A great inspirational video from Lady Gaga, who spoke (along with the Dalai Lama) at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in June, 2016.
Five years ago today: Barometer
Wednesday, October 4, 2017
Sunday, October 1, 2017
Designed For A Door
This past weekend was the 2017 installment of a couple's retreat Hubby Tony and I attend.
For the past three years we have been on the retreat planning committee. At the beginning of the process this year the group decided that the theme would be Classic TV. Each of the couples used a TV show as the title of their presentation. Tony and I picked The Love Boat. A tradition at this retreat is for the committee members hang a decoration on their room door that coordinates with the theme. This year we all started with a plain artificial wreath. I'm not the most creative when it comes to craft projects, but I'm pretty proud of what I came up with.
The first step was to go online and find the show logo. I wanted the colors to be vibrant, so I had it printed at a copy shop. Next I carefully cut the shape out. I took the design to the scrapbooking section of the craft store, where I found a piece of paper that coordinated with the blue of the logo. At the same store I also purchased a remnant of bright blue nylon net.
Back at home I cut the nylon net into strips and wound them loosely around the wreath. I cut a circle out of the scrapbook paper and glued it to a small foam plate. After it dried I attached the logo in the center. I printed out our names on card stock using an Art Deco font, glued them to cardboard, and secured them to the plate with hot glue. The last step was to tape a strip of nylon net to the back of the logo and tie it to the top of the wreath, centering the plate in the hole.
At the retreat I clipped a large magnetic binder clip onto the back of the wreath and stuck it to the metal door. I was concerned that the wreath would be too heavy for the magnet to hold up, but it worked like a charm. Everyone at the retreat knew which room was ours!
Five years ago today: Fly! Fly! Fly!
For the past three years we have been on the retreat planning committee. At the beginning of the process this year the group decided that the theme would be Classic TV. Each of the couples used a TV show as the title of their presentation. Tony and I picked The Love Boat. A tradition at this retreat is for the committee members hang a decoration on their room door that coordinates with the theme. This year we all started with a plain artificial wreath. I'm not the most creative when it comes to craft projects, but I'm pretty proud of what I came up with.
 |
| The finished product |
Back at home I cut the nylon net into strips and wound them loosely around the wreath. I cut a circle out of the scrapbook paper and glued it to a small foam plate. After it dried I attached the logo in the center. I printed out our names on card stock using an Art Deco font, glued them to cardboard, and secured them to the plate with hot glue. The last step was to tape a strip of nylon net to the back of the logo and tie it to the top of the wreath, centering the plate in the hole.
At the retreat I clipped a large magnetic binder clip onto the back of the wreath and stuck it to the metal door. I was concerned that the wreath would be too heavy for the magnet to hold up, but it worked like a charm. Everyone at the retreat knew which room was ours!
Five years ago today: Fly! Fly! Fly!
Thursday, September 28, 2017
Volunteering Vegetable
The other day I noticed the grass was getting long. With the days getting shorter Hubby Tony hasn't had a chance to get around to cutting it, so today after lunch I fired up the lawn mower and did the job. The weather was perfect for outdoor work; 75 degrees Fahrenheit and sunny. I was outside for 45 minutes and barely broke a sweat.
Along one side of the back yard there's a bed that I've planted with a variety of perennial flowers and plants. However, even those low maintenance plants need attention, and I haven't taken care of the bed for weeks. Now it's a ragged-looking tangle of stems, blooms that should have been deadheaded, and annual weeds. Today as I walked by I took a good look at the bed and noticed some vines with large leaves and yellow flowers that looked an awful lot like squash plants. When I investigated, I found out that I was right.
There were two vines that wound their way past the peony bush and coneflowers and sprawled on top of the weeds. When I moved the vine to the side, I noticed one small fruit hiding underneath the leaves. The skin was completely ripe, so it came into the house with me.
The squash is a little guy, weighing in at a little over a pound. All afternoon I mulled over how the vines had gotten there, and eventually remembered dumping some compost in the bed when I redid the pile in the spring. I guess the compost included a couple of seeds that were still viable. I've never tried to grow winter squash before, and I'm looking forward to cooking the one that grew all on its own.
