Happy Halloween - Post 951

I started the day's "to do" list with some pumpkin carving.  And now that I have pumpkin seeds I can roast them in the oven for a wonderful salty, crunchy snack while watching Sherlock on PBS tonight.  After I work on my 12 by 12 for the reveal tomorrow. Busy.

G, Riley and I have just gotten home from our walk in the woods.  Colder than Friday but by the time we got home, I was sweating. And my tummy was rumbling for lunch.  We have leftover pot roast and leftover Thanksgiving dinner to finish for our lunch today.  G has end of the month this afternoon so Riley and I will be Tricking & Treating on our own later in the day.  I may have to give away some of my Tootsie Roll minis. Boo!

Today is also the first day of deer hunting season, but no hunting on Sunday.  The hunters will have to wait until tomorrow to start shooting in the woods and we will have to dress in DAYGLO ORANGE for the next 30 days.  What a waste of a good month for the rest of us.  Though it's been years since a non hunter has been shot in their own yard it still could happen. We used to hear the automatic rifle fire in the woods behind the house in the first 5 or so years we lived here.  Pretty scary. I think there are rules, but when you are drunk--the rules don't seem to matter.  Drunk hunting is pretty much the deal the first week.

I opened my journal this morning to write something.  I have been neglecting the art journal this month and the pages I have worked on, aren't all that arty.  So, I'm going to try and do a better job in the pen and paper journal in November.  In that journal I can say all the things that aren't PC enough for the blog.  On the blog I have to censor myself. Like I could say worse stuff about the hunters.

G asked me to make him a floral arrangement to take to work today to replace the Spooky House which has been on the end of the service counter all of October.  I wanted a turkey but couldn't find a fake one in the house. Ha!  So I ended up using a black and gold crow cart (Big Lots circa 2002?), finally found some styrofoam (looking in attic for what seemed like an hour) and clipped some yellow, white and gold silk mums short and made an arrangement.  Added the two large turkey feathers I had over the wood stove.  So, in a strange way, I "found" a turkey.  I mentioned to G that one of the crow legs on the cart was loose.  I glued it but these Chinese made things don't seem to like Elmer's glue.

I have had about 20 Tootsie Rolls and about a dozen pumpkin seeds since eating lunch at 2 pm.  Seriously.  And I decided my 12 by 12 idea wasn't very good once I started actually laying pieces of fabric next to each other.  Too matchy matchy.  This is what happens when you are given a specific color combo and not a theme that lets "you be you".

I viewed the working process of Susan Shie on her blog.  Using the air brush and paint to create the entire thing and then it is quilted.  Interesting.  Not the way I thought it was made and not the size I thought the pieces were.  And somehow I had gotten the idea that she was nearly blind and her husband helped with the work.  He doesn't.  Or at least he didn't with this work.  At all.  Where did I get this idea???  Anyone know?

Well, the 12 by 12 is calling and I have a missing brown wool sock.

Walk In The Woods

Yesterday, Friday, I walked in the woods with Riley and G, getting used to Riley off leash.  He stayed close to G and on the path in front of us, mostly, but veered off a few times but never out of sight.  When I let him off leash on another path (just Riley and I), Riley ran off, out of sight and I was afraid I had lost him each and every time.  Finally, I treated him and leashed him on one of his dashing returns.  He didn't seem to mind.  I felt better and we finished the walk.  G says that's the way it began for him, also.  Heart stopping fear, blowing the whistle for a "return" and being thankful to see the dog running to him.  And leashing him.  Riley now is more concerned with losing sight of G.

We found some open Chestnut casings.  There is a small "stand" of Chestnut trees in the woods we call the Town Commons.  They grow to a certain size (saplings) and then die of chestnut blight.  There is a new variety of Chestnut planted (by someone else who thought, thinks, our property is his property) and we are watching to see if this tree survives.

Yesterday, Friday, G and I worked in the garden doing pre winter cleaning and planting.  I finally planted my garlic.  G planted the tulips and today he is planting some crocus.  Then we cleaned ourselves up and went out to a nice "early bird" dinner.  Drinks, food, coffee and Creamsicle Cheesecake.  A shared piece.  Then we went into Reny's and bought SmartWool socks for $2-3 less than anywhere else.

Today, Saturday, I woke up at 5 am and then 7 am.  I needed to be at work at 8 am.  I taught my final class of the 2010 season on Putting the Garden to Bed.  A very senior citizen held her hand up at the very end and stated, matter of fact, that in all the 6 or 8 years she has been coming to "these classes", (and this is where my anxiety levels went on alert), I was by far the best instructor my employer had ever had.  Wow!!  And they even said the same up front at the cash register as they bought things. I had lunch and watered the greenhouse completely, ordered flowers for Monday and the left at 2:30 for the day.  I now have the next two days off.  I told everyone at work, I was practicing for being unemployed.  And laughed out loud.  It felt good to laugh like that.  Joyfully.  Fully engaged.  Been a long time.

Life is good today.  I have lots to do, but I'm not here alone.  Being here with someone else (G) is always better.  We'll take a Sunday and Monday walk together with Riley in the woods.  I'll cook or we'll go out to eat.  We'll enjoy life.  Together.  Because we work to live.  We don't, any longer, live to work.  That makes a difference.

And a bit of a rant:  I am DISGUSTED that the judges gave the Project Runway win to Gretchen.  As soon as they announced it, I turned the television off.  I may not watch in future.

Tootsie Roll Thursday

G went shopping today and brought home two bags of Tootsie Roll Midgees.  I've eaten six.  It takes me longer to open the wrappers on these tiny candies than it takes to chew and swallow them.  I thought they would be larger.  A serving is 13 pieces for 140 calories.  All sugar.

Today I was out in the perennial yard all day.  I didn't even water the greenhouse.  I had to sort, hunt down, package on trays, all the perennials we have left and get them ready to go back to the big greenhouse where they will spend the winter.  Some guys came and blew out the irrigation system today.  Winter is really arriving whether we want it to or not.  I had yogurt and fruit and cereal with soy milk for lunch.  Just right.

G and Riley have gone out to order takeout Chinese for dinner.  Today is the first day of G's "Four Day Weekend" and we haven't had any take out or restaurant food in a good long time.  He's tired and so am I. It's been a long week. I nearly fell asleep in the wonderful hot shower.

We had a gorgeous day today.  It was dark and very foggy this morning.  The only way I knew that traffic was oncoming was when I finally saw the headlights shining thru the fog.  It was like the clouds had come down to touch the earth.  It started warming up around 10:30 and by 2 it was sunny and very warm (70's). Tomorrow will be chilly and 55.

