Show and Tell

I was inspired by Elaine and Meggie to post my collection of emerald-green glass. I don't wear jewelry and I'm not attracted to jewels except for emeralds. I love the gorgeous green. I've been collecting green glass objects for many years. Most of these items came from second-hand stores and cost two or three dollars. The one in the middle with the "ruffles" cost the most at $28. I found it in an antique shop and it was so beautiful that I couldn't resist.

                              ( This is in my office)
I also collect cougars, cedar waxwings and Garfields. Most of my large Garfield collection is packed away and some of my better cougar and cedar waxwing pieces too.

On the top shelf on the left side are two teapots that I picked up for my granddaughter when she was collecting them. But she grew up and decided not to collect them anymore, so there they sit.

Building a collection piece-by-piece can be a lot of fun until you reach the saturation point. It seems that when friends and family learn you collect something, they will start adding to it as well (note granddaughter teapots) and pretty soon your passion starts to wane.

                                 (This is in my bedroom)
Here is my vacation souvenir collection. In the midst of it are the two silhouette pictures that my mom had hanging on the dining room wall when I was a kid. They aren't rare and I see that a similar pair sells for only ten dollars on ebay. I'm pleased to have them on my wall anyway.

I am struck by the realization that these photos make me look like a real pack rat! Hmmm...

Good Grief! Christmas is coming!

I just realized that our family Christmas get-together is in two weeks. All I've done so far is to set out the little Charlie Brown Christmas tree and buy some calendars. Not a great start!

We got an entire foot of snow yesterday so we're holing up until all the streets are cleared.  While the fluffy white snow makes it very "Christmassy" outside, I'm really feeling bad for the turkeys. Their whole world has turned upside down. They were hatched back in June and grew up over a long, hot summer. When fall came, it cooled down but there was still plenty of foraging and food to be found. This morning, the food I threw out for them was eaten quickly and some of it disappeared into the snow. Confused, they would scratch with their scrawny Tyrannosaurus Rex toes, but it just moved the snow around.

              (Turkeys trying to find the food buried in the snow this morning.)
The flock moved on plowing swaths though the snow as they looked for food on neighbor's patios. In desperation, they ate snow. After a time they went up on the slope and just hunkered down trying to warm up. No doubt, eating the cold snow gave them chills and stomach pains. After a long rest they moved on. I'm waiting for them to come back and make me feel better about their miserable lot.

I might getting a little too obsessed over them--God knows there are a lot bigger things to worry about--but these turkeys are right here outside my window. I can hear them making their little clucking sounds as they look for food and I'm not the sort of person who can just look away.

Relief at last

Last evening, the temperature during the 6:00 news was still at 100 degrees. Thankfully, during the night a weather front moved into the area and pushed out the 8-day heatwave like a freight train. Of course, that produced a thunderstorm with lots of noise and lightning but a wonderful, soaking rain.

This morning when I went out onto the patio with the cats, the temperature was a lovely 70 degrees.The brown grass had miraculously greened up, the sky had lost its heavy haze and was washed a bright blue and the air was crisp and clean. Ahhhh!

                      (Borrowed image--this is not my backyard!)

I'm melting! I'm melting!

It's pushing 100 degrees again today--like every day for the past week. I have all the drapes closed to keep the sun out but it's a struggle to keep it comfortable, even with fans and the A/C running.

I chopped up an apple and a few other goodies and took a pan of water to set in the shade on the retaining wall by the wooded lot. When I popped open the side door, the mama turkey was only ten feet away. She was panting mightily and all of her poults were too. She promptly led them away from me over to the pine trees. I wanted to call her back, "I've got cool water and food!" But of course, they moved on.

I feel so sad to see all the birds and animal suffering in this heat. I feel so helpless to do anything about it. I just hope she brings them back tonight

I hate to leave on that note, so here's a beautiful, cool juicy carved watermelon to feast your eyes on!

More turkeys

Well, it looks like the tom turkey gobbling outside my bedroom window recently found true love--or it's poultry approximation.

My roomie and I were out on the patio potting some Hen and Chicks that we bought at the nursery when Sue spotted the turkey hen over by the pine trees (where Sunny caught the wood ducklings). Then a tiny chick appeared, followed in quick succession by eight more. They wandered under the protection of the trees and out of sight.