Five years ago today: Rescue Plant
Along one side of the back yard there's a bed that I've planted with a variety of perennial flowers and plants. However, even those low maintenance plants need attention, and I haven't taken care of the bed for weeks. Now it's a ragged-looking tangle of stems, blooms that should have been deadheaded, and annual weeds. Today as I walked by I took a good look at the bed and noticed some vines with large leaves and yellow flowers that looked an awful lot like squash plants. When I investigated, I found out that I was right.
There were two vines that wound their way past the peony bush and coneflowers and sprawled on top of the weeds. When I moved the vine to the side, I noticed one small fruit hiding underneath the leaves. The skin was completely ripe, so it came into the house with me.
 |
| Grown completely by Mother Nature |
The squash is a little guy, weighing in at a little over a pound. All afternoon I mulled over how the vines had gotten there, and eventually remembered dumping some compost in the bed when I redid the pile in the spring. I guess the compost included a couple of seeds that were still viable. I've never tried to grow winter squash before, and I'm looking forward to cooking the one that grew all on its own.
Five years ago today: Rescue Plant
Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Feels Like Fall
Finally!
Overnight our hanging-on summer weather disappeared, replaced by temperatures that were 20 degrees cooler. It wasn't exactly sweater weather, but I finally felt like I could put away my tank tops and white pants.
For dinner I made a sweet potato hash and baked it in the oven. When I opened the door the heat coming out actually felt good. After dinner I craved a cup of herbal tea, something I'd given up when the temperatures soared.
In honor of the newfound new season, here's my favorite version of the song "Autumn Leaves". Enjoy!
Five years ago today: Churchillian
Overnight our hanging-on summer weather disappeared, replaced by temperatures that were 20 degrees cooler. It wasn't exactly sweater weather, but I finally felt like I could put away my tank tops and white pants.
For dinner I made a sweet potato hash and baked it in the oven. When I opened the door the heat coming out actually felt good. After dinner I craved a cup of herbal tea, something I'd given up when the temperatures soared.
In honor of the newfound new season, here's my favorite version of the song "Autumn Leaves". Enjoy!
Five years ago today: Churchillian
Monday, September 25, 2017
Monster Plant
This year's official 'garden' at my house consisted of one tomato plant and three pots of herbs, all purchased from a garden shop. Back in June the tomato got pruned by some type of critter, but after a short setback started growing again. It never produced much fruit, though. (Or maybe the same critter had a taste for green tomatoes?)
When the weather turned steamy I started spending as little time outside as possible. Even though the plant was in a bucket right next to the compost pile I barely glanced at it as I dumped the food scraps and scurried back inside. At the beginning of August I noticed the plant had grown tall enough to lean on the pots hanging on a nearby shepherd's hook. By that time, though, it was so entwined with the hanging plants I decided to leave it.
The beginning of September was so cool I thought about pulling out the plant. After I harvested the first tomato of the season, thought, I decided to leave it in place. Then the weather got hot again, and the plant went into overdrive; it's now it's the monster of all tomato plants! The stems that were leaning on the shepherd's hook are now poking though the deck rails onto the steps, and others are sprawled out on the ground, making it hard to walk in the area.
The plant is big, but I'm not complaining since I've been harvesting a ripe grape tomato or two every day for the past week. I know that as soon as the weather cools off production will drop off to almost nothing.
Five years ago today: Music, Music, Music
When the weather turned steamy I started spending as little time outside as possible. Even though the plant was in a bucket right next to the compost pile I barely glanced at it as I dumped the food scraps and scurried back inside. At the beginning of August I noticed the plant had grown tall enough to lean on the pots hanging on a nearby shepherd's hook. By that time, though, it was so entwined with the hanging plants I decided to leave it.
The beginning of September was so cool I thought about pulling out the plant. After I harvested the first tomato of the season, thought, I decided to leave it in place. Then the weather got hot again, and the plant went into overdrive; it's now it's the monster of all tomato plants! The stems that were leaning on the shepherd's hook are now poking though the deck rails onto the steps, and others are sprawled out on the ground, making it hard to walk in the area.
