A Different Life II

[mimiandrews]

Blackie jumps like that when it's time for me to feed her. Must be a lab thing. They do leap.

[Lily&Me]

Emptying the big sideboard today, one drawer of it has held all the cards from all the flowers Doug ever sent me....beginning the day after our first date in December 1986, the last our 21st wedding anniversary in November 2013...along with the pile of his ink-drawn hearts, our initials within and an arrow going thru, which he drew in later years on paper tablecloths at restaurants.

Also occasion or just-because cards that didn't fit in the stuffed full drawer in the bedroom.

We spent 10 days in Paris in November 2012, to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary.

[Gearheart]

Glad that you had a love like that. Not everyone is so richly blessed.

[Lily&Me]

I know, and I am grateful every day for his time in my life.

It wasn't perfect, but we were bonded, and we were soul mates...that is special....we got each other better than anyone else.

Sigh. Life.

My current prayer shawl project....the stitch is called "thistle".

I've just finished a pretty pink one, and this is a very pale green...spring colors.

[Gearheart]

WOW. Beautiful.

[Lily&Me]

Thanks, Gerard...it is a lovely but very simple stitch.

"We'll always have Paris" is, of course, a famous quote by Rick to Ilsa in "Casablanca"....a favorite movie of Doug's, one of the few that we owned and watched several times a year.

Doug ushered at the local theatre when he was in high school...many of us remember when movie houses had ushers ...and saw many movies many, many times.

He was a virtual storehouse of movie trivia.


Whenever I am watching or reading the news, and see something I know he would pay close attention to, the tangible connection to him and his legacy to my life and person palpably increases.

Look at that, honey!

Doug was smarter than me, and more aware and learned in some areas than I could ever hope to be.

I turned to him for explanation and clarification of many events, world-wide and/or political, as he forgot more in his lifetime than I ever knew and understood on many topics...and he didn't forget much.

These were his areas of study and expertise, while mine were much different. We helped each other at different points in time.

Watching and reading the news these past six months or so, I often visualize him standing near, pursing his lips and shaking his head.

I try to imagine his comments and predictions, and wish he were here to share them.

Maggie

[Lily&Me]

But for giving the table and chairs a good cleaning, the antique oak is ready to go next week.

The china cabinet, still with its original, beveled glass, was emptied and cleaned this morning...including the set of tiny, porcelain, cups and saucers from Denmark which were a wedding gift to my grandparents from Nana's sister in the old country.

Sending them off to darling daughter.


Ordering something from Amazon last week, my House Wine Riesling I discovered a couple of years ago... and dearly love...popped up. It's been unavailable for quite a long time, so I ordered several boxes.

It arrived this morning, but a double shipment, apparently filled twice...one invoice has all the necessary information, the other has no shipping date nor tracking number.

I have emailed the seller, tho I entertained a brief thought of saying nothing , but in the meantime I have SIX boxes of this delicious wine.

Maggie

[mimiandrews]

if properly stored, wine gets better with age, doesn't it?

[Lily&Me]

Vacuum sealed, it surely shouldn't go bad.

One box is in my frig, and sending one with my son and his wife. If the sellers want it back, I will offer to buy it, but I doubt I hear anything.

I have so much stuff now that I have no place to put, with that furniture emptied.

Giving some things to my kids, some to those getting their own apartments, some to Goodwill, and some things are going directly into the trash.

I think of my kids having to empty all the nooks and crannies of this house, and I hate to put them thru that.

A good opportunity to do some ridding out.

Maggie

[mimiandrews]

Maggie, you are doing your kids an immense favor.

My dear John came from a family that kept everything. I helped clean out his mom's house after she died. Later, I helped clean out his sister's house after she had a bad stroke and had to go into a nursing home. I found I was handling a whole lot of the very same stuff. Now, I find some of it here, and I cleaned out what seemed to be tons of it before I sold the house in Keller. If they'd paid for it, they were determined to keep it, no matter what.

So, my advise is keep on cleaning. I'm doing that here, as I can. If my new house takes six months to build, that might, just might be enough time to get this mess in hand.

[Lily&Me]

Returning something to JCPenney yesterday, a display of mugs near the Customer Service counter caught my eye.

I love a nice coffee mug, and purchase a couple a year that I feel I just have to have.

This one...Pfaltzgraff, very inexpensive, perfect size, shape and heft in my hand...a real mug, for a serious coffee drinker.

The rosy pink lettering was also a plus.

Early mornings, at home or away, are about comfort ritual...coffee, check email, the news and the Forums, and wake up slowly.

When I travel, a favorite mug always goes with me....no styrofoam or cardboard in a hotel room, thank you very much, but a lovely mug, tucked in amongst soft somethings to await mornings.

One must have a proper mug in ones hand to do tea or coffee correctly, and really feel the experience...

[DIR1]

Hi there!! Yes, I love a good coffee mug... it's like an ongoing search...always looking... enjoy the day there... keep having fun!!! Can't wait for the next trip!! Hugs and love from out here on the on again off again sunny Oregon coast!!!

[Lily&Me]

Hi Gail, and I know how much you also like nice coffee mugs.

Hope things are drying out on the west coast for you.


Maggie

[Lily&Me]

Coming to you from beautiful and peaceful Grace Hill Cemetery...

The grand in Iowa City has a ballet recital this evening, and I will spend the night with them...Lily has been left with my son, me in the new car but pining a bit for the Interstate, and wishing I had spent the night here.

Cool and breezy in this hillside cemetery, the only sounds the wind and the birds.

