Turkey is done -- task completed. That baby has been stripped, souped, frozen and the carcass thrown away. The soup is fantastic; I used potatoes, tomatoes, shitake mushrooms, red onions and asparagus. It don't get much better.
Today is give blood, buy an airline ticket, pay bills, a weird movie (The Future,) a good book and I think I will make some blueberry muffins. It is raining here in the Pacific Northwest and blueberry muffins always taste better when it is rainy, cool and overcast.
Love going out to you on this special Friday.
Oh, by the way, Jeff says he will bring a suitcase and chairs to next years reunion.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Thursday, November 29, 2012
A Day in the Life
Toys, gifts, Christmas, Christian, birthdays, tickets, gloves, turkey, movies, Bo, boxes, bank, pedi, medicine, soup, Melissa and Doug, Trader Joe's, books breakfast and friends. Okay, so it isn't exploring Mongolia, but it is my life.
Connor's toy was arriving per the UPS tracking information, and did. Two boxes sitting on my doorstep. I was sorely confused because the one item I ordered came in two boxes. Go figure. The one BIG box made sense because I had ordered one BIG item, but the little box sitting on top, addressed to me shouldn't be. I spent more than the appropriate amount of time trying to find M&D's telephone number on their website so I could call and tell them a mistake had been made. I procrastinated calling them. I ignored the box, I walked around the box, I pondered the extra box and finally I opened the thing and I'll be damned it was a surprise thank you gift. Go Melissa and Doug! A nice thank you gift. So Connor will receive the mighty fine cardboard blocks, like the ones Julia bought for Andrew, the ones that had nine lives, the ones that didn't die, the ones you could crash and then stack up and crash again. Connor does like to crash things. Plus the adorable free gift, a three piece bubble set: bubbles, a tray and a TURTLE. How perfect is that. Christmas is off to a fine start.
It was a four gift day: one for Connor plus the surprise, one for Bo, and one for a friend at work. You've met her Cathy and Jean, at the Outlet Mall, Jo-Anne.
I had a sweet drive to Christian's work to pick up a free give-away Walt's was offering their customers. Just because I don't pay for my oil changes doesn't mean I'm not a preferred customer, anyway I picked up the free texting gloves to delight my friend Jo-Anne with. She is the texting queen. Wait a minute the queen might be Cathy or Brittany. Wait a minute the king might be Ian, I think he texts someone about every fifteen minutes or so.
And I was able to see sweet Christian during my drive by. The place was dead and the crew was lazily sitting around until I drove up when they all became busy and moved away. So I kissed and was kissed by Christian, took my free texting gloves and left. No chit chat with the tall guy.
How many people are trying to get to sunny Southern California for Janice's seventieth birthday? Janice had an airline voucher I could use, so I'm checking the flights and arranging rides and feeling a trip coming on. I was going anyway, but man the voucher makes it easy. Jerry? Jane? Julia? Jean? Cathy? Brittany?
Free free free I feel a pattern, just so you don't get the wrong idea I bought the toy from Melissa and Doug, I bought my groceries from Trader Joe's, I bought the gas to do the drive by.
Texting gloves -- check that task is done.
Turkey -- no check -- that task is not done. That carcass is still sitting in the refrigerator waiting to be frozen or turned into soup. A must do in the life of Jan today.
Instead of cleaning the turkey meat off the turkey bones I came home from my errands and had a little Trader Joe's lunch and finished watching a movie; Delores Claiborne. It was good, an oldie, but one of Kathy Bates best performances. Plus I pondered buying some CD's for my son's Christmas. They are so hard to buy for. Any ideas call collect.
I was able to buy Bo a little gift at Trader Joe's. I went for yogurt and frozen mangos, I left with yogurt, frozen mangos, lunch and a little gift for Bo. That was fun. Bo, Stephanie, and Connor are all easy to buy for -- check, check, check that task is done.
Boxes, jars, bottles, and toys are now waiting for Ian to wrap and make beautiful.
I visited the bank where I put money in instead of out. That was fun.
