I Miss Them

The house is so quiet that we can hear Six's toenails when he walks into the living room.

The quiet is nice but I miss the laughter shared by the three generations of our family.

Late last night (well, almost early this morning), Lise and I were whispering in the hall outside her bedroom about what time she was going to leave in the morning. She said that she would like to be on the road by 9:30 so she was going to set her alarm for 8:00AM. As she scrolled through the menu on her cell phone, she mistakenly activated a tone. We both started giggling since we were trying so hard to not wake any of the seven people already asleep. The more we tried to stop the harder we laughed. Soon tears were running down our faces.

This is one of the things I will miss.

My sixteen-year-old grandson and I played several games one afternoon while the rest were out and about. He and I have played double solitaire since he was old enough to understand the game. We also played Racko and Bananagrams, the latter is our favorite.

This is one of the things I will miss.

One of my thirteen-year-old granddaughters buffed my nails while we watched Despicable Me.

This is one of the things I will miss.

My other thirteen-year-old granddaughter showed me all the shapes she could make with the Bucky Balls we gave her.

This is one of the things I will miss.

My twelve-year-old grandson immediately wanted to build the Lego-version of Fallingwater that we gave him.

This is one of the things I will miss.

My youngest granddaughter hugged the globe with such delight that my Sweetie and I gave her for Christmas.

This is one of the things I will miss.

But what I will miss most is just being in their company.

The Last Whole Day with the Gang

Everyone enjoyed the Holiday French Toast I had assembled late last night and baked this morning for brunch. Click here for recipe.

We debated the merits of the two versions: one with Granny Smith apples and the other with Melrose, the Ohio apple. It was decided that the flavor of the Melrose was on the sweeter side but the firmness of the Granny Smith was better. A couple diners felt that the addition of Maine wild blueberry syrup added a bit of tartness that was a nice counterpoint to the sweetness of the apples and brown sugar.

Then it was off to the sledding hill in Forest Hills Park for all the grandkids and one courageous adult. They returned cold but very happy. It seems that two Flexible Flyers that I brought down from the loft in the garage were the favored rides. These sleds, originally my sister's and mine, have been in the loft since 1986. How nice that they were used again.

Dinner found us at Tommy's, the favorite of the older grandkids. Then it was off to ice skating or shopping.

Back home it was one last indulgence, the pecan pie I had made while everyone else was either sledding or napping.

Tomorrow the house will be too quiet.

Another Day of Hanging with Family

This has been a day filled with love and laughter. And, of course, more food!

This evening we all enjoyed Despicable Me. As I watched it with one granddaughter on one side and two on the other, I thought about the animated films of my daughters' childhood. They weren't even close to being laugh-out-loud funny. We all enjoyed this one.

Now it is time to get a few hours of sleep so we can begin again tomorrow.

Belated Christmas Dinner with All the Trimmings

What is it about a turkey dinner that causes one to overeat?

Is it the delicious food in abundance or is it the company of loved ones?

Whatever the reasons all of us heartily partook of turkey, bread stuffing, apple-mallow-yam bake, orange-cranberry relish, cranberry sauce, steamed broccoli, apple pie, and pumpkin pie.

After the holidays my Sweetie and I will return to our sensible eating habits. But for now we will eat, drink, and be merry.

Family: Together Again

Having everyone here makes Christmas more memorable. There is nothing that replaces being hugged by them.

Fortunately, both families left New England before the nor'easter hit. But both are also a little mad that they are going to miss the first significant snow fall of the season.

The Massachusetts contingent arrived in time to play in the snow. They have had no accumulation at home. It was great fun watching them have a snowball fight and ski around the yard before they took off for the park.

Tomorrow we will exchange presents and eat entirely too much. But more importantly, we will laugh a lot.

Merry Christmas

I hope everyone gave and received in the spirit of this holiday.

Christmas Eve

Procrastination can be advantageous.

On Christmas Eve morning my Sweetie and I finally had the time and energy to get our tree. Fortunately, Bremec's on the Heights Garden Center carry my favorite tree, a Fraser Fir.

As we walked toward the outside area where colorful annuals and perennials are on display during the growing season, I noticed a sign that said that all trees were 1/2 off. No sooner had we started looking at the dozen or so trees that were left, when the owner came out and called out, "Any tree for $20.00." Original price? $69.99 for an 8-footer.

After we had selected our tree, I noticed the wreathes. My Sweetie went in to ask about the prices. He returned with a smile, "No matter what size they are $5.00."

I selected a large one composed of three kinds of evergreens, pine cones, and berries. Original price? $38.99.

Sometimes procrastinators win.

Mike, Our General Contractor, Is Amazing

Both today and Tuesday Mike the Contractor came to our house to complete some of the items on what we had labeled, The Crucial Punch List. These were items that we wanted done before the family arrives on Sunday.

On Tuesday he installed the four ceiling fixtures that were not part of the original contract.

Today he cut tile to finish the bathroom threshhold, sealed the ceramic tile in the bathroom and the kitchen, ripped out the drywall behind the dishwasher for a better fit, mounted the TV on the wall, and installed the roll-out shelves under the sink.

He has been an amazing person to work with. We will miss him.

My Sweetie Was Completely Surprised!

It is very difficult to shop for my Sweetie since he usually buys whatever he wants. But today he was totally surprised.

Yesterday I sent him this email: "Hi Love, Tomorrow around 10:00 AM be ready to go with me to a special place."