The plant is big, but I'm not complaining since I've been harvesting a ripe grape tomato or two every day for the past week. I know that as soon as the weather cools off production will drop off to almost nothing.
Five years ago today: Music, Music, Music
Saturday, September 23, 2017
Food Court Goodness
Tonight Hubby Tony got together with his group of Guy friends for a night of poker playing. I was all set to go with him and hang out with the Dolls (wives), who had their own plans, but at the last minute a horrible headache made me decide to stay home.
I knew that the women were going to be enjoying Chinese carryout food, followed by apple pie and ice cream for dessert, but now I was on my own. None of the healthy options in the refrigerator appealed, and I decided to get some carryout food. What, though? We have a Chinese place just a half mile away, but if I drove a little further I could choose from hamburgers, pizza, sub sandwiches, Mexican, or Middle Eastern. I left the house not knowing where I was going, but before I got out of the subdivision I had an inspiration. I headed in the direction of Costco.
I shop at Costco several times a month, but for the longest time I ignored the food court located just past the cash registers on the way to the exit. Eventually I tried it out, and now I'm a fan. The prices are cheap (a hot dog and soda for $1.50, or piece of pizza for $1.99). However, my new favorite is the Chicken Caesar salad-a huge bowl of lettuce, juicy strips of chicken, cherry tomatoes, grated Parmesan cheese, croutons, and a container of Caesar dressing for $3.99.
The salad has enough high-calorie items that it can't be considered a health food, but it's a nice treat. When I got home with my food I dumped the ingredients from the plastic carryout container into a large metal bowl, tossed them with the dressing, then poured myself a large glass of ice water and sat down to enjoy my meal. And ate the whole thing.
Five years ago today: We Did It!
I knew that the women were going to be enjoying Chinese carryout food, followed by apple pie and ice cream for dessert, but now I was on my own. None of the healthy options in the refrigerator appealed, and I decided to get some carryout food. What, though? We have a Chinese place just a half mile away, but if I drove a little further I could choose from hamburgers, pizza, sub sandwiches, Mexican, or Middle Eastern. I left the house not knowing where I was going, but before I got out of the subdivision I had an inspiration. I headed in the direction of Costco.
I shop at Costco several times a month, but for the longest time I ignored the food court located just past the cash registers on the way to the exit. Eventually I tried it out, and now I'm a fan. The prices are cheap (a hot dog and soda for $1.50, or piece of pizza for $1.99). However, my new favorite is the Chicken Caesar salad-a huge bowl of lettuce, juicy strips of chicken, cherry tomatoes, grated Parmesan cheese, croutons, and a container of Caesar dressing for $3.99.
The salad has enough high-calorie items that it can't be considered a health food, but it's a nice treat. When I got home with my food I dumped the ingredients from the plastic carryout container into a large metal bowl, tossed them with the dressing, then poured myself a large glass of ice water and sat down to enjoy my meal. And ate the whole thing.
Five years ago today: We Did It!
Friday, September 22, 2017
There's Always More Than One Way To Do Things
Wednesday morning I came downstairs and noticed that the computer monitor on the kitchen desk was dark. As in not working. Thinking that maybe there had been a quick power outage that turned the computer off, I pressed the On button a few times. Nothing. Next I tried resetting the surge protector, and heard the motor inside the tower make some noises. After a few seconds it stopped. Not good!
Those were all the solutions I could think of before coffee, so after breakfast I took up the project again. I pulled the tower out from its spot underneath the desk and dislodged a large cat hair dust bunny. Thinking the problem might be dust inside the case, I took off the cover and cleaned everything out with compressed air. When that didn't do anything I admitted defeat.
Our computer guy is a personal friend, so I emailed him with an SOS. Fifteen minutes later I got a text telling me to bring it by his house so he could take a look at it. As he took the tower out of my car, he told me that based on my description of the symptoms it sounded like an easily fixable power issue. He could probably have it fixed by time he and Hubby Tony got together on Saturday night.