I finally had the energy to stop and get a pedi on my way home. This is a task I always put off for about three or four months, some how it is hard for me to actually stop and do it. A lot of fuss and bother. Waiting my turn. Waiting for the toes to dry. Scuffling around in the spa slippers. As I was finally starting to relax in the comfy spa chair it went haywire and squirted me with about two gallons of water. The staff was very concerned about the malfunctioning chair and not so concerned about their drenched customer. The only apology I received was "It isn't your day," but they were wrong. I'll find another pedi place and it was a lovely day.
Medicine ordered -- check that task is done.
Soup -- not checked -- that task remains stubbornly undone but will be done today. Wait, I'll get back to you on that.
Melissa and Doug -- check that task is done. They don't need called today because box two was a gift. Now I can delete all the communication emails out of my inbox. By the way they have been a great company to work with. I recommend them. I give them a testimonial. If you are buying for kids try Melissa and Doug.
Trader Joe's was exploding with Christmas. They had goodies in every conceivable format, and I went with a friend the very best way to do anything. My friend Mary has three daughters and two granddaughters so she is very knowledgeable about girlie stuff and I trust her judgement. She was buying what I bought Bo times three. I walked out with a smile on my face at what a good job I had done -- check that task is done and I didn't even know it was a task. I didn't even have to think, I just followed where Mary led. She got a free pair of texting gloves at Christian's and I got a terrific little something for Bo. Friends always make a day lovely.
Mary, Claire and I met for breakfast at our usual spot. A lovely breakfast, we spent two and one half hours laughing, talking kids, talking shop, talking books, talking Christmas; Mary is headed to Montana, Claire is headed to Minnesota, and just plain talking. Then the drive to Ballard to see Christian, then the foray into Trader Joe's.
Friends make a day lovely even if they don't have any ideas of what to buy my son's for Chrismas and no two gallons of water can ruin it for me.
Today is also shaping up nicely; Ian, shopping, Roger, playdate, turkey -- maybe.
Have a lovely day. If you need help think of sunlight or San Diego, both lovely.
Connor's toy was arriving per the UPS tracking information, and did. Two boxes sitting on my doorstep. I was sorely confused because the one item I ordered came in two boxes. Go figure. The one BIG box made sense because I had ordered one BIG item, but the little box sitting on top, addressed to me shouldn't be. I spent more than the appropriate amount of time trying to find M&D's telephone number on their website so I could call and tell them a mistake had been made. I procrastinated calling them. I ignored the box, I walked around the box, I pondered the extra box and finally I opened the thing and I'll be damned it was a surprise thank you gift. Go Melissa and Doug! A nice thank you gift. So Connor will receive the mighty fine cardboard blocks, like the ones Julia bought for Andrew, the ones that had nine lives, the ones that didn't die, the ones you could crash and then stack up and crash again. Connor does like to crash things. Plus the adorable free gift, a three piece bubble set: bubbles, a tray and a TURTLE. How perfect is that. Christmas is off to a fine start.
It was a four gift day: one for Connor plus the surprise, one for Bo, and one for a friend at work. You've met her Cathy and Jean, at the Outlet Mall, Jo-Anne.
I had a sweet drive to Christian's work to pick up a free give-away Walt's was offering their customers. Just because I don't pay for my oil changes doesn't mean I'm not a preferred customer, anyway I picked up the free texting gloves to delight my friend Jo-Anne with. She is the texting queen. Wait a minute the queen might be Cathy or Brittany. Wait a minute the king might be Ian, I think he texts someone about every fifteen minutes or so.
And I was able to see sweet Christian during my drive by. The place was dead and the crew was lazily sitting around until I drove up when they all became busy and moved away. So I kissed and was kissed by Christian, took my free texting gloves and left. No chit chat with the tall guy.
How many people are trying to get to sunny Southern California for Janice's seventieth birthday? Janice had an airline voucher I could use, so I'm checking the flights and arranging rides and feeling a trip coming on. I was going anyway, but man the voucher makes it easy. Jerry? Jane? Julia? Jean? Cathy? Brittany?