If it hadn't been snowing heavily, I would have led him a merry dance all around town. But since it was, I opted for the direct route. But I did employ some subterfuge by pretending that I was looking for a store we had never been to. Finally, I told him to turn into the parking lot of House of Lights.

After we were greeted by Susie, I turned to him and said, "Merry Christmas! Pick out a lamp for your office."

Now this may not sound like a great present but I wish you could have seen the look on his face when I suggested that he look at the Holtkoetter ones. These marvels of German engineering are truly amazing. Click here to check them out.

He thought I meant a desk lamp so he was surprised again when I told him to look at floor lamps. Then I decided to give him both. He was delighted. Later he said that it was a great surprise. As he said, "You really got me this time."

Floor lamp


Desk lamp

Our Mail Comes through the Slot Again

Such a simple thing really.

We are fortunate to live in a city where the mail carrier brings the mail to our front porch. In our case that means s/he slides it through the mail slot to the left of the front door.

No more will my Sweetie or I ask the other, "Did you get the mail?"

Today I smiled when I heard the brass door being lifted, the mail being slid in, and the door closing again.

I left a thank you to all our carriers who were so obliging in using our non-conventional mail box.

An unorthodox mailbox but it served the purpose.

Windows

Today the garden cottage gained two windows, roof shingles, and a door knob and lock.

John the Carpenter smiled when I told him about not calling it a shed anymore. He takes such pride in his work as well he should.

It will look even better in the spring when it is painted to match the house and garage.

The window on the west side of the cottage.

Not a Day of Rest

Today my Sweetie reclaimed the right side of the garage for the new car. That meant moving the last of the construction materials to one side and relocating more of the gardening items to the cottage.

I spent most of the day in the basement, sorting through the detritus from the temporary kitchen, digging out the boxes of Christmas decorations, and organizing the history of our lives so that some of it could be moved into the cottage.

Since the grandkids will be here in a week, the rec room aspect of the basement must be restored. I had plans for the basement to be painted and new flooring installed. But since we just moved out of it, that won't happen. Now my goal is to reclaim the space for the Wii and the game table.

Thank goodness my Sweetie is willing and able to help me.

First Dinner in the New Kitchen

Today while John the Carpenter continued siding the garden "cottage", as we have begun calling it since Xena from WOW said that it was too grand to be called a shed, I scraped the finish off our kitchen table.

I was just finishing when John and his brother Adam came in out of the cold to move the table from the basement back to the kitchen. I had moved the trestle up last evening but there was no way that my Sweetie and I could carry the oak top which is 36" x 60" and over an inch thick.

As I began oiling it, the beauty of the oak was revealed after being under layers of polyurethane for decades. We can't believe how the oiled oak matches the stained pine flooring. Serendipitous.



Pretty amazing

Mikey Didn't Like It Either, Part 2

Two days ago I was upset when I saw scratches on our bedroom floor. They weren't there before the plumber carried the box that contained a toilet to our 3rd floor bathroom. But there they were - four scratches down to bare wood. My Sweetie thought it looked as if the plumber had slid the box when he reached the top of the stairs. Maybe there was a staple sticking out.

I suppose it was especially upsetting because my Sweetie and I had spent a month in 2008 sanding and scraping the old finish off, cleaning out the spaces between the boards, and applying three coats of polyurethane.

The before photo

The whole floor looked like the edges when we ripped up the wall-to-wall carpeting. It took lots of sanding and hand scraping to remove all the old adhesive.

But it was all worth it when we were finished.

The after photo

As soon as Mike saw the scratches, he said that they would be fixed.

My Friends Pronounced It Awesome

Today I hosted WOW, my writing group of amazing women. I really should have had a camera in hand to catch their reactions when they saw the kitchen. They loved it. Easy had said a few weeks ago that it was going to be jaw-dropping beautiful. Indeed, that is exactly what happened when she walked in. She was speechless for quite a while. I don't think that I have ever seen her at a loss for words. Either Lake or Xena thought it was more amazing in person. All decreed that it is perfect.

At one point during the afternoon I took a break from writing and walked into the kitchen. I was stunned by the transformation. This morning it was not ready for company. Cardboard and kraft paper still protected the floor. The buffet was still in two pieces in the dining room. There were no switch or outlet covers.

John the Carpenter and Reed his able Assistant arrived around 8:30 to whip the place into shape. Besides taking care of some odds and ends of carpentry, they removed the kraft paper on the kitchen floor, the plastic runner on the stairs, and all the construction debris. They also swept the floors and the carpet on the stairs. They moved the buffet into the kitchen and attached the top. John even offered to mop the kitchen floor. Brett the Electrician showed up to connect the power to the half bath light and outlet. He also installed all the switch and outlet covers. I was sure that I would be entertaining without them.

A special thanks to my Sweetie who was up at 5:30 to wash the windows in the upper cabinets and a myriad of other chores. It would not have been possible without him.

Tomorrow morning Mike the Contractor is coming by to go over the punch list. It is amazing that there are still more than a dozen items on it. Please let's be done before Christmas.

Merry Christmas, Sweetie

This picture is worth more words than I can write.

We're Getting Close

The tiling in the kitchen was almost finished today. A few more square feet and it will be done.

Two of the three toilets were installed. The second and final bathroom sink was installed, complete with faucets and running water.

