It's so hard to know where to start this post, or even where to go. So I'll start with our evening's adventures. Larry and I decided it was time to venture out to find a local Christams light display known as Hartwood Acres. Although local, it is not close by and various trips in this area have served to remind us we DON'T know where we are going, and by the time we find our way 'there' and home, we rarely know where we've been!
Our first summer here, Larry wanted to show me a place he had found. It was 15 minutes away and he assured me we'd be home in 45 minutes. Getting there was easy. We stuck to the interstate. But on the way home we tried the back roads...without the GPS. 45 minutes later we had found 'the river'. I put that in quotes since Pittsburgh is well know for it's 3 rivers! 2 hours later we found our way home.
We've had various adventures since then, mostly in the city. There may be 14 ways into the city, but we've only ever found 1 way home. We end up at his office and head back from there. It may be out of the way, but it never fails.
So tonight's venture out was brave, but we felt suitably armed with a somewhat better idea of the area, 2 separate directions from Mapquest, and our GPS. The 23 mile drive was mostly on main roads (that we knew), and was suppposed to take 38 minutes. The plan was to go see the lights at Hartwood Acres and come back to town for dinner. Ah yes. Plans. Such a good idea. Such a wasted effort.
Who knows what went wrong. We headed down the turnpike towards Butler. Everything seemed fine at first as we headed south on Rt. 8, but then the GPS decided it would rather take us into Pittsburgh. As we followed the calm voice guiding us we suddenly realized we were being directed onto Rt. 28. Points to turn around were absent, and besides, 'The GPS' was quite insistent as it deposited us in downtown Pittsburgh. Fortunately, I had been in that part of town before so I was able to turn us around and head us back out. While Larry was armed with the GPS I had the mapquest directions in hand and was insistent we find our way back to Rt. 8!!! Easier said than done. We tried. We really tried. And finally we found ourselves way out of town, headed for Kittanning, where, OH THANK GOD!!!! there was the turnpike.YES! That road we really do know.
We finally did make it almost to Hartwood Acres. After 2 hours we were a mile from the entrance when we came to a standstill. Apparently, we weren't the only ones who decided to see the lights. Tired, hungry, and running on empty (the Trailblazer was hungry, too) we cried "Uncle" and turned around. It was almost 9:00 when we finally stopped at our favorite wings haunt. "What can I get you?" the waiter asked. "A pitcher of Miller Lite, and 2 glasses, thank you." (Oh yeah, we did order the wings too... after a few swigs. First things first.)
Pittsburgh is a hard place for a GPS. If you are downtown, the concrete canyons make it hard to find a signal. The multiple levels of highway and bridge make it hard to determine which road you should be on. Even so, maybe tonight's trip was more a problem of an old GPS that lost it's way. It has always been pretty reliable before. Larry asked for a new one for Christmas. I sure hope Santa brings one.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Advent--Teaching a Procrastinator How to Prepare
December may have just arrived, but Christmas has been in the works since late summer! Every year we complain that the stores start their holiday promotions earlier and earlier. It seems to test our senses. This year, though, I started thinking about how we view all that commercialism and I came to a new conclusion. Maybe starting to prepare for the holiday so early isn't such a bad thing.
To many people, December is the month we get ready for Christmas, but to Christians, December is the month of Advent. In church each Sunday we light the Advent candle counting down the Sundays until Christmas Eve. Advent is all about preparation. It reminds us that what we are preparing for is the birth of the Christ Child. For all Christians December is a balancing act between the festivities and the focus. Everyday I hear people counting off the 'jobs completed'. "Christmas cards went out today!" "We picked out our tree and cut it down." "Our tree is up!" From baking and shopping to office parties and Christmas Cantatas, the whole month of December is a month of preparation. For a dyed in the wool procrastinator, my attention is much more on the festivities, and less on the focus. For instance...
As a child the feeling of urgency on Christmas Eve added to the excitement. Unfortunately, I carried that into adulthood. I would still be making that Christmas stocking on Christmas Eve so it could be hung by the chimney with care after everyone had gone to bed. In fact, I kind of reveled in the rush to get it done. Over the years I've gotten better, but Christmas Eve will still find me up late getting everything ready. Festivities or Focus?
And that got me thinking about the preparation that goes into the preparation. How often do we fuss because the Christmas decorations have appeared in the stores before Halloween? Being a procrastinator it is easy to jeer sarcastically at them and say the season keeps starting earlier and earlier. But is it possible that those stores are doing us a favor by helping us complete some tasks before the real prepartion begins? For instance maybe I should admire all those early birds that have their shopping done BEFORE Black Friday even arrives.
Lately, I've started to recognize all the benefits of getting things done early. The cookie baker who bakes and freezes her cookies in advance is ready for any party and doesn't have a sink full of mixing bowls and baking pans as she heads out the door. What a thought! Buying that Christmas Tree in September (artificial, that is) means you aren't paying for it in December when money is at a premium. In fact, an obvious benefit of shopping early would mean my January credit card bill would no longer cause a major meltdown in the family budget. I'm not holding out much hope for me for that one. I have multi-levels of reasons that support my need to buy gifts at the last minute.
The point here is that Advent is the time when we prepare our hearts for the birth of Christ. The decorations, the shopping and the parties add to the fun, but probably not so much to the focus. Maybe next year I'll find a way to do some of the prep work in advance so that during this month I can focus more on what Christmas means. The stores have their reasons for getting me started early. It's called 'getting into the black'. But I can take their strategy and work it for me. And I'll call it 'getting the spirit back'.
To many people, December is the month we get ready for Christmas, but to Christians, December is the month of Advent. In church each Sunday we light the Advent candle counting down the Sundays until Christmas Eve. Advent is all about preparation. It reminds us that what we are preparing for is the birth of the Christ Child. For all Christians December is a balancing act between the festivities and the focus. Everyday I hear people counting off the 'jobs completed'. "Christmas cards went out today!" "We picked out our tree and cut it down." "Our tree is up!" From baking and shopping to office parties and Christmas Cantatas, the whole month of December is a month of preparation. For a dyed in the wool procrastinator, my attention is much more on the festivities, and less on the focus. For instance...
As a child the feeling of urgency on Christmas Eve added to the excitement. Unfortunately, I carried that into adulthood. I would still be making that Christmas stocking on Christmas Eve so it could be hung by the chimney with care after everyone had gone to bed. In fact, I kind of reveled in the rush to get it done. Over the years I've gotten better, but Christmas Eve will still find me up late getting everything ready. Festivities or Focus?
And that got me thinking about the preparation that goes into the preparation. How often do we fuss because the Christmas decorations have appeared in the stores before Halloween? Being a procrastinator it is easy to jeer sarcastically at them and say the season keeps starting earlier and earlier. But is it possible that those stores are doing us a favor by helping us complete some tasks before the real prepartion begins? For instance maybe I should admire all those early birds that have their shopping done BEFORE Black Friday even arrives.
Lately, I've started to recognize all the benefits of getting things done early. The cookie baker who bakes and freezes her cookies in advance is ready for any party and doesn't have a sink full of mixing bowls and baking pans as she heads out the door. What a thought! Buying that Christmas Tree in September (artificial, that is) means you aren't paying for it in December when money is at a premium. In fact, an obvious benefit of shopping early would mean my January credit card bill would no longer cause a major meltdown in the family budget. I'm not holding out much hope for me for that one. I have multi-levels of reasons that support my need to buy gifts at the last minute.
The point here is that Advent is the time when we prepare our hearts for the birth of Christ. The decorations, the shopping and the parties add to the fun, but probably not so much to the focus. Maybe next year I'll find a way to do some of the prep work in advance so that during this month I can focus more on what Christmas means. The stores have their reasons for getting me started early. It's called 'getting into the black'. But I can take their strategy and work it for me. And I'll call it 'getting the spirit back'.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Traditions
Growing up my family enjoyed the holidays, both summer and winter. Breakfast picnics, Thanksgiving gatherings, Christmas parties, the candlelight service on Christmas eve, as well as the sunrise service on Easter are all just a few of the things we grew up doing. My brother-in-law had a word for it. Tradition! "Tradition!" he would declare when we would be planning a picnic or talking about a family sing.
After Larry and I married, we started to create our own traditions. Our own family was raised with a set of family traditions. Because we lived in Florida, far from any other family, our Thanksgiving and Christmas traditions were centered around just the four of us. As the girls grew up and left for school, or marriage, they still came home for Thanksgiving and Christmas and those traditions continued.
The year we moved to Pittsburgh was the year we upset the apple cart. It wasn't just us. Janice married and moved away. We moved here. Jen remained in Florida. But suddenly we had to re-invent our holiday traditions. The girls discovered their in-laws handled Thanksgiving differently than we did. From stuffing to pies, the food on the table, as well as the rituals involved had some subtle and some not so subtle differences.
Ben Franklin once said, "In this world, the only thing certain is death and taxes". About a year before we moved I felt pretty certain that our family would move into the next phase of our lives and live within a few hours of each other, in Florida. The next year was like watching dominoes fall in slow motion. When the last domino fell we were all separated by 900 miles.
I think one of the hardest parts for everyone was discovering how to celebrate holidays we had spent together for the previous 30 years. It may have been difficult, but ultimately, I think it is one of the biggest parts of creating and raising a family. As an empty nester, this year Larry and I are faced with re-creating a Christmas morning without kids. When we got married, it was exciting to have that morning together, before we met with the rest of his family. The traditions we developed were a combination of some of his favorite memories and some of mine. But 40 years later it seems daunting.
Even so, I look forward to finding out what we will do. Traditions add stability, expectation and excitement to family events. But they are not stable. They will change and that is a good thing. It means life is evolving and we are open to new things. Traditions aside, that seems like a much more stable way of life than remaining static.
After Larry and I married, we started to create our own traditions. Our own family was raised with a set of family traditions. Because we lived in Florida, far from any other family, our Thanksgiving and Christmas traditions were centered around just the four of us. As the girls grew up and left for school, or marriage, they still came home for Thanksgiving and Christmas and those traditions continued.
The year we moved to Pittsburgh was the year we upset the apple cart. It wasn't just us. Janice married and moved away. We moved here. Jen remained in Florida. But suddenly we had to re-invent our holiday traditions. The girls discovered their in-laws handled Thanksgiving differently than we did. From stuffing to pies, the food on the table, as well as the rituals involved had some subtle and some not so subtle differences.
