Yesterday's Pictures

Riley standing around looking for something to do. Well, once it got to be Trick or Treat time, things got pretty interesting for the pup. Doorbell ringing. Small children with sticky substances to lick off them. Other dogs coming for treats--wearing costumes. I have a "dog rule". No clothing on dog. But I did hand out candy "eyeballs" to all the humans and dog biscuits to all dogs. I think Halloween candy should be "icky" in a delicious way. Eyeballs.

I changed the sheets yesterday and all this fresh white linen was so delicious looking. I am spoiled completely by 100% linen sheets. They are so expensive, even at the Cuddledown Factory Store in Freeport, but they feel cool in summer and warm in winter. And they don't catch your bed clothes like flannel does.

One meal to the next with Riley. He does do an excellent job of cleaning all the bowls. Not a speck of anything in either of them. The little spots on the bottom are water drops. Labs drink and then carry water in their jowls all over the house. Riley likes to share his water with my pant legs, shoes and socks. So refreshing.

G says today is "my day". We can do whatever I want to do. But. He is making a list of chores next to his breakfast dishes. I think I may ask him to walk with me this morning. I miss my walking partner very much.

Eggplant Parm was delicious last night. I was going to invite the neighbor to eat with us but realized there was no free table space to put a third person. Piles of books, magazines and newspapers everywhere. Ugh. It's not as bad as those homes where you can barely walk through the house because of the piles of "things" but no flat surface is clear. Except for the kitchen island which I cleaned off so I could prep the eggplant last night. Still flat and empty! So perhaps "my day" will be devoted to a flat, clean, blank dining room table. If it happens, I'll take a picture to remember the "moment".

Wednesday October 31

Blogger doesn't want to do pictures right now.

So, what do you dog owners do with the dog all day? I walk him, feed him and pet him but still he seems to want more. I have no idea what. And I want to do my own stuff some of the day. Not just dog stuff. How many leaves can you smell? Yesterday we walked 5 miles. I'm tired. We've done 2 miles already and its just 2 in the afternoon.

Just a sec.

He found something to do. Chewing on some stored butternut squash out on the porch. Another squash ruined. At this rate I won't get to eat any of them before they all rot or get eated by the dog.

Was reading Melody's blog and it led to some YouTube cooking videos and I discovered Indian cooking videos by ManjulasKitchen and watched all of them. My favorites are Palak Paneer and Aloo Gobi. The Roti and Aloo Parathas look like interesting breads.

Tonight's dinner (I am remembering to cook) is Eggplant Parmesan. I have the sliced eggplant salted and sweating in the fridge. I should check to see if I have marinara in a jar or do I have to make my own. And what pasta shape to go with?

I did surrender to the NYTimes No Knead Bread and while my loaf wasn't perfect, it was very, very delicious. I plan to try again. I may have added too much water or not enough flour. I also think I "touched" the dough a bit too much. It turned out smooth, not rustic. And the NYTimes video said 500 degrees on the oven and cast iron. Smoking hot is the way the baker described it.

My heating oil arrived. 96.9 gallons at $2.999. Two hundred ninety dollars and 60 cents. And I haven't turned on the furnace yet. That's just for heating the water. For 2 months. August 20th to October 31. If only I could have afforded the budget plan of $2.59 a gallon. But we just didn't have $2700 up front. Being "sort of retired" isn't for sissies.

We aren't old enough for Social Security, Medicare or funding from our investments. So we (well, g has to) work an hourly job to get health care benefits, try and live on what we don't have invested, and not buy anything. After years and years of being taken care of, very well, by corporate employers and really enjoying being quite spoiled. We had it all. And now I miss it. I wish I knew how to do something people would pay me lots of money to do.

But right now--- it's out to walk the dog. The dog who is huddled on his dog bed after being yelled at for eating the squash. Bad dog! I did say that, for the very first time, in his little life. He is feeling great remorse, I'm sure. Me too.

Sunday October 28

The sun is shining again after a full day of cold rain. The majority of our oak leaves have come off the trees and the streets and gutters are packed with a dense carpet of oak. Oak leaves have a thick, hard to compost, composition. They are also nutrient dense. Lots of tannin. Slippery when wet. Repels water when packed in a thick layer over the ground. More than you will need to know.

Riley is napping after a long morning walk and a filling lunch. His dog bed is located in a nice sunbeam and he is ever alert to the movement of the wheels on my desk chair so he can jump up and come see me at a moment's notice. We try each other's patience.

I am tempted to try the internet favorite "No Knead Bread" today. For baking tomorrow. BUT. Bread is my weakness and if I make it, I will eat it. Or want to eat it. Temptation.

I have books to pick up at the library and a pile of magazines to take to the magazine exchange. I have begun to sort out the cupboard where I store (hoard) magazines. I discovered last evening that I have copies of Country Home dating back to 1998. Not good. I am getting rid of all the Cottage Living and cancelling my subscription. Not really enjoying it. Not into House & Garden either. House Beautiful, not so much. Hard to stop getting them since the "deals" they offer are so good. One year for $10. Like it's free. Veranda is not holding my interest except as fodder for collage but since I have a stack of old issues about 2 feet high--I think I have enough collage materials.

Riley has decided I have been here at the computer long enough. He wants to play. So I guess we'll have a nice fast game of run and chase me. Did I tell you he knocked me down and dragged me across a lawn on Thursday? Yep. He likes to "play".

How about the 103 million dollar pitcher for the Red Sox hitting a pitch and getting 2 runs in? I think he actually smiled. Sort of. I have no idea who won yesterday and don't care. For some reason, I just am not that into the Red Sox. I do like the 103 million dollar pitcher and watch the games where he pitches. DiceK.

Chinese Lunch today and perhaps some painting. Of fabric. Or not.

Leaves

While working at the library, I scored most, if not all, of my Master Gardener volunteer hours by watering the library plants and answering patron questions regarding their plants and trees. Now that I no longer do the library thing, I need to find another way to earn my hours.

I am going to try and get them by converting all of you to new, green garden ways.

Right now, it's leaves. There are plenty going to waste out there. And chopped up leaves are the finest mulch in the garden. Lightens the soil. Feeds the worms. And FREE!

So gather some dry leaves up into a flat pile of sorts with a rake and put the bagger attachment onto the lawn mower and just start running the mower over the leaves. You could do what my son and I did our first year in Maine. We emptied the clipping bag out onto the leaf pile as we went and sort of double and triple chopped them until everything was pretty much crumbs. Then we ran the mower over one last time and collected the leaf crumbs and took the bagger right over to a garden bed and mulched. 2 or 3 inches deep over bare ground.

If you have a vegetable garden, please mulch it with leaf crumbles. Mulch all your perennials. If we have a "global warming" winter with warm days and then cold days and then rain--the perennials will heave without a good thick mulch to protect them.

If you have no time to mulch now, rake the leaves off the grass and into the edges. They can over winter there and be nice and dry and ready to mow into crumbles in the spring. Do not throw them away.

Yes, this does take time. Yes, you may get a blister from the rake. Yes, bending over will make your back hurt. Yes. Yes. Yes. I know all the reasons you won't do it. But I'm still going to ask you to try to mulch your leaves. Some of your leaves. We need to start taking care of our planet so it will take care of us. We'll start with the leaves. Brown Gold. Go on!

Wonderful Day

My first saved painting. It could use some more work but you know, sometimes you have to just leave it alone. At least for a while more. This is 8 inches square. Acrylics. Trust me, the others were much worse.

I purchased 6 inch square canvases today. Four of them. So tiny. Hardly big enough to cause me any worries.