Free free free I feel a pattern, just so you don't get the wrong idea I bought the toy from Melissa and Doug, I bought my groceries from Trader Joe's, I bought the gas to do the drive by.
Texting gloves -- check that task is done.
Turkey -- no check -- that task is not done. That carcass is still sitting in the refrigerator waiting to be frozen or turned into soup. A must do in the life of Jan today.
Instead of cleaning the turkey meat off the turkey bones I came home from my errands and had a little Trader Joe's lunch and finished watching a movie; Delores Claiborne. It was good, an oldie, but one of Kathy Bates best performances. Plus I pondered buying some CD's for my son's Christmas. They are so hard to buy for. Any ideas call collect.
I was able to buy Bo a little gift at Trader Joe's. I went for yogurt and frozen mangos, I left with yogurt, frozen mangos, lunch and a little gift for Bo. That was fun. Bo, Stephanie, and Connor are all easy to buy for -- check, check, check that task is done.
Boxes, jars, bottles, and toys are now waiting for Ian to wrap and make beautiful.
I visited the bank where I put money in instead of out. That was fun.
I finally had the energy to stop and get a pedi on my way home. This is a task I always put off for about three or four months, some how it is hard for me to actually stop and do it. A lot of fuss and bother. Waiting my turn. Waiting for the toes to dry. Scuffling around in the spa slippers. As I was finally starting to relax in the comfy spa chair it went haywire and squirted me with about two gallons of water. The staff was very concerned about the malfunctioning chair and not so concerned about their drenched customer. The only apology I received was "It isn't your day," but they were wrong. I'll find another pedi place and it was a lovely day.
Medicine ordered -- check that task is done.
Soup -- not checked -- that task remains stubbornly undone but will be done today. Wait, I'll get back to you on that.
Melissa and Doug -- check that task is done. They don't need called today because box two was a gift. Now I can delete all the communication emails out of my inbox. By the way they have been a great company to work with. I recommend them. I give them a testimonial. If you are buying for kids try Melissa and Doug.
Trader Joe's was exploding with Christmas. They had goodies in every conceivable format, and I went with a friend the very best way to do anything. My friend Mary has three daughters and two granddaughters so she is very knowledgeable about girlie stuff and I trust her judgement. She was buying what I bought Bo times three. I walked out with a smile on my face at what a good job I had done -- check that task is done and I didn't even know it was a task. I didn't even have to think, I just followed where Mary led. She got a free pair of texting gloves at Christian's and I got a terrific little something for Bo. Friends always make a day lovely.
Mary, Claire and I met for breakfast at our usual spot. A lovely breakfast, we spent two and one half hours laughing, talking kids, talking shop, talking books, talking Christmas; Mary is headed to Montana, Claire is headed to Minnesota, and just plain talking. Then the drive to Ballard to see Christian, then the foray into Trader Joe's.
Friends make a day lovely even if they don't have any ideas of what to buy my son's for Chrismas and no two gallons of water can ruin it for me.
Today is also shaping up nicely; Ian, shopping, Roger, playdate, turkey -- maybe.
Have a lovely day. If you need help think of sunlight or San Diego, both lovely.
Friday, November 23, 2012
The Power of Saying Nice Things
Brittany; this one is for you.
Brittany's post to me on Facebook triggered a deep feeling of satisfaction, of joy, so I pondered the power of saying nice things, of giving compliments and kudos.
Sometimes the right words go emotionally deep, to untouchable places, to places not usually reached because they are buried so deep in obscurity, far far away from joy or pain.
You never know, for sure, what another person needs. You can't know. You can't know the crossed tangled emotional wires of another human.
The power of saying nice things means we aren't invisible. It helps a human to be seen, to be acknowledged. When our struggle is recognized our humanity is recognized. The power of saying nice things enriches us, helps us grow. Saying nice things makes us feel emotionally beautiful, worthy. Worthy to emerge from our cocoon and share the planets air.