Ben Franklin once said, "In this world, the only thing certain is death and taxes". About a year before we moved I felt pretty certain that our family would move into the next phase of our lives and live within a few hours of each other, in Florida. The next year was like watching dominoes fall in slow motion. When the last domino fell we were all separated by 900 miles.
I think one of the hardest parts for everyone was discovering how to celebrate holidays we had spent together for the previous 30 years. It may have been difficult, but ultimately, I think it is one of the biggest parts of creating and raising a family. As an empty nester, this year Larry and I are faced with re-creating a Christmas morning without kids. When we got married, it was exciting to have that morning together, before we met with the rest of his family. The traditions we developed were a combination of some of his favorite memories and some of mine. But 40 years later it seems daunting.
Even so, I look forward to finding out what we will do. Traditions add stability, expectation and excitement to family events. But they are not stable. They will change and that is a good thing. It means life is evolving and we are open to new things. Traditions aside, that seems like a much more stable way of life than remaining static.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Sunsets
I am thankful for many things, but a Facebook response this week reminded me how lucky I am to see spectacular sunsets and evening skies.
I'm not sure when my fascination with the sky began. As a child, I was turned off by my mother's constant comments about the sky, the trees, nature in general. I was a kid. My mother was 'square'. When we lived in Florida and my mother visited, she often commented on the cloud formations. Her eyesight was not good, but she could pick out those towering cumulous thunderheads. My oldest daughter was also fascinted with night skies. She would take us outside to look at the moon through binoculars, or to follow meteor showers and shooting stars. Somewhere in my adulthood, weather and the sky became very important to me.
The first apartment my husband and I lived in had a great western view, and consequently, great sunsets. We have lived in many places, but not many have given us that same view. One house in Florida faced west and I probably began my true appreciation of the afternoon light in that house. We had spectacular sunsets with an unobstructed view there.
In this house we are also blessed with fantastic sunsets, and evening skies. One of my favorite winter views is the one where the sky is crystal clear. As the sun sets, the upper sky is a deep dark blue, fading to a clear light blue on the horizon. The trees are outlined and an evening star appears. There is a thin line of orange just on top of the horizon. It is an exquisite sky.
Earlier this week I wrote about a 'dreary day'. At the end of that day the weather began to clear.
The rain ended and the clouds began to lift. As the sun dipped low on the horizon it burned through the clouds. It looked like the sky was on fire!
It reminded me that at the end of every difficult time can come a time when life is spectacular. We may even feel like we are on fire. I am thankful for Sunsets (and sunrises if I was up early enough to enjoy them). Heaven may not appear as a direct floodlight, but may come in at an angle lighting our path when we least expect it.
I am thankful for two things. One, I am thankful that I can once again have that evening view. And two, I am thankful for sunsets. First of all, because they may not always be visible, but they are always there. Secondly, because they may come when we least expect them. But most of all, thirdly, because THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL!!! God blesses the end of every day with a beautiful sunset. I am thankful for that.
I'm not sure when my fascination with the sky began. As a child, I was turned off by my mother's constant comments about the sky, the trees, nature in general. I was a kid. My mother was 'square'. When we lived in Florida and my mother visited, she often commented on the cloud formations. Her eyesight was not good, but she could pick out those towering cumulous thunderheads. My oldest daughter was also fascinted with night skies. She would take us outside to look at the moon through binoculars, or to follow meteor showers and shooting stars. Somewhere in my adulthood, weather and the sky became very important to me.
The first apartment my husband and I lived in had a great western view, and consequently, great sunsets. We have lived in many places, but not many have given us that same view. One house in Florida faced west and I probably began my true appreciation of the afternoon light in that house. We had spectacular sunsets with an unobstructed view there.
In this house we are also blessed with fantastic sunsets, and evening skies. One of my favorite winter views is the one where the sky is crystal clear. As the sun sets, the upper sky is a deep dark blue, fading to a clear light blue on the horizon. The trees are outlined and an evening star appears. There is a thin line of orange just on top of the horizon. It is an exquisite sky.
Earlier this week I wrote about a 'dreary day'. At the end of that day the weather began to clear.
It reminded me that at the end of every difficult time can come a time when life is spectacular. We may even feel like we are on fire. I am thankful for Sunsets (and sunrises if I was up early enough to enjoy them). Heaven may not appear as a direct floodlight, but may come in at an angle lighting our path when we least expect it.
I am thankful for two things. One, I am thankful that I can once again have that evening view. And two, I am thankful for sunsets. First of all, because they may not always be visible, but they are always there. Secondly, because they may come when we least expect them. But most of all, thirdly, because THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL!!! God blesses the end of every day with a beautiful sunset. I am thankful for that.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
A Dreary Day--I am Thankful for Music
Oh the weather outside is frightful! Sorry, that's a line in a song isn't it! Well, it was true one day this week. Outside it was cold and dreary, wet, foggy, gray... But inside it was lovely. My house was warm and dry. The lamplight brightened the room. Music on the CD player brightened my spirit.
Listening to music always brightens my day. I have the choice of rock and roll to get me moving, classical to soothe me, Christmas music to cheer me. Music has always been my 'mood altering drug of choice'. This week, it was Christmas music; everything from John Denver to Josh Groban, Mannheim Steamrollers to Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
It may seem a little early to turn on the Christmas music, but I am in a church choir. Anyone who sings in a choir knows that Christmas music starts in September, when practice for the Christmas Cantata begins. It reminds me of the retailers. We complain about how early everything starts, but the truth is, if we want to be ready for the season, we have to begin our preparations way before the season.
As the leaves are turning, I am learning a new arrangement of Noel, or Ring those Christmas Bells. By the time the leaves have covered the ground and the trees stand tall and bare, that arrangement is on automatic replay in my mind.
So on a dreary day I have my favorite cup of tea on the cup warmer beside me. Andrea Bocelli is on the CD player. Maggie sleeps at my feet. I have much to be thankful for and Music is one of those special gifts in my life. I can't imagine a life without it. This would lead you to say "Then you must be thankful for your hearing." I am. But that is another post. Today I am thankful for music.
Listening to music always brightens my day. I have the choice of rock and roll to get me moving, classical to soothe me, Christmas music to cheer me. Music has always been my 'mood altering drug of choice'. This week, it was Christmas music; everything from John Denver to Josh Groban, Mannheim Steamrollers to Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
It may seem a little early to turn on the Christmas music, but I am in a church choir. Anyone who sings in a choir knows that Christmas music starts in September, when practice for the Christmas Cantata begins. It reminds me of the retailers. We complain about how early everything starts, but the truth is, if we want to be ready for the season, we have to begin our preparations way before the season.
As the leaves are turning, I am learning a new arrangement of Noel, or Ring those Christmas Bells. By the time the leaves have covered the ground and the trees stand tall and bare, that arrangement is on automatic replay in my mind.
So on a dreary day I have my favorite cup of tea on the cup warmer beside me. Andrea Bocelli is on the CD player. Maggie sleeps at my feet. I have much to be thankful for and Music is one of those special gifts in my life. I can't imagine a life without it. This would lead you to say "Then you must be thankful for your hearing." I am. But that is another post. Today I am thankful for music.
Friday, November 19, 2010
A Warm Bed
Back in the 1980's my husband and I bought a water bed. We had it for many years and one of my very favorite things about it was that it was warm when I climbed in at night. Since the mattress is filled with water, it must remain heated. Otherwise it is about as comfortable as a thin sleeping bag on very cold ground. Just like an electric blanket there was a gauge so you could keep the mattress warmer in winter and cooler in the summer. Every night I would slide between the sheets and feel this warmth enveloping me. In winter it was especially wonderful.
We lived in Central Florida for many years. In winter the homeless population grew as people migrated to a warmer location for the winter months. It was distressing to see men huddled around 'burning barrel's under bridges in the winter. While we rarely had below freezing temperatures, it could get quite cold at night. On those few nights when the temperatures dipped below freezing shelters would open up to give the homeless a place to get in out of the elements.
On those nights I would slip between the sheets on my water bed. I would feel the cozy quilt on top, but underneath me the warmth of that bed would welcome me. And every night I would say a prayer of thanks to God that I had the security of a home, and a warm bed to sleep in. I would say a prayer for those who were cold that night that they would find a place to keep warm.
I still say that prayer every night. A warm bed is one thing I just don't take for granted. I am so grateful everytime I pull the covers around my head and snuggle into my pillow. If someone asked me what I was thankful for and I answered, "A warm bed", they might think I was being silly, but I know why I am so grateful for it. There are too many people these days who have no such thing.
We lived in Central Florida for many years. In winter the homeless population grew as people migrated to a warmer location for the winter months. It was distressing to see men huddled around 'burning barrel's under bridges in the winter. While we rarely had below freezing temperatures, it could get quite cold at night. On those few nights when the temperatures dipped below freezing shelters would open up to give the homeless a place to get in out of the elements.
On those nights I would slip between the sheets on my water bed. I would feel the cozy quilt on top, but underneath me the warmth of that bed would welcome me. And every night I would say a prayer of thanks to God that I had the security of a home, and a warm bed to sleep in. I would say a prayer for those who were cold that night that they would find a place to keep warm.
I still say that prayer every night. A warm bed is one thing I just don't take for granted. I am so grateful everytime I pull the covers around my head and snuggle into my pillow. If someone asked me what I was thankful for and I answered, "A warm bed", they might think I was being silly, but I know why I am so grateful for it. There are too many people these days who have no such thing.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Tis the Season....
...to be thankful. Thanksgiving is the time of year we set aside to specifically be thankful for our blessings. Some families take the time before that big family dinner for each person to say what they are thankful for. In actuality, I find that rather difficult.
Make no mistake. I am a grateful person. I am thankful for almost everything in my life. One thing I am very thankful for is that I have the type of personality that is contented. I don't fret over trivial things. I don't worry (very often) about things I have no control over. I don't project my fears of the future into my daily life. I recognize that my life is good. I don't live close to my kids or grandkids, but I have a wonderful relationship with them and the freedom to visit them when I want to. It doesn't get better than that!
But when I am asked what am I thankful for, I stumble over the question. Do I list the obvious? Health, family, love, financial security. (OK, that last one really IS something in this day and age to be VERY grateful for.) Or do I list the trivial?
I think it is important to recognize both. When we focus on things like family and good health, we consciously give thanks for the most important things in our lives. It takes our minds off the mundane, everyday concerns and allow us to recognize what really matters.