                                 TURKEY AND CHICKS


All of this wildlife must come from the wooded lot next door. I love living here with all the advantages of living in the city and the joy of living near nature!
                                               
                               HEN AND CHICKS

        

Welcome to my Happy Place!

When I retired in 2005, I had big plans to work on a novel I'd been puttering around with for years. I soon discovered that I didn't have a comfortable work space at home that would lend itself to my lofty aspirations. Regular desks were too high and desk chairs without height adjustments were uncomfortable.

Before, when I worked at the insurance company, the company nurse had set up my cubicle to be ergonomically compatible for me. The desk height was lowered and the keyboard and mouse were adapted to curtail the threat of carpel tunnel syndrome. Plus, I had a swell desk chair that was nice and comfy. I missed those things terribly.

I set about making myself a nice comfortable "cube" at home. There was a wide closet in the spare bedroom with bifold doors. We took out the doors and frame and stashed them in the garage. I measured the dimensions and went to Menards and they made me a formica-covered desktop for $35. A kind friend lent me her handyman as a birthday present. He came over and installed the desk top at a proper height. With another birthday present of an adjustable desk chair, I was in business.

But it still didn't feel quite right. I felt exposed on my right side--I was accustomed to the ell-shaped desk and cube enclosure. So, I went to a second-hand store and bought a small desk to set at a right angle to the built-in one. I got my new-used computer set up and I was good to go!

This truly is my happy place. When I'm at my computer, I totally lose track of time. But, even better, when I'm not feeling well or aching all over or really tired, I barely notice when I'm in my little cube! 

                                                             Yup, I'm a pack rat!

Another Mother's Day

Every year my kids come over for Mother's Day dinner. I really look forward to feeding them just like when they were young. They always appreciate the meal too.

Each year daughter number 2 brings me a Mandevilla plant. They are always so heathy and bloom beautifully (see above). My son always brings me a hanging plant for the patio, and daughter number 3 gives me money to buy whatever else I need.

Daughter number 1 bought me an electric can opener. With my hands getting stiff and painful off and on, I thought it would be a big help. She told me that she has never had good luck with electric can openers lasting very long or working really well.

What has been your experience with electric can openers?

Happiness is Hot Water!

Yesterday my son came over and did a repair job on my ailing hot water heater. Who knew the things were so darn complicated? It turned out that one of the two elements had burned out and the old dip tube had disintegrated. We replaced the dip tube but bits of the old one were floating around inside. It took a lot of man-handling for him to get it cleaned out and to replace the elements. But, we now have oodles of lovely hot water.

This all cost around $100. Not bad when you consider a new one would have cost around $500. We also installed some energy-saving features. Heat traps--the pipes going into the top of the water heater can waste heat by conducting heat away from it. The traps will prevent that. Energy Blanket--this cost $35 but is supposed to cut down on energy consumption by keeping the water hot longer so it doesn't run as much. I'm hoping this will cut down on our electric bills!

Well, enough of flaunting my newly acquired knowledge!

They announced the name chosen for Lily's cub--they are calling it Hope. I'm a little disappointed because there seems to be something rather fatalistic in that choice. Frankly, I liked your suggestions a lot better!

Bah Humbug

Our family Christmas was called off today because of icy roads and travel warnings. This is the first time we have ever had to cancel our get-together and needless to say, I'm really bummed.

Several of my adult grandsons were home for Christmas and now I won't get to see them before they leave. I'm really disappointed about that.

But, there must be hundreds of thousands of bummed-out folks around the country. On TV they showed hordes of miserable people trapped for days in airports with no hope of reaching their destination. At least I was snug in my home with lots and lots of food. We had the neighbors over to share some of it and that has helped ward off "cabin fever".

Now we get to enjoy the contented lull between Christmas and New Years.

Coffee House

I don't often frequent coffee houses, mainly because I'm too cheap to pay $2 to $3 for a cup of coffee. I don't care for sweetened hot drinks (like hot chocolate or apple cider etc.) and that goes double for coffee. I tell myself I'm a purist because I don't like anything degrading the coffee flavor.