The power of saying nice things affects us, touches us, transforms us. Sometimes it feels like divinity in action. It expands our vision of ourselves. The power of saying nice things makes a person feel uplifted, closer to God somehow.
Expand? Worthy? Uplifted? Co-joined to something bigger than ourselves? Man needs the Divine.
Kind words has the power to feed the soul, that infinitesimally small spot somewhere inside us. It recognizes we are congruent with who we are meant to be, that we are on the right path. They recognize our deeper mission on Earth -- our soul job.
There are many compliments given and received, nice words, kind words like " You look good in that dress." or "These cookies are delicious." they are loved but they don't go deep and obscure, they don't feed the soul. And, we, as limited humans have no way of knowing what words are going to touch who, or when, or how deep. It is amazing when somebody walks back into your life 10, 20, or 30 years later and says to you, your kindness touched me deeply.
So thank you Brittany for the kind words and the seed for this blog, an expansion on the thought: The Power of Kind Words.
They said of General George Patton during World War II, "Give him a headline and he is good for thirty miles." Well I feel if you give me a compliment I'm good for thirty miles.
And a word about working: If you don't love what you do, love why you do it.
Love Aunt Jan
Brittany's post to me on Facebook triggered a deep feeling of satisfaction, of joy, so I pondered the power of saying nice things, of giving compliments and kudos.
Sometimes the right words go emotionally deep, to untouchable places, to places not usually reached because they are buried so deep in obscurity, far far away from joy or pain.
You never know, for sure, what another person needs. You can't know. You can't know the crossed tangled emotional wires of another human.
The power of saying nice things means we aren't invisible. It helps a human to be seen, to be acknowledged. When our struggle is recognized our humanity is recognized. The power of saying nice things enriches us, helps us grow. Saying nice things makes us feel emotionally beautiful, worthy. Worthy to emerge from our cocoon and share the planets air.
The power of saying nice things affects us, touches us, transforms us. Sometimes it feels like divinity in action. It expands our vision of ourselves. The power of saying nice things makes a person feel uplifted, closer to God somehow.
Expand? Worthy? Uplifted? Co-joined to something bigger than ourselves? Man needs the Divine.
Kind words has the power to feed the soul, that infinitesimally small spot somewhere inside us. It recognizes we are congruent with who we are meant to be, that we are on the right path. They recognize our deeper mission on Earth -- our soul job.
There are many compliments given and received, nice words, kind words like " You look good in that dress." or "These cookies are delicious." they are loved but they don't go deep and obscure, they don't feed the soul. And, we, as limited humans have no way of knowing what words are going to touch who, or when, or how deep. It is amazing when somebody walks back into your life 10, 20, or 30 years later and says to you, your kindness touched me deeply.
So thank you Brittany for the kind words and the seed for this blog, an expansion on the thought: The Power of Kind Words.
They said of General George Patton during World War II, "Give him a headline and he is good for thirty miles." Well I feel if you give me a compliment I'm good for thirty miles.
And a word about working: If you don't love what you do, love why you do it.
Love Aunt Jan
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Wonderful Things
The Tutankhamen exhibit is in Seattle.
I remember when Julia went to New Orleans for the exhibit when it first came to the United States. She discovered the quote "Wonderful Things" she loved it then and loves it still. I have used the quote so many times you would think I own it.
I have been reading Walking The Bible by Bruce Feiler and he talks about the Fifth Earl of Carnarvon and the archaeologist Howard Carter, who after eighteen years of fruitless search discovered Tutankhamen's tomb, and Mr Carter uttered those famous words. But I have a whole new take on it now.
Connor had a busy morning at Granny's house today. After he woke up from his nap and was all snugly, warm, and rosy cheeked tucked in his Granny's lap he sighed and quietly said, "Granny you have lots of things to look at." I think he thinks he has about twelve years of excavation ahead of him. Made my heart soar.