But when we are grateful for everyday happenings, it gives us a chance to recognize how lucky we really are, right now, for.... whatever it is we are grateful for. A month or so ago, I wrote a post called, "An AHA Moment" when I suddenly realized how very lucky I had been to see the Beatles and Paul McCartney in concert many times, when many people had never seen them at all. That was a great moment for me and allowed me to see the treasure of my everyday life.
I will try in the next week or two to make several postings recognizing specific things in my life I am thankful for. Some will be the important ones. But I want to really notice the small things I take for granted that make my days special. The trivial things I am thankful for. Check back, and feel free to share some of the things you are thankful for...big or small!
In the words of Andrea Bocelli, who's Christmas CD just finished on my CD player, (as well as Tiny Tim) God Bless Us Everyone!
Make no mistake. I am a grateful person. I am thankful for almost everything in my life. One thing I am very thankful for is that I have the type of personality that is contented. I don't fret over trivial things. I don't worry (very often) about things I have no control over. I don't project my fears of the future into my daily life. I recognize that my life is good. I don't live close to my kids or grandkids, but I have a wonderful relationship with them and the freedom to visit them when I want to. It doesn't get better than that!
But when I am asked what am I thankful for, I stumble over the question. Do I list the obvious? Health, family, love, financial security. (OK, that last one really IS something in this day and age to be VERY grateful for.) Or do I list the trivial?
I think it is important to recognize both. When we focus on things like family and good health, we consciously give thanks for the most important things in our lives. It takes our minds off the mundane, everyday concerns and allow us to recognize what really matters.
But when we are grateful for everyday happenings, it gives us a chance to recognize how lucky we really are, right now, for.... whatever it is we are grateful for. A month or so ago, I wrote a post called, "An AHA Moment" when I suddenly realized how very lucky I had been to see the Beatles and Paul McCartney in concert many times, when many people had never seen them at all. That was a great moment for me and allowed me to see the treasure of my everyday life.
I will try in the next week or two to make several postings recognizing specific things in my life I am thankful for. Some will be the important ones. But I want to really notice the small things I take for granted that make my days special. The trivial things I am thankful for. Check back, and feel free to share some of the things you are thankful for...big or small!
In the words of Andrea Bocelli, who's Christmas CD just finished on my CD player, (as well as Tiny Tim) God Bless Us Everyone!
Saturday, November 6, 2010
To Everything There is a Season.
This week we were out for a drive and it was obvious. Fall is nearing an end. The groomed lawns of summer and the luminous color of fall were past. In it's place was the wild landscape that comes with late fall. It carries a beauty of it's own.
As a teen on my way to school in the early morning I loved the look of the sun coming up over the brown fields, leaves, grasses. Everything had a glow to it that was beautiful. It is true. To everything there is a season. (Ecclesiastes 3) And each season has it's own beauty.
Field grasses have gone to seed.
An occasional flower defies the fact that summer is over.
Leaves lay in piles on lawns...
...and in flower beds
Early morning frost outlines each blade of grass.
As a teen on my way to school in the early morning I loved the look of the sun coming up over the brown fields, leaves, grasses. Everything had a glow to it that was beautiful. It is true. To everything there is a season. (Ecclesiastes 3) And each season has it's own beauty.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Halloween
Last night was Halloween and it is a fun night around here. Many of the neighborhoods have adopted a terrific custom of sitting outside during trick or treat. The first year we lived here it took us by surprise and we thought perhaps it was a Pittsburgh thing, but I've found many people who still stay in their houses and let the kids come to them.
In our neighborhood starting around 5:30 people start setting out their chairs and readying the pumpkins. Then just at 6:00 everyone appears. If the garage is facing the street, people will turn on their garage light and sit there, but the rest of us gather near the sidewalks with our bowls of candy and a beverage or two. If it's cold, like last night, we just bundle up for awhile. (The Florida folks may be a bit more bundled than others!) If it's warm some neighbors may have a cooler by the candy bowl and pass out some cold beverages to the adults! Now, that's a neighbor! By half way around the block the dad's are usually ready for a refill!
Last night was cool, but clear. The sunset was gorgeous. The hill behind our house was picking up the colors with increased intensity. A small group of us gathered and just watched it change as the sun set. The sun's rays lit up the tree trunks, the fallen leaves on the hillside and the leaves still on the trees turning everything a flaming burnt orange. As the sun went down the orange turned to a rich burgundy. It was amazing. I wished I had a camera in hand but there wasn't time to grab one, and I doubt I could have caught the feeling so we just watched and enjoyed it.
Then we settled in as the first of the munchkins appeared. Maggie enjoys Halloween as well. Most of the kids like seeing her, but occasionally I back her away from the treat table while Larry hands out the candy to the more timid ones. A few people have parties after trick or treat and a couple of the visiting adults come by to make 'my annual visit to see Maggie'. She is famous in her own right.
Most of all what I love about Halloween here is the sense of community. A patrol car usually makes the rounds, lights flashing. Parents walk with the young kids but even the older ones are so safe. They are never out of sight of a neighbor as they go from house to house. Sitting outside for trick or treat has become one of my favorite new tradtions.
In our neighborhood starting around 5:30 people start setting out their chairs and readying the pumpkins. Then just at 6:00 everyone appears. If the garage is facing the street, people will turn on their garage light and sit there, but the rest of us gather near the sidewalks with our bowls of candy and a beverage or two. If it's cold, like last night, we just bundle up for awhile. (The Florida folks may be a bit more bundled than others!) If it's warm some neighbors may have a cooler by the candy bowl and pass out some cold beverages to the adults! Now, that's a neighbor! By half way around the block the dad's are usually ready for a refill!
Last night was cool, but clear. The sunset was gorgeous. The hill behind our house was picking up the colors with increased intensity. A small group of us gathered and just watched it change as the sun set. The sun's rays lit up the tree trunks, the fallen leaves on the hillside and the leaves still on the trees turning everything a flaming burnt orange. As the sun went down the orange turned to a rich burgundy. It was amazing. I wished I had a camera in hand but there wasn't time to grab one, and I doubt I could have caught the feeling so we just watched and enjoyed it.
Then we settled in as the first of the munchkins appeared. Maggie enjoys Halloween as well. Most of the kids like seeing her, but occasionally I back her away from the treat table while Larry hands out the candy to the more timid ones. A few people have parties after trick or treat and a couple of the visiting adults come by to make 'my annual visit to see Maggie'. She is famous in her own right.
Most of all what I love about Halloween here is the sense of community. A patrol car usually makes the rounds, lights flashing. Parents walk with the young kids but even the older ones are so safe. They are never out of sight of a neighbor as they go from house to house. Sitting outside for trick or treat has become one of my favorite new tradtions.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Fall Fascination
Fall is a never ending source of pleasure for me. Every day there is another beautiful tree or view to see. The traditional view that I carry in my mind is the "Perfect Tree". You know the one. It is a gorgeous gold, a flaming orange, or a red so deep and smooth you would expect to reach out and touch velvet.
Mother Nature's paint brush is always exquisite. The pictures from my childhood are of Connecticut hillsides ablaze in all the fall shades, from bright yellow, to burnt orange, to deep red. It wasn't until I returned to Pittsburgh that I began to appreciate the richness that is added when the late changers add their green to the palette.
But there are times when Mother Nature leaves me perplexed...or at least curious about the collage of color that I see. For instance, why is one mountain top green at the top and in full color at the bottom...but the very next hillside is green at the bottom and in full color at the top?
Why have all the maples on one side of my street changed, AND lost their leaves, but the other side is still green?
Most of the maples around here have a very even leaf loss.
What's up with this one??
Why do some trees seem to change from the inside out? Or from the top down?
I know that there are scientific explanations for each of these questions. I can even guess at some of them. But after I saw this tree next to a small country church, I decided, Maybe God just wants to remind us He created this world and He is still in charge.
Friday, October 22, 2010
The Pumpkin Patch
I've discovered one big difference between a 'Pumpkin Patch' in Florida and one in Pennsylvania. The temperature! Last week when Jen called me I was at the patch. It was a cold, blustery day with rain showers occasionally pelting us. I was bundled up in long underwear, jeans, socks, boots, long sleeve t-shirt, sweatshirt, coat and hat. It was NOT a 'perfect fall day'! In Florida I would have been enjoying a balmy 80 degrees in a cute fall t-shirt with pumpkins and scarecrows on it. And my customers would have been able to see it.
The weather and I have been very consistent. I have been at the 'Patch' every afternoon, and it has been cold, windy, and cloudy every day. Sweatshirts, hats, gloves and heavy coats are the uniform of choice by most of the workers. The occasional bursts of sun were welcome, but short lived. I don't know that it is actually colder than usual. I suspect my perspective is colored by the fact that I am out for 3 hours at a time, and usually just sitting, as opposed to walking or being physically active.
I'm really glad we have taken on this project. It is a great opportunity for church members to work together, and to meet the community. I hope it is a huge success and we can repeat it in the future.
But right now, what I'm really hoping for are some warmer days. I have a couple of fall sweatshirts I want to show off, and it's hard to see them under all these layers!
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Perfect Sunday Afternoon
October is the one month you can really relish a perfect afternoon. Today, the air is cool, the sun is bright, the sky is blue. As the sun sets the hillside glows like it only can in October.Today as I sit on the deck I feel good about the completion of a job--the yard is freshly mowed. I wear my Ronde Barber football jersey. It is just the right weight and coverage for the temperature. In Florida it was too hot to wear it.
I sit and read a book in the late afternoon sun with an amply fortified screwdriver (that's beverage, not tool).
There is only one problem that crosses my mind.
When I moved here my goal was to read the unread books on my shelves and remove them one by one. The goal was to have only a few boxes of books to take with me the next time me moved. But the local used book store, Barnes and Noble, and my book club are conspiring to introduce me to enough really good books that I want to keep them.
Today I am reading one of them. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society has me laughing out loud, loving the characters, and marveling at what people go through in times of war.
I live in a place where the proximity of war is unknown. I am grateful.My shelves will have one more book to protect.
And I have one more perfect Sunday afternoon to remember.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Impressions of Warren
3 year old boys are a hoot. It was such fun watching this one. I always see such growth when I visit my grandsons. I try to see them twice a year.
Vocabulary words Warren has educated me on this year: Combine, Payloader, Road Grader, bulldozer, cart, wagon, tractor, Quad Track, Castle--a grain elevator! :), planter--He may be working on his colors and numbers, but he can ID any piece of farm equipment.
