Thank you for all the insightful comments on yesterday’s post. I learned a great deal from your thoughtful input – don’t you love the dialogue that takes place in the comment section? I do.
Of course, after I write a post like that, I sometimes reread it late in the day and fall prey to the inevitable worry that I sound pompous. I sincerely hope that is not the case. When I write that sort of post, I’m trying, through words, to clarify an idea that has been hanging around in my brain. My intent is write it down, see if it makes sense, and share it with you.
I’m very careful about the things I choose to write about my parents, especially my dad. We have a very complicated, but loving, relationship. His alcoholism defined and shaped much of my youth, as it did with my siblings. I won’t write about that in any detail until he is no longer with us. I’ve spent years working through the long lasting effects of living with an alcoholic parent. I have more to work through; it’s an ongoing thing. So I choose to protect my dad at this point in time because he’s still with us. Because I love him.
That photo you see at the top of the post was taken yesterday. Don and I went out to breakfast in a neighboring town. That is the retaining wall behind a charming area of shops. I love the grasses that are planted along the top of the curving wall. The sky was a brilliant blue yesterday.
Today? Sunny but cold. The temperature is currently 21 degrees, but it feels like 8 degrees. Yikes. It’s very windy out there. Brrrrr. Or as Don says, “Raymond Burrrrrrrr.”
Just across the road from the first photo – on the Rail Trail. Our mountains are in the distance.
It’s pretty in these parts.
I have to finish a book today that is scheduled for review tomorrow. It’s a good one and I’m really enjoying it. I’m also going to do some work on the dollhouse. I had a mini crisis with the living room the other day. I was adding molding at the top of the fireplace wall when I slopped glue on a section of wallpaper. My attempts to make it go away just added to the problem. So I had to take down the trim around the door, strip a section of the wallpaper and redo the whole thing. Luckily I had some leftover wallpaper stashed away. All is well. But I don’t mind telling you that, for a moment, I was more than a little panicked!
Today is my late grandmother’s birthday. Thinking of you always, Grandma.
What are your plans for this Sunday?
(The winner of a copy of The Stranger You Know is Lori in Indiana. Lori, I will send you an email. Congratulations! Winners are always chosen by the Random Number Generator.)
Happy Sunday.
It’s bitter cold here too. I need to finish my thanksgiving shopping but hate to fight the crowd.
I don’t blame you, Dawn!
I. Love Sundays. Today there is butternut squash roasting in the ove. And I am glazing projects for Christmas gifts. Later mahjongg with friends. Enjoy your day Cindy
MMMM! Love Butternut Squash – and Mah Jongg, too (though it’s been many years since I played!)
It’s bitter cold here too…but bright and sunny! I’ve got lots of little puttering to do…and of course watch the Packers. I’ve got to find a cookie recipe for a cookie exchange next weekend…got any suggestions? My mom used to make all the Christmas cookies…but she can’t anymore, and her recipes are nowhere to be found! So, I’m on the hunt! Enjoy your day…Raymond Brrrrrr indeed! ;)
I wish I had a suggestion, but its’ been so long since I made any Christmas cookies, Donna! Good luck!
Yes, it is very cold here as well, with wind chills making it feel very frigid. Winter is here in Minnesota and I’m sorry to say that it lasts a loooooong time.
As a trained writer, I understand that writing is often about uncovering thoughts and feelings; it is an exploration not always a declaration. Your piece yesterday was provocative in that it caused you and your readers to think about and perhaps clarify how we each think and feel. It is clear from the number of comments you recieved that you touched a nerve.
I enjoy your blog for the many things you offer your readers.
Thank you, Carolyn. I’m always interested to see what that kind of post elicits in my readers.
Reading all your posting has gotten me contiplating my desire for one!
Sorry! Posting about a dollhouse
Right now, I’m trying to apply wallpaper – always a hassle!
Thank goodness you didn’t have to run out and try to match wallpaper for YOUR living room! You might have had to paper the entire room. Five to ten huge rolls. Yikes.
I refuse to wallpaper my living room for that exact reason, Tana1
It is 28 degrees here with a real feel (as AccuWeather calls it) of 13 degrees and calling for snow flurries too..I like Don’s description of Raymond Burrrrrrr much better..lol..I always like reading your thought provoking discussions..so sorry I missed yesterdays as I was on the go all day..You are such a good daughter to not discuss your father’s past fully while he is still living..some children who feel revengeful would do it just to hurt or try to get back at their parent..The truth is feeling that way is only hurting yourself much more..Today I need to pack up some things and take them to storage but I really do not want to go outside..lol..I would also like to do some decorating for Christmas as I am really in the mood..Since my son has grown up it’s the only holiday that I still decorate for..Vintage decorations of course..I love Christmas trees..Wishing the three of you a lovely day!
I don’t think my dad reads the blog anymore – which is why I sent his birthday wishes to him from all of you via email. But I respect him too much to talk about his struggle until he is gone. He deserves that respect.
Your weather sounds a bit like ours only I don’t think ours is quite as cold.