The election commercials and the robot phone calls are getting on my nerves.  Enough already.  We get several pieces of expensive mail from candidates each day.  Hope this is helping the US Postal Service pay it's bills because it is going, unread, straight from the mailbox into the garbage can.  And I hang up on the phone calls.  I used to waste my time saying I refused to vote for whomever was calling.  They don't care.  The callers are more than likely being paid per call or by the hour and have no interest in the candidate in any event.  I have even less interest.  The only thing I wish: that I was registered to vote in Ohio so I could vote AGAINST John Boehner.  This guy is never in Ohio and is living like a fat cat on special interest $$$'s.  You can't have a 365 day a year tan in Ohio.  Or is the orange really RUST?

I must make drinks.  The arrival of the take is imminent.

Peanut Frying

If ever there was a job that I never wanted to do, it was this job.  Ed usually fries the raw peanuts in the little dry-ish area in the cellar of the gift shop at work.  In two very old Fry Daddy wanna be's.  He has been out sick for two weeks and C and I were recruited to "learn" the business.  Three and a half hours of running down to the basement every fifteen minutes to pull peanuts out of the fryers and then add more raw peanuts to the fryer, salt the hot peanuts, set the timer and go back upstairs. Tomorrow we will package peanuts in one pound bags.  For sale.

The first thing I did when I got home, was take a shower and wash my hair twice.  Hair absorbs odors and there were a multitude of odors.

It wasn't a bad job.  Cleaning out the water plants tank was much worse.  But can you see the chain of "bad jobs" that I have been assigned since I asked for that raise????  I'm wondering if there is still something worse on the horizon.  I know that I will have to wash all the peanut cooking equipment and the cooling pans tomorrow and then use the plunger to clear the sink drain.  That's pretty bad.

We are having Thanksgiving Dinner again tonight.  Turkey from the grocery store deli, Stove Top, baked sweet potatoes and steamed broccoli.  I may open another can of jellied cranberry sauce.  It has been raining, dark and grey all day and this is such a comforting meal on a day like this.  And today's turkey is fresh from the oven, not cold, refrigerated turkey like last time.

Survivor tonight and a chat with my friend K in Atlanta.  She is just back from a gambling weekend with her 80 year old mom and K's sister.  Mom likes the flashing lights, buffet meals and the slot machines.  K and her sister like the free drinks.  Mom is a difficult woman. Drinking helps.

I have all my work clothing in the washer with Simple Green sprayed over the greasy spots. Work again tomorrow.  And then G and I both have Friday off.  He has Saturday off.  We both have Sunday off.  And I hope we both have Monday off as well.  I asked.  G has had only one other four day weekend off in nearly 18 months of working for this company.  Because I am teaching a class on Saturday, I had to work. He and Riley can sleep in and do "guy" things.

Time to get dinner on the table.

Toasted French Baguette

Breakfast this morning.  Toasted baguette with a tiny bit of butter and my very own Concord grape jelly. The second jar opened.  We are actually eating it this time and not "saving" the jelly for some special breakfast occasion.  An event that hardly ever happens around here unless I bake biscuits and with the weight gain, I try to never bake biscuits.

I was up earlier than expected this morning (I thought I had slept longer), trolling through the blogs, which I reach from my own site.  And I realized how many times I accidentally closed the site and had to reopen. So, most of the 47 visits a day are my very own self.  Duh!!!!  And if you see Winsocki, Vermont as a location for a visitor, it's me.  In Maine. Comcast.  The gift that keeps on giving.

G arrived home yesterday with a lovely thank you note from a recently departing employee.  G had spent a great deal of time developing this guy into a McD's manager and depended on him.  The guy felt the work was way too hard and left for a job that was easier.  His note thanked G for changing his life and increasing the quality of his life.  I smiled as I read and mentioned that the only employee G had ever failed to manage successfully, was me.  G nodded and said that was true.  And that's the way it is.

We are closing things up at work.  Yesterday the guys took down seven outdoor display tables and stacked the cement blocks they sit on, onto a pallet and lifted it with the tractor forks.  "someone" will get to rack all the gravel and stone today.  I ordered trays for all the remaining perennials (even though my manager never asked me to do so).  And someday carts will arrive, empty, and I will lift and load all the perennials.  After a good rain.  So they are wet and heavy. They are always wet and heavy and the day I load is always dark, damp and depressing.  One of these days a team is showing up to recover the Annual greenhouse with new plastic.  And yesterday the family handyman was trying to install a new pump for the fertilizer dispensing system.  Which hasn't worked all season.  He made four trips to the hardware store before I punched out for the day.  It could be working. It could still not be working.  A Dosimeter.  I've been dipping a paper coffee cup into the concentrated fertilizer and pouring it into filled watering cans and feeding the plants.  That's the way I roll.  My manager never suggested doing that.  I'm a rebel.  You can see why G never had any success with me.

I have leftover cherry tomato pasta for lunch today and I am exceedingly happy about that.  We are having leftover pot roast and mashed potatoes for supper tonight (I get home at 6:30) and it's tough to decide who should go home on DWTS tonight.  So many awful performances.  NCIS tonight.  I will try and stay awake.

Looks Like A November Colorplay

My birdbath. Filled with pine needles.  I was out walking the yard, while Riley chewed on things, looking for something interesting to take a picture of for the post.  And it was nearly 4 pm.  The light was not the best.  This may give someone an idea for their 12 by 12.

Yesterday's post has been deleted.  My friend and I have explained ourselves to each other and all is well. Timing is everything.  Say "something" at the right moment and it's good. At the wrong moment, not good. Same "something".  Life.  And no one ever said friendship (worth having) was easy.

I have finally turned the furnace on.  It may be my age or something, but I am COLD.  Yesterday my shoes (not CROCS) kept my socks from drying at work.  So, I had wet feet all day.  Cold, wet feet from watering the greenhouse and cold hands from cutting back all the perennials in the yard at work.  I surrender to the need to be warm.  After I get warm, I turn the furnace off.  I've already had my shower (5 pm) and have my pajamas on.  Sixty four.  Who knew what a difference a year would make?

I had almost nothing to do today and tried to go to lunch at 11.  Then at 11:30. And finally at 12.  I was starving.  Or so I thought.  It was like kids on a field trip, wanting to eat their packed lunches as soon as the bus gets to wherever we were going.  I got tired of saying "no, it's not lunch time yet" and just let them eat their lunches at 10:30.  Everyone was happier that way.  They were 8 or 9 at the time. All boys and "gifted" which usually also means "strange".  I was the only mom willing to supervise them, my own son included in the group.  Well, they did annoy the gorilla  at the Chicago Zoo. Gifted and creative.