Lunch today with someone I never had the chance to spend time with before I stopped working at the library. We tried a new place for both of us and now I wonder why I never ate there before. Cozy. Upscale. Even trendy. And the food was wonderful. My friend had the crispy eggplant panini and I had the grilled Greek chicken gyro. We both chose the House Potatoes as a side. Crispy fried with EVOO and lemon. Very wonderful. Everything was wonderful. The ambiance, the food, the company and the conversation. Just what I needed.

After lunch I went and returned the size 14 clothes I had purchased at Goodwill 9 days ago because by today, they no longer fit and I hadn't worn them yet. And why have new clothes that need tucks? I was "allowed" to exchange them but not return them. I was also coached by another employee, on the side, to return things to another Goodwill location--not this one.

So I selected a black spandex top (very sexy), size 10 (yes) J Jill brown cordoroy pants, a pair of cropped black and white check pants for next summer (small 14), and a pair of men's navy cordoroy pants (34/30) which were $2.50. I have the navy pants on right this minute. I LOVE wide wale cords and all my old favorites are now TOO BIG and Eddie Bauer doesn't make them any more. I will wear these pants every day until the zipper gives out (soon). Then I will be sad. And I'll cut the pants up and use the cordoroy in a "quilt". Or maybe get a new zipper installed.

Walked 5 miles total today. (Those House Potatoes) Found out my walking buddy is leaving for her home in Florida on Friday. :-( And my friend who is vacationing in Switzerland is thinking of flying directly to Atlanta on Friday and not coming to Maine to see me. :-( She's tired from all the vacation (2 weeks) and she really wants to go home to her grandkids.

The third sad thing-- everything happens in threes -- is not really sad. My friend died peacefully on Sunday afternoon without waking up. This is what she wanted so I have to not be sad about it. But I still expect the phone to ring and hear her voice asking if I'm free for lunch.
If they read blogs where you are, Gregor, read this one. As to what your family is doing (or better yet, not doing) -- you would be saying "Fascinating!" and you'd be right. :-)

Waiting

Our birthdays are in September. Her's the 3rd and mine the 18th. She is 84 and I am 61. An unlikely pair. She is elegant, well educated and intimidating. I'm just a Cleveland girl with a public school education. We met over quilting. And even though it's been a "rough ride" some times, we ended up getting along very well indeed.

She called every day or so hoping I would be free for a lunch date or at least a cup of tea and a chat in the garden. She found me to be "charming" company. I found her to be delightful.

She had a massive stroke over the weekend. Her family is with her. She is breathing on her own and has been given morphine so she won't experience any pain or fear. She is not conscious. We are all waiting.

On her birthday, I toasted her with Prosecco and we both wished on her dessert candle. We wished that the end would come quickly. Her wish. Expressed with tears in her eyes and mine. I helped blow out the candle. I just didn't know it would come so soon.

No Picture Sunday

Blogger is having a problem. So we will do without an image or two.

Sunday. G is vaccuming up dog hair. Dog is sleeping on sunporch in a sunbeam. I am dressed and ready to shred leaves. Wearing a pair of G's old jeans. That fact alone is enough to make this a fabulous day. I am wearing a pair of G's jeans. And they are a bit "too big". Oh, happy day. G has no butt. Never has had one.

Anyway, we raked up leaves yesterday and are now ready to set up the leaf shredding operation by the garage and start in with leaf mulching the garden beds as we weed and cut them down for winter. The vegetable garden is nearly ready for it's winter nap. Some lime and some weeding and it'll be ready for black plastic. To hasten the decomp.

Too late yesterday to get Greek gyros from the mall cart for lunch. They must have run out of food. So today we have to be quicker. Go earlier. The window of opportunity is 11 to 1, I think.

Yesterday I painted three little canvases. Wiped off two of them. In the morning light, I can see I should have wiped off the third one also. This is going to be HARD work. The kind of work that hurts your feelings and injures your pride. Not to mention self esteem problems. Which is probably why I have passed on painting for so many years. But now is the time. Better to try and fail, than to never have tried at all. I am going to try copying. It's a good way to try something with all the composition, tonal and color problems worked out by some who actually knows how to paint. And what are we quilters doing? Copying. From a quilt or a pattern in a book. That's how we learn. And then we go off on our own.

My friend will be here on Friday. Can't wait. What fun to have a friend here in the mornings and have conversation over coffee. In our pajamas. And the whole day together to do whatever we want. G has even provided a burn pile in case we want to do that. Kay and I usually burn all her collected brush when I visit her in Georgia. We sit in lawn chairs with beverages and watch the pile go up in flames. Nice. Not for everyone but we enjoy it very much. And Kay always remembers to have beverages handy.

G is done with the vaccum. Now to the leaves.

The Wonder Of It All

Blogging, "Healthy Eating Plan", walking everyday, weight loss, good friends, loving family and puppy. Life is good and I am happier than I have ever been in my life.

And I am saying this after 3 or 4 miles of walking the dog in a continuous drizzle today. I smell like damp dog.

As I stood in this carpet of bright yellow leaves, watching them fall like snow from the trees above and the puppy bounced and chased the falling leaves, the ten and a half months of healthy eating and the loss of 70 pounds seems to have happened overnight. Like a waking dream. A gift.

This puppy is also a gift. We've been together before. Happy to be together again in this lifetime.

Just as all of you who read and comment on this blog are a gift. We share so much in common, it's sort of spooky but so comforting. Two years of blogging. A Blog-A-Versary. Cheers and Thank You!

Wednesday Post 10-17

Got two bags of organic (read no chemicals) peaches peeled and cut up and made into a huge Peach Cobbler type thing. More peaches and less cobbler so I can eat some of it. I think there was about 10 cups of cut up peaches. I'll let you all know if it's any good. :-)

Cut the grass. Raked leaves and the much despised pine needles. Cleaned off the driveway. Walked the dog- 3 miles. His tail stopped wagging after two. One load of laundry.

Not going to the "Bird Flu Pandemic" lecture in Portland with my friend. She is giving me a pamphlet so I will have supplies on hand during the event when it happens. I am not all that concerned.

Gary is coming home late tonight. What's for supper?

Found a new blog- well, two new ones-- "Sixtyminutepainter" and Carol Marine's Painting a Day. One shows paintings (Carol) each day and the 60min. guy discusses painting. Just what I need to get me into painting again. It really is hard to make myself do it. And everyone has this same reluctance. Isn't that interesting and strange? Artists with painting phobia--sort of.

A chance meeting in the supermarket makes me ever so much happier (and I'm pretty darned happy already) about my recent loss of employment. I didn't misinterpret the signs and body language of the new director. I was correct. Not enough experience to do the job. Refuses to ask for help because asking would indicate how much she doesn't know. Volatile. Trust issues. Surrounding herself with "yes" people who don't question her at all. Rumbling in the ranks. This could get very interesting--real fast. I have front row center tickets.

Did I mention the letter I just got from the library asking me to make a donation to the annual book fund? Yeah. That will happen.

Spooky

Remember I said I needed to find that missing tarantula? This isn't it. This is the tarantula I found in the street on my walk this morning. I found it just before Riley found it. The Universe is a strange and wondrous thing. Need something? Ask. And tarantulas will start appearing.

Well, I made it to 70 pounds lost this weekend. Ta Da! I also made it to Goodwill and got a new (for me) navy blue wool blazer to replace the size 20 one that I LOVE (Loved), jeans that fit, black cord pants that fit (but need hemming) and two wool dog walking sweaters. That 70 pounds was mostly nice warm fat and I am freezing!!! Nothing to keep me warm. I have to order me some pajamas.

The Red Sox and Cleveland Indians are tied one to one. If it was warmer out, I'd be wearing my Indians tee shirt. Even here in Red Sox territory.