Between my laptop, tablet, and phone it's not like I have a lack of ways to access the Internet, but as I drove away I realized there was a slight problem. You may remember that each week I put together a weekly slide show for electronic bulletin boards at my church. I change them on Thursday night or Friday afternoon, and everything I needed to do the update was on my now non-working computer!
At first I thought that perhaps I could just leave the old set of slides in place, but my records indicated that one of them would be out of date after Saturday. I needed to come up with a creative solution.
I use the Microsoft Paint program to produce the slides. I can navigate the program on the kitchen computer easily, but the laptop I bought several months ago uses a newer version. Each time I work with it I figure out a little bit more, but this week I didn't have the time to wrestle with its complexities. Instead, I made a generic "Welcome" slide and saved it on the laptop.
On a normal week all I carry with me on the trip to the church are three flash drives. Today I brought the laptop, which I used to remove the slide for the obsolete event and add the new one. Problem solved.
Five years ago today: Happy First Day Of Autumn
Those were all the solutions I could think of before coffee, so after breakfast I took up the project again. I pulled the tower out from its spot underneath the desk and dislodged a large cat hair dust bunny. Thinking the problem might be dust inside the case, I took off the cover and cleaned everything out with compressed air. When that didn't do anything I admitted defeat.
Our computer guy is a personal friend, so I emailed him with an SOS. Fifteen minutes later I got a text telling me to bring it by his house so he could take a look at it. As he took the tower out of my car, he told me that based on my description of the symptoms it sounded like an easily fixable power issue. He could probably have it fixed by time he and Hubby Tony got together on Saturday night.
Between my laptop, tablet, and phone it's not like I have a lack of ways to access the Internet, but as I drove away I realized there was a slight problem. You may remember that each week I put together a weekly slide show for electronic bulletin boards at my church. I change them on Thursday night or Friday afternoon, and everything I needed to do the update was on my now non-working computer!
At first I thought that perhaps I could just leave the old set of slides in place, but my records indicated that one of them would be out of date after Saturday. I needed to come up with a creative solution.
I use the Microsoft Paint program to produce the slides. I can navigate the program on the kitchen computer easily, but the laptop I bought several months ago uses a newer version. Each time I work with it I figure out a little bit more, but this week I didn't have the time to wrestle with its complexities. Instead, I made a generic "Welcome" slide and saved it on the laptop.
On a normal week all I carry with me on the trip to the church are three flash drives. Today I brought the laptop, which I used to remove the slide for the obsolete event and add the new one. Problem solved.
 |
| Simple background. One word. Done! |
Thursday, September 21, 2017
We'll Contact You (Maybe)
I enjoy doing my independent consulting jobs. However, sometimes the available jobs are few and far between and at the end of the month my bank account isn't as large as I'd like it to be. Last night I saw an ad for a grocery delivery service that's getting ready to start operations here. They were looking for people to apply ahead of time so they'd have a pool of applicants to choose from when they launch. I did a little research and decided it wouldn't hurt to put in an application.
The application process was all done online. They wanted to know my name, address, phone number, and which part of the area I wanted to work in. Thirty seconds after I submitted the application I got a text inviting me to participate in a virtual interview.
Yikes! In 2009 I had a job interview that was videoed, but for that one I had a real person to talk to. This time it would just be me and my tablet's camera.
When I received the email my hair was still damp from the shower. I went upstairs and tried to tame it with the blow dryer, then put on a dab of makeup and mascara'd my lashes. Since I would only be seen from the waist up I figured I could leave my shorts on, but I traded in my tank top for a more professional-looking shirt.
Semi-satisfied with the way I looked, I came downstairs and sat at the kitchen table. The first step was to do a practice interview, in which I had to answer generic questions (What would my ideal job look like? What activities do I do for fun?) I thought the results were cringe-worthy. Despite my best efforts my hair was frizzy, and without an obvious person to look at I felt like my gaze was all over the place. However, in the interest of moving on I went ahead and started the real interview.