It must be nice to not drive far to see your mountains. We have to drive quite a
Way to see mountains where we are. I’ve lived here all my life and I’ve never been to the big bend area of Texas and I’ve only seen the hills of what is known as Texas Hill country. :) Honeys parent used to live in Arkansas Ozarks I miss them both – the inlaws and the mountains.
I’ve worked on the little house a bit this week taking up the carpet and scraping the glue. I’ve removed an upstairs window and the windows in the kitchen hope to reset them properly. I’m wanting to work on the door today… Does your door open and close or is it glued shut? I’d like to have Working door .
Lastly, warm regards on your late grandmothers birthday– it is always nice to remember them on their birthday.
You got me thinking- ” late” in terms of someone passing , is a strange word. Wonder how we came to use it; and I don’t hear the younger generation using it as much as the baby boomers. All interesting.
–chatted enough have a good read today, Pat
My door opens and closes. The door that came with this dollhouse never would stay shut and I didn’t like it, so I bought a replacement door. You can do that, Pat. Just measure your opening and go to someplace like miniatures.com and find a replacement door that you like. They come with a frame, so it’s fairly easy to install them. In my case, I had to enlarge the opening of the doorway a bit – but it all worked out!
Love the pictures. Is that graffiti on the rail you are leaning against?
I also have been looking at doll houses. What a nice way to relive
your childhood. Playing with toys at my age and I can just call it
a hobby. But from what I have seen and would want it could be
quite an expensive hobby.
I guess it is – I barely noticed it!
It can be an expensive hobby but only if you want it to be. There’s lots to be found that is quite wonderful for a low price tag.
What a great photo, and wow do you ever look like my friend Marilyn…striking how similar you both look to each other. And that gorgeous silver hair, you rock!
Jen
Aw. thanks, Jen! I’m too cheap to color my hair, so silver it is!
We’re staying in where it is warm!! The chill factor is only 19 here – we’re a little warmer than you! LOL Aren’t grandmothers one of the greatest gifts God gave us? My Nana (Mother’s Mom) lived with us and she was the one who taught me to embroider and do a lot of handwork. She was so precious. I just hope my grandchildren and greats remember me like that.
Have a good day and stay warm.
Judy
‘
Oh they will, Judy, they will! You are such a wonderful person, they’ll be crazy about you.
My grandmother was wonderful and a lot of my very old treasures here in the house were inherited from her.
Raymond Burrrrrr! Totally using that! Cold, but pretty and sunny here in Portland, OR. Happy Sunday Claudia!
You too, Kim!
I love reading the comments from your readers Claudia, especially on days like yesterday. It always amazes me that so many of us have the same experiences in life. I wish my husband could get interested in a blog similar to yours that is written by a man. I am all about talking out my feelings and he mostly keeps his to himself. I don’t think that’s good for anyone but don’t think there’s any chance he’s going to change now. His mom says his dad was the same way. He’s a good man just not very talkative with the wife. I’m so glad when I find that other women feel the same way I do about certain things, makes me feel like we’re all apart of this great big sister hood. We went to church this morning and then took my mother in law out for lunch. When we got back she wanted Carl to put up curtain rods and curtains in the bedroom of her new apartment but we couldn’t find the curtains anywhere. A few minutes after we got home she called and said she found them so Carl is over there now hanging them for her. She was so upset when she couldn’t find them and I told her not to worry that they’d turn up because that sort of thing happens to me all the time.
I think it’s so helpful to know we’re not alone, Janie. And conversations like the one yesterday bring us together.
You said the right thing to your mother-in-law – I say the same thing to my dad “I forget things all the time, Dad.”
Hi Claudia, it is equally sunny and cold here. We have been sitting by the fire and doing nothing much. I wish you and Don a Happy Thanskgiving. Olive
After reading your post today, I realized I missed yesterdays post. Please forgive me for a belated comment. So many of us have experienced a ‘difficult’ childhood. (Difficult is a nice way of saying it.) More important than the difficulty of our upbringing is how we deal with that experience as we grow older. Your interpretation was fantastic. We all have our baggage but trying to move beyond it with forgiveness, kindness, mercy, and love, for the people that wronged us, is the key. It doesn’t matter if they ever acknowledge their wrong doing. I won’t go into details of my own life except to say I’ve been there, done that, continue to keep myself in check for the negativity, and see that the extra caring, sensitive,and forgiving person I am now may very well exist because of working through all of those things. I so enjoyed that post! Pat McDonald
Very cold here today, too – about the same as your temps. Brian was off work today (he gets a rare weekend off), so we went to church and then spent the rest of the day at my mom’s house. She made us lunch, then we helped her with things around her house. Brian hung curtain rods in her living room and dining room and I cleaned out and rearranged one of her bookcases for her. My nieces also came over for a visit – I hadn’t seen them in several month. Was a good day.
It is right to protect your Dad as long as he is alive. I’ve enjoyed time with my family and Ashleigh being here. She leaves tomorrow to go to her Grandma’s in So GA. I will head to some friends house for Thanksgiving! It’s cold here also and I got out my wool coat! Enjoy your week! Hugs, Linda
Cold here too and snowy….Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.