Here are a few "Warrenism's".
Looking for a lost toy (his red man), he takes a flashlight down the hall calling "HellOOOO?"
Mowing the grass with his toy mower he mime's putting in ear plugs, shakes his head, lipping "I can't hear you".
Lines up his blocks across the room, building 'hoses'--imitating the farmers laying 'tile', a black hose that is buried in the ground to help drain off the water.
Runs in the room, grabs his handy-man light, hammer or wrench, "I have to fix something" and disappears again.
Calling for his dad: "Hey, Mike!"
Gets his bike out: "I have to go to work now. Don't take my picture, Granberry." ( a sign of an over photographed subject ;} )
And my favorite:
A gentle hug and a soft "I like you, Granberry."
Vocabulary words Warren has educated me on this year: Combine, Payloader, Road Grader, bulldozer, cart, wagon, tractor, Quad Track, Castle--a grain elevator! :), planter--He may be working on his colors and numbers, but he can ID any piece of farm equipment.
Here are a few "Warrenism's".
Looking for a lost toy (his red man), he takes a flashlight down the hall calling "HellOOOO?"
Mowing the grass with his toy mower he mime's putting in ear plugs, shakes his head, lipping "I can't hear you".
Lines up his blocks across the room, building 'hoses'--imitating the farmers laying 'tile', a black hose that is buried in the ground to help drain off the water.
Runs in the room, grabs his handy-man light, hammer or wrench, "I have to fix something" and disappears again.
Calling for his dad: "Hey, Mike!"
Gets his bike out: "I have to go to work now. Don't take my picture, Granberry." ( a sign of an over photographed subject ;} )
And my favorite:
A gentle hug and a soft "I like you, Granberry."
Monday, October 11, 2010
Computers....can't live with OR without them
I had hopes for today. I got up and did my workout. I took care of the light chores. I had lunch. Then I looked at the rest of my To-Do list. Vacuum, clean up the loft, walk, read, Call HP. I REALLY didn't want to call HP. But I knew I had to.
Last week I had an issue with a wireless printer we own. I called HP and played Spider Solitaire on the desktop computer while HP used my laptop remotely to find out what the problem was. The techs are very cordial, and pleasant. They say my name with a funny accent and occasionally the connection on the speaker phone seems to screech, but I don't mind. They can navigate the morass that makes up a computer hard drive with an ease that eludes me. I watch my arrow seemingly move with a life of its own until, voila, my printer begins to work! Yea!! I think.
The next day I open Internet Explorer. A dialogue box pops up telling me my security program has been disabled. Hmmm. I play around and have no clue. I try to turn it back on, but nothing happens. I restart my computer. No luck.
I'm busy. I don't have time for this. So I ignore it until I do.
Today I can't ignore it anymore. It is time to face the phone...HP tells me the problem is in my computer, not my printer. DUH...'no, they can't fix it'. Toshiba tells me the problem is in Windows. Call Microsoft. Microsoft tells me it will be faster if I go online. I spend hours online clicking here and there and literally going in circles. Each click eventually takes me back to the beginning, with no PERSON in sight! Finally, I go back to the phone with the information MS wants just to tell me how much it will cost for me to talk to a person.
Bottom line? Another pleasant tech takes control of my computer, does her guru thing, makes SURE MY PRINTER STILL WORKS, and leaves me grateful and annoyed.
Computer and printer: $800.00
Tech support to make it all work: $60.00
Assuaging my frustration ..... Priceless???? Not Exactly. Maybe I shoulda' bought an Apple.
Last week I had an issue with a wireless printer we own. I called HP and played Spider Solitaire on the desktop computer while HP used my laptop remotely to find out what the problem was. The techs are very cordial, and pleasant. They say my name with a funny accent and occasionally the connection on the speaker phone seems to screech, but I don't mind. They can navigate the morass that makes up a computer hard drive with an ease that eludes me. I watch my arrow seemingly move with a life of its own until, voila, my printer begins to work! Yea!! I think.
The next day I open Internet Explorer. A dialogue box pops up telling me my security program has been disabled. Hmmm. I play around and have no clue. I try to turn it back on, but nothing happens. I restart my computer. No luck.
I'm busy. I don't have time for this. So I ignore it until I do.
Today I can't ignore it anymore. It is time to face the phone...HP tells me the problem is in my computer, not my printer. DUH...'no, they can't fix it'. Toshiba tells me the problem is in Windows. Call Microsoft. Microsoft tells me it will be faster if I go online. I spend hours online clicking here and there and literally going in circles. Each click eventually takes me back to the beginning, with no PERSON in sight! Finally, I go back to the phone with the information MS wants just to tell me how much it will cost for me to talk to a person.
Bottom line? Another pleasant tech takes control of my computer, does her guru thing, makes SURE MY PRINTER STILL WORKS, and leaves me grateful and annoyed.
Computer and printer: $800.00
Tech support to make it all work: $60.00
Assuaging my frustration ..... Priceless???? Not Exactly. Maybe I shoulda' bought an Apple.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Night Lights
During my visit to Jan's I gave you lots of impressions of Iowa. The flat, gravel roads. The sounds. The fields. It is so different from Pittsburgh that I always enjoy going there as much for the view as for the family. I'm going to share one more view that really fascinated me the first time I noticed it. It is the lights at night.
When Jan met Mike she took him to see the ocean. He said he had never seen water for as far as the eye could see, but he had seen corn for as far as the eye could see. In daytime in Iowa, it doesn't seem as if there is much else. It is corn and soybean fields, distant horizons, occassional outcroppings of trees, a house and barn every mile or so.
But walk outside at night and look around. There are lights everywhere. Stand in the road and do a 360 degree turn. The lights don't seem to be in a row, but they are all around you. Where do they come from? None of them look close, like the ones in your neighborhood. But they don't look far away either. They are 'across the field'. Some are red blinking ones. You can assume they are attached to a tower somewhere. But where?
I've learned that light travels great distances. I knew that from my science classes, and from looking at the stars. In Iowa it becomes more evident. Those red blinking lights are on windmills 30 miles away. They sit just above the horizon and look as if they could be on the main road. The white lights are the dusk to dawn lights on farms I can't even see during the day. I don't see big lights, small lights, near lights, far lights, (excuse me Dr. Seuss). I see LIGHTS!
It is an amazing sight to me. Just another intriguing aspect of a part of the country very different from Pittsburgh.
When Jan met Mike she took him to see the ocean. He said he had never seen water for as far as the eye could see, but he had seen corn for as far as the eye could see. In daytime in Iowa, it doesn't seem as if there is much else. It is corn and soybean fields, distant horizons, occassional outcroppings of trees, a house and barn every mile or so.
But walk outside at night and look around. There are lights everywhere. Stand in the road and do a 360 degree turn. The lights don't seem to be in a row, but they are all around you. Where do they come from? None of them look close, like the ones in your neighborhood. But they don't look far away either. They are 'across the field'. Some are red blinking ones. You can assume they are attached to a tower somewhere. But where?
I've learned that light travels great distances. I knew that from my science classes, and from looking at the stars. In Iowa it becomes more evident. Those red blinking lights are on windmills 30 miles away. They sit just above the horizon and look as if they could be on the main road. The white lights are the dusk to dawn lights on farms I can't even see during the day. I don't see big lights, small lights, near lights, far lights, (excuse me Dr. Seuss). I see LIGHTS!
It is an amazing sight to me. Just another intriguing aspect of a part of the country very different from Pittsburgh.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Welcome, Fall
It didn't help that I was welcomed back home by 4 days of rain and cold weather. I was only able to get out and walk one day. Today is wonderful. The sun is shining, the sky is blue and I'm finally able to really see the beginnings of the fall colors around me.
Fall is truly my favorite season. The changing leaves and the crisp air are hard to beat. As much as I enjoy summer with it's warm days and trees covered in green, a beautiful fall day cannot be matched. I love the golds, russets, reds; fields of goldenrod, and bloom of mums. Unfortunately, sometimes I have a difficult time embracing it. I also see it as a signal that winter is on the way and it will be many months before I can enjoy those warm days again. But last year, I discovered one of the hidden blessings of fall.
There is a natural progression to fall. It begins with just a hint. The days become 'slightly' cooler, and just a bit shorter. As it moves on the world around me becomes breathtaking. I fall in love with cool nights for sleeping, windows open during the day, air that is crisp and clear. Eventually all great things must come to an end. The colors fade to brown. The days become cold and chilly. But just then Christmas lights appear everywhere--in stores, in nursery's, on city streets. By Thanksgiving, fall maybe almost past and winter may be almost here, but the holiday season is in full swing. And that brings it's own special joy.
Fall provides a beautiful backdrop as it transitions us from summer to winter. And the Holiday season provides a beatiful backdrop as winter arrives. One of the side effects of spending so many years in Florida is that I found winter harder this time than when I lived here as a child. But there are gorgeous winter days as well. So as Fall descends I will embrace it in all it's stages. I will be like Frederick in Leo Lionni's children's book. I will absorb all the colors of summer and fall so that when winter comes I can remember that deep blue sky, green leaves, daisies, rosebushes, warm sun, and babbling brooks. And on a gray, rainy or snowy day, I'll pull out those memories and warm myself with them as I sit by the fire.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Sounds of Iowa
One of the things I enjoy about walking is listening to the sounds. At home I hear the sound of cars on the highway, the hawk circling above with it's high-pitched cry, the crows cawing as they fly through the trees.
In Iowa the sounds are different.
Some days all I hear as I walk is the wind. It blows across the fields, whipping into my ears. It blocks the sound of oncoming vehicles so that I have to turn around frequently and look for the tell-tale cloud of dust letting me know something is coming. It silences the birds, and keeps the insects down in the grass.
If it is not blowing too hard, but in the right direction, it carries the train whistle across the fields to the house. Warren will try to look out the window to see it. He can see it after harvest, but the corn blocks the view now.
The traffic sounds are of pickups, vans, the schoolbus in the morning, the mailman. I haven't heard a siren yet. And now, as harvest begins, I hear the rumble of tractors, combines, carts, on their way to the fields and the semi's filled with grain on their way to the grain elevators.
But the sound I love the best is on a quiet evening as the sun is setting. There is no wind. The traffic is sparse. As I walk I hear the crunch of my feet on the gravel. An occasional cricket in the grass. The owl in the wood by the south lot. He hoots as I pass, and then is silent, until I return to pass by again. An occasional flutter of a bird in the cornfield trying to hide from me, or settle in for the night. The drumming of wings as a pheasant heads for a more secluded spot. On a quiet night even the corn doesn't rustle.