All morning long he was poking here and there and asking me what is this, what is that. He can manoeuvre into amazingly small places. If he wasn't exploring he was figuring out how something worked. What something was. How it comes apart and goes back together. How to put it back, exactly, where he got it from. He also jumped on the furniture, rocked in all three wiggly chairs, danced to the Rescue Heros CD, fought with his imaginary sword, called my horse skull a dinosaur head, crashed a few cars, shot up the place with Buzz Lightyear, read books, looked at photographs, tasted a few photographs, ate bananas eggs bagels oranges fruit-bites and drank milk. He was no help at all at baking a cake, but was a master at tasting seasoned crackers. He whacked the bag of pecans to turn them into pecan pieces with gusto.
After he did his toilet business he told me at home he always gets a treat after he does his business, I said well get some crackers. No Granny, crackers are a SNACK not a TREAT. So now you know. Granny managed to find him a half-eaten candy bar of Ian's. Sorry Ian.
I think a few wonderful things lies ahead for me also.
Happy Thanksgiving. May it be full of wonderful things.
I remember when Julia went to New Orleans for the exhibit when it first came to the United States. She discovered the quote "Wonderful Things" she loved it then and loves it still. I have used the quote so many times you would think I own it.
I have been reading Walking The Bible by Bruce Feiler and he talks about the Fifth Earl of Carnarvon and the archaeologist Howard Carter, who after eighteen years of fruitless search discovered Tutankhamen's tomb, and Mr Carter uttered those famous words. But I have a whole new take on it now.
Connor had a busy morning at Granny's house today. After he woke up from his nap and was all snugly, warm, and rosy cheeked tucked in his Granny's lap he sighed and quietly said, "Granny you have lots of things to look at." I think he thinks he has about twelve years of excavation ahead of him. Made my heart soar.
All morning long he was poking here and there and asking me what is this, what is that. He can manoeuvre into amazingly small places. If he wasn't exploring he was figuring out how something worked. What something was. How it comes apart and goes back together. How to put it back, exactly, where he got it from. He also jumped on the furniture, rocked in all three wiggly chairs, danced to the Rescue Heros CD, fought with his imaginary sword, called my horse skull a dinosaur head, crashed a few cars, shot up the place with Buzz Lightyear, read books, looked at photographs, tasted a few photographs, ate bananas eggs bagels oranges fruit-bites and drank milk. He was no help at all at baking a cake, but was a master at tasting seasoned crackers. He whacked the bag of pecans to turn them into pecan pieces with gusto.
After he did his toilet business he told me at home he always gets a treat after he does his business, I said well get some crackers. No Granny, crackers are a SNACK not a TREAT. So now you know. Granny managed to find him a half-eaten candy bar of Ian's. Sorry Ian.
I think a few wonderful things lies ahead for me also.
Happy Thanksgiving. May it be full of wonderful things.
Friday, November 9, 2012
Season of Thanksgiving and Gifts
I woke up and made myself that first cup of coffee on this cool cool Puget Sound morning, thirty-five degrees here. I was so thankful for the pleasure that infused me, the aroma, the taste, the warmth. This following close on The Connorman playdate last night, and that following so close on a fabulous book club, segued into remembering the pleasure of experiencing a practically perfect reunion and trip to Arkansas.
Gifts all.
I reflected on how my life/world is all gifts.
Janice is going to be seventy this February, Jean is going to go by train. At reunion I decided to join them. Jerry talked about it, Julia is thinking about it. Then Janice called and said she had an airline voucher I could use to help offset the cost. Another Gift.
I didn't order a six foot tall intellect when Christian was born. I can't take credit for weather, beauty, environment, family. After the Presidential election I can't take credit for being born in America. It wasn't my superior anything, it was the choice of ancestors long gone. Do I make my heart beat, my feet work? I can't order up just any ole' DNA for a bigger brain or pay to have it installed. Or how many and who my siblings are. They are gifts also.
Even God is a gift, however you envision Him to be, however He comes to you, it is a gift from someone else. The Bible, the encyclopedia are all gifts.
