Wednesday, August 1 - Massachusetts

Wow... I knew I was overdue for a post, but wow - over a month!! Apologies followers and friends. July rather flew by. It really did.

Not many pix tonight as I have not ventured outside a lot, mostly due to the excrutiatingly hot and humid weather the past month. Inside with the air conditioning is much better (although not so much on the utility bill!).

Part of the slack in posting is because I am now working part-time from home. It was, and still is, a bit of a learning curve as the type of business I work for is not exactly in my wheelhouse. I am doing Admin work, which is right up my alley though. Over 40 years' experience with that! Mine, however, was with engineering (think Digital Equipment Corp., GCA, Intel, etc.). This is different and taking a bit of time to acclimate.

It is working pretty well now though, and I figure one is never too old to learn :) I have my color-coded file folder thing going on and all that down pat. So it's all good.

I also lost a little over a week last month as I was quite ill. As in totally out and down for the count. Unable to even drive myself to the doctor, my most awesome brother had to cart me around that day.

Fully recuperated now and back in the game.

No real trips planned this summer, as explained earlier. I wanted to work on my home this year, and it is coming together. Slowly, but it is! Interior painting is almost done :) That has taken much longer than I anticipated.

My bathroom is also undergoing a minor renovation along with the paint. I have 2 bathrooms here, which is odd to me considering I am only one person. Two bedrooms, which I need. The larger one in the back (my sleeping space) for me as is the bathroom (also larger of the two) adjoining it. There is a smaller bedroom in the front, with an attached full bath (also smaller). I set up the front bedroom as an office/studio space, mostly studio. Makes sense to me - even though I am one person I have always required two bedrooms (the studio space).

Having a second bathroom baffles me a bit. I really do not need it. Therefore it holds overflow products and a spare kitty box. It is a cozy bathroom should it ever become more useful however.

So the minor renovation - I was obsessed for months about the fact that my original commode was obviously designed for people with very short legs. Found the one I wanted, got it, and installed. So happy!! The over-the-commode maple color cabinet that was there will go in the front bathroom (so there is a use for that!), and I have a wall-mount white one which will suit my new decor better. Something like this.

Pictures when it is done!

Meantime, life goes on here. I am hoping to get in a weekend Sister visit before the Summer is gone (she did say we would...). Also planning my Brother's and my annual Columbus Day weekend trip to Martha's Vineyard. Ferries and hotels must be booked ASAP as they fill up quickly.

While I was not looking Boris #1 (the big spider) packed up and left. No note. Boris #2 (the one with fangs) has also disappeared (I think he moved outside). Boris #3 hangs out in the corners. The tiny one has grown up quickly; I call him Boris #1 now. Here is a (blurry) recent pic of him.

Stay tuned, my friends. I promise it will NOT be so long between posts the next time!

Wednesday, June 27 - Massachusetts

Good evening, friends! Short-ish post, and on the heels of yesterday's! It is late but I was on the phone.

WARNING: If you have arachnophobia or an aversion to spiders, do not read this post. I have, however, wanted to write this one for awhile. Thought about it, but other things happened.

This evening I shall share something a lot of people do not know about me.

I have an ongoing love of spiders. I have always welcomed their presence in my home. They are harmless and do a great deal of good for the environment. I have a lot of respect for them, and do not allow anyone to kill them in my house. A few addresses ago I had the fortune of hosting a bunch of white spiders for some reason. They were beautiful, almost translucent :)

Flying bugs I do not like inside at all, especially flies (they are really gross). Fortunately my cats manage to make fairly short work of most of them, but spiders take care of the rest :) (Do not ask what I do with the stray hornet or wasp. Let us just leave it that they are gone.)

I welcome spiders. Encourage them. I name them. I call all of them "Boris", as that seems a fitting name for spiders.

Boris #2 - He has fangs

Currently I have 3 Borises in residence, possibly 4, as I saw a teeny one scoot across my laptop this morning. Here are some close-ups.

Boris #3 - Dak brown but doen't look it

Boris can get a bit tricky when he gets large, as in the pic below. A bit hairy (no pun intended) when you open the shower curtain and find him lurking near the faucets. From what I have read, a household Boris lives 1-3 years, depending on available food and water. So between random bugs and the kittles' food & water, I guess it makes it easy living here for Boris for awhile.

Yeah he really was that big

Alas, usually when Boris gets that large he simply ups and leaves. Without even a note :(

Sigh. I know for sure it is not the cats (they will not eat spiders - must be too oogy). I guess Boris just leaves home for his spidey college degree & in search of bigger and greener pastures :)

Tuesday, June 26 - Massachusetts

Good evening, intrepid followers. So much has happened the past few months! My little house is being painted inside, as you know, which has been disruptive. I do not like disruptive in my life but am handling it well :) It also has me rearranging things, which in turn led to more purging items I no longer want or need. So, good on that!

Spring - such as it was - came and left on the whisper of few days this year. Cold/warm/cold/warm, then a late storm with hail. Confused my flowers, for sure! I did not get the full effect of my tulips this year. Although they were very lovely for the few days they were in bloom.

Tulips

Tulip full bloom

Alas I was unable to capture pictures of the irises. Mine are early bloomers, and it got so hot so quickly they faded within a few days. Air conditioner ensued quickly. I had a feeling we would not get a real Spring this year and unfortunately was correct.

A few weeks ago my wonderful sister proposed a "sibling outing" for the three of us. We visited La Belle Winery in New Hampshire. What an excellent day! The weather could not have been better if ordered. It is a small-ish winery, not far, but very well run and kept. The wines are really outstanding.

We arrived in the morning, and treated ourselves to the tasting first :) Each of us chose a flight of 5 types of wine to try. Our server was extremely knowledgeable about not only the wines, but how the grapes were chosen and cultivated. I did not get a picture, unfortunately, as I was busily involved in sniffing and tasting my favored reds. I did purchase two bottles at the end, however, from the on-site shop.

Lunch was in order after that! We scored a table on the patio under an umbrella and ordered several small plates to share among us. Burger sliders and marinated chicken thighs. Perfectly right!

Burger sliders

Chicken thighs

My siblings took a short tour of the vineyard after lunch. It was quite a hill to the vines. Downhill is not an issue. The uphill is a no-go for me, unfortunately, although I got some good pictures!

Vineyard

Vineyard

Vineyard

Vineyard

Vineyard

We wound up the afternoon at my sister's, where she and her Significant Other had prepared a delicious BBQ for dinner. Pork spare ribs, baked beans and broccoli cole slaw. I do not care for baked beans - love the way they smell when they are cooking, but have never been a fan of the taste. She made the broccoli slaw for me! (And I enjoyed every bit of it I took home with me!) She made rhubarb pie for dessert :)

All of us had such a great day sharing time together doing something we all thoroughly enjoyed on such a gorgeous day.

Life really cannot get much better than that :) :)