Riley has eaten and I am about to embark on making some cherry tomato spaghetti for supper.  We had Panini yesterday, on the couch at 7 pm, while watching television.  Anyone else watch Masterpiece's Sherlock?  Did you like it?

The Two Lists

I have two "to do" lists on my desk.  They share a few items but both are full of tasks that involve a great deal of work.  Not in the actual doing; but in the prep work for the doing.  In order to move plants upstairs, I have to clear spaces upstairs.  By the way, isn't that painted fabric fabulous?

This morning (late start due to inability to fall asleep last night -- those lists?) I have managed to make two pieces of toast and eat them with the gorgeously delicious grape jelly I made; brown, nicely, a large on sale chunk of pot roast for a proper dinner tonight with mashed potatoes and gravy and dig around in pants pockets to find my lists.  I make lists at work.  Sometimes I stand by the phone, and even hold it to my ear, while I make lists or stare out the back doors.  This morning I have had 1.5 cups of coffee and plan to have another even though my heart rate feels a bit jumpy.

Riley gets a walk today.  I owe him a good walk.  And I do want to visit the library to get G a new book to read.  He's almost finished with the book he has and I don't think I have any reserves ordered for him. I had wanted to make another, final garden produce, pan of zucchini brownies since I found four tiny and one small zuke under the frosted zucchini leaves on my last garden visit.  I also have chard to saute.  These things aren't on my lists. Now they are.

Weeding violets out of the garden is on my lists as is planting tulip bulbs. Which will wait until the sun comes out a bit more strongly.  It's still cold out there.

I decided I want one of those instant hot water things that gives you as much hot water as you want in the shower.  I don't want it hooked up to anything but the showers.  I want to be able to stand in the hot water until I am ready to be done and not have to stop because the water is getting cold.  And because it will be producing hot water for only two showers a day, I don't care what it costs.  It's not like it will be on all day, sucking energy like a starving vampire.

And I have a final design plan for the master bathroom.  Fitting in all the parts that need to be in there and making it a nice, elegant master bath (except for the washer dryer stack).  I see, on other blogs, that it is best to do both baths when you decide to do one.  They are next to each other.  Good thing we have a third, full bath upstairs.  I need to ask around for recommendations for someone to do the work.  I want in floor heat. Tile. Glass doors instead of shower curtains.  Bowls instead of sinks.  The hall bath just needs a new tub and faucets, new floor and lighting.  New paint.  The master needs a complete tear out and rearranging of everything but the area with the double vanity.  I think I need the professional for the tile, floor heat and plumbing.  G and I can manage to install the vanities, sinks, lighting and faucets ourselves.  Unless we get something complicated in the showers and I will let the plumber do that.  I think warm floors is the way to go in Maine.

A commenter mentioned her two weeks in Maine and the large amount of lobster she ate while here.  It made me sad.  I never had a lobster in 2010.  Not one lobster roll this summer, even though I mentioned wanting one several times.  I'll just have to have twice as much next year, huh?

Other commenters mentioned the lack of respect for older Americans.  I find the lack of respect interesting since the Baby Boomer generation (of which I am one of the earliest members) is LARGE and we learned from our parents to save money and live well.  We are also one of the best educated generations with more college educated members than ever before us.  I think, IMHO, that WE should control more of what is going on, our interests should define television and politics and not the interests of our teenage grandchildren (who seem to be the advertiser's darlings) or the under educated Christian right.  I am not interested in vampires or werewolves. Not interested in whatever "hiphop" is.  Or Rapping. I know how the earth was created and it wasn't in seven days.

If I could JUST decide on a new fridge this easily.

Gathering Lost Fragments

Clementines.  These are tiny ones that come in a bag and not the larger ones that come in those wooden boxes.  Harder to peel but spicy, sort of, and very good.  Clementines are the transition fruit for me. It is now nearly Winter, even though the grocery still has peaches, plums and mangos from California and Chile.  I am taking a big handful to work today, to perfume my day with citrus aromas.

Diet.This morning, before my first cup of coffee, I had two thoughts.  One, taped a note to the dryer (at eye level) that reads: Do Not Wash Dog Towels with People Clothes.  G.  Second: During 8.5 months of the 365 Day Diet, I didn't eat more than two meals a day.  I would eat breakfast very late, go to work at the library (1 to 4 or 1 to 5) and then eat dinner with G at 6:30 or 7.  I would have a good breakfast and a good dinner and still be under 1200 calories for the day.  If I did eat lunch out with a friend, I skipped breakfast and had a salad for dinner.

Now: I am eating lunch and not having time each day to walk 3 miles with the dog.  Guess what? I am gaining weight.  It's freezing cold this morning but I may dress and walk the dog and then go to work.  It's hell on the knees and hip but it has to be done, right?  The reason it's hell is the concrete floors at work and the fact that I am always standing or walking at work on those unforgiving floors.  And I'm 64.  I was 59 when I was on the diet.  And taking pain pills each and every day I walked the dog.

Art. The 12 by 12 challenge is due November first.  I painted the fabric weeks ago and have a scattering of ideas on what I want to make.  Today I may dig into the shiny fabric drawer and see if I have anything that makes me interested in using it. And look into the felt bag.  I am thinking of several different textures this time, different surface levels.

Television and Books.  I am caught up on Fringe episodes.  Good Stuff.  And G managed to stay awake to watch NCIS, Castle and House from this week.  I still have two Wallander's from PBS to watch and my Peter Hoeg book, Borderliners.  Danish author.  I need to reserve some books for G this morning.

Life.  It seems good right now if I don't fret about the size of my rear end.  We are all counting down to Christmas Eve as the last day we work (anticipating the winter layoff).  G and I are having a good year, relationshipwise, but G has asked how much longer he has to work (Medicare!!)  Dog is good.  The house needs updating if it's to be sold and make us money.  New bathrooms, carpets, windows and kitchen floor. Paint.  We aren't planning to sell and move, but still, we need to think ahead.  2010 brought a new roof and new front steps. Sleeping more.  Tired more often.  Still wish I got more email from interesting people.  (I know, I need to send more to get more).  Good haircut this time.

Blog and Work.  Sixty more posts and I will have my 1000.  I so look forward to typing these inane sentences for you to read.  Taking pictures.  Being connected to people.  Being myself.  At work, no one cares to know anything about me. Really. They know nothing and that is fine with them.  I stood at the back door to the greenhouse on Tuesday, thinking about just walking out, getting in the car and driving away. Not saying anything to anyone.  I stood there thinking about how long, if ever, before anyone realized I was gone. Not just out of radio contact. Gone. And would it matter to any of them?