The gift of ideas, Jeff turned me onto an interesting book called Walking the Bible. Gift. Ian the gift of hauling, heavy lifting. Christian the gift of an oil change, for bringing an interesting girl into my life. Roger and Stephanie the gift of, well you know who. People give gifts of caring, listening, helping, sharing, loving.
Some gifts take work. Who hasn't been touched by the gift of Jane caring? The work of pets. Somebody did the work to create a car, many somebodies. I don't know about you, but I love my car and what it does for me. All I have to do is keep it filled with gas and keep Christian my son. To keep my car filled with gas I have to work at work. Work is a gift.
Message I read once: "Don't be arrogant, a lot was done before you were born." You can take credit for choices: education, exercise, spouse, books bought and read, your Thanksgiving menu, but the gift of Thanksgiving goes way beyond our fingertips. Thanksgiving came as a gift.
Book club, employment, community, country, writing, chickens, coffee, firemen, are all gifts really.
This reminds me of a quote I have always loved; "Life is the first gift, love the second, understanding the third."
And finally a gift from my friend Carol. We were talking about, oh hell, we were talking about everything and this poem came up. She mentioned it was her dad's favorite and I said it was my dad's favorite. So in case you have lost it like I did, here is a gift from Carol, who got it as a gift from a family member, who got is as a gift from Carol's parents, who got it as a gift from someplace else, and so it goes.
My Job
It's not my place to run the train
The whistle I can't blow
It's not my place to say how far
The trains allowed to go
It's not my place to shoot off steam
Nor even clang the bell
But let the damn
Thing jump the track
And see who catches hell...
And this quote was a gift from Walking the Bible, which in turn was a gift because Jeff chose to share: "The great thing about being married to an archaeologist is the older you get, the more he loves you." Nothing to do with anything, but it made me smile. Smiling? Absolutely a gift, I didn't design the face.
Ain't life grand -- another gift.
Gifts all.
I reflected on how my life/world is all gifts.
Janice is going to be seventy this February, Jean is going to go by train. At reunion I decided to join them. Jerry talked about it, Julia is thinking about it. Then Janice called and said she had an airline voucher I could use to help offset the cost. Another Gift.
I didn't order a six foot tall intellect when Christian was born. I can't take credit for weather, beauty, environment, family. After the Presidential election I can't take credit for being born in America. It wasn't my superior anything, it was the choice of ancestors long gone. Do I make my heart beat, my feet work? I can't order up just any ole' DNA for a bigger brain or pay to have it installed. Or how many and who my siblings are. They are gifts also.
Even God is a gift, however you envision Him to be, however He comes to you, it is a gift from someone else. The Bible, the encyclopedia are all gifts.
The gift of ideas, Jeff turned me onto an interesting book called Walking the Bible. Gift. Ian the gift of hauling, heavy lifting. Christian the gift of an oil change, for bringing an interesting girl into my life. Roger and Stephanie the gift of, well you know who. People give gifts of caring, listening, helping, sharing, loving.
Some gifts take work. Who hasn't been touched by the gift of Jane caring? The work of pets. Somebody did the work to create a car, many somebodies. I don't know about you, but I love my car and what it does for me. All I have to do is keep it filled with gas and keep Christian my son. To keep my car filled with gas I have to work at work. Work is a gift.
Message I read once: "Don't be arrogant, a lot was done before you were born." You can take credit for choices: education, exercise, spouse, books bought and read, your Thanksgiving menu, but the gift of Thanksgiving goes way beyond our fingertips. Thanksgiving came as a gift.
Book club, employment, community, country, writing, chickens, coffee, firemen, are all gifts really.
This reminds me of a quote I have always loved; "Life is the first gift, love the second, understanding the third."
And finally a gift from my friend Carol. We were talking about, oh hell, we were talking about everything and this poem came up. She mentioned it was her dad's favorite and I said it was my dad's favorite. So in case you have lost it like I did, here is a gift from Carol, who got it as a gift from a family member, who got is as a gift from Carol's parents, who got it as a gift from someplace else, and so it goes.