On a quiet evening, I stop to watch the sun set over the fields. It slowly disappears, leaving behind a horizon layered in orange, tangerine, gold, pale blue. It is so still I can hear myself breathe.
And then I continue home to the crunch of gravel under my feet, and the song of a cricket to keep me company.
In Iowa the sounds are different.
Some days all I hear as I walk is the wind. It blows across the fields, whipping into my ears. It blocks the sound of oncoming vehicles so that I have to turn around frequently and look for the tell-tale cloud of dust letting me know something is coming. It silences the birds, and keeps the insects down in the grass.
If it is not blowing too hard, but in the right direction, it carries the train whistle across the fields to the house. Warren will try to look out the window to see it. He can see it after harvest, but the corn blocks the view now.
The traffic sounds are of pickups, vans, the schoolbus in the morning, the mailman. I haven't heard a siren yet. And now, as harvest begins, I hear the rumble of tractors, combines, carts, on their way to the fields and the semi's filled with grain on their way to the grain elevators.
But the sound I love the best is on a quiet evening as the sun is setting. There is no wind. The traffic is sparse. As I walk I hear the crunch of my feet on the gravel. An occasional cricket in the grass. The owl in the wood by the south lot. He hoots as I pass, and then is silent, until I return to pass by again. An occasional flutter of a bird in the cornfield trying to hide from me, or settle in for the night. The drumming of wings as a pheasant heads for a more secluded spot. On a quiet night even the corn doesn't rustle.
On a quiet evening, I stop to watch the sun set over the fields. It slowly disappears, leaving behind a horizon layered in orange, tangerine, gold, pale blue. It is so still I can hear myself breathe.
And then I continue home to the crunch of gravel under my feet, and the song of a cricket to keep me company.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Muffin Man
Last night Warren and I made banana muffins. He has had some baking experience. He makes pancakes with Daddy on Sunday mornings. 
I was so impressed at how well he stirred. All the batter stayed in the bowl.
Warren was an excellent sous-chef and we had such fun.
First he mashed the bananas while I whipped the sugar and butter.
Then he helped me measure the salt and baking soda into the flour.
I added the eggs into the sugar/butter mixture and slid the bowl in front of him. He stirred as I added the flour mixture and the perfectly mashed bananas.
I was so impressed at how well he stirred. All the batter stayed in the bowl.
And here is the result! Yum!!
Friday, September 24, 2010
Evening Walk
Wednesday was one of the best days for a walk this week. It had been several days since I could get out so I braved the mist on Wednesday morning. Then it cleared off and the evening was so nice Maggie and I took a rare second walk. You have to grab them when you can. Heavy fog, rain, and high winds have all been part of the climate this week. Although the road is a rural, gravel road I keep Maggie on a leash. Gravel roads connect to main roads, and cars, pickups and semis travel at 40+ mph. When the wind is blowing, I often don't hear them approaching until they are pretty close.
The sun was setting as we started out. The sky was clear and the sunset was producing a true tangerine sky in the west. Someone had ridden a horse earlier in the day and for a ways we followed the hoof prints. Then I started noticing fresh deer tracks. The road Jan lives on is a 2-lane gravel road bordered by corn fields waiting for harvest. There are plenty of hiding places for deer at this time of year.As soon as we got back to the road, something caught my eye in the field on the other side. A white 'flag' was waving up and down. In the declining light it was hard to make out anything else, but I could follow the white tail as the deer ran down the road. Maggie was right. The deer had been there, but it had already crossed the road.
Nice work Maggie. You scented it out!
(And thanks to our two walks, I logged 10,000 steps that day!)
Monday, September 20, 2010
Meeting Samantha
I've been busy this week. I met a new little girl and I've been trying to get to know her. I met her Wednesday afternoon but she was asleep. She slept a lot that day. Each day she wakes up a little bit more and takes in the world around her. She hasn't figured out at all who I am, but one day she will. I am her grandmother.
Newborn babies are mysterious little creatures. The come into the world already part of a family they know nothing about. The bond between them and their new family is both immediate, strong and yet a little tenuous. They have a communication system all their own and it has to be decoded. They have a mixed up sense of night and day. They wake when we are busiest, or sleepiest. Their needs are limited, but demanding. "Feed me NOW!" "Ewww! I'm wet. Do something about it NOW!!" or the ever frustrating "I have no idea what I want but I want it NOW!!!" The next few weeks will be devoted to learning about this new being.
Samantha is a sweetheart. She is so tiny compared to her 3 year old brother. She grunts when she wiggles or squirms. Her little legs pump in and out. Her arms reach out and up. She rolls her head from side to side when she squirms in her seat. In reality there is nothing that sets her apart from other newborns. Except she is OURS! That alone makes her one in a million! At first her eyes were often squeezed shut. She would open them to check out this new world, but it is obviously so much brighter than where she was just a few days ago. She checks out her mother and father, and occasionally me. Today she really began to look around the room.
That's the mystery of babies. They are so new, so fresh, but beneath the surface they already have qualities and characteristics just waiting to explode into real people. It was great meeting Samantha, but getting to know her is the real fun of being a grandparent. It's one of my favorite parts of living the life of an 'empty nester'.
Samantha is a sweetheart. She is so tiny compared to her 3 year old brother. She grunts when she wiggles or squirms. Her little legs pump in and out. Her arms reach out and up. She rolls her head from side to side when she squirms in her seat. In reality there is nothing that sets her apart from other newborns. Except she is OURS! That alone makes her one in a million! At first her eyes were often squeezed shut. She would open them to check out this new world, but it is obviously so much brighter than where she was just a few days ago. She checks out her mother and father, and occasionally me. Today she really began to look around the room.
Her big brother is curious and protective of her and proud. Larry arrived Friday night just a few hours after she came home from the hospital. Warren immediately said, "Paberry! Come look at the baby!", reached for his hand and took him to the crib. He checks her if she fusses, but he doesn't hover. "The Baby" is a part of the house but he continues to enjoy his own world. So far, there are enough adults to go around so he hasn't had to share the attention.
One of the joys of being a grandparent is watching a family unfold from a distance. The distance isn't marked in miles, but in years. The years between being THE Parent, with all it's fatigue, demands, hopes and expectations, and being a grandparent, an onlooker who has a little perspective, but mostly none of the demands. I am looking forward to watching this little girl grow up. To get to know her. What will her playtime obsession be? Will she love dolls? Playing house? Pretending to cook? Maybe she'll be fascinated about how things work and she'll try to put things together, play puzzles, roll around with her brother's cars, trucks and tractors. Or will she be creative, love to draw, play with playdoh, create things with blocks?
After watching 2 little boys turn into such wonderful little beings, I know how much I will enjoy watching this little girl develop.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
September 11
I don't want to let today go by without recognizing it. Much has been said, and will be said. It is a day that stands in our memory. For each of us the day brings individual memories as we remember how we heard the news, but it brings similar memories of shock and heartache.
The media has had a couple of stories to focus on from the Mosque in New York to the preacher in Florida. I didn't want either of these situations to color my own feelings so for the most part I kept away from the news today.
Our town has found it's own significant way to remember and honor the fire fighters, the survivors and those who lost loved ones. The local fire department hangs a huge flag over the highway. It is the first thing you see as you come into town.
To me it is a fitting way to pay tribute to those men and honor this day.
The media has had a couple of stories to focus on from the Mosque in New York to the preacher in Florida. I didn't want either of these situations to color my own feelings so for the most part I kept away from the news today.
Our town has found it's own significant way to remember and honor the fire fighters, the survivors and those who lost loved ones. The local fire department hangs a huge flag over the highway. It is the first thing you see as you come into town.
To me it is a fitting way to pay tribute to those men and honor this day.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Elephants (and Old Dogs) Never Forget
They say elephants never forget, but I think that is also true of old dogs. Tonight Maggie proved her memory is long.
Our street is currently under demolition. The much anticipated reconstruction phase hasn't begun yet. Cars carefully navigate the exposed storm sewers and bounce over the rock base the construction crew left us. Fortunately the sidewalks are ok so Maggie and I went out for a late afternoon walk. We walked the half mile to the entrance of our neighborhood. At the corner I walked around some of the rock piles toward some tall grass. Cars were passing us on the street, but one turned onto our street. Instantly, Maggie turned her whole body to stare at the car. Her eyes followed it as it went up the street. It was a non-descript older car, small, but with a triangle shaped sign strapped to it's roof. She watched until it was out of sight and then started to pull me towards the road.
The sign on the car was for Domino's Pizza! Now, we have never had Domino's Pizza delivered to our house, but there must have been an aroma around that car because she was mesmerized. Years ago though, the most exciting night in her life was Friday nights and it started by my writing a check. As soon as she saw me write the check she would sit by the front door waiting for the Pizza Delivery Man.
As we began the climb back up the hill, several cars were gingerly picking their way down the road. At the end of the line was the Domino's Pizza car. Once again, Maggie stopped and turned to follow the car. I swear, if she'd been wearing a hat, she would have taken it off and held it over her heart.
Poor girl. I know she was hoping he had stopped at our house, but the only thing waiting for her was her Denta-stix and Iams Weight Control dog food. Sorry old girl.
Our street is currently under demolition. The much anticipated reconstruction phase hasn't begun yet. Cars carefully navigate the exposed storm sewers and bounce over the rock base the construction crew left us. Fortunately the sidewalks are ok so Maggie and I went out for a late afternoon walk. We walked the half mile to the entrance of our neighborhood. At the corner I walked around some of the rock piles toward some tall grass. Cars were passing us on the street, but one turned onto our street. Instantly, Maggie turned her whole body to stare at the car. Her eyes followed it as it went up the street. It was a non-descript older car, small, but with a triangle shaped sign strapped to it's roof. She watched until it was out of sight and then started to pull me towards the road.
The sign on the car was for Domino's Pizza! Now, we have never had Domino's Pizza delivered to our house, but there must have been an aroma around that car because she was mesmerized. Years ago though, the most exciting night in her life was Friday nights and it started by my writing a check. As soon as she saw me write the check she would sit by the front door waiting for the Pizza Delivery Man.
As we began the climb back up the hill, several cars were gingerly picking their way down the road. At the end of the line was the Domino's Pizza car. Once again, Maggie stopped and turned to follow the car. I swear, if she'd been wearing a hat, she would have taken it off and held it over her heart.