I'm thinking I want to go all shabby chic in my decorating. Paint everything white. (Just thinking, is all) I threatened to paint the dark walnut hardwood floor in the living room a few years back. I wanted to paint it white then, too. G almost had a heart attack. Paint can always be removed if we ever sell this place (I said). Paint doesn't ruin a wood floor. And we didn't pay for the wood floor anyway. So it's like it's free, right? G didn't like it when I gave that same room a Tuscan yellow faux finish on the walls. And it looks amazing and he likes it now.

I could just continue with the French country look and do a creamy white trim on the windows and some French green accents. I'll have to get a French decor book and see what the floors look like. I'm thinking they have rugs. So I guess I could add red and green and creamy white to what I have and it would look all French for the winter. I'll have to see how the French do Christmas. I can make one of those rolled log cakes with the tiny mushrooms.

I want new dishes. I have about 6 full sets of dishes (nope, only 4 sets left) but I am bored with all of them. I want something different. Chunky. Big. One color. Big plates. Big bowls. Big mugs. I'm thinking Salsalito from Pottery Barn in Amber or Green. Both of those colors would fit in with my "new" French theme.

I have no idea what I will do with all the Petite Fleur I have. Sounds French. Could be used for Spring/Summer??? The Franciscan Apple would look okay mixed in with the "new" (to be purchased) big dishes in amber or green. So they can stay. Then we have the whole Polish pottery collection. Blue. Dots. Breakfast? The Villeroy Boch Manoir will be moving into storage for now. I have tons of it and we have used it all for over 15 years. So tired of fancy creamy white dishes. Most of this was purchased in Germany at outlets. And I think the days of wine glasses are so "over". I have shelves of 18 and 24 matching glasses for red, white and bubbly. When we lived in Germany we needed all that for entertaining. And I did bring it all out and used it all, over there. I was very entertaining.

So that's what I am contemplating today. Changes. Off loading some "things". Feathering the nest for winter enjoyment. Making plans. I have the time. I'll keep you informed.

Poor Visual Blogging

My Halloween quilt which is NOT hanging at the library this month. And I still have not found the huge purple and black tarantula that is supposed to be popping out of the treat bag! Where is it????

Stopped in at the library to return books and there was a "famous" quilter (published) at the desk saying she missed seeing my quilts behind the desk. I said, "so do I". She said, "Did you run out of them?" and I said, "No". And then we looked at each other in a meaningful way and she got the message. Two employees said Hi. Nice.

Another library in a nearby town ended the employment ( just days after my employment ended) of their Children's Librarian after 22 years of wonderful service to the community and the children. The Assistant Children's Librarian resigned the same day, in protest. Letters to the Editor have flooded the local paper, a protest is scheduled during the library trustee's meeting, and local towns have been asked to withhold library funding to cause hardship for the library. What were they thinking?????

As to the title of this post. G and I had dinner with a friend last night and we were having a nice blueberry vodka cocktail and telling stories. We told about the "bat in the house" and G mentioned that I hadn't taken a picture of the bat for the blog. Well, I did it again. My friend sent me home with a basket of freshly picked Concord grapes for jelly making and I did not take a picture of that pile of grapes for you all. And they were pretty. Now they are grape juice.

We also picked up and sorted all the peaches that have fallen off my friend's peach tree. Riley ate two peaches, pits and all. I'm hoping they aren't poisonous to dogs. He also ate an apple. We made sure he didn't get anywhere near the grape arbor. Oh, he had some raspberries. This dog just loves fruit. He also ran all over a big field behind the cemetery. Lots of good flat out running. He is gorgeous when he runs. A true field champion pedigree.

I'm having lunch with a library friend today and will be purchasing some jelly sized canning jars for my soon to be grape jelly. I've never made jelly before but am willing to try it. I think I also need something called a "jelly bag". After that, I will skin and cut up peaches for a peach pie and also attempt to make some peach salsa. We had some Trader Joe's peach salsa with chips last night with our drinks. Delicious. We also had potato, carrot and coconut milk soup with salad and spelt bread. G is a trooper. The vegan lifestyle just doesn't do it for him but he always eats like he's enjoying it. I put lots of extra butter on his spelt bread. My friend gave him 4 big cookies for dessert. Riley slept in the car.

Thank you to all who have commented with thoughtful suggestions on how I can manage to get through all this "stuff" relating to depression. I have them all written on index cards and shuffle through the cards and "do" whatever appeals to me that day. It is working so far! I am sleeping appropriate amounts, not going off my diet, not reading romances all day, making art and cleaning out my studio with plans to move upstairs. Now that I have lost nearly 70 pounds, my knees don't make funny noises anymore when I walk up the stairs. Wow! The light is so much better up there and the space is nice. I plan to take up only what I need-- to do the work I'm interested in doing. Everything else will stay downstairs and what is still there by summer will be given away. I refuse to be dragged down.

Autumn Sunday

Another blurry picture. I'm sorry. They look clear in my viewer.

Today was like yesterday. I'm tired. I'm cranky. I don't want to walk. I snapped at the puppy and he is all confused about it. Even my Chinese Lunch didn't perk me up.

I feel all down after the doctor. Like that song "Is that all there is?" I've lost my focus all of a sudden. This is probably all related to the loss of my employment. Now I'm all worried about bills and finances. I made hardly any money and contributed none of it to the joint bill paying so this is ridiculous. But there it is, the 800 pound elephant, in the room with me, in bed with me and at the table with me.

I know that many of you are out there struggling with real, serious problems and here I am whining about imaginary problems. Imagination is a strong enemy.

I emptied one whole bookcase and sorted out the books to keep and the ones to donate to the book sale. I have two large grocery bags of romances that I read over and over during my last "depression" when we moved here to Maine. 16 years ago. I ate grilled cheese sandwiches (soft, squishy) and read romances. All day and all night. I would finish a book and flip to the first page and start again. I don't remember if I ever got out of my chair unless it was to get another sandwich. So the books are leaving the house. And no cheese sandwich supplies are being purchased.

I hope my walking buddy is available tomorrow to walk. And Riley will want to do his two walks. So I should be able to do 5 miles tomorrow. And I hope I remember to make supper. I have forgotten to cook-- no, really, I'm not being funny-- I have forgotten to cook. I look at the clock and think, "Was I supposed to have done something?" Dinner.

I have to shake this off. I do.

Saturday

A slow start today. Didn't want to walk. Didn't want to do much of anything. So I didn't.

Yesterday (Friday) was my visit to the doctor for my weigh in. I've lost 67 pounds since January 5th. My blood pressure was 96/78 or 98/76. The nurse who weighed me on January 5th, in March and again in June looked at me, looked at the chart and said " Just a moment, I have the wrong chart" I said "No you don't, it's me". And it was.

My walking buddy treated me to lunch (for my birthday last month) on Wednesday with sparkling wine and dessert. On Thursday, my husband treated me to a belated birthday lunch and I had something with chicken, shrimp, artichokes, capers in butter sauce. I asked the waiter to ask the chef to make the butter sauce on the "skimpy" side. Still. I haven't had anything that rich in months. Decadent. No dessert.

After my doctor's appointment, I treated myself and G to something from the little white caravan on the town green. A Greek "fast food" experience up against two hot dog wagons feeding the crowds in my little town. I had wanted to add something Greek to my culinary birthday meals but it never happened. So Friday I walked over and purchased a lamb gyro for G and a "Big Fat Greek Salad" for myself. Delicious. And the pita is unbelievable. Puffy and grilled. G said he could have eaten a second one. The food wagon is so white and clean. With little bouquets of fresh flowers. And when I walked away, they called out to me, by name--"come back soon, Joanne". Wow. They asked for my name when I placed the order, but still, what a most excellent touch! If I was still working, I'd try that one myself with the library patrons. To improve my poor customer service skills.