Everything French

The soup.  Four pounds of thinly sliced onions makes four nice crocks of delicious soup.  I thought that I had never attempted French Onion Soup before, but as I ladled the first spoon into the little crock, I remembered that I HAD made it once before.  Not as wonderful as it was yesterday.  Yesterday, it was incredible and G suggested I make it again today.

Today I worked instead.  And was cashier all day (after watering one half of the greenhouse). I managed pretty well at a job I do very infrequently.  I got into and out of trouble 75% of the time.  Better than usual odds. BUT, I packed too small a lunch and my tummy was rumbling by 11:30 and I knew my tiny lunch wasn't going to do the job. Sigh.  I stopped at the grocery after work for three apples and a bag of tiny Clementines.  Good snack food for tomorrow and Sunday.  The Clementines are so pretty.

The shower is calling my name.  And the couch.

Halloween/Christmas

The retail world rushes holidays along.  Halloween is on sale and Christmas Trees are being decorated at work this week.  Ornaments, Santas and boxes of lights.  No wonder I am never ready for any "actual" holiday.  This weekend we are having Pumpkin Carving Classes.  This means you can buy a half price pumpkin and make a mess carving it in the greenhouse and not at your house.  I worked carving day last year, but this year I am not.  So no pumpkin seeds to roast.

Today I get my haircut.  And it really needs to be cut.  It's a shaggy, lopsided mess right now and no amount of wetting it down and adding product makes a bit of difference.  I look frumpy.  And old.  Change of seasons (fall to winter) always makes me feel old and frumpy.  The heavy clothing.  Always being chilled.  Feeling like my "to do" list is always the same five items which never get done.

And added to that, a "new" something.  After my shower each evening, I have about an hour of opportunity to read the paper or watch the news before I fall sound asleep.  Normally, I am awake till midnight or 1 am.  Now I am sound asleep at 8:15.  I missed ALL of DWTS on Monday.  Slept through the whole show, even though G tried to wake me for the dancers I enjoy watching, and at 10 I got up and climbed into bed and slept till morning.  I have ALWAYS had a very difficult time falling asleep. This is very strange.  Permanent???

Accordingly, the TiVo is full.  I will try and watch a few hours of recorded stuff this afternoon so there will be room for more recording.  I have two Wallanders (PBS), two Fringe, and a bunch of other things that only I watch.  I save the other stuff for when G watches with me.  Usually, we catch up on shows on Friday and Saturday when there is nothing to watch in real time.

I have been working.  The greenhouse is cold in the morning and hot around lunchtime and then cold and dark by closing.  We have mealy bugs and whitefly.  The mums are just about finished and the poinsettias are just about ready to arrive.  Winter flowering stuff is arriving slowly.  Christmas cactus and citrus trees.  Clivia, jasmine and gardenia should be coming soon.  Amaryllis is always late.

We have been eating soup, pasta and pizza.  Easy to make and plenty of leftovers for other dinners and for my lunches at work.  I want to make French Onion soup today and need to buy a loaf of real bread that won't go soggy in the soup.  I have several choices near the salon where I get my haircut, which reminds me that I need to get dressed and GO.  Appointment is at 10.

Still Life With Citrus Rose

I had very strange dreams last night.  We fell asleep watching television and then went to bed at 1 am.  That could be why I felt like I was hallucinating most of the night.  It's now almost 10:30 and G has left me a note that he will return shortly with breakfast.  I read the note an hour ago. I have a slight sinus headache this morning, usually caused by changing weather.  Clouds are building in my sinus cavities.

It is cool today, not raining, the sun peeks out every once in awhile to light up the yellow and pale orange of the maple trees.  Not as brilliant without the blue, blue sky.  The recent rain and wind has loosened great piles of pine needles onto the lawn and of course the maple leaves.  The oak leaves are holding steady and the trees are releasing only acorns right now, nuts that roll beneath my feet and send me skidding across the wet grass.  I think I will be outside raking today.  If breakfast ever arrives.

I watched a few videos on deconstructed screen printing this morning.  I now see how it works.  I have a few very old bottles of dye powder and a box of small containers of various dye products.  I will have to examine the box and see if I have the proper chemicals to screen print.  And then, I must make a screen.  I did all this ages ago in college.  I made my own screens but hadn't a clue of what to print with them.  This was before Warhol.  I adore Warhol.  I'm not sure we even mixed ink colors much in class. It was all so basic and quite boring.  Or perhaps, it was ME who was basic and boring back then.  I certainly wasn't an art rock star.  Then or now. I remember being taught how to make the screen, paper or glue resists, squeegie the ink and that was all.  That was how every art class was taught in the 60's.  You either WERE already an artist or you WERE NOT.  There was no effort wasted on teaching anyone to be one as there is now.  Now we are all artists.  And the art isn't as wonderful.

Our bird class went off beautifully yesterday making both N & I very happy.  I have only one more class to teach in two weeks.  Beds to Rest.  How to bed down your plants, garden beds and roses for the long cold winter.  Halloween follows the next day and then the rush to Thanksgiving and Christmas and then Winter.  It will fly by as it always does and I will be unprepared as I always am.  I know that I should be making cookies between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Well, RIGHT AFTER Thanksgiving dinner is the time to put together cookie doughs for Christmas.  By December 6th, it's all too late.

Right now is the time to be filling the Advent calendars for my two adult children.  Buying or making gifts and making holiday decorations. I need to decide what I will be doing for my limited edition of ten Christmas tree cards this year.  I can think about these things while I rake up pine needles.  And visit the grocery store as we are OUT of nearly everything and need FOOD.  G seems to be home.

Perks Of The Job- Flowers & Lucy

Flowers.  A broken Market Bouquet.  The Floral person had to break a bouquet open to remove lilies for a funeral basket and we can't sell the remainder.  I was the lucky employee who got to take the rest home.  The light here isn't so good and the colors are sweeter in person.  I like it.

Today's Birds In The Backyard class went very well.  The class had a good time, took notes and asked productive questions.  I enjoy teaching with N.  We compliment each other.  My Top 10 list had only 8 items.  Duh!  They liked the little pine cone gift and bought large amounts of product. N says bird supplies are one of the biggest markets.

