I'm hoping to get some things done outside today. A bit of gardening, of course-- some squares are ready to harvest & be replanted. But I also need to do some less pleasurable work-- pruning suckers and a branch with an old leftover tent worm residence, dig up some plants I dislike, etc. The weather's not ideal for such labor, and I'm certainly not getting an early start; I may not get far, but at least I don't have appointments or crucial errands today. Hopefully, I'll make some progress. ;-)
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Thursday, May 27, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
A Full Rich Day
I love the M*A*S*H TV series, and watch the DVDs far more often than any sane person should/would. This post title is taken from one episode of the series.
But, it has indeed been a full, rich day for me. (Or rather yesterday was-- I can't sleep and am taking advantage of my insomnia to write this, but I can't keep my tenses straight, so bear with me.)
I got to church this morning, which was great. Moved to tears by the very first worship song-- a fast-paced old hymn. I can't even say why, but it really got to me (in a good way). First message from the new senior pastor too. I'm looking forward to having him; apparently he'll start officially at the beginning of June (after leaving the church where he presently ministers and moving his family up to Kentucky). Yay! The long search and wait is over.
A good friend shared some personal information with me privately on Facebook; I was glad she opened up and honored to have been trusted.
My brother and sister-in-law are moving to a new apartment. Their new duplex neighbors are people they go to church with, and they won't have to commute any more. So awesome.
I did lots of cooking and baking as well: granola, crustless pumpkin pie, and a pseudo-Thanksgiving meal of turkey meatloaf, scallion mashed potatoes, and green beans. I had so much fun playing in the kitchen. I was singing at the top of my lungs and doing my private "funky chicken" and booty-shaking dances between chopping and measuring and stirring. It was gray & raining outside, so it was the perfect way to spend a drippy day: celebrating life, life, life-- and that more abundant! The giving thanks of my pseudo-Thanksgiving was real. ;-)
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But, it has indeed been a full, rich day for me. (Or rather yesterday was-- I can't sleep and am taking advantage of my insomnia to write this, but I can't keep my tenses straight, so bear with me.)
I got to church this morning, which was great. Moved to tears by the very first worship song-- a fast-paced old hymn. I can't even say why, but it really got to me (in a good way). First message from the new senior pastor too. I'm looking forward to having him; apparently he'll start officially at the beginning of June (after leaving the church where he presently ministers and moving his family up to Kentucky). Yay! The long search and wait is over.
A good friend shared some personal information with me privately on Facebook; I was glad she opened up and honored to have been trusted.
My brother and sister-in-law are moving to a new apartment. Their new duplex neighbors are people they go to church with, and they won't have to commute any more. So awesome.
I did lots of cooking and baking as well: granola, crustless pumpkin pie, and a pseudo-Thanksgiving meal of turkey meatloaf, scallion mashed potatoes, and green beans. I had so much fun playing in the kitchen. I was singing at the top of my lungs and doing my private "funky chicken" and booty-shaking dances between chopping and measuring and stirring. It was gray & raining outside, so it was the perfect way to spend a drippy day: celebrating life, life, life-- and that more abundant! The giving thanks of my pseudo-Thanksgiving was real. ;-)
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Saturday, May 15, 2010
Tax Refunds
I'm so grateful to God. My federal tax refund has been deposited into my checking account. It's a big fat one this year because I am a first-time home buyer who qualified for the $8,000 credit. With my being unemployed, this "cushion" could not have come at a better time. I know there are politicians who'd like to take the credit, but I see it differently. I try to honor God with the money that passes through my hands, and I believe He is faithful to provide for me through many methods-- in this case it just happened to be through a government tax law.
I still don't know what's going to happen with my job situation, but I am assured that God knows and has matters well in hand. To me, this "windfall" is just proof of His care for me. It's His lovingkindness and His thinking of me that really blesses me far more than the money itself.
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I still don't know what's going to happen with my job situation, but I am assured that God knows and has matters well in hand. To me, this "windfall" is just proof of His care for me. It's His lovingkindness and His thinking of me that really blesses me far more than the money itself.
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Saturday, May 8, 2010
What to Say?
I feel the need to write this morning, but I don't have a lot to say! I haven't been feeling well for the past few days and have limited my activities accordingly.
I did start reading P.D. James' The Private Patient and am enjoying it so far. It's an Adam Dalgliesh mystery. I've never read anything else by the author until now. (Summary: After thirty-four years, a newspaper journalist elects to have a disfiguring facial scar removed at a private surgical clinic for the wealthy housed in a Tudor-style home in Dorset, England, and is murdered while recuperating. Adam Dalgliesh's team is called in to solve the crime.)
While I was in school for my Master's or dealing with books all day at the library, I preferred fast reads over slower, better developed works such as this (even if the quality wasn't great)-- the books were just a break from routine, a needed escape.
I don't read fiction that often these days; I prefer nonfiction books that give me information and ideas for my personal projects such as gardening or cooking or knitting.
I am waiting on the new P.J. Tracy mystery though-- I requested it from the library but didn't get my name on the list early enough so must wait for a turn. The "author" is actually a mother-daughter writing team. The books are set in Minnesota and feature a quirky cast of characters who work with the police to solve unusual crimes. My favorite was the most recent where victims were hid as snowmen. I can recall the cover but can't remember the title-- maybe Snowblind? Anyway, I like and am looking forward to the newest-- I think the back history of Grace, one of the main characters, will be unfolded a bit. It should be interesting.
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I did start reading P.D. James' The Private Patient and am enjoying it so far. It's an Adam Dalgliesh mystery. I've never read anything else by the author until now. (Summary: After thirty-four years, a newspaper journalist elects to have a disfiguring facial scar removed at a private surgical clinic for the wealthy housed in a Tudor-style home in Dorset, England, and is murdered while recuperating. Adam Dalgliesh's team is called in to solve the crime.)
