ooops!!

Something went bump in the night the other night. Or rather, several things! The shelf above our washer and dryer collapsed and its contents slid to the floor. Fortunately nothing was broken (other than the shelf supports!). Unfortunately, the cap on the laundry detergent became dislodged and a pool of detergent covered the floor and coated the undersides of many of the items from the shelf. I had my work cut out for me!

Among the casualties were several towels, which I used to sop up as much detergent as possible before tossing them into the wash. Others I lay on the floor so that I could navigate the messy terrain without sliding through it, and before long everything was picked up, rinsed off, or taking a cycle through the washing machine. Cleaning the soap off the floor was a bit tedious, but manageable.

Next stop, Home Depot for new shelves and better brackets! Ken got those installed in good time, and I put things back where they belonged. We added a second shelf to the mix--in part to relieve one shelf of holding too much weight, but also to get some less-often-used items out of prime storage space elsewhere in our "utility room." Ah, there's nothing like the feeling of newly opened space, and a sense of order.

a rare musing

I don't ordinarily use this space to air thoughts on politics, but something in this morning's paper got me thinking. In an article about the firing of U.S. Attorneys, an aide to AG Gonzales indicated that for a U.S. Attorney to adhere to the policies of the President was a legitimate standard for evaluating performance. I had to take a moment to consider whether or not this was, in my view, a valid argument.

On the one hand, the "guy in charge" has a right to have priorities and seek to have them pursued. On the other hand, that same guy in charge was elected by the people to uphold and defend the constitution that was crafted on behalf of all of its citizens, and not the priorities of one individual. This is not a CEO, but an elected official, and the constitution of the United States is not a partisan document but a foundation for governing that is intended to serve a country made up of a diverse people with differing views and priorities.

Our laws are in place to order our common life, protect our rights and liberties, and serve justice, which we claim in this country as being blind to the usual forces of discrimination. Persons who work to uphold the law ought to have as their first allegiance the law, not the priorities of an individual.

I guess I've concluded that the argument isn't sufficiently valid after all, but I'm open to hearing other opinions.

happy anniversary to us!

It was a year ago that Ken and I were married in the living room of our new house. We were surrounded by a small group of good friends, my mother, and Junior. It is a poignant memory since my friend Kathy was here as my matron of honor, and four weeks later she died. It gladdens my heart that she shared that day with us, and that she was here in our home to see and be able to imagine our life here. We've had our challenges in this first year, but overall it's been a good one and we're happy to celebrate it.

Today begins with a diocesan meeting for me, and assorted chores and some work-related tasks for Ken. This afternoon Junior will join us, and this evening it looks like we'll be having a modest gathering at a local country western club.

I'm including my favorite picture from our wedding, one that probably you all have seen, but it bears repeating. Happy day to you all!

spring at last!

It is always a joy to watch spring unfold as trees and shrubs begin to bloom and the earth slowly begins to tease us with hints and promises of green. I'm also watching closely the emergence of the hydrangea I planted last summer. It had showed early signs of emergence a couple of months ago during our exceedingly warm winter, but then a long cold spell cut off those tender shoots. Now there are leaves coming forth at the base of the plant, which may very well mean that the only place it can thrive is at its roots. Hmm... I need to learn more about this plant whose beauty I enjoy so much.

Junior is finally on leave, though he has a limited number of days since his last training cut into his leave time. We saw him yesterday when he came with a new girlfriend, and we enjoyed their company through the evening. We'll see him again this weekend before he heads back to base, and we're hoping he'll be taking some furniture with him. Ken is more than ready to have his office serve just that purpose, and not double as a storage area!

I'm making headway with Quick Books, and will take care of a few of those administrative tasks for Ken today before shifting to my own work for Sunday. I also need to be in touch with my first Pampered Chef hostesses to nail down dates and times for those parties. There's always something to do around here--guess I'd better get to it!