My friend from Georgia is coming to visit on her way back from Europe. I'm counting the days. And cleaning. I have to dig out the guest room, find a bed and get the house tidy. Nothing beats company for getting the house in order.

And I have purchased little square stretched canvases to paint on. Small is good. G will get the folding French easel out and I'll be ready to go.

Artist's Models

Hannaford had just what I was looking for for painting models. Red pears. I don't know why but I like them but I do. And they look so very smart with my Italian handpainted plate.

My first attempt at painting. Now this was without a pear model. No cherries modeled either. I was just painting. To get a feel for the paint, the surface and my own limitations. Trust me--there's lots of paint on this canvas. I think the pear has nice volume.

This is a strange week for me. No going to work. Getting used to that. Lots of walking. Leaves falling. Nip in the air. I had to put the down duvet back on the bed-- I was freezing, especially my feet-- and not able to sleep very soundly. Last night I was warm and slept through the night. Ah! We don't heat the bedroom-- really!-- and even have the windows open most of the winter (in Maine) for fresh air, so being warm while I sleep is very important. And I have almost no body fat left. Lots of saggy skin but not much in the way of fat storage units except in all those places where it has to be removed and "tucked". I'd really like a tummy tuck and saddle bag removal for Christmas.

Riley is scheduled at the vet for "all day" on Thursday for neutering. And then 10 days of "light" activity. G and I are going to take advantage of the all day thing and drive to Portland for some "sans dog" activities and Lunch at a Restaurant.

It's Cheeseburger Tuesday so I have to get ready to grill. And I found a way to make really great, fat free french fries so have to get them prepped. And I have two half sheet trays of cherry tomatoes to oven roast and pack up for the freezer. And basil to pick, wash and blenderize for frozen basil cubes to add to sauces and soups all winter. And my butternut squashes and green cabbages are getting ready to be picked. Lots going on in the garden.

I am going to try and read another book. I am so out of practice with my reading. I like it once I get going, but it's hard to get started. So many other things to do. Night Ferry by Robotham. The new Reichs book was good. Took place in Canada. I like those better. The new Evanovich was better than usual, thank goodness. They had been sliding toward mediocre. I put in a reserve for the new Peter Hoeg book "Quiet Child". He wrote "Smila's Sense of Snow" awhile back.

The Gay Guys have been reviewing Tim Gunn's Style show. Veronica needs a make over. She's Tim's "gal pal". Also, I agree with the guys. Tim takes a 29 year old in tees and crop pants and turns her into a frumpy 39 year old in a patterned wrap dress. And why does everyone need a trench coat? And why would you walk the dog in a white halter dress?

By Request: My Picture

My dad, my son, my friends wanted a current photo of me and of me and Riley so G took this photo yesterday. I'm wearing my new size 14 jeans. And they fit. Not tight! Riley wanted to run and play and wasn't all that interested in having his picture taken. I have to work on my facial expression. I look tired and annoyed and I wasn't.

Riley and I walked 2 miles plus a walk in the woods this morning which may have been an additional mile. Riley found mushrooms, something icky which he swallowed and a dead chipmunk. I had hoped all that excitement and a tummy full of lunch would have him in the mood for a nap--but not so much.

I made myself a veggie burger with cheese, tomato, bacon, lettuce and am ready to settle in with Kathy Reichs new mystery which is already overdue at the library. It's rainy and muggy and perfect weather for a good book. Hope you like the picture!

Kudos To Library Staff

Thanks to your interest in finding out what I said to get myself fired-- my visits doubled on the "dates" when this happened. Close to triple digits on some days. Wow! And all from readers locally! Revenge IS best served cold. I'm loving it.

Time Is On My Side

Yesterday I put the dog in his crate as usual for a Tuesday-- like I was "going to work" and went instead to my studio to do whatever I wanted. I sorted a bit. Sewed a bit. Packed things in containers. And a whole 4 hours went by in a moment. I made this little "hot" number yesterday for my "Just When You Think It's Safe" quilt. It's going to be very RED. In fact, everything I have been making in the last few months has been red. And black.

This is rolled up and piled on the table. I liked it much better spread across the floor in my bedroom. It's the background for "something" but I have no idea what yet.

Today I will saute a nice ripe sliced tomato with butter, salt and pepper and then add some cream and grilled summer squashes and let it all heat through for a most excellent lunch on an unseasonably HOT September day. Could hit 90.

THEN. I will get out my stretched canvas and my paints and I will PAINT. I've had painting on the back shelf of my life long enough. It's time.

Tomorrow my walking buddy and I will toast her new bathroom remodel with Prosecco. This has taken so much longer than planned and better be worth the wait! Most everything arrived broken the first time, needed to be reordered, some was again broken or the wrong size, reordered and then the carpenter installed things and one piece had been measured wrong and therefore ordered wrong, and then the plumber had to come, and now the carpenter again. I think it's almost 18 months.

Am I crazy or shouldn't the building supply house open the boxes when they arrive and check the condition before shipping things to the client's house? Did they really think she wouldn't notice that the expensive Italian sink bowl was cracked? That the vanity was the wrong size? That the faucet had parts missing? That the mirror was broken? Would they notice if she refused to pay him?

I guess my expectations are too high.

Acceptance

I just tore through the five stages of grief over the loss of my job and Saturday I arrived at Acceptance. I accept responsibility for writing things relating to the library staff in my blog and the consequences of doing that.

I also admit to being pretty darn happy about not having to go into work at the library any more. I was surprised by that. Subconsciously, I must have been looking for a way out and found one. I think if I had been paying more attention to myself and the way I felt about library things I could have made it easier on everyone and just gave 2 weeks notice. It would certainly have been less messy.

I also think that when I look back on this birthday--it won't be as the one they ruined--but as the birthday I was set free. I've been giving this a good deal of thought. I was miserable and so bored by my job. Nine and a half years is a long time to do the same thing. It was way past time for me to move on.

The "new healthy eating plan" and all the exercise and weight loss have made me less inclined to accept things that don't work for me. Not that I'm self centered or anything but I am focused on my own well being for the first time in many years.

There is one thing that is making me a bit sad. Two custom made wool circle skirts that I now fit into again after 25 years, and they are back in style (woo hoo), and I had planned to wear them to work this fall and winter. Not many reasons to wear a wool circle skirt and cropped Geiger wool jacket around here. I would have been overdressed at work but so what. I LOVE those skirts. And I always felt like a princess when I wore them in Europe in the 80's. Short jacket, high collared white blouses (I saved them and they fit also), swirly skirt that made the most luscious sounds as the wool slid over the lining, cute European shoes and expensive designer wool scarves (Perry Ellis) around my shoulders. I was so looking forward to dressing like that again. I'll find a reason to wear them-- I did work hard to lose the weight and should enjoy the reward.

G and I spent the weekend burning our way through several huge piles of branches and cut down trees. Then G rented a brush hog and cut down all the brush on part of our 4 acres. It is all clear cut rolling hills and trees now and will look wonderful in the winter.

I need to keep after G and get him to cut down ALL the small white pines on our property. I hate those trees. They block all the sunlight when they get big and shed huge amounts of acidic pine needles. All the other varieties of pine trees are okay with me. They can stay. And I like the oaks. We've cut down most of the maples and sick birches. Our neighbor has pretty maples we can enjoy in the fall but I don't need them around my house making a mess. G and I rake up all the neighbor's maple leaves and drag them back to our house to shred for compost. And since we removed all the junipers from our yard, my crabapple trees are recovering from apple-cedar rust which nearly killed them. I didn't know the rust overwintered in the junipers and then attacked the crab apples anew each spring. Geez!