Poor girl. I know she was hoping he had stopped at our house, but the only thing waiting for her was her Denta-stix and Iams Weight Control dog food. Sorry old girl.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
10,000 Steps
I've been on a quest lately. It is to increase my activity. To that end, I have set a goal of 10,000 steps a day. This is not a random number. It is one that keeps popping up in various places. One year at work someone gave us pedometers to help us track the number of steps we walked each day. That was probably the first time I heard we should try to walk 10,000 steps a day. Being teachers, and always on our feet, I am sure most of us figured that was going to be easy. I was surprised to see I didn't walk that much. Of course, at that school the library was located right next to the office, mailboxes, bathrooms and cafeteria. I soon realized that being on my feet didn't automatically translate into walking. It just wasn't happening.
After I retired and moved, it got much worse. Not only wasn't I walking a lot, I was much more sedentary. I wasn't on my feet nearly as much. I could grab a beer and a bag of chips and settle down to watch TV in only 10 steps. I didn't need a pedometer to know I was in trouble. But those fitness experts, health experts, and others kept telling me my heart, muscles, and bones needed 10,000 steps to stay fit. Well-meaning nags!
It seemed to be a lot easier in the summer. I was pretty active working in the yard and keeping busy. Now with fall approaching I'm not as busy. It's getting harder. Weekends are the worst. We go, but that doesn't mean we walk. Last Saturday I counted off 4300 steps! Hmm, not good. The challenge continues. As of this writing, I'm only at 9400 for the day. Guess I'd better get off the computer and go run around the house a few times.
After I retired and moved, it got much worse. Not only wasn't I walking a lot, I was much more sedentary. I wasn't on my feet nearly as much. I could grab a beer and a bag of chips and settle down to watch TV in only 10 steps. I didn't need a pedometer to know I was in trouble. But those fitness experts, health experts, and others kept telling me my heart, muscles, and bones needed 10,000 steps to stay fit. Well-meaning nags!
A couple of months ago I read a book called The Wildwater Walking Club. The main character was trying to do the same thing...walk more. She got a pedometer and started walking. I loved the beginning. Day 1--11,032 steps. Day 2--OUCH 232 steps. The book was a fun read but I was most impressed when I read the author's note at the end. While she had been writing the book, she managed to get in 10,000 steps every day. I was impressed.
Recently I was given a new pedometer. I decided it was time to reach the goal. I have begun walking purposefully on a daily basis. Over the years I've let Maggie's interest in checking out who's been where influence my gait. No more. If she wants to walk with me, she has to stop sniffing at every tree or mailbox. For the most part I have been successful.It seemed to be a lot easier in the summer. I was pretty active working in the yard and keeping busy. Now with fall approaching I'm not as busy. It's getting harder. Weekends are the worst. We go, but that doesn't mean we walk. Last Saturday I counted off 4300 steps! Hmm, not good. The challenge continues. As of this writing, I'm only at 9400 for the day. Guess I'd better get off the computer and go run around the house a few times.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Half the Sky
I read a book this week that keeps me awake at night. It is written by 2 NY Times reporters and it is called "Half the Sky". The title comes from a Chinese Proverb, "Women hold up half the sky". You may be hearing more about this book from me in coming months. If you do, that is a good thing. It means it has stuck with me. If you don't that will be sad because perhaps I've let it become a moment in my past.
I thought when I started the book that it would talk about microcredit opportunities for women in 3rd world countries and how they were lifting themselves out of poverty with small loans that they were able to turn into profitable ventures. Oh, that the world should move so simply. That turned out to be one chapter, but the issues facing even those people are so much more complicated. If my oldest sister is reading this she is probably thinking, "At last, my baby sister is waking up." She has spent a lifetime being aware of the rest of the world. I have spent a lifetime being aware of myself and the world I interact with.
"Half the Sky" starts out with chilling tales of forced prostitution of young teens, by their families or by others who prey on them and promise them jobs in the city. Then it goes on to tell horrific stories of young girls raped by men in an effort to force them to marry them. If the girl marries the man he is forgiven for the rape. If she doesn't marry him she has to commit suicide in order to not bring dishonor on her family. The book continues to highlight other types of atrocities against women world wide.
As horrible as this all seems, the authors have studied, researched and reported on these issues often enough and they have wonderful, redeeming stories of how some girls have risen above each of these to become productive leaders in their world. In one case, a girl with no education, was rescued by a hospital after a pregnancy and delivery gone wrong. She stayed at the hospital and helped out as she healed. She was allowed to help in the OR and showed such adeptness she was allowed to assist during the surgeries. Eventually she was able to do routine surgeries by herself and even trained other people at the hospital! Finally, she decided it was time she learned to read so she went to school. Incredible!
The authors give the reader multiple examples of efforts that have succeeded, as well as many well-meaning attempts that resulted in fiasco's. Most often, the programs that succeed are run by the local populations, who understand the customs they are trying to overcome, but they are funded by people like you and me. They give lots of places to get involved and tell you just how your money will be used.
I read another book last year, that has also never left me. It was called "Three Cups of Tea", by Greg Mortenson. Greg was a mountain climber who became lost on K-2 in Pakistan and was found by some mountain villagers. They took him in and helped him recover. While he was there, he discovered children taking themselves to school...no building, no materials, a teacher who came once or twice a week...but they went to school everyday to do the lessons he gave them. Greg has become the single biggest builder of schools in rural Pakistan and Afghanistan. In fact he is one of the success stories recounted in "Half the Sky".
Both books come to a similar conclusion. The way to improve any of these peoples' lives is through education, and mostly the education of women. Time and again women go back and change the life of their village. They encourage and care for one another. Once the village learns the real impact of some of their customs and how it impacts their economy and their health, they are empowered to change.
I don't read non-fiction very often. Usually my tastes go to mysteries, the fun Stephanie Plum series by Jan Evanovich, and other escapist material. But once in awhile I am inspired to do something to improve myself. I'm not sure what will come of all these efforts to 'educate Connie', but I hope something does. For now, let's just say the heart has been awakened.
I thought when I started the book that it would talk about microcredit opportunities for women in 3rd world countries and how they were lifting themselves out of poverty with small loans that they were able to turn into profitable ventures. Oh, that the world should move so simply. That turned out to be one chapter, but the issues facing even those people are so much more complicated. If my oldest sister is reading this she is probably thinking, "At last, my baby sister is waking up." She has spent a lifetime being aware of the rest of the world. I have spent a lifetime being aware of myself and the world I interact with.
"Half the Sky" starts out with chilling tales of forced prostitution of young teens, by their families or by others who prey on them and promise them jobs in the city. Then it goes on to tell horrific stories of young girls raped by men in an effort to force them to marry them. If the girl marries the man he is forgiven for the rape. If she doesn't marry him she has to commit suicide in order to not bring dishonor on her family. The book continues to highlight other types of atrocities against women world wide.
As horrible as this all seems, the authors have studied, researched and reported on these issues often enough and they have wonderful, redeeming stories of how some girls have risen above each of these to become productive leaders in their world. In one case, a girl with no education, was rescued by a hospital after a pregnancy and delivery gone wrong. She stayed at the hospital and helped out as she healed. She was allowed to help in the OR and showed such adeptness she was allowed to assist during the surgeries. Eventually she was able to do routine surgeries by herself and even trained other people at the hospital! Finally, she decided it was time she learned to read so she went to school. Incredible!
The authors give the reader multiple examples of efforts that have succeeded, as well as many well-meaning attempts that resulted in fiasco's. Most often, the programs that succeed are run by the local populations, who understand the customs they are trying to overcome, but they are funded by people like you and me. They give lots of places to get involved and tell you just how your money will be used.
I read another book last year, that has also never left me. It was called "Three Cups of Tea", by Greg Mortenson. Greg was a mountain climber who became lost on K-2 in Pakistan and was found by some mountain villagers. They took him in and helped him recover. While he was there, he discovered children taking themselves to school...no building, no materials, a teacher who came once or twice a week...but they went to school everyday to do the lessons he gave them. Greg has become the single biggest builder of schools in rural Pakistan and Afghanistan. In fact he is one of the success stories recounted in "Half the Sky".
Both books come to a similar conclusion. The way to improve any of these peoples' lives is through education, and mostly the education of women. Time and again women go back and change the life of their village. They encourage and care for one another. Once the village learns the real impact of some of their customs and how it impacts their economy and their health, they are empowered to change.
I don't read non-fiction very often. Usually my tastes go to mysteries, the fun Stephanie Plum series by Jan Evanovich, and other escapist material. But once in awhile I am inspired to do something to improve myself. I'm not sure what will come of all these efforts to 'educate Connie', but I hope something does. For now, let's just say the heart has been awakened.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
An AHA Moment
August 18th came and went. Paul McCartney did a concert in Pittsburgh, and I stayed home. What's wrong with this picture?
I struggled with this. Initially, I knew what I was doing. My daughter was expecting and although it would be early for the baby, that hasn't stopped her before. I was sure if I bought tickets I'd never make it to the concert and that would kill me. I haven't missed one of his concerts in 20 years.
Well, the 18th came. Of course the concert had sold out within minutes of going on sale, so I knew there wasn't a chance. But then tickets went on sale for the 19th. And on the 19th, there were still a few available. I was available. But I didn't buy. What's wrong with this picture? It bugged me all day.
Well, for one thing, I've been to many of his concerts, but I've only had decent, not great, seats one time. This time I really didn't want to go and sit in bad seats again. Even so I still wished I was going. And then something happened later to put all this in perspective.
After the concert, people who had gone, raved about it. And over and over I heard people say, "I'm so glad I got to see him. I've waited 30 years for this!" It didn't matter who you were, TV personality or local resident. Everyone was thrilled for this opportunity. It turns out this was the first time he'd been in Pittsburg in 20 years.
And then I had my "AHA!" moment. Or maybe it was a humbling moment.
Every once in a great while, something happens to make me take a good look at how fortunate my life has been. Many years ago when I was living in Florida the radio station I was listening to had a contest. The winner would win 2 tickets to anywhere in the world. Wow, I thought. I would go to Switzerland, or Australia! I had been to Switzerland once and really wanted to go back. I had a sister in Australia and it would be a great place to visit. The winner blew me away when she excitedly said NEW YORK!!! Huh? Anywhere in the world and she picks a city up the coast? Then she went on to say she had been in Florida for 8 years and had never been home.