stellar

Yesterday Elisabeth von Trapp performed in concert as a benefit to aid the Invisible Children of Uganda. I was on the planning committee for the concert, so this event was the culmination of many months of work. I am happy to report that it went off without a hitch (unless you consider that Elisabeth, her husband and accompaniest, Erich Kory, had to get to Nashville from Vermont by way of Raleigh, NC, due to blizzard conditions in the northeast!). More importantly, though, was the beauty of the concert. Elisabeth is a down-to-earth person with a natural style and a beautiful voice, and the concert was absolutely delightful. She sang some "Sound of Music" favorites (encouraging us to sing along), told some family stories, and shared some of her own compositions. She also graciously invited the adult and children's choirs of the hosting church to join her for several numbers, one of which was a favorite canon of mine, dona nobis pacem. What a treat it was to hear that done so exquisitely, and then discover that it was also on one of her CD's (that I am now happy to own). It was a great afternoon, and this in spite of not having my usual Sunday nap! Afterward Ken and I went to dinner with a friend who was visiting from out of town and staying with us. We had a fabulous meal at P.F. Chang, and wonderful conversation. All in all a stellar day!

Today I am learning to decipher Quick Books Pro to help Ken out with his business, and tend to a few other assorted details. The beat goes on, as they say! How lucky for me that I can keep my beat going along with Elisabeth von Trapp's lovely voice, now installed on my computer...

a new "toy"

A couple of months ago I was in a shopping complex I don't visit very often. There's a scrapbook store there, and as I was driving past I noticed that it looked mysteriously sparse. A closer look revealed a sign on the door indicating that they were going out of business. Aha!

I grabbed a parking space and went in, picked up a few papers at 60% off, and inquired about the fate of the store fixtures. Yes! They would be sold, too. I put my name on a list for a paper rack (or two), and a couple of days later received a call that one of them was mine. For $25 I added this storage system to my office, and it filled immediately with various papers related to exisitng card projects, and others that I had in volume. Its addition necessitated rearranging my already crowded office, but I managed.

Although I benefited from the store's closing, it's demise saddens me. This was Jenny Bowlin's store (she didn't own it, but she lives in this town and it's where she "hung out"), and it carried good stuff. My own local store is pitiful, which now means driving 45 minutes to get to the nearest one of any quality. Sigh. It keeps me from spending money, but it also means my supplies don't stay current. One of these days I'll figure out a way to deal with that.

overdue

I confess! I confess! I've been negligent with my blogging duties, and am way past due with an update. It's a combination of things: not thinking I have anything to say, not having pictures to post, suffering from the goldfish syndrome (not being able to concentrate on anything for more than five seconds at a time), and so on. Forgive me, please!

The news from here is:
~Spring has arrived! The daffs are blooming, Bradford pears are beginning to display their lovely white petals, and the forsythia is being its usual showy self. Love it! I don't mind winter in the least, but I LOVE the beauty of spring.
~I finally flagged the yard! What that means is that the dogs now know that there is a boundary they aren't able to cross, and they can be let out to do their thing, romp, or just enjoy the increasing amounts of sunshine.
~Ken got his business name put on his truck, and is SUCH a happy camper. He's also getting very busy, and has hired a helper! Woohoo!!
~I've decided to sell Pampered Chef! I had been trying to figure out what I could do part time and have flexible hours, and when we hosted a party a few weeks ago the consultant happened to mention that this very combination was something she loved about selling Pampered Chef. Duh! I love to cook, love the product, and in April will be official!
~Our first anniversary is approaching! How time flies. Nearly a year ago we moved to this house and a few days later were married in the living room. 2006 sure was eventful!
~Junior is wrapping up a ghastly training program, called SEERS (survival, escape, evasion, reconnaisance and surveillance, I think). Anyone watch "The Unit?" One of the episodes featured SEERS training, and it's not pretty. Bascially the soldiers experience life in captivity. You can imagine the rest. We hope to see him next week when he gets leave prior to his next deployment.

That about covers it, except for a few things which I'll save for the next few days so that I can get back into the habit of posting! As I write a Pampered Chef recipe is wafting through the house--yummmmmmm, wish you all could join us!

xoxo

ready for its closeup!

Ken got a new van the other day, trading in his old, '94 pick-up with camper shell for a year-old, full size Chevy cargo express van (say that three times fast!). He's like a kid with a new toy. The van is a big improvement for his work, enabling him to store tools and equipment efficiently, and have ready (and comfortable) access to it. This morning we took a photo inventory of his assorted tools, and he loaded everything into the van, utilizing shelves that he built in. See the before, during, and after pics! Having a functional, reliable work vehicle has given him a boost, and it's fun to see him grin as he talks about it. When money permits we'll get his business name painted on the exterior panels, and he'll really be in business!