G and I are working our way around the weedy flower beds (they got weedy because I can't garden and then work standing up - without a break- for 4 to 5 hours at the library-- my back can't do both)--digging up what we want to save and spraying the rest with Round Up. When everything is good and dead, I go in and dig out everything, rototill, add dirt and compost and start over. It is sometimes easier to do it that way than to try and straighten weedy things out. And I have different ideas on plant combinations now. I am a Master Gardener. I did just complete a two day landscaping design seminar. I have one large bed replanted and everything looks so fresh and nice. I even made a new obos (balanced rock pile) for the new bed-- 8 rocks high. The central vac guy thought I glued them together. I offered to unpile them to prove they were balanced and dry stacked. He declined. I've made three piles so far and they get better looking each time. This new one makes me smile each time I walk past. It's a zen thing.

Waiting & the Rest of the Story

My daughter brought over a bucket of tomatoes picked in Woolwich before an overnight frost. Must be a low area. We haven't had a frost yet and my tomatoes are still out in the garden on the vines. So I will wait and see if these will ripen. G likes fresh tomato soup.

Riley is waiting to go on yet another long walk. He has chipmunks to chase and birds to track and grasshoppers to catch and lick. He also has neighborhood dogs to visit and romp with. This dog's life is pretty great.

Riley let me sleep till 10am this morning. What a dog. He's curled around my feet as I type this. Licking all kinds of good things off my shoes. If a dog can love me--I can't be that bad a person, right?

My birthday experiences. Let it be stated here that the day was completely ruined and any tears shed that day were over my ruined birthday and not any painful guilt over wrong doings. They had two. In nine and a half years. Two. No coaching by my direct supervisor. At the time of the incidents I was told "don't do it again". Period. That was the extend of any warning, management or anything. Don't do it again. And I didn't. But when they needed ammunition for their attack--those two incidents were numbers 1 and 2. Number 3 was my blog. They read to me parts of my blog which offended them. Showed disrespect to them and the library. This post will also be thought to be disrespectful.

After one hour of this, I was expected to go out for coffee or lunch to "hash things out and clear the air". And then they announced to the staff at the desk that they "were whisking me off for a celebratory birthday lunch". I nearly vomited.

I did not eat. We did not hash things out. We didn't clear the air. They ate lunch and we talked about mundane items like mice and bats in the house. I had an iced coffee and tried not to be sick all over myself in public.

We returned to the library and the birthday congratulations of staff who were working and of the patrons who overheard. Hugs, smiles and good wishes. Can any of you imagine how strange and awful this was for me? I was in shock. Blindsided. And THEN, dear readers, I was expected to work the remaining two hours of my scheduled shift.

After work, went home to walk the dog, eat the birthday sushi a library patron had made for me and delivered to the library with a sweet note and sit and think. I decided I could not agree to the terms necessary to continue employment. I emailed. And during my work shift the next afternoon the director came down and announced that "Joanne is going home, now". So that was how my dream job ended. Joanne is going home, now.

I'm finding out that my daughter was very right about what would happen "after". That's when you discover who was really your friend all along and who was only a co-worker with no loyalty to you as a person. That's all sifting out right now and it's a revelation to me. I've never been in this situation before and I have worked all my life.

My husband was a corporate trainer for over 30 years and he was stunned by the incompetent and unprofessional behavior exhibited. Even at the store level in his business, job coaching was done in a more professional manner-- and not by college graduates or people holding a masters in business management. Rather, by people trained to manage employees effectively.

So that's the story. I was rude to one patron, once. Don't do it again. I made a statement that a staff member took offense to and complained about. Once. Don't do it again. I won't even get into to the fact that someone was standing right next to me when this statement was made and didn't hear anything offensive. Also, the statement as read and printed in a letter is incorrect. That isn't what I said. Or how I said it. They also don't have a record of what the staff member said to me. It involved a physical impossibility. I never did it again. Co workers not wanting to work with me? Who. I have worked with one person for over a year (11 hours a week) and she has no complaints. I asked. I think she would have noticed if I had "poor customer service skills". I think everyone would have noticed that over the nine and a half years I worked customer service. I don't think I would have been given performance increases if I had such poor skills. Disrespect? Guilty. I am posting this.

Status Report

The kahlua chocolate birthday cake was (is) delicious. I recommend it to all of you and will print the recipe as soon as the cake effects wear off.

The birthday pot roast dinner was fantastic. Slow roasted all day, with mashed potatoes, green peas and cole slaw. All my favorites.

I got great presents.

I got fired.

I am now free to do a shocking library "tell all" posting. But not right this minute. LOL

Sometimes we think things will be awful and when they happen--it turns out to not be awful. It turns out to be good. I am happy about the turn of events even though they were exceptionally bizarre. And trust me -- it was bizarre. I will miss my friends. I hope they will believe what they know in their hearts is true of me and discredit the things that will be said which are not true. I am the person you always thought you knew. Trust that knowledge.

I have no regrets other than not walking out of yesterday's meeting a free woman. I let them ruin my birthday. And I cried because they ruined my birthday.

Today my family and friends did what they do best and made me happy again. Thank you!!!!! All of you, from California to Germany, your support and love has made all the difference today!

Status Report

It's My Birthday

Today I am 61. I wore a blue dress that I bought in 1987. Twenty years ago I was this size and weight. Sort of a time warp thing. When I began this "healthy eating plan" I set a goal of wearing the blue dress--a favorite of mine-- on my birthday. Nine months later I actually can wear it.

This will be a birthday I remember forever. For good reasons and for terrible reasons. The terrible reasons won't be discussed here until I discuss my First Amendment Rights and my blog with an attorney. Yeah. Terrible.

A friend brought "birthday sushi" to the library for me. I just finished it for dinner. Delicious as always. I think I could eat my friend's homemade sushi everyday. Just amazing.

The comments wishing me a happy birthday have been welcome. You are all so very dear to me! Who knew I would make such enduring friends in such an electronic forum.

Both of my children have called and we had wonderful conversations. My two dear girlfriends both took time to call even though they are very busy. My walking buddy called early to schedule a "birthday walk" and we did 3 miles and laughed and talked the whole time. My co worker and friend surprised me with a fabric bouquet. Very nice surprise and thoughtful. I was even surprised to be invited to a birthday lunch by two of my co workers today with the hour when I should have been working covered by another co worker.

Right now I'm tired, confused, questioning everything, wondering if I should even be posting. Life does come at you fast.

Happy Wedding Anniversary

Thirty nine years. And with no actual "Will you marry me" from G. Nope. Never asked. And no engagement ring either. I did get a wedding ring. Nice wide gold band. And now I have diamonds.

We've had good years and really awful years. But we take care of each other and are good company on long car rides and winter evenings. We garden well together also. And make each other laugh.

Today I was happy to be married to him. I was sitting in my "breakfast chair" talking to G and watching the puppy play and looked up and what to my wondering eyes did appear--a BAT. Clinging to the silk lining of the hanging lamp shade. G calmly collected the BAT, showed it to me and the pup and then took it outside. A BAT in my HOUSE!

Now I think we may have to move to a house without a BAT.

Oh, G thought TOMORROW was our anniversary. He has only remembered it correctly once--our twenty year. With flowers (20 white roses), dinner and a diamond wedding band presented with raspberry cheesecake-- my favorite. Lovely memory!

September Roses

The Japanese beetles moved on to other places this year and I have a small vase of rose buds on my counter. In other years, before Japanese beetles, I could gather a vase of large rose blooms in September --for our anniversary. Maybe next year.

Here I am. Sixty pounds less of me. Today I wore pleated slacks with a white tee TUCKED in and my small belt on the last hole. People were very complimentary. Said I was just "wasting" away. I would prefer "waisting" away. Still room for improvement in the midriff area. And upper arms.