Tomorrow the tiler and the plumber return to finish. Then we wait 72 hours before the tile can be sealed.

We hope that the electrician will come tomorrow to finish his work. It would be nice to be able to turn on the light he installed in the half bath on Saturday.

I have to finish painting the kitchen and half bath. We will make the decision on the color for the second floor bath once the lights are installed.

Oh, so close.

Favored Locations?

The latest from the NWS:

LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE INTO TUESDAY NIGHT WITH ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATION OF 8 TO 12 INCHES EXPECTED IN THE FAVORED LOCATIONS WITH LOCAL AMOUNTS TO 2 FEET POSSIBLE. LESSER ACCUMULATIONS WILL OCCUR RIGHT ALONG THE LAKESHORE AND IN WESTERN CUYAHOGA COUNTY.

I would prefer that we are not one of the favored locations.

The Garage Is for Cars Again

My Sweetie moved the last 19 clapboards out of the garage this morning. It took a couple of hours to turn the painting workshop into a garage again.

We moved some of the gardening tools into the shed but it is mostly filled with the clapboards. Hopefully, they will be put up tomorrow if there isn't a lot of snow in Parma.

I know that you are scratching your head wondering why does it matter if it snows in Parma. If there is "plowable" snow, John the Carpenter will be clearing driveways and parking lots rather than nailing up the rest of the 110 clapboards.

When John left on Friday, he said not to expect him on Monday if the storm did hit. Later Mike told us that he can't argue about it since John makes $800 a day when he plows.

John loves to plow. As he put it, he "flies". His face lit up as he described plowing at night. He can drive more "efficiently" as we call it in our family. Others might call it speeding.

I just checked the forecast again. I think we will not see John in the morning.

From the National Weather Service: THE CURRENT MODERATE TO LOCALLY HEAVY SNOW WILL TRANSITION TO BANDS OF HEAVY LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS LATE TONIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING WITH SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL EXPECTED ACROSS AN AREA NORTH OF A LINE FROM ABOUT OBERLIN TO MEDINA TO AROUND YOUNGSTOWN. THE HEAVIEST LAKE EFFECT SNOWS SHOULD BE LOCATED ACROSS THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE AREA ON MONDAY THEN SLOWLY SHIFT EASTWARD LATER MONDAY INTO TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT. ADDITIONAL SNOWFALL TOTALS OF 8 TO 12 INCHES WILL LIKELY OCCUR ACROSS MUCH OF THE WARNING AREA.

And why is it that the National Weather Service always uses caps?

The New Century

Be prepared to laugh out loud at the one liners in The New Century by Paul Rudnick, the latest offering by Dobama Theater.

And if you aren't laughing, you are almost moved to tears.

The main characters are an aging flamboyant gay man who is exiled from New York City for being "too gay", a Jewish mother with three children with three different sexual issues, and a woman from Decatur who is obsessed with crafts after the death of her son to AIDS.

Greg Violand, Jean Kauffman, and Molly McGinnis played their roles to perfection.

Kudos to Director Scott Plate for a very enjoyable evening.

Swiss Woodcraft

Now where is the dishwasher?

Dan the Cabinet Installer from Swiss Woodcraft returned today to install a couple of trim pieces and adjust hinges. He also suffers from the curse of perfectionism. He would not quit until the doors and drawers closed perfectly.

We are so happy that Mike the Contractor recommended that we get a quote from them. The staff has been wonderful to work with. Bob the Kitchen Designer really listened to what we wanted in a kitchen. And I cannot say enough about Dan's dedication during the installation.

We highly recommend them.

Check out Swiss Woodcraft

Tubs are Done!

Bye bye pink tub



Wow!



The 93-year-old clawfoot is shiny again.

Bathroom Floor

Yesterday's post should have been about Nick installing the electric heating mat in the bathroom. Our guests will have warm tootsies when using that bathroom.

Heating Mat


Today Marshall returned to tile the floor. Around 4:30 I heard him asking my Sweetie when we would throw him out. Shortly thereafter he came down the stairs and asked if I wanted him to wrap up soon. I was astounded when he told me that people usually start getting antsy if he hasn't packed up before 5:00. I told him that he could be here to midnight if he wanted. He was truly amazed that we didn't mind. He left around 7:30 and the floor was done besides the setting of the tile around the tub after it is glazed. What is wrong with people? Here is a young man who wants to work long hours in order to finish a job. Why not let him?



Bathroom floor

Blame It on the Clapboards

I must have been tired since I forgot to blog last night.

Painting clapboards in our detached garage with the propane heater barely keeping it at 40 degrees was exhausting.

Tiling and Painting

Marshall returned today to continue tiling the bathroom. He would have finished but he didn't have enough since we raised the height of the wainscoting.

While he ran back and forth from the garage where he set up his wet saw, I climbed up and down the ladder. Even though I had painted a piece of foam core and had carried it around the room in different light, I felt a bit of trepidation when I applied the first paint to the wall.

We think it looks gorgeous. But judge for yourself.

The kitchen is painted!

Tile

There was real progress today in the second floor bathroom. Tile!

Trying to stay true to the old lady's roots, we selected a traditional subway tile and then added the black bead and the chair rail. The chair rail is 5 feet above the floor.

Subway tile in second floor bathroom

Tile with cabinet

The two young guys, Mike (yep, another one) and Sean, were using a level and a tile cutter that were almost twice their ages.