I was surprised to find out that it wasn't all video questions; there were also multiple choice and short answers too. For questions that required an oral response I had thirty seconds to compose my thoughts and three minutes to answer. The other questions were timed, with a counter ticking down at the top of the screen.
When I finished all the questions I got a message that the company had received my answers and my submission was on file The company did not say when they would be starting their operations, so I have no idea when they would contact me even if I was selected. I'm not stressing out over it, though. They'll either want me or they won't.
The application process was all done online. They wanted to know my name, address, phone number, and which part of the area I wanted to work in. Thirty seconds after I submitted the application I got a text inviting me to participate in a virtual interview.
Yikes! In 2009 I had a job interview that was videoed, but for that one I had a real person to talk to. This time it would just be me and my tablet's camera.
When I received the email my hair was still damp from the shower. I went upstairs and tried to tame it with the blow dryer, then put on a dab of makeup and mascara'd my lashes. Since I would only be seen from the waist up I figured I could leave my shorts on, but I traded in my tank top for a more professional-looking shirt.
Semi-satisfied with the way I looked, I came downstairs and sat at the kitchen table. The first step was to do a practice interview, in which I had to answer generic questions (What would my ideal job look like? What activities do I do for fun?) I thought the results were cringe-worthy. Despite my best efforts my hair was frizzy, and without an obvious person to look at I felt like my gaze was all over the place. However, in the interest of moving on I went ahead and started the real interview.
I was surprised to find out that it wasn't all video questions; there were also multiple choice and short answers too. For questions that required an oral response I had thirty seconds to compose my thoughts and three minutes to answer. The other questions were timed, with a counter ticking down at the top of the screen.
When I finished all the questions I got a message that the company had received my answers and my submission was on file The company did not say when they would be starting their operations, so I have no idea when they would contact me even if I was selected. I'm not stressing out over it, though. They'll either want me or they won't.
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
September Summer
At this time of year the average high temperature here is 76 degrees Fahrenheit. The record high is 96 degrees. It looks like today we'll either break the record or come close:
Just last week it was lovely and fall-like. Hubby Tony and I opened the windows, and each night we fell asleep listening to the nighttime sounds. Over the weekend the temperatures started inching up (but the humidity was low, which made things bearable). However, last night an hour before bedtime it was 84 degrees and sticky. We reluctantly turned the air conditioner back on. Instead of crickets and cicadas, I fell asleep to the mechanical hum of the air conditioner motor.
The forecast says it's going to be really hot again tomorrow, too. Then it will inch down from the low 90s into the high 80s, and finally back to normal by this time next week. I can't wait!
Five years ago today: Walk With Me
 |
| Yuck! |
The forecast says it's going to be really hot again tomorrow, too. Then it will inch down from the low 90s into the high 80s, and finally back to normal by this time next week. I can't wait!
Five years ago today: Walk With Me
Monday, September 18, 2017
Tree Away
Shortly after we moved into our house 25 years ago I planted dwarf spruce trees on either side of the driveway. They grew well, and eventually got about five feet tall.
Last fall I noticed that the tree on the left had large patches of brown needles. A garden center diagnosed the problem as spider mites, and recommended a miticide. After a couple of applications some portions of the tree seemed to snap back, but the branches on the bottom completely lost their needles. This summer the tree continued to decline. When I looked at it with a fresh eye last month I realized it was probably time to get rid of it.
I was going to get Son Donald to do the job when he was home from college during the break in between the summer and fall semester, but he was getting significant hours at his paying job to fatten his bank account. The tree was a manageable size, so I was pretty sure I could do it myself, but I wasn't excited to do strenuous work in the summer heat and the job kept getting put off. However, Hubby Tony recently mentioned how shabby it made the front of the house look and I realized it was time to put on my big girl panties and get to work. Tomorrow is trash day and yard waste pick up, so this morning after breakfast I put on some old clothes and my yard shoes and got ready to 'detree'.