Later in the afternoon, D brought her new puppy, 10 week old Lucy, to see us.  G & I sold D Riley's old kennel and his baby gate for D to use with Lucy.  And Lucy has Riley's little Kong chew toys.  Lucy is so sweet.  And she fell asleep on the Christmas work table while we were talking.  And Riley smelled all my clothes because Lucy's scent is all over me.  I know how to play with a puppy now.  Sad to say, but I didn't know when Riley and Reny were puppies.  I missed out on a whole lot of fun.  Lucy is a yellow Lab.

We had hardly any customers all afternoon and N and I sorted Christmas ornaments and chatted.  So it was a good day at work.  And I got paid yesterday.  And there was snack cake to eat today after class.  And now G has gone to get Chinese take out and I am going to take a shower.  And I think I will probably fall asleep in front of the television pretty early.

Friday Rain

Riley is huddled into the dog bed with a big stuffed dinosaur in his mouth, comforting him.  The wind is blustery and it's cold and wet.  These are things my hunting dog doesn't like.  He likes sunshine and soft warm breezes.

From the sounds roaring past the house during the early morning hours, I thought the trees out back would be bare of any leaves by the time I finally dragged myself out of my own bed.  My dog and I have a few things in common.  But the golden yellow maples are still full of leaves.  This year I have taken the time to notice the many maples on my property.  I would have sworn that all the trees were pine or oak.

I found out yesterday that N and I will be teaching the Backyard Birds class.  Short notice again.  We are going to discuss habitat and plants and not much about birds themselves, which I know next to nothing about.  When our son was still living here at home (long, long ago), he kept a bird diary of the different birds he saw outside.  It was fun discovering who they were. Bluejays, Finches, Catbirds, Flickers and one elusive Hawk.  And we heard but never actually saw the Woodpeckers.  I have his bird list around here somewhere.  I should find it.

I am working today.  You can't imagine just how cold and unpleasant an outdoor, unheated job can be on this kind of October day.  Or you can.  Just think about standing outside in the rain and wind and then being wet and cold inside for a few hours.  Shivering.  I am pouring the remainder of the pot of coffee into the Thermos and reheating it at work (if we have power).  The lights are flickering here at home. I guess I will have soup again, for lunch.  Or I could have chili beans.

My nose is running, I have a rubbing irritation in my left eye, my pants feel too tight (all my clothes feel too tight today) and I have a list of undone projects hanging over my head for this evening.  A good day to call out sick.  But I won't.  We are too short staffed and it just makes it harder for everyone else at work.  I hate when a call out makes my day at work more miserable.  Hard to do it to others.

Mission Accomplished

640 pounds of tree and shrub mix (16 bags) and 9 cubic yards of peat moss hauled, lifted, broken up and spread over 6 of the 8 raised beds.  And the hose circled.  I've taken a pain pill, a hot shower, made dinner and finished reading my book.  That's enough for one day.

Shoemaker's Children

Before drifting off to sleep last night, my last thought was of "The Shoemaker's Children" a folk tale, fable or whatever.  It was about the shoemaker who was so busy making shoes for the king and queen that his own children went barefoot.  And I had a vague thought of myself, rolling garden hoses all day at work into perfect circles of neatness and my own hoses tangled and messy in my garden at home.

And that, dear readers, is very wrong.  Why am I a better custodian of things at work than I am at home? Yesterday, I carefully (thoughtfully) pruned, root pruned and repotted two very aged geraniums for a customer.  My own geraniums are out on the sunporch.  Neglected.  No thoughtful care given to their needs or wants.  I don't have a dedicated potting bench at home where I can be messy, and a garbage can alongside for the messy bits to be swept.  Making a dirty mess in the house isn't fun.  The garage is packed. The shed too small.  Excuses. Excuses. Excuses.

I awoke this morning with a plan of action (roll my garden hose in a perfect circle).  I'm still sitting here not doing anything.  Well, I did search my magazine picture files for a picture of shoes.  Riley is going in and out and wanting me to be doing the same, with him.  He probably wants a walk.  I have more dirt to distribute in the garden beds and roses to plant.  And perennials to dig out of the planter containers and set into the garden beds.  And violets to pull out and compost.  And Iris to cut back.  The sun is shining.  It's warming up.  A good outdoor garden day.  The maples are all orange and yellow. Pretty.

Once I get started, I can keep going until exhausted.  I just need to start.

Breakfast With Joanne

I got up and dressed for work, only to find it was only 8:19.  Now it's  9:18.  And I don't leave for work until 11.  It's 40 degrees outside and I don't feel like "gardening" out there right now.  Riley went out to bark at the garbage collectors and then wanted to come back inside as he also thinks it's too cold.

I fell asleep during DWTS last night and gave up and went to bed at 10 pm.  I have no idea why I am so tired at night but it may be the changing seasons and the light.  I spend so much time outdoors (at work) that my body is probably attuned to the rhythms of nature.  And it is probably why I am craving carbs.  Packing on the fat to keep me warm through the winter months.  On that note: I managed to pack my fat butt into a pair of last year's work pants.  Zipping was a challenge.  Keeping my undies in place is another. But I am real happy to be wearing actual cold weather pants and not thin summer weight ones.  The sun is shining right now but it will be dark outside when I drive home tonight.

While out in the garden yesterday, tending to the compost pile, I tried a leaf of Swiss chard, again.  And then picked a handful to see if it tastes different cooked.  It does.  I added onion, olive oil and less than the required amount of garlic.  I stir fried the onion and chard stems first and then added the leaves, cut into ribbons.  It was tastier.  And a good source of iron and vitamin K (also very bright red stems and pretty leaves) so I will be picking more and eating it. If I was the sort of person who ate grilled chicken, I could imagine the stir fried chard being a very tasty addition to each fork full of chicken.  Perhaps I can grill a piece of chicken in the panini press until it's crispy and well done and then eat it with some more chard?  Crazy.

I am driving G's pick up truck to work today.  When we first bought it, I drove it to work everyday. Hauling all sorts of stuff to and from work.  Today I will be hauling bags of dirt and a winterberry shrub (Winter Red) and it's pollinator "Southern Gentleman".  The "gentleman" sets berries on the female plant and doesn't even bother to try looking attractive.  Most gardeners try and put the pollinators behind other plants so it can't be seen.  But no "gentleman"--- no berries.  This is another "wet feet" shrub for the vernal pond area over on the western side of the yard, otherwise known as the "swampy place where Riley does his business".  I bought a well worn (on deep discount) pussy willow for that area last month.  A real trooper (Zone 2) and it has the potential to grow to 20 feet tall.  The willow joined a river birch and a blackberry bramble. This area is full of water in the spring and then dries up the remainder of the year but is still damp enough to produce tons of mosquitos.  Which are still out there biting me.