Tile cutter

It has been a kick to meet all these young men who are carrying on the traditions of the building trade. Thank goodness there are still people who want to learn them.

Shopping

I hate shopping. Hell for me is a shopping mall.

So why did I agree to go out on a Saturday just three weeks before Christmas? It wasn't to go shopping for presents.

Our first stop was House of Lights where I am greeted by one of the owners with a hug. We had bonded over the selection of many fixtures for the renovated and non-renovated areas of the house. As has become our custom, Susie shows us four or five options.

She knows that we don't always go for what is safe but tend to stretch the limits of what some people might think is suitable for our 1917 center-hall colonial.

Within 45 minutes of arriving at the store, we have selected two more fixtures.

Before we departed, my Sweetie said that we would be back because we need to update the lighting in our bedroom. But only after the house is put back together again, the holidays are over, and we have recuperated.

Then we were off to a car dealership. On Friday my Sweetie had checked to see if the Lexus RX450h could accommodate his long legs. It did so we returned to take it for a test drive.

Will they give us a good deal so that we can put a big red bow on it?

Friday Night at the Movies

Instead of writing this post, I could be watching D. W. Griffith's Intolerance, #49 on the American Film Institute's top 100 American films.

After painting 50 ten-and-twelve-foot clapboards three times (once on the back and twice on the face), I was a tad tired. I wasn't sure that a silent film would keep me awake.

After watching the beginning of the movie on youtube, I knew that it wouldn't. The four minutes I watched moved at a glacial pace. Since I am a fast reader, I was left staring at the title cards for an additional 5 seconds. That may not seem like much but my brain was calling out for some action if I were to remain awake.

I was still ambivalent because it is also a social gathering. But then I fell asleep on the couch after dinner.

Sometimes my body decides what I should do.

Building a Garden Shed, Day 2

We almost have a shed!

Now that's progress.
The roof ridge and the rafters on the end are up.




In less than an hour all the rafters are attached.

At the end of the day the roof is almost sheathed. Someone miscalculated the number of sheets of OSB (oriented strand board) needed.



While all this was going on, I was in the garage priming more than 50 clapboards. Instead of writer's cramp, I am suffering from painter's cramp.

Building a Garden Shed

Neither snow nor cold nor wind stopped John the Carpenter from starting our garden shed. And this is not your run-of-the-mill garden shed. It will be a one-quarter sized replica of our newly-renovated garage.

As the following photos and video will attest this is a well-built shed. When I commented to John about how solid it was, he said that he was building it as if it were a house. For example, he glued as well as nailed the sheathing for the floor so it wouldn't creak.


Floor joists


Floor completed


Wall almost ready to raise





If it doesn't snow more than two inches, John, who also operates a snow-plowing service, will return tomorrow to put on the roof. Meanwhile I am priming almost 50 clapboards. My Sweetie bought a propane heater so the garage would be warm enough for painting.

Was it less than two months ago that I mentioned to John that we would like to have a garden shed? Perhaps next spring we would get an estimate. But my Sweetie said, "Let's do it now."

Having one will make our life much easier. We won't have to be careful of the cars when we are getting gardening equipment and tools out. Also we won't have to store the patio furniture, the glass bird baths, and other summertime paraphernalia in the loft of the garage.

One day it will probably not be prudent for me to climb up the pull-down ladder and lean down to take a chair from my Sweetie.

Volunteering at My Neighborhood School

Last week I entered my neighborhood elementary school with a bit of trepidation. I had been away from schools for almost twenty years. I had heard the horror stories about disruptive, even violent, students. But I am tough. Even though I am petite, I would still tower over most of the K-5 students. Or at least that was my hope.

First I had to get through the door. I dutifully followed the instructions on the door to ring the buzzer and I would be admitted. I did and I wasn't. Fortunately, a student came along and opened the door. I slid in behind him.

The helpful, friendly office staff showed me how to sign in. I peeled off the name tag and stuck it on my shirt while she paged the teacher I was to report to for training.

The school is an open-classroom one. Or it was originally. Like most of these that were built in the 1970s, this one has varying partitions to separate the classes.

After a brief introduction to the remedial reading tools they are using, I was off to the first classroom to pick up my student. I was both relieved and disappointed that she was absent. I would have 20 minutes until my next student. I sat in the teacher's office listening to the class across the hall.

There were no blood-curdling screams or backtalk. Instead the well-mannered students were participating in a discussion. Once the teacher reminded a student to keep his feet still since they were impinging on another student's space.

The appointed time came for me to pick up my second student. J. was quiet and reserved. He stumbled through the reading but gamely "chunked" the words he did not know. Our half hour came to an end without a smile from J.

T., on the other hand, was all personality. Although identified as reading below grade level, he had no problems with the book we were using. In fact, he reads fluently and with expression. Perhaps he has testing issues.

Today I woke eager to return a second time. Again my first student was absent.

J. again seemed shy and reserved with me. Then I happened to ask him what his best subject was - math. And his worst? Reading. I told him that my worst subject was art. I saw his eyes light up. And then the floodgates opened. The school has just begun a project to turn the boring white acoustic ceiling tiles into works of art. J. explained that they were working in pairs to decide what their tile would look like. After this detour from reading, J. was more outgoing and expressive.