The first step was to gather my equipment--garden gloves, a pruning saw, long handled shovel, hand trowel, compost fork, large plastic flowerpot, plastic tarp, and the green waste recycling bins. I started by sawing off the branches from the bottom up. The lowest were only a foot above the surface of the garden bed, so I had to stoop down to get to them, being careful not to kneel on the crunchy brown needles that flew off as I jostled the trunk. Halfway up to the tree's top I found two tiny abandoned bird's nests nestled in the crooks where the branches met the trunk, signs that critters had enjoyed the shelter the tree provided.
When all the branches were removed the six inch diameter trunk stuck up like a mutant totem pole. I cut it off in three pieces, and tossed each to the side. Finally, when there was nothing left but a stump I started digging around it with the shovel and compost fork, removing the dirt to the tarp by the flower pot full and exposing the roots underneath. I pulled up the roots when I could, but used the saw to cut through the bigger ones. Several roots extended beyond the tree's planting area; I left them in place, figuring they'd disintegrate over time.
Every so often I'd try to wedge the fork underneath the stump and lever it to see how much progress I was making. It was very satisfying to feel the stump start to wiggle, and finally topple over. One good tug later it was out of the ground! It wasn't surprising that the small tree had a small root system, and I was able to add it to one of the yard waste bins.
There was too much dirt on the tarp for me to move it all at once, so I repeated the bucket filling process in reverse, dumping the dirt back where it came from. My original plan was to add compost to the area, but by this time I was too hot and tired (the entire job took me an hour and twenty minutes, and I considered it my workout for the day). After the ground settles I'll go back and do the enriching.
Now, with a tree on only one side the garage looks lopsided. The second tree is in better shape, but it's still showing signs of age. Tony and I will have to decide if we want to keep it or take it out too and start fresh.
Five years ago today: Bell Ringer
I was going to get Son Donald to do the job when he was home from college during the break in between the summer and fall semester, but he was getting significant hours at his paying job to fatten his bank account. The tree was a manageable size, so I was pretty sure I could do it myself, but I wasn't excited to do strenuous work in the summer heat and the job kept getting put off. However, Hubby Tony recently mentioned how shabby it made the front of the house look and I realized it was time to put on my big girl panties and get to work. Tomorrow is trash day and yard waste pick up, so this morning after breakfast I put on some old clothes and my yard shoes and got ready to 'detree'.
The first step was to gather my equipment--garden gloves, a pruning saw, long handled shovel, hand trowel, compost fork, large plastic flowerpot, plastic tarp, and the green waste recycling bins. I started by sawing off the branches from the bottom up. The lowest were only a foot above the surface of the garden bed, so I had to stoop down to get to them, being careful not to kneel on the crunchy brown needles that flew off as I jostled the trunk. Halfway up to the tree's top I found two tiny abandoned bird's nests nestled in the crooks where the branches met the trunk, signs that critters had enjoyed the shelter the tree provided.
When all the branches were removed the six inch diameter trunk stuck up like a mutant totem pole. I cut it off in three pieces, and tossed each to the side. Finally, when there was nothing left but a stump I started digging around it with the shovel and compost fork, removing the dirt to the tarp by the flower pot full and exposing the roots underneath. I pulled up the roots when I could, but used the saw to cut through the bigger ones. Several roots extended beyond the tree's planting area; I left them in place, figuring they'd disintegrate over time.
Every so often I'd try to wedge the fork underneath the stump and lever it to see how much progress I was making. It was very satisfying to feel the stump start to wiggle, and finally topple over. One good tug later it was out of the ground! It wasn't surprising that the small tree had a small root system, and I was able to add it to one of the yard waste bins.
There was too much dirt on the tarp for me to move it all at once, so I repeated the bucket filling process in reverse, dumping the dirt back where it came from. My original plan was to add compost to the area, but by this time I was too hot and tired (the entire job took me an hour and twenty minutes, and I considered it my workout for the day). After the ground settles I'll go back and do the enriching.
Now, with a tree on only one side the garage looks lopsided. The second tree is in better shape, but it's still showing signs of age. Tony and I will have to decide if we want to keep it or take it out too and start fresh.
Five years ago today: Bell Ringer
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