Rain and rain and thunder and lightning! More this afternoon and then we should have a couple of dry days. Everything looks extremely waterlogged out there. I’m not complaining, but I will be happy to see some relatively clear skies.
Someday.
I know many of you are experience smoke from more fires in Canada. Hang in there.
There’s nothing much to report on today. I tackled a few chores yesterday afternoon, did some laundry, read, and scrolled through social media. Not very exciting! I really want to start in on the office/studio, but it’s too humid in there during the day and until this front moves out, I’ll have to hold off. It’s a big, big job, involving both my little creative space and the inside of the closet. I WILL HAVE TO BE RUTHLESS. In the meantime, the stuff I’ve already pulled out of corners to sort through still hasn’t been sorted. I did do one thing yesterday: I moved the English Cottage (Dove Cottage) off one of my work tables and carried it across the room to the top of the music cabinet that we recently moved upstairs. It’s up out of the way, it looks good, and now I have more surface space.
New jacket and shorts from a seamstress in England. Normally, I wouldn’t have used Mei as a model for this outfit. I don’t know why. Maybe I think colorful clothes work better on another girl? I fought that urge and dressed Mei and I think it really suits her. That jacket has a hood. Never mind that the hood would never fit over a Blythe head! The outfit is beautifully made.
Reading is slow for me lately. My attention is all over the place and it’s hard for me to focus. I’m reading Babel, a book I have been curious about for a while. I got it from the library. It’s long and dense and I have vowed to sit with it this afternoon and polish off a chunk.
We also had a local primary election here yesterday, so we voted, though I don’t think my candidate got the nod. I’ll have to check. The other candidate will never get my vote – long story, but I’ve seen the content of her character and it’s lacking.
Stay safe.
Happy Wednesday.
That jacket is so cute and well made and darling on Mei with her hair!
Laying low here, too — another day of close to 300 AQI. I can hear Wrennie singing away outside (thank goodness she is still here!) and the birds are chowing down like crazy. Must fill all the feeders before I take off for the lake on Friday. My office is terrible. The Scary Room, as the Camster calls it. But I did a good job on tidying the closet before the yard sale. The trick is to not let it get out of hand again. And to be honest, I tried to be ruthless — but I wasn’t as ruthless as I know I will have to be. And now to the lake so nothing will be done except books and paintings and puzzles. But I need that. Take care.
That smoke is so hard on everyone. I hope you’re staying inside, Jeanie.
Stay safe.
sounds like you had a pretty good day for getting chores done and enjoying other things. feels good, doesn’t it? :) hopefully your interest in reading will pick up soon with just the right book.
reading what you wrote about mei’s outfit change, i thought of something i heard somewhere … “never stifle a creative impulse” … because we can’t know what it might lead to. i think of that when painting and working on my books.
hooray and thanks to you and don for voting!
when it rains (which isn’t very often or much here), all i want to do is be out in it; if there’s lightning, i can sit in my car or watch it out a window from a chair in my living room. maybe it’s a good thing we have no rain in the forecast as i have much to do. :l
best i get to doing those things now.
hope everyone has a good day. stay safe.
kathy
I don’t think you’d think the same way about the amount of rain we’re getting here! It’s off the charts.
Stay safe, Kathy.
i’d personally be happy to get a bit of rain (just enough) each week, but i certainly don’t want anyone to have troubles (flooding, leaks, etc.) for getting too much rain or to have it rain on someone’s extra-special day like a wedding!
hope your weather gets more to your liking and that you and don have a nice night!
kathy
I like rain, too, just enough to keep everything green and healthy – and to add a little moodiness to the weather.
For the past week I have been ruthless and tackled cleaning and organizing every closet except the hubbys and the garage. There are now six full bags of clothing and assorted household goods waiting to be picke up on my front porch. What prompted this insanity and backbreaking amount of feverish work? Family is coming to visit. ….for three days. So….of course our old air conditioners are barely holding up…..the dehumidifier noise fluctuates between an irritating hum and the sound of a jet taking off. We have planned out door activities butif it rains…..we may be playing Board games and watching old family DVS/ that I am not in because I was doing the filming but can be heard directing everyone. I will relax when they get here. and they take over the house. ……..the sun just came out……Have a good day…..everyone
Oh no! Isn’t that always the way, Maria? Don’t overdo!
Stay safe.
Mei looks absolutely adorable in her new jacket (with hood) and red shorts. Bright colours suit her. We got lots of rain yesterday, too. Things have calmed down a little but now we have the smoke from the fires to contend with. We’ll survive! Good luck with your sorting. I went though two “catch-all” drawers yesterday. Oh, my, the things we hang onto. Why? Hugs, Elaine
I have a lot to do but it will have to wait until we get a new a/c unit. It’s too humid in here!
Stay safe, Elaine.
dear Claudia/Don — glad you got rain — our area needs some–predicted Th/Fr/Sa/Su so maybe. Like this little girl.
this am at the grocery, I had a disturbing experience — was shopping, minding my own business when I saw a woman heading straight for me w/her cart. I managed to get my cart as close to the shelves as possible, but she continued on toward me, all the while looking back not forward where she was headed. of course, she rammed my cart w/hers which caused her to look up. then she said while looking at me, “I don’t like your G__ d___ face.” I had half a dozen things I wanted to say, but kept my mouth shut (not sure how) but I did. I had a mask on so she only saw 1/2 of my face, haha!! I was shaken — never I have I ever been insulted at the grocery. Mymr says she must have been having a Bad day. sure didn’t do much for MY day either!! guess I’m lucky she did not pull out a gun to shoot me!! Why do we think we have the right to insult/assault anyone B/C we are having a bad day — I believe most of us have bad days some times–I know in my many years, there have been some really horrible days but have not insulted anyone else. when/how/why did things get here so we think we have the Right to insult anyone at any time?? Is there No Tolerance at all???? sorry for this rant. stay safe
Do you think it was because you were wearing a mask? Is she one of ‘those’ people? Whatever reason, that must have been very upsetting to you and rightfully so. I’m so sorry that happened to you, Linda. Clearly, she’s a troubled person.