There's another new grave since I was here just 6 weeks ago or so...but an old name, the area clustered with these family members.

Nice.

I had thought I would plant another rosebush at Doug's grave, but decided that with no one near to water and tend to it, better to just go with tradition, and silk.

Red roses, in a grave planter, anchored from within by a bag of black pebbles, which will hopefully help keep it upright.

We've had a very busy week, and next week will be more so.

I was wide awake a 4am this morning, tasks needing completed hurtling thru my brain the moment I was awake, so just hauled my ass out of bed and began my day....coffee, first, of course.

My kitchen counter has been full of items pulled from the antique oak, but 8 got that all to wherever it was going this morning, so I don't have to look at it again.

It made me want to shriek and dive into it every time I saw it.

Better, now, and reasonable tidiness will greet me when I return home tomorrow.

[Lily&Me]

Coming to you from beautiful and peaceful, Grace Hill Cemetery...

The grand in Iowa City has a ballet recital this evening, and I will spend the night with them...Lily has been left with my son, me in the new car but pining a bit for the Interstate, and wishing I had spent the night here.

Cool and breezy in this hillside cemetery, the only sounds the wind and the birds.

There's another new grave since I was here just 6 weeks ago or so...but an old name, the area clustered with these family members.

Lots of families and extended families here together. Nice.

I had thought I would plant another rosebush at Doug's grave, but decided that with no one near to water and tend to it, better to just go with tradition, and silk.

Red roses, in a grave planter, anchored from within by a bag of black pebbles, which will hopefully help keep it all upright.

We've had a very busy week, and next week will be more so.

I was wide awake at 4am this morning, tasks needing completed before I left hurtling thru my brain the moment I was awake, so I just hauled my ass out of bed and began my day....with coffee, first, of course.

My kitchen counter has been full all week of items pulled from the antique oak, but i got that all to wherever it was going this morning, so I don't have to look at it again.

It made me want to shriek and tear into it every time I saw it.

I like neat and tidy....when you're in a small space, order begets serenity...at least, for me.

Better, now, and reasonable tidiness will greet me when I return home tomorrow.


Maggie

[Lily&Me]

There was a lovely performance, as always....very University, and so much different than flash of when my daughter had recitals.

A nice visit with truly good people, too.

We are safely home, and all is well.

Maggie

[DIR1]

Happy mothers day to you Maggie!!!

[Lily&Me]

Thank you, Gail, and Happy Mothers Day to all Mothers everywhere.

Maggie

[Lily&Me]

All of a sudden, summer is here....high of 87 today, and going to be that way all week.

That's okay, as 99% of the yard work is done, and I have good Central AC.

Skyping with darling daughter this morning, she is walking around the house with her iPad, showing me her Craigslist, LetGo and Goodwill finds...lamps, end and bed tables, etc., restored to colors that suit her via cans of spray paint.

She is also planting clematis, killing weeds in her yard, and putting down mulch...all of these things for the very first time in her life.

They are loving their house, and thoroughly enjoying making it their own...a second stage of their lives together, or perhaps third....courtship, marriage, home ownership. I'm happy for them.

Off to son's in a bit, where I will be the guest who has been told to bring nothing. I can do that.

Tomorrow morning, the second to last step in permanent crowns on my two front teeth....visiting the dental lab to be sure the shade is right. It has been a bit of a nightmare, as one of the temporary caps came off on day two, and has had to be re-affixed...more than once, actually, in the past 11 days ...with drugstore repair stuff, which just really doesn't do a very good job. Yikes.

It's an hour each way to my dentist, and I just didn't want to take the time this past week to go over there for proper glue.

I'll spare you the grisly details, but I will be glad to have this done with on Wednesday...it is a much more involved process than one would think.

All of my wild geraniums are doing well, including the ones planted horizontally and directly into the ground. They will nicely fill the bed on the west side of the house, and should be beautiful next year.

Other new plantings are thriving, after all the rain and now the hot sun, and I will be able to harvest parsley and basil before I leave on the next long trip in about a month.

Pesto will be made, the parsley will be bagged and frozen for winter soups. Yum.

Not getting any younger, I need to be working on my bucket list, and one of those items is to see Italy and Spain. Something to do while I am healthy and strong, saving more sedentary items...like taking the train across Canada...for later.

I've decided to go next fall, by myself, hopefully rent a car for at least part of the time, and maybe also see the south of France.

Friends I could travel with for a couple of weeks, they not killing me and me not them , can't do this for various reasons...so, as with my beloved Interstate, one goes alone or stays home.

I could train from one place to another, and may do some of that, but...as in traveling the back roads in this country...there is so much more to see, so much more charm, off the beaten and most traveled paths.

A car is needed for that, and at least they drive on the same side of the road there as we do here. Doug drove in Ireland and England, while I navigated, but I would never, ever try that.

So, if y'all have any thoughts or suggestions, throw them out there.

Maggie

[Rocinante]

The south of France? You're gonna want to listen to that Jimmy Buffett song, "Overkill," haha.

We loved Italy in the North, (Milan, Venice and Friul province where DW's family is from), as well as Florence & Sienna, and then Rome was of course spectacular. I've only been to Paris in France, while on a business trip. It was of course lovely, though I was frustrated to have so little time there.

Anyway, sounds like a wonderful set of places to visit. If you want guided tours, you could do worse than Rick Steves, a local boy here in the PNW who has done well and has also done good. His guide books are wonderful, and some day we hope to take one of his tours.