I was really looking forward to seeing T. again. Extroverts just naturally enjoy each other. Last week we began a book set in the 1880s. There were so many teachable moments. We covered ice boxes and kerosene heaters. I wondered what would come up this week. The book is about Milton and a blizzard. Today's reading contained a passage about Milton's imagining having a sled pulled by the neighborhood dogs. T. had never seen a picture of a real sled dog so he did not appreciate the humor of the illustration of an Irish Setter, an Old English Sheepdog, and the other assorted neighborhood dogs pulling a sled. Note to self: bring a picture of Alaskan huskies. When it was time to part, I said that I would see him next Tuesday. He was obviously disappointed, "Won't I see you on Thursday?"

Wonder how long the honeymoon period will last?

A Day Spent Outdoors

I am exhausted but happy that I was able to spend the day outside without gloves and snow boots.

Once more I was able to hang out the sheets since it was 53 degrees. Then I cut back the rest of the perennials, raked out the beds, picked up deadfall from the ivy, and cleared a space for the new garden shed.

Meanwhile Mike and John worked on the exhaust fans for the kitchen and second floor bath.

Benny the Mason re-built the front steps with the assistance of Reed. Benny had re-built the side wall of the porch last Wednesday. I hated the brick. We talked to Mike on Friday; he promised that he would be here Monday morning to figure out what we could do.

Mike arrived this morning with a different batch of bricks in the back of his Suburban. He decided that by not using the lightest of the three colors we would be closer to the original bricks.

Finally, a brick I can love

A New PBS Supporter

This evening as my Sweetie and I enjoyed Hummingbirds: Magic in the Air on PBS, our ginger cat, Six, decided to watch with us.







Given his natural inclinations, I think that Six would have preferred a bird over the DVD.

My Hero

The driver of the black Mercedes punched it as he began merging onto 422 West. Did he do two donuts before he slid into the fast lane right in front of us?

Thoughts went through my mind in rapid succession. We are going to broadside the black car. I don't want to go to the hospital. How many bones would be broken? Would we roll the car?

Neither of us said a word.

I remember cars sliding this way and that. At least two ended up in the grass on either side of the road.

Why is it that everything appears to happen in slow motion?

Before I could think another thought, my Sweetie, behind the wheel of our Highlander, had masterfully threaded the needle between the Mercedes and another car with only inches to spare.

He is my hero!

My Sweetie and the New Kitchen

My Sweetie is one happy man. He has his kitchen back. Yes, there are still things to be finished but it is functional.

It was wonderful to hear him preparing dinner while listening to NPR. I hadn't realized that I missed that.

One thing that is still missing is hearing my Sweetie talking to the cats, especially Callie. She isn't sure that she should come up from the basement yet. I'm sure that I can't do back down now that I have worked in the new kitchen.

We asked Mike the General Contractor today to give us a timeline for all the projects. As we say in our family thanks to our oldest grandson, "I want all done now, please!" (He would call out from his crib during "quiet time" when he thought that it had been long enough.)

Definitely it has been long enough.

Eagle for Thanksgiving?

If Benjamin Franklin would have had his way, the Turkey would have become the national bird. In a letter to his daughter he wrote:

For my own part I wish the Eagle had not been chosen the representative of our country. He is a bird of bad moral character. He does not get his Living honestly. You may have seen him perched on some dead tree near the river, where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the labor of the Fishing Hawk; and when that diligent Bird has at length taken a fish, and is bearing it to his nest for the support of his mate and young ones, the Eagle pursues him and takes it from him.

With all this injustice, he is never in good case but like those among men who live by sharping & robbing he is generally poor and often very lousy. Besides he is a rank coward: The little King Bird not bigger than a Sparrow attacks him boldly and drives him out of the district. He is therefore by no means a proper emblem for the brave and honest Cincinnati of America who have driven all the King birds from our country...

I am on this account not displeased that the figure is not known as a Eagle, but looks more like a Turkey. For the truth the Turkey is in comparison a much more respectable bird, and withal a true original native of America . . . He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a bird of courage, and would not hesitate to attack a grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his farm yard with a red coat on.

Would orange-cranberry relish complement eagle as well as it does turkey?

Electricity

In 1600, William Gilbert, a physician in the court of Queen Elizabeth I, coined the word electricity. Thank goodness those who came after persisted in harnessing this amazing power.

Brett the Electrician arrived this morning to connect all the appliances and some of the outlets. He apologized for not returning sooner. He is working on two large commercial projects: a tattoo parlor and a Turkish restaurant. He promised that he would return next week to finish connecting the rest of the outlets and to install the two remaining light fixtures in the kitchen.

Strangely, I ended up being the first one to cook in the new kitchen. Let's hope it tastes as good as it looks.

First item made in the new kitchen

Dan the Cabinet Installer

Dan the Cabinet Installer worked from shortly after 9:00 this morning until almost 9:00 this evening.

There was one problem after another with the crown moulding. The old lady was just not cooperating. The kitchen and bathroom ceilings are not plumb.

After a phone consultation with Mike our General Contractor, Dan installed the crown in the bathroom. It would be up to Mike to build up the ceiling at the right side of the floor-to-ceiling cabinet to close the gap between the ceiling and the crown.

In the kitchen he was able to install most of it; however, he had to cede defeat to the ceiling on the west side. Mike will have to work some magic to get the crown to fit properly. Dan will make one more trip to install it and a few more pieces of trim.

I told Dan that we were so glad that we had decided to have them install the cabinets. I don't think that an independent installer would have been so meticulous and so solicitous of our opinions.