Nanook of Tennessee

That would be me the last few days. This morning I bundled up with long johns, sweat pants, and Ken's sweat pants on top of those to face temps in the teens and snow-dusted ice on the roads. Without wind it was actually tolerable, though even the dogs were cautious on the roads. This morning we've cancelled the early service at church, but soon I'll be on the road (hopefully melting now that the sun is up) for the second service. We'll see who decides to brave the weather!

Temps are supposed to warm up about twenty degrees in the next few days, bringing us back to balmy and unseasonable temperatures near 60. When winter comes, can spring be far behind? These days, who knows!

a rose by any other name...

Well, yes, I did receive roses from my beloved for Valentine's Day. Turns out that according to my zodiac sign, roses are just the ticket! But so are anemonaes, which I adore, and black-eyed Susans, which are not in season. Who knew? Turns out every now and then the zodiac thing gets it right.

Like with dog breeds. Some years ago I read something about preferred breeds according to one's sign. Although my sun is in Taurus, my moon (the ruler of emotions) is in Scorpio. Turns out that Scorpios like Shelties (which I had for 30+ years), and Samoyeds, a breed I love but don't think I could handle with all the shedding (Shelties are bad enough!).

For now, however, I'll be happy to receive whatever flowers my honey wants to bring me (and we both agree that carnations are out of the question). Thanks, sweetie!

road report!

We’re back from Savannah, and feeling a little road-weary! Although we weren’t there long (arrived Friday night, left Sunday morning), we managed to pack in a fair amount.

Friday night we had dinner at Ashley and Travis’, joined by Junior and his girlfriend, whom we were meeting for the first time. We played cards after dinner before retiring for the night, with an early call the next morning. We had a minor adventure in the morning when the car wouldn’t start, the battery drained by a cooler that we’d kept plugged in overnight, but Travis came to give us a jump, and we progressed with our day.

After breakfast I joined Ashley for the morning to lend a second hand with a church program. We were behind the scenes kitchen helpers for an “Apples of Gold” small group of young married women who meet with older mentors to learn how to cook and share issues of faith and marriage. We worked our butts off, helping to prepare ingredients for cooking, prepare dishes, get food in and out of the oven, set tables (the theme was a formal brunch), serve, and then clean up, including washing 15 place settings of glassware, china, and flatware by hand!
We returned home and joined the guys, who had been at a shooting competition, and eventually headed downtown to peruse the shops and have some dinner. We found a Scottish pub (which was most fun for me, I’m sure) for an early happy hour, and after dinner walked along the riverfront and ducked into a few of those shops. The only purchase of the night was some pralines for our dog-sitters, from a candy shop that makes their stuff right on the premises. How nice it is not to be eating sugar and thus spare temptation! Check out the peanut brittle, loaded bear claws and pralines!
After our post-dinner stroll we went to a place called “Savannah Smiles,” where dueling pianos will take requests from the audience and tease and cajole the crowd with their antics, always encouraging us to sing along or compete to see which side of the room could chime in the loudest on cue. Fun.

Now it’s back to the grind, and especially to tax preparation. Oh me, oh my!

on the road ... again!

Sorry to be MIA this last week. This morning we're off to Savannah for the weekend to see the kids. We'll be back Sunday night, but might be able to report in while we're gone. In the meantime, I've missed everyone, and appreciate your efforts to be in touch. Means a lot!
xoxo

woohoo! snow!

And it's about time! We woke to snow this morning, one whole, whopping inch of it, and this transplanted Yankee is reveling in it. Juliet had fun on our walk sticking her nose into the snow and flicking it into the air as we tracked the first prints through the snow on the road. Well, okay, a couple of deer and at least one rabbit beat us to it, but we were the first walkers of the day. I had to make an early run to Kroger for creamer for my coffee, and the roads were quite slick. It's now warmed up a bit and it's probably safer to travel, but for the moment we're tucked in and tending to our various tasks. This is probably the last we'll see of the white stuff, so I'm going to do a lot of window gazing today! Not a bad way to spend a Friday!

let there be light!

Sometimes big joy can come from simple things. Like changing a light fixture (or two!). When we moved into our house we inherited a less than attractive light over the dining area, and two fluorescent fixtures in the kitchen—one over the sink, and the other over the space where we have placed a butcher block cart that is an essential work space. I can’t stand fluorescent light in a home—to me it’s clinical and cold.