On Monday Riley ate a "bad" mushroom and got very sick. Vomited for almost an hour. G took him to the vet along with the remainder of the mushroom. Riley ate the fungus on my watch and I had taken the uneaten parts out of his mouth and saved it in case it was "bad". Then I went to work and G got home and the fun began. Riley is on boiled beef and rice. The vet also filled Riley's tummy with liquid charcoal to counter the poison. Riley is FINE. No worries. But he did scare G. I'm just relieved that it was gastric and not neurological. Cause I love that dog.

G and I searched the yard for mushrooms and filled a quart garden pot with them. I dug them up with my newly manicured nails. See how much I care! The mushrooms are round, low to the ground and covered with tiny dots. Cruel. My favorite pattern (dots) on poison mushrooms. I think I will have to make a "evil" quilt about these mushrooms with "bad" dots rather than happy ones.

September

I'm borrowing an image from a blogging friend. It really and truly suits me. In the Chinese calendar I'm a DOG. And an artist. And messy. And usually dressed in blue.

September. My birth month. I think of the whole month as MINE! So I will be unbearably cheerful and bouncy this month. Going to be married 39 years on the 15th and be 61 years old on the 18th. I'm hoping one of those occasions involves cake and ice cream.

I FINALLY made it to SIXTY POUNDS LOST. All of July was one big plateau and I didn't gain any weight and perhaps lost 3 pounds for the whole month. August was better and I made the effort to walk three or four miles a day. There were also a number of 800 calorie days in August. Not good but I wasn't hungry.

Riley is now old enough to walk several miles a day without danger of injury to growing hip joints. And this pup has the longest legs! And his head is getting so big (he's smart) and his coat is so shiny and guess what? He loves me. And I love him. I don't even mind that he smells like a dog. And believe me, that's something!

September is also the month when something is in bloom that makes my nose run like a faucet. I wish I knew what it is. Ragweed? Goldenrod? Could be any of the grasses with seed heads. Anyway, I am never far from my hanky.

I have to call and give the central vac guy the okay to replace the existing system with a new system and install an extension into the second floor so I can vacuum the guest suite and the stairs. Won't that be nice? He's also going to place the collection tank in the garage for easy emptying and as an added bonus-- we'll be able to vacuum out the cars with the central vac hoses. And I have to find doggie day care for Riley for Friday when G is at work and I have a Master Gardener class. Landscaping.

My brother is calling the bank to straighten out my Dad's annuity. The annuity my Dad says he never bought. I guess we've entered that scary part of elder parent care. Glad my brother offered to help me out on this. I was out of my depth with banking stuff. Especially "you say- he says" discussions.

So, 2 mile walk and an allergy tab and it's Tuesday so G and I will be grilling hamburgers for lunch. Well, I'll have a veggie burger but it's delicious. Tomorrow Indian food with a friend. It's all good this week. September. What's not to love???

New Work Surface

My work surface of choice this week is the bedroom floor. Carpet. At the end of the king four poster. I get to look at the progress (or lack) on my way in and out of bed and while gazing into the closet for wardrobe choices.

I'm working on a background of three pieces of fabric. There have been many changes and the butterfly is on hiatus. Everything I didn't like was replaced with things I like-NOW- and could stay or go as the day goes. I also have some branches sewn down. And two flowers. May make some more flower heads just to see what happens. And I'll be playing with leaf shapes.

Riley is walking a mile twice everyday. Sometimes in the morning with me and sometimes with G. Then again after work. I go to work. Riley chews on his bedding. He is loosing puppy teeth. We have salvaged 2 so far. He wants to eat them. Tooth Fairy Time.

Riley has a theme for Fall-- so many acorns: so little time. He chews and eats as many as he can get to on his walks. This is Maine and the road and yard are full of them. Also mushrooms or fungus--which he LOVES. I have to pry his jaws open to get them away from him.

I know that dogs are carnivores but Riley loves blueberries, raspberries, green beans and today he sampled zucchini when I sliced some for zucchini bread & butter pickles. Some one FINALLY took pity on me and gifted me with a big sack of zucchini. Thank You!!!!! I inserted some jalapeno peppers into the mix. The "pickle with the tickle". That would be Jack's Pickles made in Maine. The whole house smells like onions, vinegar and sugar with mustard seeds. Yummy. I water processed 6 pint jars. I need to make a second batch (and find more zucchini) to make enough to last all year. We have local zucchini on sale at our regular chain supermarket--and I may have to buy some. Fresh is so much better for pickles.

Three little cherry tomatoes are turning from green to yellow green so I may have three tomatoes to eat by Monday. I have tons of little green cherry tomatoes and just hope that September is good and sunny. I usually freeze bags of them (ripe) for a special pasta sauce G and I love. 10 or 12 quarts last year. I roast the tomatoes in a hot oven with olive oil and salt and pepper for 20-25 minutes, cool and bag. Sungold is their name. Sweet and tasty.

Had way too many green beans. Didn't blanch and freeze any because I was too lazy. Did roast them with EVOO and salt and peppper in a hot oven. Very good. Roasted veg are so nice.

I also have about 8 cucumbers on the counter and eat them with salt. Nice snack.

Progress-- Sort Of

This was one of the "quick fire" 15 minute small pieces from the Pamela Allen class. We each got the little printed face/head and had to "finish the picture" in some way. When I got this home I pulled off everything except the background and the dog. I found the dress and shoes on some printed commercial fabric and added the pink with green dots to make the space work and give the house something to sit on top of.

The velvet fish now has some gold stretchy cord giving it some definition. I added the little bouncey fringe (which I dye painted) and a fussy cut bunch of radishes from some commercial fabric. I still want to attach the lemon but haven't yet. I removed all the Pamela style primitive needle work as it just isn't "ME" and instead sewed everything down with invisible thread and a zigzag stitch on the machine. Cuz that IS me.


This has all been topstiched with invisible zigzag and now I'm doing a straight topstitch--sort of like big quilting in the violet purple pearl cotton #8. Some of the lines of the center fabric have been extended to the quilt edge with velveteen in a mossy green. Some new branches and flowers have been added along with the addition of flower centers cut from some commercial printed fabric.

All the flowers have been cut from my small collection of Wunder Under'ed fabrics and ironed down onto the dotted surface. Now that I have learned the most important lesson from Pamela Allen--to define the background into a recognizable surface (interior, exterior, landscape etc) I realize this will never amount to anything as the flat background will be a negative to the viewer. The dotted fabric doesn't "say" anything. No depth of perspective. The small square in the lower left is auditioning as a possible "table" or surface on which the vase can comfortably sit (it will stretch across the entire bottom if chosen and I will have to heat up the WU and try and lift those flowers on the lower right off the surface and on top of the "table").

What I had hoped to be working on right now. A large butterfly. I may replace the lower third fabric. It calls too much attention to itself. And the fabric (a long sleeve wrap top) that I got at Goodwill IS the perfect color, print etc for the butterfly ( you get a peek in the upper right corner). Nothing else is working well and will eventually be replaced.

What I have done today: walked one mile alone, walked one mile with dog, watched dog sleep so husband could weed back flower beds ( I was wanting to keep dog out of the crate since it's so hot here today but if he's out of the crate, he follows us around and won't sleep--so I watched cooking shows and dog got bored and went to sleep), made husband's lunch, continued to watch dog, baked husband some chocolate chip cookies since he "needs" dessert, forgot to turn off oven when finished (even hotter in here), started this post, called by husband to help give dog a bath, cleaned bathroom after bath, cleaned up wetting accident in spare bedroom (husband can not remember that puppies need to go outside to pee after every exciting thing--which includes a bath), now watching puppy so husband can take a shower. I think husband and puppy are going for a ride in the car so I will have 20 minutes to myself. Oh boy!

They are bringing back dinner. Happy dance!

Wednesday

Discussion Questions at the end of this post.