My Job
It's not my place to run the train
The whistle I can't blow
It's not my place to say how far
The trains allowed to go
It's not my place to shoot off steam
Nor even clang the bell
But let the damn
Thing jump the track
And see who catches hell...
And this quote was a gift from Walking the Bible, which in turn was a gift because Jeff chose to share: "The great thing about being married to an archaeologist is the older you get, the more he loves you." Nothing to do with anything, but it made me smile. Smiling? Absolutely a gift, I didn't design the face.
Ain't life grand -- another gift.
Friday, November 2, 2012
Look What Janice Found
Enjoy what Jancie found in The LA Times.
http://www.latimes.com/travel/la-tr-arkansas-20121014,0,4137708.story
Love
http://www.latimes.com/travel/la-tr-arkansas-20121014,0,4137708.story
Love
Spirit of The Taylor Family Reunion
Maddy needed long pants, Mike needed small minnows, Kathy needed chicken, Lynn needed diet Coke -- so off to town we went. And isn't that the way of our reunion. A lot of professional sitting and spurts of trips to town with a little fishing, walking, hay rides, biking, runs to Braggs for you know what, and miscellaneous other stuff.
I don't know how many books were read, tummies fed, or logs burned, but it was grand. No political discussions except Kathy is going to write in Willie Nelson because she can't vote for either candidate. Lynn's knee hurt, Kathy's ice chest fiasco, camp fire cooking. We impressed the dinner guests with two dutch oven cookers and one professional chef.
A reunion of nice people doing nice stuff for nice people.
I guess I won't be put on an ice floe and sent out to sea -- yet. I think I am safe for another year. I was telling Andrew that I was the liberal in the family and he said I know, everyone talks behind your back about what a liberal you are. I said Andrew they don't talk behind my back, they tell me that to my face! What was I saying about nice people? My family is even nice to the liberal.
I don't mind telling you it is hard work getting my life shoved back in it's rut. I have to dig those trenches again. I've been busy with going back to work, restocking the pantry, catching up with friends, paying bills, catching up with movies, book club, Ian, The Connorman. I haven't seen Christian yet, but he took Bo over to Claire's so Bo could look at her computer. Lucky Claire.
Jeff and I talked about how much we missed sending and receiving birthday cards. I had bought a lovely birthday card for Janice and didn't send it. I didn't even send it late. So I came home and bought stamps (I paid extra for the Tiger design because part of the money goes to endangered species. I didn't do it for the endangered species bit, I did it because it is a great looking stamp. Once an artist always an artist.) So here is a Birthday Card Challenge; your mission if you care to accept it is to send birthday cards this year.
Ian came back safe and sound from Orlando and is heading to Portland later this month. He stayed in beautiful old town St Augustine Florida at the beautiful St George Inn and played a bit before heading home. I think he is going to play a bit in Portland before heading home also.
Stephanie and I laid out the Holiday plans. Who is going to be where when and with whom.
The trip to Arkansas couldn't have been better we simply messed about. Jeff drove and it took four adults, two maps, one back seat driver, and one computer to keep us on track going nowhere in particular.
We ate some mighty fine food. Have YOU had deep fried cheese cake? It is worth a trip to Cafe on the Route in Baxter Springs Kansas. On route 66 naturally. The cafe is in an old bank building whose claim to fame is it MIGHT have been robbed by Jesse James and Cole Younger. Julia discovered it on an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Only us Taylor's would have lunch in Missouri at Instant Karma for deep fried bacon-wrapped hot dogs and then drive to Kansas for dessert. Let's see how many of us have heart trouble? Oh well I can die with a smile on my face. If anyone asks after I am gone just tell them Jan said the good the bad and the ugly was all good.
We found spectacular Rainbow Bridge: "Crossing Route 66 on the northeast side of town, the unique design is the only example of that type of bridge still in existence today." Okay maybe it wasn't that spectacular but it sure was fun. Nora nixed my idea of photographing her mother in a hitchhikers cheese cake pose. Can't imagine why.