Now that caught me off guard. I had to stop and let that settle in for a moment. In the 10 years I had lived in Florida I had probably been home 15 times, including vacations, weddings, and funerals. What would it have been like to never be able to go home? I was humbled. And chastised. I took so much for granted. I became very grateful.
In the last two weeks I've had a chance to re-live that feeling. In my lifetime I saw the Beatles at Convention Hall in Philly, 1964, Shea Stadium, and the Spectrum. I have seen McCartney 4 times while living in Florida. For me, it has become almost a badge of honor to go, not just a joyous event (which it always was, as well). Imagine if I had had to wait 43 years to see him!
Yes, I am a lucky person. My life has had so much good fortune in it. And for all those people who were so excited after seeing McCartney for the first time, I am glad you had my seat. Even a bad seat at his show is a fantastic experience. And the glowing faces on the news after the show reminded me once again how lucky I have been.
I struggled with this. Initially, I knew what I was doing. My daughter was expecting and although it would be early for the baby, that hasn't stopped her before. I was sure if I bought tickets I'd never make it to the concert and that would kill me. I haven't missed one of his concerts in 20 years.
Well, the 18th came. Of course the concert had sold out within minutes of going on sale, so I knew there wasn't a chance. But then tickets went on sale for the 19th. And on the 19th, there were still a few available. I was available. But I didn't buy. What's wrong with this picture? It bugged me all day.
Well, for one thing, I've been to many of his concerts, but I've only had decent, not great, seats one time. This time I really didn't want to go and sit in bad seats again. Even so I still wished I was going. And then something happened later to put all this in perspective.
After the concert, people who had gone, raved about it. And over and over I heard people say, "I'm so glad I got to see him. I've waited 30 years for this!" It didn't matter who you were, TV personality or local resident. Everyone was thrilled for this opportunity. It turns out this was the first time he'd been in Pittsburg in 20 years.
And then I had my "AHA!" moment. Or maybe it was a humbling moment.
Every once in a great while, something happens to make me take a good look at how fortunate my life has been. Many years ago when I was living in Florida the radio station I was listening to had a contest. The winner would win 2 tickets to anywhere in the world. Wow, I thought. I would go to Switzerland, or Australia! I had been to Switzerland once and really wanted to go back. I had a sister in Australia and it would be a great place to visit. The winner blew me away when she excitedly said NEW YORK!!! Huh? Anywhere in the world and she picks a city up the coast? Then she went on to say she had been in Florida for 8 years and had never been home.
Now that caught me off guard. I had to stop and let that settle in for a moment. In the 10 years I had lived in Florida I had probably been home 15 times, including vacations, weddings, and funerals. What would it have been like to never be able to go home? I was humbled. And chastised. I took so much for granted. I became very grateful.
In the last two weeks I've had a chance to re-live that feeling. In my lifetime I saw the Beatles at Convention Hall in Philly, 1964, Shea Stadium, and the Spectrum. I have seen McCartney 4 times while living in Florida. For me, it has become almost a badge of honor to go, not just a joyous event (which it always was, as well). Imagine if I had had to wait 43 years to see him!
Yes, I am a lucky person. My life has had so much good fortune in it. And for all those people who were so excited after seeing McCartney for the first time, I am glad you had my seat. Even a bad seat at his show is a fantastic experience. And the glowing faces on the news after the show reminded me once again how lucky I have been.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
A Real Babbling Brook
There is a beautiful park north of Pittsburgh, called McConnell's Mill. It has become one of my favorite places to visit. I've walked part of the trail that follows the stream a couple of times. The park has an old mill that always seems to be closed, so I've never toured it. There is a working covered bridge over the stream. Cars and people can cross over. People can walk the trail on either side. Cars can keep going to the next town.
The whole area is very rocky area and there are many rapids on the stream, but if you follow the trail you will come upon an occasional quiet area with a sandy beach. I've been wanting to take Maggie out there this summer and this week I finally did. It's a nice change of scenery from walking around the neighborhood.
A one way road leads down into the bottom of the ravine to the mill, but there are only 4 parking spaces and they always seem to be full. Above the ravine is a nice picnic area, field, playground and large parking area. A trail and 95 steps take you down to the mill and the trail by the stream. The first part of the lower trail is fairly nice, and somewhat paved, but after about 1/4 mile in it becomes just a trail through the trees and over roots and rocks. Although it's not a hard walk you can't walk it and look around at the same time because it is not a clear path and walkers are constantly navigating tree roots, and rocks. The picture on the left shows a place where a small waterfall crosses the path. The picture on the right shows how the natural rock layers under the surface form a natural, if not real smooth, staircase. It was easier to navigate than it looks.
There are sandy beaches in a few places, but they were all inhabited by families or couples so I couldn't let Maggie swim there. Of course, due to the rocks and the fast water there are signs posted all around for no swimming. I didn't see anybody swimming but kids had fun climbing on the rocks and collecting whatever bits of nature caught their eye.
About a mile in, I finally came across a sandy beach and we walked down to check it out. The shelf dropped off sharply just a few steps in. I kept Maggie on the leash while she swam so I could guide her back to a place where she could climb out. Once she figured it out she jumped in a few times to cool off. I let her off the leash and she charged up and down the beach, but never tried to swim on her own. Of course the downside of the day was something that seems typical around here. After taking a long walk, navigating rough terrain, I had to climb 95 steps back up to the top where my car was parked. It didn't seem to be a very hot afternoon, but as usual I was covered in sweat by the time we got back to the car. Next time I go I think I'll take someone along who can put me on a leash and let me swim!
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
The Paradox of August
August continues in typical fashion. We have had gorgeous days of sun, blue sky and warm temperatures. Petunias are nearing their end, but the chyrsanthemums are getting ready to pop. August is a month in which blistering days can give way to cool evenings. We can experience the dog days of summer one week and suddenly get a real taste of fall just a few days later. At this stage of the summer, I am tickled to see my hanging plants are looking strong and healthy. This is rare for me. By now, I've ususally killed them. 
Today as I walked I found signs that fall is just around the corner. As Maggie and I walked the trail above our house, I found these beautiful leaves.
My garden is also displaying some signs. My hydrangea, which blooms white in the spring, slowly turns to a deep rose in the fall. It is a normally a beautiful bush and right now it is gorgeous.
Today as I walked I found signs that fall is just around the corner. As Maggie and I walked the trail above our house, I found these beautiful leaves. My garden is also displaying some signs. My hydrangea, which blooms white in the spring, slowly turns to a deep rose in the fall. It is a normally a beautiful bush and right now it is gorgeous.There are 2 more weeks of August. One of the biggest surprises for me are the new families of birds under my deck. We have a nest of robins with 3 babies that hatched last week, and another nest of sparrows that hatched as well. I would have thought it was late to start a family! Did you know that baby robins are almost silent, while baby sparrows never shut up unless they are asleep? It's true. Trust me.
August is my favorite summer month. I will enjoy it to the last; rain, sun, cool or warm. Just knowing my hot days are numbered inspires me to enjoy every one there is.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Is It Really (JUST) August?
Tonight the world seems a little cock-eyed. The calendar is confusing. As I sit here typing, my husband is watching the first football game of the season. Football? Really? I like football actually, but it seems to me we don't need a lot of games before September. As if that isn't enough, I realize my daughter who is a teacher, goes back to work tomorrow...August 9! Come this Friday, the kids in her school district will be heading back to school.
It is at times like this I am REALLY glad I am retired. I was a teacher too, and although I lived in Florida for almost 30 years, I never got used to school starting in August. In my day, we always went back to school the first Thursday after Labor Day. August was the best month of the summer. We got out of school in the middle of June. Then after attending camp at Pennington Island (our church camp), for a week, I headed to Connecticut and Maine for the month of August. Those were heavenly days, made even better because I spent them with my best friend. We were so lucky. Usually Wendy and I headed to Maine for two weeks with her family. Then our families would meet, or my parents would come to Maine, and the two of us would head to Connecticut for 2 weeks with my family.
For several years I was able to take my own family to Connecticut in August. My sisters and I would often overlap our families for a few days. The trip from Florida to Connecticut included visits with friends and family as I traveled north. It was always my favorite part of summer. Even after I started teaching, we were able to make the trip and we would leave just in time to get back for school. It was a 3 day drive for us. The first day was a melancholy drive south as we knew summer was over. We'd stop at Nanny's or Aunt Sue's for the night. Day 2 was the transition day for me. By Day 3 as I drove through the Carolina's I would start planning the programs I wanted to promote at school. By the time I arrived home, the transition was complete and I was ready to go back to work.
Unfortunately, school districts started pushing the beginning of the school year earlier and earlier. Going north in August wasn't possible. I had to readjust my outlook about summertime.
Going back to work wasn't actually as bad as thinking about it. The first day back was fun for me as a teacher, just as it was as a student. Seeing everyone, getting the news, beginning the routine... work and school are an important part of our lives. The routine keeps us moving forward.
But August 9? It is days like this that make me glad I have retired. I loved my job, but tomorrow when I wake up, it will still be summer for me. And now that I'm back in the northeast, I'm happy to see that the kids in this neighborhood will still be enjoying summer for another few weeks.
As for Jen and the kids in Florida....Have a good year. I hope the hurricanes steer clear and the year goes well.
As for Football.... The Hall of Fame game is just the beginning. Pretty soon it will be exhibition games and then the season will be on for real. I'm going to enjoy the last days of summer to the full. The writing is on the wall. Fall is just around the corner!
It is at times like this I am REALLY glad I am retired. I was a teacher too, and although I lived in Florida for almost 30 years, I never got used to school starting in August. In my day, we always went back to school the first Thursday after Labor Day. August was the best month of the summer. We got out of school in the middle of June. Then after attending camp at Pennington Island (our church camp), for a week, I headed to Connecticut and Maine for the month of August. Those were heavenly days, made even better because I spent them with my best friend. We were so lucky. Usually Wendy and I headed to Maine for two weeks with her family. Then our families would meet, or my parents would come to Maine, and the two of us would head to Connecticut for 2 weeks with my family.
For several years I was able to take my own family to Connecticut in August. My sisters and I would often overlap our families for a few days. The trip from Florida to Connecticut included visits with friends and family as I traveled north. It was always my favorite part of summer. Even after I started teaching, we were able to make the trip and we would leave just in time to get back for school. It was a 3 day drive for us. The first day was a melancholy drive south as we knew summer was over. We'd stop at Nanny's or Aunt Sue's for the night. Day 2 was the transition day for me. By Day 3 as I drove through the Carolina's I would start planning the programs I wanted to promote at school. By the time I arrived home, the transition was complete and I was ready to go back to work.