I had to pick up and carry three huge red twig dogwoods for a customer yesterday and I think they might look good out there in my swamp also.  The red twigs poking out of snow cover all winter.  We keep getting new product in the Nursery and it is tempting to bring stuff home for the garden. Digging them in is another story. Yes.  I pick up large potted shrubs and trees and carry them inside or to cars for women the same size as I am.  I even carry them for guys.  Because they don't want to get dirty. I have a great deal more upper body strength than I had three years ago.

Tonight I hope that Bristol the Pistol is sent home or The Situation on DWTS.  I am so happy that Bruno has decided to give people a real honest evaluation.  He said "that was terrible" last night.  And the judges gave out 4's.  That's really low.  The Situation got 12 points out of 30 for his lame "dance".  He stood in one place and waved his arms. He must have been channeling Hasselhof who stood in one place and flexed his knees (oh, so not sexy).  Jennifer Grey was fantastic.  And she's 50.  29 points.  I hope I can stay awake.

Daily Journal Page

After dinner each night or sometimes in the afternoon on days I have off, I write or draw or paste interesting pictures into my journal.  I try to write things there that have no "place" in the blog posts. Boring, repetitive stuff; personal things and whining.  And the pictures on the left side pages sometimes evoke their own statements on the right hand pages.  Like today's sunflowers and blue skies.  In the picture and in reality.  A gorgeous day.

I planted the Sweet William in the failed "moon" garden area.  The moon never shined there.  And planted a few of the other dianthus I had in a planter out by the front steps.  I also, finally, recognized that the tiny plants pushing and shoving to cover the ground in the side bed, were actually ALL violets.  I pulled them out and added them to the compost as they had no seed heads.  No worries as I always have more violets than I want.  Tomorrow I will pull out more.  Why has it taken me so many weeks to discover that I could garden productively for 30 minutes after work on my 8 to 3 days?  I'm already dirty.

DWTS.  And then I may TiVo Hawaii 50 for a second time to see if it still stinks.  Or not.  I will be going to bed early.

Corners Of My Home

The Couch.  Where we attempt to watch television each evening after work.  We sometimes turn off the television and read.  Much more successful at staying awake if we read.  The content is better able to hold our attention.  I switched the slipcovers while G vacuumed.  The white is now in the laundry pile and the denim is having it's season.  I faux painted those walls myself.  In a flurry of decorating enthusiasm that has never occurred again.

The AC unit has been removed and taken up to the attic storage space.  I have all the windows closed but refuse to turn on the heat.  All my potted plants are now inside the house.  Can Winter be far away?  I still have things to get into the ground.  I don't think it hit 32 last night as the plants in my boxes still look very good.  Scabiosa is blooming and the other things look very healthy.

I have the freezer filled with "on sale"chicken breasts to be made into Chicken Marsala, Parmesan Chicken Cutlets and grilled lemon garlic chicken.  And I purchased the first of many roasted deli turkey breast halves for dinner.  I have sweet potatoes roasting in the oven and the stuffing and gravy packets on the countertop waiting.  We are having a faux "thanksgiving dinner".  We have this meal three to six times before Thanksgiving Day.  It really is easy and delicious.  Sweet potatoes one time, mashed another.  The green vegetable will be broccoli tonight.  I am also making either Bean & Escarole or Kale & Tomato soup to have for lunch this week.  I had the last of the fruit and yogurt lunches yesterday.

I'm finishing up my third or fourth load of laundry (dog towels) and then have to do the bed sheets and iron shirts.  And find pants to wear to work.  I have been eating pretty steadily for 24 hours now--so have eaten my way out of nearly all my pants. Something is bothering me.  I can't figure out what. I eat when I feel overwhelmed or anxious.  Geez louise.  It could be anything at this point.

Remember I mentioned buying new underpants?  Two identical packages.  The same size.  The same brand.  And one set of six fits and one set of six is snug.  If I had purchased only one package would I have ended up with the set that fits or the smaller ones?  There was a third package at the store.  Do you think that set would have been too big?

Let The Good Ball Roll

Riley has a ball.  It can be filled with treats.  When you roll the ball (or chew on it) the treats fall out of the ball.  It is all very random.  Like life.   Change the name to Joanne and the ball to job.  I had a great day at work. The "treats" were random and very fine indeed.  We have some lovely customers and employees.

We had to carry all the mums into the store for the night as the first frost of winter 2010 may come tonight or tomorrow night.  It is getting dark sooner.  I can wear layers.  Wool socks with Crocs.  (Still haven't gotten any coupons for free shoes, no matter how many times I talk about loving my Crocs).  Red ones would be very welcome.

G is in charge of dinner tonight.  And filling my car with gas (which has gone up in price).  Take out or a restaurant and I don't feel like sitting in a crowded restaurant, with bad service that I have to pay 20% to enjoy.  So it's going to be meatball subs and french fries.

I'm going to take a shower while the boys go pick up food and fill the car up.  Riley is ready to go.

Autumn Leaves Falling

I found this lovely Maple leaf while waiting for Riley to finish emptying his bladder after doggie day care. The paper under the leaf is from a vintage Selvages publication I found at last summer's book sale.  I am very much going to paint some fabric with those oval leaf shapes.

My day at work.  I decided to be happy about going to work today.  And I had a good day.  I will decide to be happy again tomorrow.  I don't know why this works, but it does.

The rice cooker is thumping and bubbling away as I type.  G will be having my leftover sweet and sour chicken and I will be having either the ratatouille or the vegan chili.  I could be having slices of potato bread from Wild Oats but G didn't think to buy a loaf of bread.  So I'll have rice.  I wish my Chinese take out place would make Sweet and Sour Crispy Tofu.  I really do not like chicken.  I would also like Cashew Crispy Tofu.  I have asked and they question my sanity.  Why you want that????? No.

The rice is nearly done.  Then I will place a cotton dish towel over the top of the cooker and put the lid back on.  It makes the rice a bit drier and stickier.  The way we like it.

I'm tired.  Sleepy from my hot shower.  I just want to eat dinner and climb over the dog (to get to my place on the couch) and either read or watch tv until I fall asleep.

Etwas Neue

I had lunch with a dear friend today.  But before lunch, I dropped Rileyman off at day care and then did some shopping at TJ Maxx.  This little Polish pepper shaker came home with me.  $4.99 of happiness.