So far, this week has been fun but I haven't gotten to read or create anything. I have tomorrow and the weekend to do something as my husband is off work and there will be two of us doing puppy stuff.

Riley is getting to be happy to see us and barrels over and hits me in the knees with all 44 pounds. So far I haven't fallen over. I sidestep as best I can. Nothing in the world like the happy greeting of a puppy. 100%.

Cherry tomato spaghetti for dinner tonight with the last of 2006 tomatoes. And no ripe 2007 tomatoes yet--if ever--with the temperature dropping into the 50's at night. My fault for starting the seeds so late. I have winter squash growing, not many cucumbers and all green tomatoes and lots of little yellow tomato blossoms. My cabbages look fantastic.

I have a question for all the art quilters out there who make things to sell. Do you use a gallery or agent to sell for you? If not what do you do. Do you use "gallery" pricing? That means you double the price you want to cover the commission costs. I sell a few things but think I could do better with more exposure. A website with paypal is also an option. Any thoughts on that?

Sunday

August but feeling a lot like October. Maine. What a wonderland of temperature. The nights are getting into the high 40's inland but still in the 50's here by the coast. Sleeping is GREAT! And I start my walk each morning with long pants and a sweatshirt and each time I pass the mailbox (my own), I place a clothing item in until I'm in shorts and a tee. The neighbors are mum on this undressing. And since I walk past them a total of 6 times in the 3 miles--they do get to see the changes.

Today I weeded the back gardens and cut down the non-flowering lilac. To the ground. I've asked G to spray the whole garden with Round-Up and we'll start over next spring. Sometimes you just have to give up.

If the dog will cooperate I want to make a quilt today. Yep. A whole quilt start to finish. I may need to bind it tomorrow and add the hanging pocket but today should be enough time to make something. I want a field of flowers, blue sky and a butterfly. A Pamela Allen butterfly made of silks and velvets in rich yummy texture and color. I may return one pair of sweat pants I got at Goodwill yesterday and purchase this strange printed wrap thing. It's red with dots and I think I need it for fabric. So that's what I'll do.

Goodwill had two sequined dresses for sale. But too hard to stitch down. I'll leave them for someone to buy for Halloween costumes.

I think I'll feel 100% if I make something. I've been feeling like something is missing. The creative, edgy thing. And a butterfly seems to be what I want to make.

Wendy's southwest Taco Salad for dinner last night. OH! It was delicioso! I added a Romaine heart for more salad.

Today

Is he not the cutest dog evah?

G and I drove to New Hampshire for the World Quilt Show yesterday and it was okay. Each year it gets slightly less fabulous and slightly less attended. This year there were NO crowds. The traditional quilters were happy. Where's the art?

After the show we drove to Carrabas for our dinner. We had mussels in butter sauce with Pernod and good crusty bread. Salad. And I had a perfectly broiled tenderloin which was also perfectly seasoned. I chose both vegetables as side dishes but the grilled summer veg was spectacular. I even had dessert. (some of G's). The server said "boy, you both ate fast". Not a good comment to make. We didn't think we ate fast. We did make conversation.

Then home to pick up Riley from Doggie Day Care where he played with puppies from his litter and other started pups. The breeder will keep and train a puppy for the owner until the owner is ready to take the dog home. They have the complete obedience package. I have no idea how long the breeder will keep the pups but Riley's litter mates are 4.5 months old now. Riley was a started dog so he had some training before we got him. Yesterday the breeder worked on Riley's lack of interest in "walking". He likes to lay down in the road. Well. I don't know what she did to him--but he walks now. No pulling. Just walking. And mighty fast walking.

Riley went to sleep at 9 pm last night and we woke him up this morning at 8. Then he fell asleep again at 9. Doggie Day Care is some fabulous thing.

I picked cucumbers and green beans today and plan to have another Nicoise salad for dinner with tomatoes, green beans, half a potato, tuna, green pepper, olives and the hard boiled egg I got at the grocery salad bar. I wonder what one boiled egg costs? { 60 cents }

I also bought 2 melons and a pineapple to cube for the weekend. I am really excited about my diet again as I fit into size 14 pants now and it doesn't matter what brand. They all fit. And size large shirts. No more XL for this gal. I think we should schedule a parade.

I have stacks of plus size winter clothes to go to the resale shop in the next week or so. Plus size doesn't sell as well as 14,16,18. Six of the summer things sold and 10 items are still on sale. I get them back at the end. Fabric.

So What Have I Been Doing?

Riley is now Four Months old. He's been living here for 30 days. Seems like he's always been here. He is one very mellow dog.

I've been walking my 2 or 3 miles a day and eating my 1200 calories and going to work and trying to be nice to everyone (I was rude to one patron and got called on it) and I have actually read 3 books. And I may try to read another one.

I also unpiled the guest room bed--- took all the piles of "stuff" I stored on it off and now I have it stored on the vaccumed floor instead. Then I helped take the bed apart and my husband and daughter carried it out to the cart and tied it on and took it to Sam's house so she could move up to a real mattress and boxspring and not slats and a futon. She told the cats they now have a "grown-up" bed.

I picked cucumbers and green beans out of my weedy garden. No tomatoes. Sam gave me a big bagful of yellow summer squash which I fried with onion and it was delicious. Did I tell you this already?

I have NOT managed to get any fabric work done--other than loads of laundry-- and I am really sad about that. But I have been on puppy duty and have to do the "click and cheese" training for Obedience School each Wednesday. Riley has to keep his grades up. Next week he'll probably get a low grade as he refuses to even think about "go settle". I have my work cut out for me.

Riley found a dead squirrel hanging in an eye level bush yesterday. That section of the yard is now "the place" to go. I could have passed on that event as the crows had already found the body and removed the head. ICK doesn't begin to describe it. I could probably get Riley to "go settle" over by the dead squirrel but then I'd have to bring it to school to get him to do it for the teacher.

Manchester World Quilt Show on Thursday. Doggie Day Care for Riley. Dinner at Carraba's for G and me (we have dinner there and call it our Anniversary Dinner because we never have time to actually go out on the real anniversary date). We don't eat out on my birthday 3 days late either. What am I doing wrong?

DOG

The universe is a strange and magical thing. I can't even begin to understand the way things work. So I'm going to tell you a little story. Maybe you can figure it out.

After we gave our first puppy back to the breeder, I began to dream of a black dog who sat at the end of the driveway. In my dreams, the black dog was sitting there at the end of the driveway waiting. I thought it was unfinished business. Guilt. Remorse. Second thoughts. I would wake up crying. The dream always made me sad.

Now, after 2 months of thinking and dreaming, we have a second black puppy. A puppy who races down the driveway to sit at the end and wait. For me.

Fantabulous Sunday With Pamela

We worked on a larger scale; a portrait or face; and we worked on the same piece all day which was so much less hectic than the 5 pieces on Friday. Each of the pieces I worked on this weekend have bits of my handpainted fabric in them -- my personal touch. This piece is also personal to me as it's going to be all about the changes in my life regarding diet. The weighing, counting, measuring. The numbers. The tape measure. I may quilt sections of my food diary into the red background.

I always think these are clear and then they are blurry and I apologize. That's my painted polka dot fabric center stage in this photo along with 34 pounds and 56 pounds. I found the measuring tape fabric in one of the vendor booths. Love it. Pamela saw it and went straight down to get some for herself.

The neckline with red tape measure fabric. I think it is marketed along with the Dick and Jane stuff. A fellow student gave me two shades of organza for the head. Thank you!

I never did learn anything about embellishment in either of the classes. What I did learn was to make a background that says something. Interior, exterior, perspective, landscape. Then and only then begin making shapes for the subject of the quilt. And by this time the quilt may have other ideas on what that subject is. Your first idea is always the worst idea.

