August in the Alps

Here are some highlights from our trip to the top of Europe (where sadly I did not master the yodel).

Views from the train had us all spellbound.

Mountains were filled with wildflowers including my favorite - the wild bluebells.

Cows in pastures near the top of the mountain made quite a ruckus with their big bells.  

One little cow was able to match the ruckus level without using a big bell.

Another outdoor dining experience with an amazing view. 

AHHHHHH!!!!!!

There is a website that analyzes your writing.  It compares the word choices and style of your sample piece to that of published authors.  Of course in the end you find out which author, according to the program's statistical analysis, your writing mostly resembles.  I was curious to see if my writing style would match any of the many authors who I admire and love to read.  Imagine my surprise, at this outcome....

I write like

To be fair, I have never actually read any of Stephen King's novel because I am a huge scaredy cat.  The level of horror I can handle is not much above finding out that I write like Stephen King - and even this news is bound to give me nightmares.

P.S.  After recovering from the shock, I had various other writing samples analyzed and never got the same author twice.  It made me feel much better because I don't think I would make it in the horror genre.  I once wrote about a troll and had a good friend review it.  He commented that my troll is never believably scary - and after reading my story I had to agree.  However, it was too frightening for me to create a scarier version.

35 and a Day

When I was younger, the day I reached "35 and a day" was going to be significant.  This was the day I was supposed to get married to a Tommy Lee Jones type of guy.  I was going to meet this guy the day before my birthday, and get married after a 3 day courtship.  I mostly dreamed up this plan so I wouldn't have to worry about dating nonsense for a long time (and I thought I would never be so old).  Also - just to be clear - I'm pretty sure my friend added the Tommy Lee Jones part, although I did love how he talked in movies.

Happily, I did reach this significant birthday and celebrated with an amazing weekend sans dramatic marital twists!  We escaped to a distant city and had a relaxing weekend.  A favorite moment was dinner on a patio with the most fantastic view I think I've ever experienced in restaurant dining.

So, according to my 18 year old self - I am now officially an adult.  This means I should seriously think about getting married (yay - already done), can stay up as late as I want, and eat an entire jar of black olives by myself - even when it is not Thanksgiving.  

Cozy Corners of the New Home

With temperatures consistently in the triple digit range, moving was a bit of a challenge, but also fun when applying a broad definition to that word.  To avoid the heat, we moved in the middle of the night, and I for one pretended it was a covert operation.  Once again, we were made to realize what great friends and family we have - our life is seriously blessed with amazing people!!!!

After a couple of chaotic weeks, the corners of our house are ready to be displayed.  The dining room is organized in a sense; all the stuff that was cluttering it up is now stashed in a closet for sorting at a later date.  But, we can now comfortably invite dinner guests over:)

One of the best features of this house is the claw-foot tub, which thanks to a master carpenter can now be enjoyed in solitude with a fully functioning bathroom door.  (Yes, it is the quirks of old houses which makes me enjoy them, but some modern conveniences like working locks are still necessities.)

This entry makes it easy for our non-committal friends to drop in and take a moment to decide if they dare continue.  The area also serves the shy who can sit and warm up before fully entering the conversations of the house.  (OK - I will probably be the one using this "warm up" area, but watch out for witty conversations after my rocking time!)

And finally, with much assistance from a master gardener, my lifelong dream of planting sunflower seeds has been realized.  It has yet to be seen if a totally different, yet not unrelated, goal of seeing sunflowers in my own backyard will also be realized - sadly the master gardener had to go home.

Overall, it has been fun to organize (using the broad definition again), and although they are clean and spider-free, we promise not to stick you in a corner if you happen to visit.   

Goodbye to Jump Rope Pl

Once again, it is time to revise your address books.  Thank goodness things like this are going digital since I probably long ago used up my allotted space.  (On a side note - I am having serious issues trying to remember my own new zip code -who said engineers were good with numbers?)

I was definitely losing the skip in my step while living at Jump Rope Place.  Despite the fun name, it was not the place for me.  It is so exciting that by putting my eavesdropping skills to good use, we have successfully escaped and found an amazing place to live.  In fact, if certain people (I believe you know who you are) would move to the City of Trees, I could see myself staying here long term - and yes, long term means at least a year!

Is it strange that I never noticed our garage doors were different colors until the photo was taken to sell the house?  It then started to bother me!!