We are in the midst of a cold, cloudy and rainy day.  Yesterday was humid, clammy and disturbing.  Riley was behaving in a very irregular way after 2 pm.  Hallucinating almost.  He became more irratic as the day wore on and tried to jump on the couch for the first time in 3.5 years and even tried to climb into bed with me at bedtime, also for the first time in 3.5 years.  This morning, in a half sleep, I wondered if he had eaten a mushroom while out in the yard.  So, I climbed out of bed, pulled on a sweatshirt, socks and shoes and a garden glove and Riley and I went out in the front and back yards to collect every single mushroom we could find.  I found a grocery bag full.  I am not sure how many of them are bad but I would think, far more than are good.  Don't be worried.  Riley seemed more normal this morning and responded to commands.  His pupils are still dilated though.

My friend and I discussed (at lunch) wanting something and then actually getting it.  We are both competitive and sometimes want things that will only, eventually, make us unhappy.  I spoke about the small, but joyful, few moments each work day when I am talking to and educating a customer on the care and well being of their plant(s).  And the remainder of the day being not very joyful at all.  Why do I want to continue working? Is that fleeting momentary joy worth all the boredom and drudgery?  Is that the way everyone's work is? I also wonder why I wanted to be full time?  I return to work tomorrow.

The red bean chili (no meat) that I made yesterday is delicious.  I forgot the carrot.  The carrot adds a sweetness which is the missing element.  I plan to cube some carrots and simmer them in water and add a spoon or two to each freezer container of chili before freezing them.  I will take a container to work on Saturday with a piece of good bread.

I tried on pants from my closet for the transition to fall/winter.  Only one pair of pants fit comfortably.  Thank goodness the size 20 pants are still too loose and baggy to wear.  I must limit the amount of food I eat in order to have pants to wear to work.  This is exactly the problem I had last January.  Eight weeks of the diet and I could wear my regular pants comfortably.  Here I am, in October, at the same place.  Today at lunch, I didn't have the side of pasta and skipped wine with lunch.  I did have half a dessert.  No breakfast before.  I have to cut each serving of food (except for vegetables and salads) in half.  Learn to eat less, less often.  I have been comforting myself with food lately.

I went into spring and summer with only one pair of cropped pants and one pair of shorts.  For other occasions I have Flax linen pants that always fit, no matter what.  And for some reason, my pajamas always fit.  So, I can go into Fall with one pair of jeans (if I don't try to bend or sit down) and the old standby green cords that I wore the week my dad died.  2008.  When I was much thinner.  Magical pants that always fit.  The new pants I bought for work in the spring, are too snug for work.  And my dog walking pants are all too snug to be comfortable for 3 mile walks in the cold, snowy days of winter.  Baggy is warmer.

And I bought a dozen new pairs of underpants yesterday.  In the same size.  More incentive to be thinner and more comfortable.  My own worst enemy.  Food is my comfort.  The only thing I could always depend on.  I have to learn to depend on something else to comfort me.

Scrap Bucket

Yes, dear readers, this is where I keep the bits and pieces of my collage work.  The scrap bucket.  There is also a scrap basket and a recycled salad container full of pens, pencils and glue stick.  I usually work on the collage journal after dinner but before the 8 pm television shows begin.  If I had scraps of fabric, thread and beads and buttons in containers, I would be making fabric collage.  And now that I think about it (thank you) I may switch over to fabric.  Easy enough to take the paper scrap bucket to the workspace and bring out the fabric scrap basket.  I can even bring out a few precut pieces of white felt for backing.  I also have the applique circles to attach to the backing squares.  My "French" project.  Haven't worked on that since returning from Georgia last fall.

Yesterday.  The entire day was spent making three separate batches of grape jelly.  Twenty one jars of various sizes.  Water bath canning.  Lots of dish washing.  But the day went by so quickly.  The days at work are endless and my days at home go by so fast.

I found G's keys.  I started with the recycling container and emptied it to see if the keys had fallen in there when he was in the garage doing the dog food.  My second stop was the return deposit bin and last, ugh, would have been the stinky garbage can.  Luckily, I found the keys halfway down in the returned cans/bottles container.  Then G lost them again.  Oh.  Finally, the keys were found again and put into their rightful hook by the door.

G got home late again.  He leaves the house at 5 am and returns at 5 pm.  Not a good situation for a man with one working lung.  I think he fell asleep watching DWTS.  I was working on my journal and reading a book on "getting older in the garden".  About having to make decisions in the garden based on what you can no longer do.  Downsizing from a large perennial garden to more shrubs and less flowers. Getting rid of things that require a good bit of maintenance to things that take care of themselves 80% of the time.  I have been jotting things down in my journal.  I think this would be a good class offering at work.  Downsizing.

Our water bill arrived.  We must have really watered the garden this summer.  Double the usual amount. And the semi annual property tax bill, with a $200 increase yet again.  I have to add writing checks to the "to do" list for today.  Iron G's work shirts, plant some things where the moon garden was, make chili (using the bell peppers from the garden before frost kills them) and it would be nice to include something just for me to the list.  What could it be?  And Riley wants to go for a long walk before it rains.  My day.

One of Riley's dog friends was by the back door again last night.  Wanting him to come out to play.  While I think this visiting is kind of sweet, I worry about this dog running loose and crossing a well traveled and dark street to get here.  I think about finding his dead body along the roadside one morning.  The dog has street smarts and stays one step or two in front of the Animal Control officer who is trying to catch him. His "people" live in the posher houses across the way.  The entire family seems stoned or mentally lacking.  The dog never stays long enough for us to call AC or to catch him.  Street Smart. Riley really likes the dog.  Sort of a burley "tough guy".  Older and meaner than our sweet Riley.

The organic red kidney beans are bubbling away on the stove top.  I didn't pre soak.  G left me a multi grain bagel for breakfast (he might not like multi grain) because I washed and nicely folded three shirts for a returning employee.   I didn't iron them but I did button all the buttons.  He probably thought I forgot and was pleasantly surprised to see the pile of clean shirts by his placemat.  I did the folding and buttoning at midnight while watching the Good Wife from last week.  Time to do something productive.  And have some cereal.

Getting Ready To Make Jelly

I have handwashed the jars and will boil them in the canning kettle while making the jelly.  The juice has been waiting patiently in the fridge for me to get "my act together".  I remember from the last time, with a rambunctious puppy in the kitchen, that things go very slowly and then there is a great deal of "hurry up".  It is also very messy.  Sugary messes are difficult to clean off the hot stove top.  I want to do a proper job this time and have jelled jelly.  The first time the jelly was perfect.  The second, not so good.  Or it could be the other way round.  One set of jelly was a bit runny in the jar.  Still tasty but not thick enough.