Unfortunately, school districts started pushing the beginning of the school year earlier and earlier. Going north in August wasn't possible. I had to readjust my outlook about summertime.
Going back to work wasn't actually as bad as thinking about it. The first day back was fun for me as a teacher, just as it was as a student. Seeing everyone, getting the news, beginning the routine... work and school are an important part of our lives. The routine keeps us moving forward.
But August 9? It is days like this that make me glad I have retired. I loved my job, but tomorrow when I wake up, it will still be summer for me. And now that I'm back in the northeast, I'm happy to see that the kids in this neighborhood will still be enjoying summer for another few weeks.
As for Jen and the kids in Florida....Have a good year. I hope the hurricanes steer clear and the year goes well.
As for Football.... The Hall of Fame game is just the beginning. Pretty soon it will be exhibition games and then the season will be on for real. I'm going to enjoy the last days of summer to the full. The writing is on the wall. Fall is just around the corner!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
The Sound of a Babbling Brook
I'm sitting here on my newly poured patio, under the deck and listening to the sounds of a babbling brook. However, there aren't any brooks near by.
The sound of trickling water or a running stream is one that I've grown to enjoy over the years, and was a result of having a swimming pool outside our door. When we put our first swimming pool in, we skipped the diving board and went with a sliding board instead. When the pool pump was running there was always water running down the slide and it provided a pleasant backdrop to the normal outdoor sounds. The last pool we had came with a spa, which was a small pool with a bench running around the inside where people could sit and just relax. Kids loved to play in it as well. The spa was above the pool and had an overflow that provided a continual waterfall.
After we moved to Pittsburgh, I found I really loved the idea of having a small landscape pool incorporated into our garden. Earlier this summer Larry and I were checking out pools at Lowe's and figuring up the tab. Hmmm. I wasn't shocked at the price, but looking at the installation made me realize that this do-it-yourselfer was probably biting off more than she (or he) wanted to chew! Instead my eyes lit on a little 2 tier rock garden waterfall. It was perfect and I knew just where it would fit! We are fortunate in that in an area that is all up and down, we have a very flat back yard. However the back yard is lower than the front and there is a small slope at the back edge of the house. My rock garden waterfall would tuck into that slope very well.
After planting my daylillies and mulching the steps last week, I tackled the job of the waterfall. Today I finished it and I am very pleased with the effect. It provides a nice peaceful backdrop as I type. Larry figures the deer will probably enjoy it too. I'm just hoping they don't enjoy my plants too much!
Monday, August 2, 2010
Where did July go??
I was surprised to see I haven't blogged in the last 3 weeks. I knew I was busy, but I didn't realize it had been that long. What have I been doing? Maybe the title of this post should be "What I did on my Summer Vacation!"
We had a lot going on during the first part of summer. We went to Alaska and Chicago in June and then I headed to Florida to see my daughter and her family. In between trips was the usual unpacking, laundry, cleaning the house and getting ready for the next trip. But we also completed one project we've wanted to do since we moved in here. Our new home came equipped with temporary concrete slab front steps and this was the summer we got them replaced with real steps. We also had a patio poured under our deck. That job was done between the Alaska and Chicago trips and as soon as I got back from Chicago, I repacked and left for Florida in the beginning of July.
I blogged about our day in Tampa at the Lowry Park Zoo, but I never told you about the idiotic, hot, but wonderful day Jen and I spent in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter! This new addition to Universal's Isles of Adventure was one we had waited for since we heard it was coming. We are both ardent Harry Potter fans. I'm proud to say I read the first book long before it was a big thing. It came to me fresh from the printer through the Junior Library Guild subscription I had in my school library. I was hooked from page one and clearly remember reading the last page, setting it in my lap with a satisfied sigh, and thinking "Wow. That's the first really good kid's book to come across my desk in a long time." But I digress.
As a longtime Florida resident, we knew better than to venture into that park 1) in the middle of summer (HOT?????) 2) when the attraction is knew 3) and everyone is on vacation. But we did. I won't detail the lines except to say there was a wait for everything except the restrooms! Even the shops had waiting lines. I am always impressed at how well theme parks manage crowds. The extent they went to control how many people were in 'Hogswart' at any time seemed ludicrous at times, but was very efficient and we enjoyed our day. The rides were fun. We rode through the castle twice...and for those who assume it's a nice easygoing ride...wrong! The car you are riding in is secure but it's a bit like riding Harry's broom! There are plenty of ways to grow and add features, but for the initial introduction, it is well done.
I was no sooner back from Florida than Larry and I were packing up for a long weekend to Murphy, North Carolina. With Larry's retirement looming, we are starting to look at where we might like to relocate. We probably consider a new scenario every few months, but one thing we both really enjoy is the mountains. Murphy is deep in the mountains with great fishing nearby, which Larry has always loved. We spent a couple of days checking out the area and getting a feel for it.
We had a lot going on during the first part of summer. We went to Alaska and Chicago in June and then I headed to Florida to see my daughter and her family. In between trips was the usual unpacking, laundry, cleaning the house and getting ready for the next trip. But we also completed one project we've wanted to do since we moved in here. Our new home came equipped with temporary concrete slab front steps and this was the summer we got them replaced with real steps. We also had a patio poured under our deck. That job was done between the Alaska and Chicago trips and as soon as I got back from Chicago, I repacked and left for Florida in the beginning of July.
I blogged about our day in Tampa at the Lowry Park Zoo, but I never told you about the idiotic, hot, but wonderful day Jen and I spent in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter! This new addition to Universal's Isles of Adventure was one we had waited for since we heard it was coming. We are both ardent Harry Potter fans. I'm proud to say I read the first book long before it was a big thing. It came to me fresh from the printer through the Junior Library Guild subscription I had in my school library. I was hooked from page one and clearly remember reading the last page, setting it in my lap with a satisfied sigh, and thinking "Wow. That's the first really good kid's book to come across my desk in a long time." But I digress.
As a longtime Florida resident, we knew better than to venture into that park 1) in the middle of summer (HOT?????) 2) when the attraction is knew 3) and everyone is on vacation. But we did. I won't detail the lines except to say there was a wait for everything except the restrooms! Even the shops had waiting lines. I am always impressed at how well theme parks manage crowds. The extent they went to control how many people were in 'Hogswart' at any time seemed ludicrous at times, but was very efficient and we enjoyed our day. The rides were fun. We rode through the castle twice...and for those who assume it's a nice easygoing ride...wrong! The car you are riding in is secure but it's a bit like riding Harry's broom! There are plenty of ways to grow and add features, but for the initial introduction, it is well done.
I was no sooner back from Florida than Larry and I were packing up for a long weekend to Murphy, North Carolina. With Larry's retirement looming, we are starting to look at where we might like to relocate. We probably consider a new scenario every few months, but one thing we both really enjoy is the mountains. Murphy is deep in the mountains with great fishing nearby, which Larry has always loved. We spent a couple of days checking out the area and getting a feel for it.
Now I am home, and I really hope I stay here for awhile! Last week I finally got the area along our new steps cleaned up. I moved a daylily that was being swallowed up by another bush, divided it up and spaced the plants along the steps. I hope they survive. I wasn't sure I would. It seemed so much harder than working in my yard in Florida.
There is still much to do in the yard. Hopefully I will be here through August and can get it all done. At any rate, I'm home until Jan calls. My next great adventure will be to welcome my next grandchild.
And that's the summertime view from here!
Friday, July 9, 2010
Lowry Park Zoo
This week Jen and I took Nicholas to the Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa. We hadn't been there in a very long time even though we used to live near there. Larry and I took the kids when they were younger but as they grew up, zoos moved into the background of family activities. The zoo is wonderful now, but I remember how it was the first time we went there. The girls were very young, and there was a children's storybook area with fairy tale statues, a picnic area and walking paths. The animal section was primitive by today's standards. The animals were in cages or small enclosures.
It was a very hot day, but no rain which was nice. There were several places dedicated to kid interaction. The aviary had little popsicle sticks with birdseed stuck to them so kids could feed the birds. 
Kids can feed the fish in the koi pond or stroke the stingrays, but Nicholas kept a good distance from the goats! Smart kid! We watched the manatees eat the lettuce, but the real show was the turtles.
After cooling off in the water, we headed for the car and the long drive home. It was a very quiet ride home!
Today the zoo is a first class establishment and often listed as one of the 10 best children's zoos in the country. Because we had a long drive we got there later in the morning. We were there all afternoon and saw a lot of it, but not all. The park is divided into geographic sections; Florida wildlife center, Africa Safari, Wallaroo Station, Asian Gardens and the Primate world. Unfortunately, we didn't see the Primate world which is often the most fun, but there was so much to look at we were worn out by the time we got to it.
It was a very hot day, but no rain which was nice. There were several places dedicated to kid interaction. The aviary had little popsicle sticks with birdseed stuck to them so kids could feed the birds. 
A ramp led up to a platform where you could get up close and personal with the giraffes. Jen bought a cookie so Nicholas could feed the giraffe, but then one got up close and personal with her camera!
Kids can feed the fish in the koi pond or stroke the stingrays, but Nicholas kept a good distance from the goats! Smart kid! We watched the manatees eat the lettuce, but the real show was the turtles.
We watched a pair of them and wondered at the realtionship; parent and child maybe? The smaller one swam under the bigger one and constantly grabbed at its foot or underbelly, and occasionally its head. Finally the larger one would turn on the smaller one and nip it back.
The meerkats are so funny. One stood Sentry while the others played. I had to wonder what the sentry was thinking as he stood watching us and we watched them.
The highlight of the day may have been the final activity...playing in the fountains. There were 2 areas where kids could play in the water, but one was the obvious favorite. By mid-afternoon families camped out as if they were at the beach while the kids ran through the water. It was the perfect way for us to end the day.
The meerkats are so funny. One stood Sentry while the others played. I had to wonder what the sentry was thinking as he stood watching us and we watched them.The highlight of the day may have been the final activity...playing in the fountains. There were 2 areas where kids could play in the water, but one was the obvious favorite. By mid-afternoon families camped out as if they were at the beach while the kids ran through the water. It was the perfect way for us to end the day.
After cooling off in the water, we headed for the car and the long drive home. It was a very quiet ride home!
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