Would anyone else have spent so many hours making the installation as perfect as is humanly possible? I doubt it.

November 22, 1963

If you were alive on November 22, 1963 and not too young, I am positive you know exactly what you were doing at 12:30 PM Central Standard Time when you heard the news bulletin. I was at my boyfriend's house for lunch between college classes.

I could not believe that John Fitzgerald Kennedy had been shot. We sat holding hands, watching the shocked newsmen reporting the story. Looking back it seems so appropriate that most people were watching on black and white televisions. But when I saw the color photographs of Jackie in her blood-splattered pink suit, it was even more horrific.

There are other images which come to mind:


Jackie watching as Lyndon Johnson is sworn in as President

Jackie, Caroline, and John John watching JFK's coffin

John John saluting his father's coffin

Riderless horse with boots facing backwards

Jackie walking behind JFK's coffin



My family spent all our waking hours watching TV. I don't remember at what point we decided to drive to Washington from our home in western Pennsylvania. But I do remember the feeling that we had to go to DC to view his casket in the Rotunda.

JFK lying in state in the Capitol Rotunda

It was a long wait during a bitterly cold night. There were hundreds of thousands lining up. At one point the lines stretched 40 blocks up to 10 people across. The final estimate was that 250,000 people came and some waited over 10 hours.

I don't remember how many hours we waited because it didn't matter. What mattered was that everyone was there to show their respect and love for a man who we felt was the hope for the world.

I do remember how quiet the line was. I think that we were all in shock.

What would the world be like if he had lived?

November. Really?

Our high today was 61; that's 15 degrees above the normal for November 21.

But I am not complaining. We took advantage of our partly sunny/mostly cloudy day to dry the sheets outside, store the rest of the garden art, drain the hoses, paint the new clapboards on the garage, and rake/blow more leaves to the street in hopes that the city will pick them up this week.

Tonight when I walked into our bedroom, my Sweetie had his nose buried in the sheets. Ah, the simple pleasures.

Is She Still Alice?

Imagine being 50 years old and being diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's. Lisa Genova's novel, Still Alice, was the springboard for this evening's lively discussion at our Salon.

After discussing the novel, conversation turned to what would we do if we had it. Would we end our life? Of course, just as depicted in the novel, we wouldn't remember when the time came. We decided that we would have a "Final Salon" at which we would get high on acid and run naked down the street.

Seriously, what a dilemma. When Alice was first diagnosed, she wrote herself a letter detailing how she would commit suicide if she could not answer one or more of the following questions: what month is it, where do you live, where is your office, when is Anna's birthday, and how many children do you have?

When the day arrives that she cannot, she goes to the drawer in her nightstand to get the bottle of pills. But they are not there. Her husband has found them.

In a particularly poignant scene, he comes to the bedroom to find Alice going through the contents of the drawer. He gives her a glass of water and a handful of her regular medications.

He took the empty glass from her and left the room. She lay down on the bed next to the former contents of the drawer and closed her eyes, feeling sad and proud, powerful and relieved as she waited.

Of the seven couples in the Salon only one had a friend with early onset.

This is not so surprising because only a small percentage of all people with Alzheimer's develop symptoms before age 65. Of the 5.3 million Americans with Alzheimer's, 200,000 people have the early-onset form of the disease. Although it can occur in younger people, it is more common in those in their 50s.

We also talked about how the baby boomers will spur research about the disease. In 2011, the first baby boomers turn 65. By 2029, all baby boomers will be at least 65 years old, an estimated 70 million people aged 65 and older.

Let's hope that there is a cure.

Billy Elliot the Musical

Tonight it was Billy Elliott The Musical, the second show in the Broadway Series.

It was simply superb. The young man who played the title role in this touring company was as good as Laim Mower. Both of their fouettes were amazing.

I love this song because it conveys how I feel about dance. It brought back memories of my dancing around our apartment during Kimberly's naps. Oh, so many years ago.

Still Feels Like a Sauna in Here

The two Daves showed up this morning to try to alleviate temps in the mid and upper seventies tho the thermostats are set at 68. Actually I even turned one off in hopes that it might cool off.

As the Daves were getting ready to leave, the Derricks showed up to screen the floor and put the second coat on it. Again they complimented me on the aging (of the floor not me).

My Sweetie admitted today that he was really nervous when I started applying the dark stain. Yep, it could have turned out really ugly. So glad that we don't have to start over since that would require 4 days.

Tomorrow will bring the Derricks back to put the third and final coat on it. Then we need the electrician to finish installing the dishwasher, the toe-kick registers, and run electricity to the garage so we can actually use the new garage door openers.

Here is what wiring looks like when the Daves of HVAC fame do it in order for us to have heat. Or as it happens, too much heat.

Temporary Wiring

This was the same technique the electrician used so that our back door light would work until the switch was installed.

Floor Finishing

Last evening was hairy.

It was time to distress the new flooring to match the 93-year-old pine in the original kitchen. I needed to replicate the water stains and the oxidation from the iron nails.

There would be no retakes. Once I applied the English Walnut stain, there would be no going back.

I think it is looking pretty darn good.

Kitchen Floor

Running Water...In the Kitchen!

We're getting there.

Andy the Boss Plumber and Mike the Plumber arrived this morning. I heard Andy giving Mike his marching orders. Not only were the faucets in the kitchen and half bath going to be installed, the dishwasher and the range would be also.