Yesterday we got one rose planted, some things cleared out of the garden.  Kale still tastes delicious to me and Chard still tastes like dirt.  Such a beautiful crop and I don't think I will be eating it.  Friends recommend steaming or quick frying it with tons of garlic.  I don't eat garlic because it makes the people who do eat it, stink.  It streams forth from your skin pores.  Polluting the spaces around me when "these people" stand anywhere near me.  I always wish I had a gas mask to wear.  So, no heavily seasoned garlic chard.  Which probably tastes like garlic dirt anyway.  I would hate to smell like that.

I also spent quite a bit of time raking big fat acorns off a small section of the front lawn.  And the driveway.  G swept the piles together and loaded up the garden cart.  We dumped them along the side of the driveway, in a small ditch.  Where they will sprout into a thousand little oak trees.  I have a garden bed selected to weed this afternoon.  After jelly.  And more acorns to rake out front.

I was reading a blog that was discussing the value of the way you spend your time.  Is what you do worth the time you spend doing it?  I can honestly say that I do good things at my job for one, possibly two hours, out of an entire work day.  The rest of the time is spent standing around doing nothing of value. I think there are things I could possibly find to do (like tidying up plants) and I do that to some degree, but usually I get interrupted and then forget to go back to the task.  If I stopped working I would miss those few bits of time well spent but not the remainder.  It doesn't seem like a good enough reason to work there.  Already, I am dreading my return to work on Thursday.

G has misplaced the Jeep keys and we haven't been lucky enough to find them yet.  They are here at home, I hope.  He drove home.  But he did walk the dog in the woods and could have had then tucked into a pocket and they could have fallen out along the walk.  House key included.  Last time he lost something, it was the checkbook and I found it under the ironing board.  Don't ask.  He also noticed a tree in the yard and wondered where it came from.  He bought and planted the tree a few years ago, which is what I told him.  Refuses to believe me.

On a more positive note, the ornamental grass we dug out of the perennial bed, because it was spreading everywhere, and threw out into the woods?  It is now colonizing the woods and looks quite charming out there.  Far away from the perennial bed.  I mentioned to G that the remainder of the overgrown Iris side of the bed would also be a charming addition to the woods.  Perhaps the chunks of Iris can also be thrown out into the woods to plant themselves??  I tossed Sweet Annie out into the back meadow to do what it wants out there and not in my vegetable garden.  The tall plants are full of seeds. G also hopes to run the rototiller out along the edges of the cut lawn and sprinkle wild flowers seeds.  But first he needs to find the Jeep keys.

And I need to go haul the canning kettle into the house and fill it with water and boil the jars and start measuring juice, pectin and sugar.  And hope I have enough lids.

Joanne & Riley

This morning's portrait.  Riley thinks it's warmer under the table.  G suggested breakfast at the Freeport Cafe on this chilly (53 degree) morning.  A large number of other people decided to have breakfast there also.  We had a table on the porch so it wasn't as warm as I would have liked.  Riley & G have gone out for their walk in the woods, followed by mowing the remainder of the front grass, taking the mower to our daughter's house, discharging the battery on my digital camera, and planting a rose bush.

My list includes laundry, making jelly, working in one of the weedy garden beds, cleaning house, washing floors and changing the couch slipcovers and then washing the white ones (I may take them to the laundromat tomorrow so I can use one of the giant machines).  I asked for and received four days in a row off of work.  Today thru Wednesday my regular day off.  G is wondering if I will actually go back on Thursday.  I am wondering also.  I have overdue books to read--quickly.  Last night I couldn't concentrate to read or even watch television.  I was that tired.

My Bulb Planting class had 19 people in attendance.  And my boss sent the 88 year old guy down to "help" me teach the class.  This guy "talks off the cuff" and off topic and was annoying, but I let him interrupt because, if you remember, I did the same to the Composting teacher last week.  Teaches me a lesson.  At the end, Ed wanted to tell them all about the Crusades and how returning soldiers brought bulbs home as souvenirs and about why the Dutch grow bulbs and we don't.  This is the way Ed taught the bulb class for years.  And he likes to suggest castor oil and red pepper powder for bulb planting.  Thank goodness he did all this after I was finished and the class could stand up and depart.  They did buy lots of bulbs.  And, really, that is the ONLY reason we have the classes.  I suggested super phosphate and gypsum but we didn't have either product in the store, which was poor planning by the boss.  I don't think he remembers to make a fertilizer order when we get low or else the company warehouse has no more to send.  We could have sold a number of bags of gypsum.

I covered bulb planting (daffodils, tulips etc), paperwhite forcing for Christmas,  Amaryllis rebloom for a second year and the time to pot for Christmas bloom,  digging up the summer bulbs and the way to store them (dahlias, glads and some lilies), and the bringing into the house or garage of tender bulbs like Agapanthus, clivia, canna.  I covered a lot of territory.  I saw people scribbling notes on their handouts.

I brought home the class sample of potted paperwhites and my own repotted amaryllis.  The clothes dryer is beeping.  Gotta go.

When Is It Going To Rain?

The humidity is so high that the sugar jar lid was stuck to the jar and the sugar to the sugar spoon.  My desk top calendar is damp and the mouse is having trouble moving around.  I don't even want to contemplate how disgusting it will be at work today.  This is compounded by the fact that I hit myself in the face with the wire garden gate and I think my glasses are slightly akimbo.  With trifocals, slightly, is huge.

We had high winds all night and Riley is outside surveying the junk on the lawn.  Fresh smells.  Riley is becoming more and more noisy as the summer has progressed.  The dog who never barked, now barks too often.  The dog who was complacent now has an agenda.  Perhaps this is a natural growth pattern for dogs moving from 3 to 4 years old.  More interesting, is the list of words and phrases he can understand.  I don't give commands.  I say "we're done here" and he moves on. Unless he doesn't want to. Then Riley stares and lets us know that he isn't going anywhere.  But that only lasts until we give him a sign of disapproval (a raised eyebrow).  Then he moves.  Head down and big drama.

I made the ratatouille and it was very good.  The whole wheat pasta was not very good and I won't be making that again.  You would have to add tons of cheese to it to even be able to enjoying eating it.  So we now have BBQ pork and ratatouille as leftovers for tonight and tomorrow.  I can relax about cooking and concentrate on prepping for the bulb planting class tomorrow.   And I think I will ask for Monday and Tuesday off so I can get things done around here.  A nice, little 4 day vacation every month.  I don't think my boss has worked on next week's schedule yet.  We'll see.

It's 10:30 and I need to get dressed and make my lunch and got to work.  Riley and G are staying home together and "doing guy things".  Sounds like napping to me.