Daily Notes- December 15th

                                         

My favorite, I think.  The collaged dictionary page with pomegranate just to the upper right of the fruit itself.  There  is a shadow at the bottom- me.  Taking the picture.  The sun is shining here in Maine and last night the Moon lit up the entire bedroom making it difficult to fall asleep.

But just in the Time it took to take an picture and sit down here- the Sun disappeared behind the clouds.  I think the day will be that way--- sun and shadow.

My citrus bush- it never has looked like a tree- is happy enough that a few of the flower buds are opening today- a very very faint scent.  But lovely just the same.  It had spider mites and I used a treatment I had read on a blog-- a reputable blog- and sprayed the leaves and stems with rubbing alcohol.  And stopped watering the plant.  Dried up the insects and their eggs.  It was the fuzzy white stuff that makes all the leaves sticky.

I usually have a tall/wide glass vase filled a few inches with volcanic pebbles and paperwhite bulbs.   I didn't do that this year.  I don't know why. I miss the green shoots and the promise of fragrant white blossoms.  And I usually have a vase filled with pussy willow stems- setting roots.  No to that as well.
The loss of my beloved Riley seems to have put a "full stop" to so many things. And of course the getting rid of furniture.  For the painting starting in January.

Someone of you asked about my kitchen.  A kitchen remodel never moves along smoothly.  Or quickly. And once begun- you have to deal with a fridge in the garage, paper plates (no sink) and a crockpot or induction single burner thing on any flat surface.   Months without a kitchen and very few options for take out.  Fall and Winter are not the times to do this and carpenters are not available in the Spring and Summer as they are building houses then.  And all the new appliances and cupboards have to be purchased and stored in the garage before anything starts.  Also not doable in Winter. In Maine. Cars need to be in the garage.  Also work guys going in an out in cold weather isn't fun.  House is freezing cold.  Also Riley hated the nailing gun noise and that was the deciding factor for a few years.

My kitchen area is a huge space with two story ceilings.  Soaring ceilings.   The kitchen/family room will BE amazing (someday) with a huge center island and I will love it and the kids will have an easy time selling the house when we are dead.  But I have loved my kitchen all the years we have lived here.  It's a good place. Filled with sunshine, new windows and even one wall of baseboard trim- the last thing the carpenters nailed in before they left.  A little surprise gift to me.

Right now I am prepping for at least six weeks for the painting of the living room.  Could be longer depending on other projects the painter has going at the same time. It's a big room and things need doing and fixing (the ceiling and walls).  But the painter will be so excited to see the new trim work. And the lack of furniture.  He was concerned with the amount of furniture in the room.  Now it's bare.     Four end tables, two couches, two long ottomans, one computer desk and a Christmas Tree. Fa la la.

Where will I post from?