 The other survivor - hopefully as happy as we are in the new home!

I do not eat jello or pudding, however, whenever I move there are always one or two packages in the back of my pantry.  How do they get there?  I always donate them to the food bank so I know I'm not just moving them from house to house...  Any information on this mystery would be appreciated!

We are now open for visitors - let us know if you are going to be in the area!!!

Beware of the Theoretical!!

On a recent road trip, Phin and I were asking each other theoretical questions.  The question I had to answer was, "Who would you like to be sitting next to in a plane crash?"  I'm afraid Phin freaked out when I said I wanted to be sitting next to him.  After a week of trying to explain that answer (which really has no explanation), he is still half convinced I want to murder him.  Not only do I wish I had answered differently to keep Phin's mind at ease, but I am also no longer convinced he would be a good plane crash companion.  I may have been mistaken about the calming presence I had envisioned him bringing to this scenario.  For our next road trip, I will make sure our Ipods contain hours of entertainment and continue my usual policy of never answering questions - theoretical or not.

Alternates for “Reasons to Get Married”

Based on updated experiences, the following are replacements to my original “Top 5 Reasons to get Married”.  These replacements match the tone of the original in that they do not represent the deep and philosophical.  Instead, they are small every-day items that contribute to a joyful marriage.  I had a hard time narrowing it down to two, so came up with alternates for each replacement.

#3a  Restaurant Menu Selection:  Phin and I have an agreement to switch plates halfway through our meal.  This is great for my love of options; I no longer have to narrow my choice to just one entrée.  (People do stare if you start ordering more than 1 meal for yourself at a time – even when you explain you like the left-overs).   

#3b :  Driving almost an entire year without filling the gas tank!!!!  Almost as good as having an electric car, is a husband who does not mind filling the tank.  This was never an enjoyable task for me, but the other day I was at the gas station and realized I couldn’t remember the last time I had to do this chore for myself.  (When using my credit card to pay for this fill-up, I forgot my zip code.  Apparently, living in a fantasy Emerald City is much easier when you don’t have to type in a Desert Kave zip code every week… but that is a different tale for another day.)    

#4a Someone to make phone calls for me:  I have always had a fear of phone calls.  Although I no longer have to bribe co-workers to make my appointments, talking on the phone still raises my heart rate.  I love having a designated phone caller in the family (that is not me) – and am enjoying the convenience of ordering take-out for the first time in my life.  

 #4b Night-time reminiscing of festive gatherings:  It is fun to come home after a dinner party and continue the merry-making by talking about our favorite moments.  It is even better, when after hosting a party ourselves; we tuck ourselves in for the night and give rave reviews of the evening.

For the official replacements, I'm leaning towards choosing 3a and 4b:)

Happily Married

I recently reviewed my top 5 reasons for getting married.  (“Top 5” may be a misnomer as the list does not plumb the deep psychological depths of my reasoning.)  After a year of testing, I wanted to see if my expectations were correct and what revisions I may need to make to the list.

#1 Human Alarm Clock:  I can recommend marriage on the basis of this reason alone!!!!  I love the fact that someone gets up before me and starts the day.  Not having the pressure to “start the day” I merely join the party and it makes the waking up much less painful.  There is also the satisfaction of getting to sleep longer while my poor husband has to get up at the crack of dawn and trudge to work.  I do feel bad for him, but it makes my wake up time seem easily achievableJ

#2 No more drooling on strangers when sleeping on planes:  Once again, this reason has exceeded expectations!!!!  The ark animals were on to something - all forms of travelling is so much easier when done in twos.  There are several factors that make this true, but it is great when your Human Alarm Clock can transform into the Human Travel PillowJ

#3 No more funny looks when I introduce my date (previously imaginary):  I should have known my days of receiving funny looks were not over.  The other day, I ordered dinner for myself and a missing husband.  The waiter believed me until I was still alone after completely polishing off my dinner, and starting on Phin’s – his tater tots were irresistible.

#4 Learning to crotchet:  My crocheting days seem to have come to an end – although the days of crotcheting sneak up on me unawares.  On a list today, this would no longer make the cut…

#5 Excuse to make Wedding Invites:  Worth having a huge celebration party for the process of invite creation!!!