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art was worthy in every respect. Beautiful, tranquil, stunning, fun. When we ate at their cafe I had gourmet Brown Beans and Cornbread -- with chervil oil. I thought of mother and wondered if the Whitney Museum in New York served brown beans and cornbread. I understand eastern museums are a little jealous of some of Crystal Bridges permanent art work that they don't have. Whiners! I loved Peonies in a Breeze while Julia liked Hollyhocks. So it goes. I was disappointed I missed Stella, my legs finally gave out. Oh well maybe next time.
Isn't that a fun part of the Spirit of life, what's next?
Now back to my rut; mother would understand.
I don't know how many books were read, tummies fed, or logs burned, but it was grand. No political discussions except Kathy is going to write in Willie Nelson because she can't vote for either candidate. Lynn's knee hurt, Kathy's ice chest fiasco, camp fire cooking. We impressed the dinner guests with two dutch oven cookers and one professional chef.
A reunion of nice people doing nice stuff for nice people.
I guess I won't be put on an ice floe and sent out to sea -- yet. I think I am safe for another year. I was telling Andrew that I was the liberal in the family and he said I know, everyone talks behind your back about what a liberal you are. I said Andrew they don't talk behind my back, they tell me that to my face! What was I saying about nice people? My family is even nice to the liberal.
I don't mind telling you it is hard work getting my life shoved back in it's rut. I have to dig those trenches again. I've been busy with going back to work, restocking the pantry, catching up with friends, paying bills, catching up with movies, book club, Ian, The Connorman. I haven't seen Christian yet, but he took Bo over to Claire's so Bo could look at her computer. Lucky Claire.
Jeff and I talked about how much we missed sending and receiving birthday cards. I had bought a lovely birthday card for Janice and didn't send it. I didn't even send it late. So I came home and bought stamps (I paid extra for the Tiger design because part of the money goes to endangered species. I didn't do it for the endangered species bit, I did it because it is a great looking stamp. Once an artist always an artist.) So here is a Birthday Card Challenge; your mission if you care to accept it is to send birthday cards this year.
Ian came back safe and sound from Orlando and is heading to Portland later this month. He stayed in beautiful old town St Augustine Florida at the beautiful St George Inn and played a bit before heading home. I think he is going to play a bit in Portland before heading home also.
Stephanie and I laid out the Holiday plans. Who is going to be where when and with whom.
The trip to Arkansas couldn't have been better we simply messed about. Jeff drove and it took four adults, two maps, one back seat driver, and one computer to keep us on track going nowhere in particular.
We ate some mighty fine food. Have YOU had deep fried cheese cake? It is worth a trip to Cafe on the Route in Baxter Springs Kansas. On route 66 naturally. The cafe is in an old bank building whose claim to fame is it MIGHT have been robbed by Jesse James and Cole Younger. Julia discovered it on an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Only us Taylor's would have lunch in Missouri at Instant Karma for deep fried bacon-wrapped hot dogs and then drive to Kansas for dessert. Let's see how many of us have heart trouble? Oh well I can die with a smile on my face. If anyone asks after I am gone just tell them Jan said the good the bad and the ugly was all good.
We found spectacular Rainbow Bridge: "Crossing Route 66 on the northeast side of town, the unique design is the only example of that type of bridge still in existence today." Okay maybe it wasn't that spectacular but it sure was fun. Nora nixed my idea of photographing her mother in a hitchhikers cheese cake pose. Can't imagine why.
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art was worthy in every respect. Beautiful, tranquil, stunning, fun. When we ate at their cafe I had gourmet Brown Beans and Cornbread -- with chervil oil. I thought of mother and wondered if the Whitney Museum in New York served brown beans and cornbread. I understand eastern museums are a little jealous of some of Crystal Bridges permanent art work that they don't have. Whiners! I loved Peonies in a Breeze while Julia liked Hollyhocks. So it goes. I was disappointed I missed Stella, my legs finally gave out. Oh well maybe next time.
Isn't that a fun part of the Spirit of life, what's next?
Now back to my rut; mother would understand.
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