Friday, February 2 - Massachusetts

Good evening intrepid followers! Not much to report this week as I have done a whole lot of - nothing. Thinking and reading, but otherwise felt a bit lethargic this week. Daily household chores, but that is about it. I feel fine (as in I am not ill); just not "feeling it" to do much.

So after consideration, I decided I need more vegetables and fruit in my diet than I have had lately. (There's that "thinking" thing!) The past month I have been eating a lot - a LOT - of pasta. I love my carbs, and have them every meal in one form or another.

Much as I love spaghetti, lasagna, etc. they do not contain many vegetables. Nor does a morning yogurt contain much fruit. So after pondering, and feeling a bit lethargic, I decided it was diet related and started eating more vegetables and fruit. Tomorrow is grocery shopping, so I will pick up more of both. I did not have a lot of fruit in the pantry when this conclusion was reached.

I re-read Monday's post and will relay the Car Key Fob story. In hindsight it is a bit humorous in a twisted way; at the time it was not. Especially for my Brother, who carted me around that day.

The 'Stang's Key Fob is a very simple thing, really. She has 1 key which both starts the ignition and opens the trunk (bear in mind she's a '94). The fob locks or unlocks the doors and arms or disarms the alarm. The alarm sets automatically a few minutes after exiting the car, locked or not. The Fob has worked well for the past 9 or so years.

The Key Fob in question

And chose the worst day of the year to die - New Year's Day. The next day my most awesome Brother took me to get the battery replaced. One would think the battery would be easy to replace on such a simple piece of electronics. One would be wrong.

The alarm came with the car when I bought her. Apparently this type of car alarm is quite elaborate and not easily disabled. (Confirmed both by my mechanic and my extensive online research.) At the electronics store, the owner tried his best to open The Fob to no avail. The previous car owner had not only managed to strip its one tiny screw, but had then superglued the entire thing together.

Screwdrivers and the use of a drill with a tiny bit ensued. Two grown men grumbled and futzed over one small item for almost an hour. Success! Then silence. Stuttering amazement - the battery had been wrapped in aluminum foil in order to make contact with slightly corroded connections. Really??

All turned out well in the end. I will give a much-deserved shout-out to Electronics Plus, where The Fob got fixed. It is a small, well-run store in Littleton. The kind one thinks of when remembering when home-town stores knew your name and had everything you needed. My Brother knows the owner, who really knows his stuff. He has replaced all my watch batteries (I have a collection, and the batteries all tend to die at the same time), degaussed my unwanted computer hard drives, and provided obscure cables I need.

As for my 'Stang's alarm system - alas I am stuck with it. We have come to a grudging agreement. If the weather is going to be bad (sleet/freezing rain/tons of snow) I do not lock her. I do not want the door locks to freeze - that happened once and results were not pretty.

I do not worry, however. The fact that the alarm is enough to wake the dead is deterrent enough. She will not start once the alarm has gone off. Even if a car thief was clever enough to bypass both of the above, there is the manual shift with which to contend. Only about 18% of the current driving population can drive a manual from what I understand.

Sad but true. Thus I rest easy :)

That reminds me of another funny thing that happened last month, which I shall share next week.

Super Bowl is the day after tomorrow! I am eagerly looking forward to the game! My beloved Pats vs. Eagles. It will be a good game! (We will be the ones in white!)

Go Patriots!

Monday, January 29 - Massachusetts

Good afternoon friends. I realize it has been some time - actually QUITE some time - since I last posted. Two months! I apologize up front for that. I have been busy and caught up in various things, but that is not a good excuse. It had been on my mind that I have not posted, but it seemed something always came up.

It took a phone call from a dear friend to jar me out of this winter season's goings-on to spur me (thanks, Chris!). She was concerned enough to call. That is a very, very good friend.

I am fine and doing well, I assure you up front! Just had a lot of things going on.

December was so very busy. It seemed every time I turned around there was something going on. The fuel pump on my 'Stang bit the dust out of the blue at a very inopportune time. At least she had the decency to go in the driveway and not far away from home. I had my first major house issue to deal with - backed-up plumbing. Started with slow flushing, and ended up with a washer full of laundry water backing up into the tub. (At least the washer overflowed into the tub and not on the floor!)

Thanks to my most awesome brother I got a good plumber and the issue was resolved quickly. A bit ouch on the purse-strings after both incidents, but I am notoriously tight with my money. I have some money set aside for emergency house repairs, but the fuel pump and the plumber were back-to-back, and my miserly self did not like it.