While I was in school for my Master's or dealing with books all day at the library, I preferred fast reads over slower, better developed works such as this (even if the quality wasn't great)-- the books were just a break from routine, a needed escape.
I don't read fiction that often these days; I prefer nonfiction books that give me information and ideas for my personal projects such as gardening or cooking or knitting.
I am waiting on the new P.J. Tracy mystery though-- I requested it from the library but didn't get my name on the list early enough so must wait for a turn. The "author" is actually a mother-daughter writing team. The books are set in Minnesota and feature a quirky cast of characters who work with the police to solve unusual crimes. My favorite was the most recent where victims were hid as snowmen. I can recall the cover but can't remember the title-- maybe Snowblind? Anyway, I like and am looking forward to the newest-- I think the back history of Grace, one of the main characters, will be unfolded a bit. It should be interesting.
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Thursday, May 6, 2010
Mesclun Photo Essay
4-6-10
4-11-10
4-17-10
4-29-10
(cut-and-come-again crop)
Inventory & Labels
Yesterday between head pain and a nap, I downloaded a couple of new iPod apps and began listing the books and movies I own and using a label maker to print Dewey Decimal labels for the book spines. I also photographed covers of some that were too old or obscure to have photos available on the Internet.
I have a large cookbook collection (77 volumes listed, and that's just the beginning). Consequently, Dewey is the simplest way for me to arrange them.
As a former librarian, I am familiar and comfortable with Dewey and can find what I need quickly that way. If I were to organize my books by size, color, content, or any other scheme, I'd be forever rearranging them. Dewey has a logical order built in, so I can label the books once and be done with arranging despite expanding and editing my collection over time.
My other collections are small in comparison-- only 8 knitting books and 6 gardening books for instance. But my cookbooks could take over the house unless I corral them. The floor in my knitting room is already less crowded now that I've done some shelving. Once I have the books together, I may also elect to prune some (ones I don't refer to often), but first I need an overall view of the breadth of coverage, and that means getting my books off the floor and off my treadmill and onto the shelves.
This is a part of my uncluttering plan, although I wasn't planning to tackle it until later. But the task was something I could begin while sitting down and resting in between activity bursts. That way at least I didn't lose the whole day to feeling poorly.
I have a large cookbook collection (77 volumes listed, and that's just the beginning). Consequently, Dewey is the simplest way for me to arrange them.
As a former librarian, I am familiar and comfortable with Dewey and can find what I need quickly that way. If I were to organize my books by size, color, content, or any other scheme, I'd be forever rearranging them. Dewey has a logical order built in, so I can label the books once and be done with arranging despite expanding and editing my collection over time.
My other collections are small in comparison-- only 8 knitting books and 6 gardening books for instance. But my cookbooks could take over the house unless I corral them. The floor in my knitting room is already less crowded now that I've done some shelving. Once I have the books together, I may also elect to prune some (ones I don't refer to often), but first I need an overall view of the breadth of coverage, and that means getting my books off the floor and off my treadmill and onto the shelves.
This is a part of my uncluttering plan, although I wasn't planning to tackle it until later. But the task was something I could begin while sitting down and resting in between activity bursts. That way at least I didn't lose the whole day to feeling poorly.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Radish Photo Essay
4-5-10
4-11-10
4-17-10
4-20-10
4-29-10
French Breakfast Radishes = 33 days from seed to harvest
Bringing Order to Life
I've been busy at home since my vacation. I need to get fully moved in, unpacking all my boxes, putting my stuff where it belongs, and getting rid of clutter.
So far, I've worked on more basic chores and errands. I cleaned the kitchen, did quite a bit of laundry, set up regular lawn mowing for the season, and picked up my new glasses and prescription sunglasses.
I also have more gardening to do. I planted my annual flowers, green beans, cucumbers, and cilantro, but I need to plant my squash. The problem is space and support. I've got potting soil and some containers, but probably not enough-- another raised bed would come in handy now. However, I'm going to restrain myself, even if I have to refrain from planting some of the seeds I purchased. If I don't want to exhaust myself and my bank account, there has to be a limit. Next year is time enough to add more beds if it seems necessary.
On a different topic, I have to say the flooding in Nashville makes my heart sink. Thankfully the number of lives lost were few. I know other places in the world have been harder hit by flooding in recent years, but the difference is that I've been to Nashville. I have some sense of what it looks like under ordinary circumstances; to see places like the Opryland hotel submerged in muddy water is really sad. I can't imagine having to clean that mess up or deal with the damages and repairs over the next months and beyond-- ugh!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
So far, I've worked on more basic chores and errands. I cleaned the kitchen, did quite a bit of laundry, set up regular lawn mowing for the season, and picked up my new glasses and prescription sunglasses.
I also have more gardening to do. I planted my annual flowers, green beans, cucumbers, and cilantro, but I need to plant my squash. The problem is space and support. I've got potting soil and some containers, but probably not enough-- another raised bed would come in handy now. However, I'm going to restrain myself, even if I have to refrain from planting some of the seeds I purchased. If I don't want to exhaust myself and my bank account, there has to be a limit. Next year is time enough to add more beds if it seems necessary.
On a different topic, I have to say the flooding in Nashville makes my heart sink. Thankfully the number of lives lost were few. I know other places in the world have been harder hit by flooding in recent years, but the difference is that I've been to Nashville. I have some sense of what it looks like under ordinary circumstances; to see places like the Opryland hotel submerged in muddy water is really sad. I can't imagine having to clean that mess up or deal with the damages and repairs over the next months and beyond-- ugh!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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