After the big shapes are in start hand stitching them down. Don't fiddle with the little bits. The big bits need doing first. Your hand stitching is like your handwriting. Each of us has their own personal style. Use it to your advantage. Say something. With the stitches. With the thread color.

Now begin to develop the big shapes. Divide. If something isn't showing up--cut a light or dark shape with scissors and place it behind. Leave it there if it works. Replace it if it doesn't. Cut 25 bits till you get the one that does the job. Hang the piece on the wall. Stand back. What bothers you? Change it. Fix it. Remove it. Make it bigger. Make it a different color.

Stand with scissors in hand. Work at free hand cutting of shapes. Trim on the quilt surface. Keep cutting and replacing until you get it right or decide to throw that whole section on the floor and stamp on it. Make something else. I really think it would be best to have 2 and possibly 3 pieces in different stages of development and move back and forth between them.

Quilt. Machine quilt with themes that mean something. In her hot flash quilt, Pamela has little fire engines complete with ladders and hoses racing to the "fire". Do word association to come up with things relating to your subject. In my quilt: measuring, scales, food diary, numbers, walking etc. Don't just make squiggles. NO echo quilting.

Bind.

And I guess this is where the embellishment happens. Pamela took an angel or fairy quilt and made it into a tooth fairy quilt with the addition of two boxes. One holds a nickle coin. One holds a tooth. The fairy has a crown made of dental mirrors. The story: the tooth fairy doesn't pay very well anymore. A nickle doesn't cover two tooth implants that Pamela needs.

So when it comes to embellishment I have been a "Premature Embellisher". I have cute stuff and want to make a quilt to use all that stuff. WRONG. When the quilt is all DONE it will let me know what it needs in the way of embellishment. I will just have to LEARN to WAIT. Well, damn!

Six Quilts with Pamela Allen

First of all, all the "pre-class work" was useless. We winged it. Pamela would give us a subject and color story and set us to work. Quilt in an hour. Usually less. Critque was valuable. Everyone got personal time--helpful artistic time --with Pamela. This is my second piece. Two colors across the color wheel from each other and a fish somewhere in the piece. My fish is velour. I have a styro lemon that I am wanting to stitch onto this SO BAD.

Our first project--and to start I had to rip the three background pieces off the a pre-made background and then dump all my black and white off cuts out and get going- fast. So this is a big bowl and white tomato. I did some additional stitching on the fish quilt and this one this afternoon.

Third piece. After lunch. We were given a chunk of weird fabric and asked to expand and continue the design. As little trimming of the original chunk as possible. My chunk had a branch to the right and then a wide brown space and that little "candle flame" leaf upper left and a partial leaf center bottom. Everything else you see-- I "made". I have since added some flowers to the "candle".

Fourth and running out of gas. Boy was I tired by the time we got to this one at 3 in the afternoon. Since I am in the "portrait" class tomorrow I got to choose a garden or landscape instead of the portrait the others worked on. They did GREAT! And Pamela and I think this was my best attempt of the day. I had fun making it.

I used some of my "Sonji style" painted fabrics in the fish and garden pieces and they are the personal part of the work. Pamela wants us to get personal with the work. She advocates hand sewing because each of us have "signature" ways of stitching--like handwriting.

I can't imagine what it would have been like to have taken classes with Pamela all three days. I needed today to rest and re group. And think. And sort my supplies. Tomorrow a self portrait. And the space and time to work on it for the entire day.

Pamela is doing a 5 day workshop in the Hudson Valley and she says it's better. The work gets done and the light bulb in the creative mind goes on and stays on.

But I do have to say our Friday class was minus all those things that make classes so frustrating. The teacher hog. The whiner. The know it all. The person who refuses to do the assignment. We all just did the work, learned from the critque, and kept going. And we all made 4 little quilts and one little postcard "quiz". Or "quick fire" as I named it. 15 minute time limit. Talk about stressful! Seacoast with clouds.

I hope Sunday's class is just as wonderful.

Oh, and the one hour in the car each way, on the highway, through a toll booth, past an 18 wheeler on fire, getting passed by every single car (who cares?) was SO hard. I was so tired when I got home. I could barely get to the couch and lay down.

Wednesday 7-25

Pins and Needles. Today Riley and I went to the Vet. All sorts of well puppy shots. Nails clipped. Weighed (35 pounds). Nice sitting. Overbite. Some concern on the hips. And then while I waited for the bill--which took forever--Riley peed on the floor. Big puddle. A $140 puddle.

I know you are all wondering how the dog and I are doing. If I had to use one word to describe our days together it would be "easy". I do believe in God and I think he provided this dog so we could --all three of us--be happy together. There is no other explanation.

Riley and I also did the ride in the car thing. A first for me. Had to pick him up and lift him in as he is still too short to get in by himself. Riley is VERY good in the car. I guess I shouldn't have said that. Jinx it. Car was also on "empty". G likes to wait till the last possible moment to get a fill.

Riley is now napping and I am making pizza for our Obedience School car trip (33 miles one way) this evening. We have "studied" the sit and the down with cheese reinforcement. Riley should continue to be "teacher's pet" (since the other dogs are 8 and 10 weeks). What a "good boy". And he likes when I sing "You Are My Sunshine" to him. Riley is possibly the only one who will ever like my singing.

Still trying to get my stuff together for my class on Friday. I did layer 6 scraps of fusible batting to backing fabric (polka dots) and just have to do the fronts. Pamela wants 3-4 fabrics in a nice backgroundish arrangement on each of the 6 pieces. Not easy. But I am making do with whatever is to hand in the wastebasket as usual. Will I ever use the shelves full of fabric in the closet????? I'm thinking the answer to that question is "NO". Why do I like junk so much more?

Well, pizza baking is complete. Time for Riley to have lunch and fetch a stick for exercise and then it's the crate for him and the library for me. We certainly are busy around here!

Oh, I read a book. Innocent As Sin by Elizabeth Lowell. I think she phoned it in. And I am a third into Stalin's Ghost by Martin Cruz Smith. Arkady. So completely written that I feel like I know him. A new Kurland awaits. Time travel romance. Summer reading. And, for my son, I would like a copy of How To Eat by Nigella Lawson for my birthday.

Blueberries

I always notice the *blur* after uploading. Sorry about that. Anyway, the pup loves blueberries and they are ready for picking right now. The wild ones. I shared some of the berries I picked in a vacant building lot with the dog and now he "picks his own". Riley can sniff the berries out and he has found several spots on our property with berries.

Riley also got to sample my raspberries and stops by the bushes to get some on his perimeter walk several times a day. Now those berries are MINE! Try telling that to a determined berry eating puppy.

It's been a good week. We went to obedience school and are working on "name recognition", "sit" and "down". With a clicker and string cheese. Though he will do the training for blueberries.

G is working the afternoon/evening shift this weekend so Riley and I will be bonding. Between naps (the dog) I will be trying to make my 6 foundation pieces for my class with Pamela Allen next Friday. I also have to make a larger foundation for a self portrait quilt next Sunday. And collect materials for embellishments. And fabric. Glue sticks. Scissors.

I also want to finally change the slipcovers on the two big sofas from winter blue denim to white and change the red and white antique quilt on the wall to a pink and yellow one. Summer is almost over and I'm not decorated! And if it stops raining, I plan to go pick raspberries (for me). Yesterday G and I munched on giant sweet cherries. I think we ate a full pound of them. So good. I love summer fruit. And I've been having iced coffee everyday. Loving that!

Hello

I still don't have a name. I like to take long naps, short walks and rest on my dog bed in between. I like to catch moths and swallow them and Joanne picked blueberries for me along the side of the road. They were good. I have a big head, long legs and a mellow attitude. Not much bothers me.

Anyone got any good name suggestions for this "old" soul?