I couldn't really remember what the dining room looked like without the range, draped with an old mattress pad, sitting in front of the buffet.

But first to get it into the kitchen. The first attempt was stymied by the swinging door between the dining room and the kitchen. Mike the General Contractor showed up just a little too late to prevent them from jamming the range in the doorway. He walked in as I was saying, "You are hung up on this side and it won't make it through."

Later Mike says to me, "What? Couldn't they have measured before they scratched the door." So there are two chips which will have to be sanded and repainted, probably by John the Carpenter or Mike. Since I am painting the rooms myself, his painting crew is not scheduled.

But Mike the Plumber did get all his work done. Frequently, I would hear him groaning and making other noises which led me to believe that he was having problems. When I told my Sweetie about it, he said that he thought that Mike was listening to talk radio. I had noticed his earbuds. Silly me, I thought he was listening to music. Thank goodness he used earbuds.

One of the coolest innovations we found was this.

Nifty Disposer Switch

It is on the left in the following picture. I have always hated the switch on the wall to activate the disposer. Invariably a guest or a forgetful homeowner flips it thinking that they are turning on a light. No more. Now a puff of air will activate the disposer.

Kitchen Faucet

Half Bath Faucet

I think the old lady likes her new "jewelry".

Countertops Are Installed

Today it was all about the quartz countertops. And they are as beautiful as I thought they would be.

And the old lady lived up to her reputation of never being easy. John and Bill the Countertop guys had to cut away the plaster in order to eliminate a bowed section of one wall. Otherwise the backsplash would have large gaps at both ends. Again I am amazed at the care and dedication to doing a job right.

Kitchen Countertop


Bathroom Countertop


Tomorrow the plumbers take over.

Dead Man's Cell Phone

Tracee Patterson as Jean easily steals the show in Dead Man's Cell Phone by Sarah Ruhl, the current production of Dobama Theater. The play is hysterically funny but also melancholy.

Jean is sitting in a cafe eating lobster bisque. A man comes in and sits with his back to the audience. A few moments pass and his phone begins to ring. Jean, a rather shy woman, first just glances over at him. She becomes more annoyed but politely asks him to answer his phone. After a few more moments pass she walks over to him and discovers that he is dead. She uses his cell phone (is she the only person in the US who doesn't have a cell?) to call 911.

While she is waiting for the ambulance, the phone rings again. She answers it and so begins her role in "fixing" his relationships.

Tracee Patterson's performance is not to be missed. The show runs through November 21. About a quarter of the seating is taken up by the set so sold-out houses will probably be the rule.

I suppose being dead is a legitimate reason for being rude and not answering your phone.

GroundWorks Dance Theater

By driving straight thru from Massachusetts yesterday we were able to take in GroundWorks Dance Theater's performance at Trinity Cathedral this evening. Of the three pieces we saw tonight I was most moved by Just Yesterday which is based on memories of the dancers' families.

It was an extremely moving piece since some of the memories were of the Japanese immigrants and their incarceration during World War II.

David Shimotakahara, the founder of the company, doesn't dance as often as I would like but tonight he was in two pieces. (David is the one in the long-sleeved white shirt.) One was a new duet based on the relationship he has had with Amy Miller, the artistic director. They have been dancing together since 1998. My Sweetie and I saw them in their first performance. Since she has moved to New York while her husband is in culinary school, this may be the last time we see her dance.

Enjoy.

Place Cards

For the last few years the grandchildren have been responsible for making place cards for the table. Each year as they get older, the cards become more creative.

This year they decided that they would draw a picture to represent each person and we would have to guess which one is ours. Most of us got into guessing all of them. Here are a couple of examples:


My Sweetie's Place Card Showing His Love for Chickens


Lise's Place Card Highlighting Her Law Degree, Her Children, and Her Big Black Dog



My Place Card with Many Images from My Wedding Ring

Turkey Day Continued

As our visit to New England draws to a close, I am so grateful for my loving, funny family.

Here we are this afternoon as Lise and her gang is getting ready to return to New Hampshire. Ken had to leave early this morning to go to work.


My Family

It has been a laugh-filled visit. One of the funniest events occurred last night, actually early this morning around 1:00. Kimberly, Lise, Ken, and I had been hanging out talking. We all decided to get ready for bed at the same time. When Kimberly came out of the bathroom, both Lise and I with toothbrushes in hand headed for the door. Lise tried to beat me into the bathroom but Kimberly bumped her out of the way so I could use it first. This brought on gales of laughter. We all held our breath, hoping that no one would wake up. Zan came out of the bedroom, gave us a bleary-eyed look, and headed downstairs to use the half bath. That brought on more giddy laughter.

After Kimberly went to bed, we heard her getting the giggles again which made us laugh even harder.

This morning we were astounded that no one heard us last night. We have sound sleepers in our family.

It is nice to know that my older daughter's instinct is to favor me.

Happy Thanksgiving

Today our family sat down to a Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings. I only prepared two of our traditional dishes with the help of my granddaughter Rayna. One was orange-cranberry relish and the other apple-mallow-yam bake.

Because my Sweetie and I were coming to New England for Lise's admission to the Bar, we decided to celebrate Turkey Day while we were here. Then my Sweetie had the marvelous idea of having it catered. I googled caterers in the Greenfield area and came up with Gary Goss of Blue Moon Catering. Read about him here.