Over the weekend we made a trip to Home Depot and got new light fixtures, which Ken has since installed. Ah, what joy to have the glow of warm light in the kitchen! It’s especially welcoming first thing in the morning when we aim in the dark for the coffee pot, and flip that switch. We are now bathed in soothing light, rather than shutting our eyes against the glare of the old bulbs. Bliss comes in many shapes and sizes, and sometimes as ethereal as the glow from a light fixture.

(note: the photo is not of our lights, but captures the glow)

thoughts for today...

Well, it’s been a week since my last entry, and I have sat at the computer on more than a few occasions staring at the screen with nothing to say. In an effort at least to refresh this blog for the faithful that stop by for a read, I’m stealing the following from my friend Jayne’s blog. You all know how this works!
two names you go by: Anne, Mama (that’s what the dogs call me, or so Ken says!)

two parts of your heritage: English and Scottish

two things that scare you: idiot drivers in the neighborhood at night when I’m walking the dogs/small minds

two everyday essentials: morning coffee and sudoku

two things you are wearing right now: turtleneck and sweater

two of your favorite current bands/artists: Secret Garden, Alasdair Fraser

two things you want in a relationship (other than love): trust, communication
two favorite hobbies: photography and scrapbooking

two things you have to do this week: attend a Commission on Ministry meeting, pay quarterly taxes

two stores where you shop: Wild Oats and Kroger (until Publix opens!)

two favorite sports: gymnastics, swimming

two shows you like to watch: The Unit, Grey’s Anatomy

two things you’d buy if money were no object: a house on the water, establish a foundation for philanthropic giving
two wishes for 2007: for Ken’s and my businesses to flourish

I’ll see if I can think of something to say before another week goes by!

staying afloat

In the last few days while issuing sailing commands I’ve been reminded of a favorite book: First you Have to Row a Little Boat. Although it may appear to be a book about sailing, the author, Richard Bode, draws on his experiences of sailing as metaphor for dealing with life. It is a wonderful book, full of wisdom, and beautifully written. I think it is so good that when I first read it I bought about ten copies to distribute to various family members and friends that I knew enjoyed sailing, or at least had spent some time on the water.

After writing yesterday’s blog entry I decided it was time to read the book again (this will be the third go ‘round), but, “Eeeeekkkk!” I haven’t been able to find it! It was an ordination gift from a seminary classmate, and the card that came with the gift is still tucked in the front, so simply ordering another copy won’t do. The search is on.

In the meantime, I am making slow and steady progress wading through clutter and clearing decks to be productive here. There’s a new product on which I want to begin work, but I also need to bring some order to the details of last year for tax season. I have never let those matters go as badly as in the last twelve months, and I am now paying the price. My work is cut out for me. Let’s hope for a fair breeze to get me through it.

I'm teaching my dog how to sail

Okay, not really. We don’t own a sailboat, and even if we wanted to go to the local lakes and rent one, now is certainly not the time of year to do it! But I am using sailing lingo to train Juliet, sort of.

Our morning walk, M-F, is the same route, chosen because we encounter the least amount of traffic. We head up the street and around the block, but when we get to the end of the other block, we do an about face to come back. This is because the street we would walk to make a complete circuit around the block has no shoulders, there are no sidewalks, and though it isn’t a “busy” road, it is a regular flow of traffic. It’s not safe, so we turn around.

One day as we neared the point of return, I found myself calling to the dog, “Juliet, ready about? Hard a’lee,” and led her around in an arc to begin back up the street. Why not? I am now working with her more in a training mode, so that the lead will be unnecessary to get her to reverse her direction no matter where we’re walking. And though she’s a smart dog, and usually learns quickly, she’s not buying it. I can hear her now, “Geez Mom, don’t you know anything? The wind is not in our favor for this tack…” Oh well. It amuses me, and maybe, just maybe, one of these days she’ll surprise me and she’ll learn how to sail.

curiosities

This morning I had an early errand to run, and on my way through the quiet, residential neighborhood en route to my destination I was rather astounded to see a whole posse of cars parked in the vicinity of someone's home. It was 8:30 on a Saturday morning, and they were parked in the driveway, in the yard, and flanked the curbs on either side of the house. On my return home the cars will still there, and I did a quick count: 30!