There is definitely a group of people – guided, no doubt by a president who constantly called people names and incited violence – who now feel that they have permission to act rudely, to insult people, to be aggressive.
I’m so sorry, Linda.
xoxo
I know about being ruthless when it comes to cleaning. After reading about Danish “death cleaning” last winter, I figured my entering my 70’s was a perfect time to practice it. Both here and in our previous home I had my own room for crafting which means I had a lot to go through. A lifetime’s worth. We’re replacing the upstairs carpet replace with wood floors and I certainly didn’t want to shift all the stuff in my oldest son’s old bedroom (my craft room) an walk-in closet from room to room. So in early spring I spent days and days going through it all. It was tough to part with supplies and tools I’ve had forever. But I felt so much lighter and more organized after donating so much of it. It helped to tell himself to be realistic about just how many more years I’ll have to be creative and to just concentrate on what I really enjoy working on now.
Today was another stay inside day. The smell wasn’t as bad so hopefully that means the smoke is drifting eastward. I’m sorry that means it’s coming your way though.
Take care,
Kay
I presume death cleaning is about not leaving too many excess possessions around so that your family/friends don’t have to deal with them? I’ll have to research that. It does make sense. I am far from that point, but I am clearing things out – some supplies I have to keep, but I’ve given away lots of yarn in the past and I think I can really make a dent on all the crap stored in the closet.
Our turn to stay inside. The smoke is here.
Stay safe, Kay.
Sorry for your soggy weather.
Meant to say from one of your recent posts, I do LOVE that cherry blossom Roseville; yes, it shouldn’t be hidden if at all possible!
And you reminded me (in my most famous [sigh] of descriptions, ‘somewhere in my stuff’) that I have an antique glove box in which sits very small, very delicate, white/buttery-leather gloves which may be to the elbow, I just can’t precisely recall as I write today. My ‘aunt’ who was my grandmother’s best friend gave them to Mom and then Mom gave them to me; not child’s gloves but for some kind of dainty, small-boned, adult lady (a fine lady; in this case, a socialite). My ‘aunt’ was born in, oh gosh, maybe 1892 and I know she worked as a lady’s maid in about 1907. It was for gentry in San Francisco; I know one of their ancestors signed the Declaration of Independence. It’s ‘one of those things’ I’ve always vowed to explore but haven’t as yet (I should get on it!). But my ‘aunt’ would tell my mom that the lady for whom she worked didn’t even put on her own shoes; my ‘aunt’, the lady’s maid, would do it; I assume it was a buckling job of sort with all those shoe buttons (I’ve heard it referred to as ‘high button shoes’ from whatever was the fashion trend of the day).
I can hardly remember right now, but I think the glove box is decorated on its exterior with purple violets (the decorative paper wrap [or is it fabric wrap … hmmm]); just beautiful. So, I’ve wondered if the lady might have given the glove box and gloves to my aunt (on some sort of occasion, perhaps a nod of appreciation[?]), although I doubt it’s from when my aunt left the lady’s employ [because my aunt got pregnant by the lady’s son in the house; oh, I imagine it is QUITE a story; apparently my aunt and the son had a mutual attraction {my aunt had no baby, so that’s another mystery which I hope isn’t tragic; I have so many gaps; people just didn’t talk about this stuff in other decades; their secrets went with them to the grave}]).
I can’t declutter my possessions soon enough. It’s this sort of thing I simply MUST find. Claudia, you jog my memory on a lot of things with your wonderful posts!
I was contacted by a guy from my high school who I’ve not seen since Grad Nite in the early 1970s. Just came out of the blue. We have been trading a slew of messages; SO many memories of times and people. You know what came up? Our town once had a bowling alley when we were kids and I’d forgotten what a fun hangout it was! My dad was on a team; my high school friend was, too. Oh, to remember the sounds of the balls in the lane, hitting the pins, carpet on the main floorspace to muffle the noise and prevent less slippage with bowling shoes; the sound of glasses tinkling from the onsite cafe/diner (and I think there was a bar!). Cigarette smoke wafting all around of course; this was like when we were maybe age 11-14. I remember lockers where people kept their gear. My dad’s bowling ball. They tore down our bowling alley thirty years ago; popularity had waned long before. We’ve watched bowling alleys go down all around us in neighboring towns here in Southern Calif; some have been turned into movie theaters or apartment buildings. I remember our bowling alley as sort of Space Age-ish from when it was built in the earliest 1960s. I remember being intrigued with the multi-color bowling balls whereas my dad’s was just plain ‘ol black.
Anyway, Brian and I were reminiscing about how much we loved that old place! I could never bowl to save my life but Brian was a trophy-winner; however, he says he doesn’t know how he could be bowling today because he lives on a remote ranch in a small Southwestern town; no bowling alleys! Do you know if bowling is still ‘big’ in other parts of the U.S.?
I don’t see many – if any – bowling alleys around here. I’m sure there are some, but I suspect it isn’t as big a deal as it was when we were young, Vicki.
I love when an object jogs something hidden away in my memory, Vicki.
Thanks for this!
Stay safe.