In spite of this, I was at a coffee house last night drinking a $2 cup of de-caff. My friend S was reading from her recently published book, Ssylka about a Russian woman who follows her exiled husband when he's sent to Siberia. Eight people turned out for the event even though it was bitchin' cold (as we say in Minnesota). It was cozy and warm inside, however, and it was nice to be together with a group like that.

M and S met afterward and found they had many things in common. Except for one big thing--M still has PTSD from living through the WWII bombing of London. (When the local weather warning sirens are tested on the first Wednesday of every month, M has a moment of panic.) S says she remembers the hardships after the war more vividly than the actual war. Both women have written memoirs about those years and are looking forward to getting together to talk about it.

I was living in California during the war years when my dad worked at the Lockheed Aircraft plant. Even so, I have an affinity for those who endured the terror of nightly bombings--of being a little girl in a world where strange men in airplanes are trying to kill you. How do you fathom such insanity!?

Long live the Star Tribune!

I have been reading the Minneapolis Tribune since I was a kid--that's probably 60 years. Admittedly, it was only the Sunday funnies at first but I progressed to the news and editorials over time.

The Star and the Tribune consolidated many years ago and became one newspaper that's delivered statewide and even into Wisconsin. Like most other papers, it has fallen on hard times and struggles to keep publishing. However, they recently emerged from bankruptcy and seem to be doing OK.

I would really suffer the loss if they ceased publication. The morning paper is such an important part of my day. The news that I get from TV and online could not begin to fill the void.

So, again I say, may the Star Tribune live long and prosper!

I need trees!

Years ago when I moved to the Twin Cities, I lived in a highrise apartment building next to the freeway. It was surrounded by a huge parking lot. The area was full of other buildings surrounded by parking lots.

In order to see trees, I would have to peer out the 18th story window at the trees blocks away on the other side of the freeway. I lived in that place for the first year I was in college. It was incredibly stressful being in such an alien environment. No trees, no greenery, no beauty to embrace the senses.

After that experience, I realized that trees are vital to my mental health and well-being.

I am so grateful that I now live in a place where I am literally surrounded by trees! The area was a gravel pit in the early 20th century. Many years later, my building was erected at the base of the slope thus created. The slope rises over 100 feet and is covered with mature trees for its full length of half a mile. (The area is called Hidden Valley.) In addition, there is a wooded lot on the other side of the building outside my bedroom window.

These wonderful trees provide joy and beauty in every season. The provide peace, quiet, shade and oxygen. So, I find myself cuddled in the embrace of hundreds of trees. And I absolutely love it!

Pumpkin emergency!

Oh no...The pumpkins are in short supply! According to the news, this year's crop did quite poorly and the pumpkins canned for 2008 are almost gone. Whatever are we to do? We must have our pumpkin pie with a blob of Cool Whip!

My sister said she had looked for canned pumpkin at a large grocery store in Madison WI and the shelves were bare. She managed to find a single can at another store. This is scary stuff.

In addition to pumpkin pie, we also adore pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting. I am betting that we will soon be getting recipes on TV and in the papers for sweet potato pie or substituting squash in pumpkin recipes.

Believe me, I'm holding my breath on this one.

Should I go see Obama or not?

President Obama will be in the Twin Cities tomorrow speaking at the Target Center over in Minneapolis. I would kinda like to go but...

I have attended several such occasions in the past and I always wind up being shunted to an alternate location where I watch the proceedings on a TV screen. Now, exciting as being in the moment may be, I would just as soon watch it on my TV at home.

The Target Center is a large venue so I might actually get to be in the same place as the President, but there are a lot of drawbacks. The doors open at 9:30 am but the event doesn't begin until 12:30 pm. There will be an airport-type security search at the door, so no bags (does that mean purses?), umbrellas, sharp objects, signs, strollers or liquids.

I'm really concerned about the liquid restriction. Where am I going to get water? Anyone who knows me, knows that I am never without a bottle of water. Surely I will perish of thirst if I'm deprived of refreshment for hours and hours. I'm getting thirsty just thinking about it!

I guess I'll stay home and stay hydrated. I hope the President doesn't mind.