the other recipes he wants to test. I think C is going out with his sister tonight so I may just make a pizza or lasagna for G. I also need to tweak the Mexican Casserole recipe my dad made for the kids when they were small. I always served it plain in those days, but would add avocado, sour cream, red onion and jalapeno as "fixings" on the side when I make it now. Family memories and recipes. It's nice to have C here with us this week.

Which reminds me. The deer visited the yard Wednesday evening and ate my still boxed petunias, jalapeno peppers, bell peppers, cornflowers and then went over and chewed the top several inches off every stem of my many rose bushes. Right up next to the house.

Ripe peaches at the grocery yesterday. They even smell like peaches. Can't wait to mix up a batch of yogurt, Grape Nuts, fresh sliced peaches and raspberries. It will be difficult waiting for the Grape Nuts to get soggy and caramelly. And I purchased plain yogurt. Which I do not think I will enjoy at all. I plan to mix the plain with the vanilla so I have "some" of what I love and "some" of what I don't think I will like to eat. If it's really BAD then I'm going back to the vanilla yogurt and to hell with the added calories. Because, if it tastes bad, I just don't want to eat it.