In my next post – I will come up with alternatives to replace reason #3 and #4… 

Mapping

Mapping:  When actual travel gets too exhausting (or expensive), one blindly picks a location off of a map and creates a commentary based on real or imaginary knowledge.  (As an added bonus, this activity helps keep actual maps in circulation and saves them from extinction.)    

Pittsburgh has an unfortunate name.  There are probably some neighborhoods where one can escape the depths of despair by watching the Pirates or Steelers.  However, it's hard to deny that even Pittsburgh's sport franchises make it sound like a shady place. 

But then shady means giant elm trees and sipping ice-tea.  Is there anyone who doesn't like a good elm tree in the height of summer?  I guess if ice-tea is not your beverage of choice, you could try sampling (before immediately spitting) Wigle Whiskey.  This will improve your skills and prepare you for the upcoming season of Watermelon Seed Spitting Contests.  Despite some early misgivings, I found mapping in Pittsburgh to be a interesting, and perhaps worthy of an actual pit stop in future travels.

 

Missing Person Report

He is the type who casually disappears.  I like to think he waved a sad good-bye that no-one saw before his path diverged from mine.  But in any case, it was not too surprizing that when I turned around he was gone.  The real question was - how long ago did he depart?  Thinking back, it has been awhile since I remember a full interaction.  I know I saw glimpses of him last December, so it is a slight relief that the absence has not stretched to years.  Without him, life has a tendency toward mundane routine and it is with difficulty that sparkle moments are recognized. 

Whimsy, if you are reading this, please come back – I miss you! 

Banking Hours

I know they say that time starts flying the older we get, but this spring my time has been disappearing by the hour.  First - the usual daylight savings, whereby most people in the US lost an hour and some people (mentioning no names) were late for church.  Second - an oceanic crossing, whereby 7 hours disappeared as if by magic (don't worry I'm not complaining about a chance to travel even in sub-zero temperatures).  Third - a surprize second round  of daylight savings, whereby around 2:00am another hour went missing in Europe (thanks to a well-informed sister, trains were still caught!).   I am hoping these missing hours are banked somewhere and at some point when I need an extra long day I can make a withdrawal.  All this  confirms the fact that time is not a constant and I am just thankful that I haven't yet lost or misplaced 11 days.  

Congratulations!!

"He is out...going to sleep and will
call later.
love you"

This is seriously the best announcement
I have ever received - and I love you too!!!!

It's my Year to Win!!!

"Well, I've wrestled with reality for 35 years, Doctor, and I'm happy to state I finally won out over it."  Sadly I'm still wrestling and although it looks like it has the upper hand at the moment, I'm not giving up hope!!!!  I have exactly six months to match Elwood P.'s record :)

Happy Birthday!!!!!!

Calendar Season

I had a few good years of getting my calendar page done on time, but this was not one of them.  I started months ago, but my month was particularly “owly”.  Before I could finish the last few details, we had to leave for our Christmas trip.  I thought I could finish en route and made the sad mistake of bringing the project with me.  We left a gruesome trail of owl parts on our adventurous travels and in the end had to bring the whole project home again for its final completion.  In the directions, the owls insisted they were too sophisticated and wise for beaks and a compromise of “draw a line between their noses” was reached.  Those crazy owls!!!!

Visitors!

We are missing those decorating elves who left trails of Holiday Cheer!

Come Back Anytime!!!!!

Happy November

Although technically still Autumn, the weather is turning brittle and snow has been sighted.  Today I am reflecting to make sure that I haven’t missed any of my Favorite Fall Items:

Caramel Apple Eating                                                      
YES –Much to my delight, we each got our own this year!  This may be an indication that the honeymoon phase is over, but I like to think that sharing the experience is much more romantic than sharing the actual apple!

 Corn Maze                                                                  
YES – Growing up I was forced to tromp through fields of various crops, and the allure of doing that for fun (and paying money for the experience) seemed ludicrous!  Well, I now understand the amazing part of the maze.  To think, my dad might have turned me into the farmer he always wanted with the promise of secret passageways.

Tea/Coffee Drinking                                        
YES – So great to sit in front of the fireplace for fun.  We are enjoying quiet evenings, drinking hot beverages flavored with pumpkin spice and planning future trips to warm beaches.