Then Christmas!! I had the most wonderful Christmas this year :) My brother and I got back into our tradition after I had spent last Christmas away. He set the tree up at his house, and we spent a nice afternoon decorating it. It is artificial, but so pretty once it is done. Requisite grumbling on his part assembling it and putting on the lights, but once it decorated it was beautiful!

Christmas Day was awesome. I got wonderful presents! Tons of the funky socks I love so much (I am known for my "weird" socks), and a set of cast iron skillets to replace what was lost last year. Among many other things. Dinner was to die for! Brother cooked a crown roast of lamb beautifully! Baked potatoes and some veggies. I made dessert, mini cheesecake with fig compote (we both love) in ramikins.

New Year's followed quickly. Brother spent it in Maine with my amazing sister and her S.O. I chose to stay home. Sister & S.O. are doing major work on the upstairs ceilings in Maine, and much as I love a good party I decided to revel here.

UNfortunately... my 'Stang's battery died on me that weekend. AAA was all backed up; took almost 4 hours to arrive. Could not get my car to keep running after a jump start. It was extremely cold that weekend, and AAA will not install batteries outside when it is below 32 degrees (makes sense). So - another tow to the mechanic to replace the battery.

The saga does not end there! The day after Pepper got her brand-new battery the battery in the key fob died. Long story short - she has an after-market alarm (that I did not install). Even though I did not lock the doors (did not want the locks to freeze), the alarm automatically sets itself. As soon as I opened the car door I woke the entire neighborhood. And the car will not start once the alarm goes off, even with key in ignition. I tried several times in vain before giving it up and before the neighbors started complaining. (The alarm is extremely loud and quite impressive. On any other day but that.).

Of course - that was New Year's Day, and not a thing I could do about the darn fob until brother returned and could transport me to an electronics store to replace the battery.

That was another adventure in itself! Suffice it to say, it all worked out.

Since then... well we have had a few snow storms that dumped quite a bit up here in this corner of Masschusetts. Exceptionally cold weather descending suddenly after being lulled by Autumn's slow retreat. One day I was outside in my sneakers, and two days later needed all my winter gear. Gotta love New England in the winter!

Past few weeks I have dealt with paperwork put off too long, appointments, and becoming accustomed to the first Winter in my new home. Phoebe has been ill, which is not settling well with me at all. Fluctuating on my trip to Canada next Summer because of it. If anything happened to her while I was away I would never forgive myself.

Stay tuned... I will not wait so long between posts (promise, Chris!).

November 27 - Massachusetts

Good afternoon, friends and followers. How time flies... hard to believe it has been almost two weeks since my last post! Much has happened. Apologies up front; not many pix until the end.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving; I know I did. I spent the day with my family and got totally stuffed. The best part of it was spending the day with the people I love best: my sister and her Significant Other who hosted, my brother, and my niece and her fiancee.

Yes you read that correctly! That was the best news of the day! My niece and her boyfriend are engaged!! They had told my sister (her Mom) of course, and announced it to the rest of us that day. I was so happy I actually leaped out of my chair and hugged my niece and cried a bit - happy tears! My niece and her fiancee have been dating for some time (quite some time), and he proposed to her the week before Thanksgiving. He is a great guy, and we all already loved him like family. I am so very, very happy for both of them!

They are going to keep the wedding low-key, with a very small ceremony and small cocktail reception the next day. Quite sensible, as they want to finish saving for a house - currently they live in his 1 bedroom condo - and start a family. Doing the happy dance!

Thanksgiving was wonderful, and as usual my sister went all out with the food. Breakfast sandwiches followed by appetizers mid-afternoon, and then the main meal! She is a most awesome hostess and puts together the best parties :)

This week is very busy. Had a ton of phone calls to make today, errands to run tomorrow. Appointments the rest of the week. Getting my snow tires put on Wednesday. A bit late in the season, but not as late as last year. The 'Stang does not do well in the snow without her snow sneakers. I do not run all-season tires year round. I prefer performance tires in the summer and am willing to trade that preference for the minor hassle of changing the rear tires twice a year.

What can I say? At this point in my life I get to call the shots! I sold my small truck (it was a second vehicle) several years ago, so.... it is just me and the 'Stang through the winter months. Works for me.

Before I forget (again), I finished my Dutch girl outdoor cement statue well over a month ago. I keep forgetting to post pictures of Ghiselle and Nick together! Here are some before and after pictures. They have been happily reunited on my porch for quite awhile, and I smile when I look at them :) Stay tuned.

Nick - Before

Nick - Before

Ghiselle - Before

Ghiselle - Before

Nick & Ghiselle - After

Nick & Ghiselle - After

Nick& Ghiselle - After

Nick & Ghiselle, happy at last!