It had to be a meeting of some kind, and I began to wonder what this sizeable gathering held in common such that they were meeting in someone’s home. A common interest with that number of people will often result in meeting in a place related to that interest: a church, club house, meeting room at an office building or even conference center. But someone’s home, on a Saturday morning? I thought someone might have died, but that was still a lot of cars for paying respects, and pretty early in the morning for such a size.

So I’m curious, and I suspect my curiosity will remain thus, since I don’t know anyone who lives on that street, and don’t feel quite compelled to go knock on their door and inquire just to satisfy my nosey need. But we do wonder about people, don’t we? When we’re at a restaurant and people are in a group, we wonder who they are, and how they’re connected. Or at the airport, where are people going, and why? I once felt inspired to write a novella when I got into a conversation with the two other women who shared a row of seats with me on a plane, and we shared our stories about what compelled our journey.

People are fascinating, for the most part, and we all have stories to tell. Now if only I could find someone to tell me the story about what all those people were doing at that house this morning…

funeral fashion

I don't know if I'm old-fashioned, out of fashion, or simply confused. Maybe I'm all three. Most funerals I've attended in recent years I haven't had to worry about what I wore, because I had a role in the service and was vested accordingly. As long as my attire was "professional," the rest didn't matter.

Yesterday we attended a funeral where I actually sat in the pew. I always enjoy these opportunities to people-watch and yes, do a bit of fashion critiquing (even if I am clueless, I have opinions!). I was a bit startled to see two women wearing what I call “safari” prints—you know, fabrics made to look like animal skins. Another woman wore a long, chartreuse poncho over brown pants. The color certainly caught my eye! Others were in conventional blacks, browns, grays, and attire that falls under the category of “tasteful.”

Safari prints? Does it matter what one wears to a funeral? I remember being chastised some years ago when I attended my godfather’s mother’s funeral wearing a red tartan kilt and white boiled wool jacket. Too bright and cheerful, was the criticism. Goggy would have applauded, was my view (she was a bit of a spitfire, and proud of her Scottish heritage—I believed I was honoring her with my choice). Maybe the safari prints were a favorite of the deceased, in which case I’ll be the first in line to encourage the choice.

Lord knows that fashion protocol seems to be a thing of the past, but I can’t help but note that at Gerald Ford’s funeral there weren’t any colors popping out from the congregation. (And while we’re on that subject, can I pay the former first lady a compliment? That woman has great legs!) Perhaps this is just another occasion when people don’t necessarily think globally, but act locally nonetheless. KWIM?

thanks for the memories

I owe a huge debt of gratitude to my husband, who gifted me at Christmas with an iPod nano. The iPod hadn’t even been on my radar until a few weeks ago, when my stepdaughter, Ashley, introduced me to hers. I suddenly put two and two together (why it took me so long, I don’t know, maybe I just needed a demonstration), and saw a real use for such a thing in my life!

I have to admit that the iPod itself has been a source of frustration thus far. Nothing has performed according to instructions, and I finally have abandoned (for the moment) installing tunes for portability. I did, however, succeed in downloading a few items to my computer, and was swept away as I got reacquainted with a few “lost” favorites. What a gift it was to be transported by that special music.

One is an opera duet, from Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers, which moves me whenever I hear it. The rest have been Celtic tunes from Alasdair Fraser, whom I have the pleasure of knowing from a trip I took too long ago to dance in Scottish castles. Alasdair works absolute magic on the fiddle, and I have wept, literally, to hear again the music that first acquainted me with him, and to recall those two awesome weeks in Scotland. I was even inspired to dig out the scrapbooks from that trip and remember special moments (note to self—get those pictures out of those magnetic pages!). Pictured here (courtesy of the Internet) are places that we visited and where we danced: Blair Castle, where other dancers from across Scotland came to join us for a formal dance in the castle ballroom; and the Isle of Skye, where we spent three days enjoying the rugged countryside there, as well as doing a little dancing. I could flood this blog with other images that are associated with that trip, but will spare you!

My own CD’s appear to be missing since we moved, which grieves me. I’m not quite ready to abandon all hope and start downloading tunes I miss from them, but in the meantime this iPod will need to be loaded once it operates according to instructions. (There’s a reason I don’t lust after technical toys!) It is a joy to reconnect to the music, and the parts of me that resonate with it.