Crafting
NO – Uh-oh, I am so behind in various projects and correspondences.  Perhaps there has been too much sitting in front of the fire and not enough old movie-watching while being productive.  If you haven’t received a birthday present yet this year, there is a good chance I had to give away a portion of it last night to our plentiful trick-or-treaters (after we sadly ran out of Scooby Snacks). 

Concocting a Stew 
YES – Even though each individual bite is yummy and creates a sense of coziness, I can’t help feeling I deserve a treat after finishing an entire bowl.  Perhaps the 6 quart crockpot was not the best of ideas.

Overall, it has been a hugely enjoyable season of leaf crunching, and I am excited to adventure into November!

    

Movie Review of Sorts

Once when asked what type of movie I like, I replied, “quirky.”  Sadly, this is not a genre that is easily defined or categorized – which makes it difficult to find.  This weekend, however, I discovered a full 170 enchanting minutes of it.  I know this may seem long, but after watching two hours of the movie, I felt distinct relief that there was another 48 minutes still to come.

It is difficult to recommend quirky movies with the confidence that others will enjoy them as much as I do.  In this case, I am prepared to go out on a limb and say this movie will be both entertaining and fun.  The themes transcend culture and give life to those attempted in Dead Poets Society, but with a richness and optimism which I found lacking in this earlier film. 

This is a movie that I keep thinking about and has application for my personal life.  (A topic more suited for a conversation over coffee than a discourse for this blog.)  I can see the irony of proposing to watch a movie about experiencing a life of passion, but next time I plan to offset the couch sitting by joining in on the crazy aerobic antics of the musical numbers.  (Yes, I do plan to watch this movie again, and unless others promise to try some dance moves, by myself!!!)  Whenever a spare three hours comes your way, I recommend watching 3 Idiots!

Art Disrupts Life

Phin and I have been taking drawing lessons for the past several weeks.  It is not going well.  Certain skills required to capture an image into a life-like drawing seem to be missing.  The week before we had to sketch horses - a different blog post for another time.  This lesson was another animal, one of our choice.  After a woeful attempt at a penguin, the instructor, a kind-hearted soul, demoted me to trees.  The scribbles that made up this particular tree were a welcome relief and a bit therapeutic after my artistic disappointments.  Below I present Exhibit A - Generic Tree:

The instructor declared that this tree, more like a shrub, had good shape.  Along with this first piece of encouragement, he said,  "Make sure you pay attention to the lines that should be dark and the lines that are lighter.  You can squint your eyes and see how the dark lines interact in an image."  I squinted and began to re-draw.  When I fully opened my eyes, the shrub had been transformed into a Shrub Monster!!!!!  Vines had become tails, and various leafy bulges had become appendages!  Apparently the Shrub Monster had been hiding in my sketch just waiting for the right moment to pop onto my page.  Although he endeavored to be fierce, the Shrub Monster was not scary.  I had to laugh and share his visit with Phin.  

As trees are not usually humorous, the instructor came to see what was causing our mirth.  When he saw the Shrub Monster, he shook his head in resignation and said, "Realism is not really your strong point, is it?"  It has become quite clear, both to me and the instructor, that this art class is not the place for me.  However, two days later, I saw something on my car that makes me question his take on my reality.  The Shrub Monster, not content to stay in my sketch book, had danced on the hood of my car.  Apparently, his leaves had turned vibrant colors and he just had to frolic.  

The Shrub Monster is now gone no matter how hard I squint my eyes.  His muddy leaf prints are still there to  illustrate the energizing mystique of the Fall Season, and serve as a reminder that being artistic is more than being able to draw realistically.

The Perfect Pet

While on vacation a random dog seemed to adopt us.  He would wait for us each day on the trail to the beach and follow us to the water.  I began to look forward to his wagging tail and floppy tongue greeting.  On the way back to our apartment, Phin would always explain how we had enjoyed the company, but we were not open to pet adoption.  I think the perseverance of this dog was beginning to soften Phin's firm stance, and by the end of the trip it was agreed that our new family may one day include pets.  Phin amended this to state we would only be taking applications from fish.  Upon hearing the news, the dog jumped in the ocean and splashed about.  Sadly, Phin was not convinced gills had been grown and we had to wave goodbye to the dog.  

I approved of the "fish only" policy until I saw this guy.  Now I want to smuggle him into our bathtub (which is still awaiting our first pet) and name him "Nemo"!