How delightful it was not to spend the whole day in the kitchen and to sit at the table laughing with the family while dish after delicious dish was brought into us.

I had asked that he prepare our traditional Thanksgiving meal and he delivered. His son Sasha helped him serve and did some clean up which was not included in the estimate. Gary also prepared a treat for us at no charge: homemade whole cranberry sauce. It was delightful.

When Gary was getting ready to leave, he told me that I have a wonderful family and that they so enjoyed listening to us laughing and talking.

I do indeed have a wonderful family.

Family Matters

It was a double celebration day.

On November 9, 1965, Kimberly was born at 1:48 PM.

I remember the first night home with her. I had been told to be prepared to wake up every two hours. I nursed her late in the evening, tucked her into her bassinet, and climbed wearily into bed.

I woke with a start at 6:00 the next morning. Had I slept through her crying? Was she still breathing? I covered the few feet between my bed and hers in a flash. I peered into the bassinet. She was sound asleep lying on her back with her two little fists curled by her head.

She was a loving, happy child. In every photo she is smiling. She started saying hi to people when she was 6 months old. Startled, they would say, "That wasn't her, was it?" When she was a toddler, she looked at my hair and said, "Your hair is like the dark."

**Here should be the photos I planned to include but that were left at home. They will be added later.

Happy Birthday, Kimberly. I am so glad that I was able to spend this special day with you.

The other family matter was Lise's admittance to the New Hampshire Bar. It was amazing to sit there and think about her and her family's journey to this day. And they were all there to witness it.

After the ceremony and a bite to eat it was almost everyone into the hotel pool for a celebratory swim.

Then we journeyed to Greenfield to continue the party with more laughter and more good food.

What a joyful day.


The promised photos:

Six Weeks Old


One year old

Icy Roads

It was fairly dicey coming up I 87 to catch Route 9 to Troy. I think I would have preferred a wooden horse.

We saw five vehicles which were not successfully driven through the ice storm. I was cautiously making our way through until I was tired of being alert. My Sweetie took over and in a few minutes we were out of the storm. Thank goodness!

Now we are waiting for the rest of the gang to arrive at the hotel so the party can begin.

On the Road Again

This time we are headed to New England to see Lise admitted to the New Hampshire Bar.

But where were all those other people going? I did not expect to encounter that many fellow travelers on the New York Thruway on a Sunday.

My Sweetie and I speculated that some were commuting to work in another city for the week; others were returning home after a weekend getaway; and others, like us, were off to visit friends and relatives.

What would Americans do without their cars?

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago

When we left at 5:40 for dinner and to attend a dance performance with friends, we had no electricity.

We returned to a house ablaze with all the lights we had left on. It was a welcoming sight. We would have been a bit chilly tonight since the forecast calls for a low of 30.

Here are two of the dances we saw this evening. Enjoy!

The Continuing Search for the Right Stain

Wednesday Mike came by to see the stain samples; he didn't like either one.

He looked at the board that I used to try out different combinations of stains. He outlined an area that matched the old flooring and took it to Sherwin Williams to get a computerized match.

On Thursday he comes back with it, sands a small area, and applies the first coat. After waiting 15 minutes, he wipes it down. Close.

We decide that I will put on a second coat in 12 hours, leaving it on for 12 minutes. Closer yet.

Today the two Derricks sand the floor lightly and apply the first coat.

I hope that when we return, we all like the floor.

Callie Is Home; New Garage Doors Are Installed.

What a day!

Callie is back home and has a big grin on her face. Me, too. The x-ray showed less fluid around her heart.

The new garage doors were installed today. Bob the Garage Door Guy has had his own business for 20 years. On the side he does contract work for guys like Mike the General Contractor. And lovely work he does.

As we know, it is not easy adding anything new to the old lady. She is just rather quirky and walls can be wonky. But he persevered. He had to turn one part around in order to have enough clearance for the new 8-foot doors.

He was a tad upset that he was not told that he was installing two openers. So what with the added carpentry (another surprise) and the two openers, he did not finish and was mad that he was disappointing another homeowner whom he had scheduled for the afternoon.

And he had the best mix on his iPod. He was the first tradesman who had Carole King, Alison Krauss, Frank Sinatra, James Taylor, and Johnny Cash.

The new doors are probably close to what was on the garage when it was a carriage house since the original jambs have mortises for the hinges.

We think they look mighty handsome.

Callie Update

All of Callie's blood work is normal. This rules out both thyroid and kidney problems. Dr. Amy reports that Callie's breathing has slowed somewhat but that the x-ray tomorrow will be more definitive.

This from Dr. Amy's email: "Thank you for letting me keep Callie. She is doing fine here although she is a bit nervous --I'm sure that she'll be happy to go home soon!"

I am also a bit nervous and will be very happy to have Callie home.

A Furry Family Member's Health Revisited

Callie the Sweetheart


Yes, another chapter in the saga of Callie's health problems.

We took her in for a follow up for the lymphoma. The good news is that she gained 4 pounds and is in remission.

More good news is that she is not diabetic.

But the bad news is that she has fluid around her heart which necessitated our leaving her at the vet for a diuretic injection and observation for two days. This after I promised her that she would be coming home with us. Lesson learned: do not promise anything to any member of the family.

So Dr. Amy scooped her up, tucked her under her arm, and carried her away from us.

No word yet.