A Sunday Walk

Yesterday we did not have to drive to MD (HOORAY!) so we went for a walk. Justin sent me this picture last week, so we were all excited to head down to his workplace to hunt for shed deer antlers.

It was a nice sunny day, with temperatures in the 40s and a brisk wind. There were five of us, so we walked through fields, over hills and dales, and through woods in a line but with 10 feet or so between us, keeping our eyes peeled for the extremely difficult-to-spot sheds. 

We didn't come home with a big haul, but we did find a few. It took us over three and a half hours to find these few and to be honest, I got tired of looking for antlers and started to look for other things.

There were lots of snowdrops in the woods, 

and since Justin works in Princeton, there are several large Princeton-appropriate buildings.

This sign is also appropriate and makes things pretty clear. 

There is a large pond with loads of honking geese, getting ready to pair off. In my efforts to avoid disturbing the geese too much, I took the long way around the pond and came upon a three-part stone bench. It was very cold and uncomfortable, but each section had an interesting quote engraved on it. This one says "Those who have moved the world have usually followed the will o' the wisp of their own intellectual and spiritual curiosity." (Abraham Flexner, one of the founders of the Institute for Advanced Study)

"All our science, measured against reality, is primitive and childlike and yet it is the most precious thing we have." (Albert Einstein)

"True scholars often work in loneliness, compelled to find reward in the awareness that they have made valuable, even beautiful, contributions to the cumulative structure of human knowledge, whether anyone knows it at the time or not." (George Kennan, international affairs faculty member at IAS) It is also fitting that he was best known as an advocate of a policy of containment of Soviet expansion during the Cold War. 

Looking for shed antlers was a nice reason to get outdoors, enjoy the warming weather and sunshine, and enjoy a respite from the news. George Kennan was also one of a group of foreign policy elders known as "The Wise Men", who helped to craft institutions and initiatives such as NATO, the World Bank, and the Marshall Plan. I fervently wish and hope that wise men will prevail in Russia and Ukraine. 

Surprised!

That's how I felt when I found Justin on Google Earth! It's not a great picture - a little blurry and you can't see his face clearly, but I'd recognize him anywhere (even standing behind the leaf sucker truck at work, taking a break from driving).

He wondered if this means he's famous now. Just let me know if you'd like an autograph. (I have some connections.) :-)

Unraveled Wednesday

I'm joining Kat and the Unravelers for Unraveled Wednesday, with the same old Hitchhiker in progress. We're heading to MD today for what I hope is the last trip, and this will be the perfect car knitting to mark that momentous occasion. I'm at 52 teeth and am just going to keep going until my yarn runs out. 

I've been listening to audiobooks as I clean out the areas cluttered with too much crap in NJ (kitchen cupboards, linen closets, my clothes, bookshelves, etc...) I've made three trips to Salvation Army and given away things to lots of people, but there is much more to do. This is going to be an ongoing project, and audiobooks make great companions during the process.

The Power of Regret was a four-star book for me. I think the subtitle says a lot: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward. I try to make the best decisions I can at the time I'm making them, but in hindsight, there are several that I regret. Daniel Pink advises that looking back at our regrets can bring clarity and help us to make even better decisions and choices in the future (or basically learn from your mistakes).

The Power of Fun was anything but fun to read, and I only gave it two stars. I'm not a big fan of self-help books, but my library has been grouping them under Mental Health Resources. They seem to be much more attractive to me that way, and I think I could use more fun in my life. The author defines fun as playfulness, connection, and flow, and I agree, but I don't think that keeping a fun journal is going to help. Reading this clinical, repetitive book that smacks of privilege and is filled with too many anecdotes is not the way to find fun. 

The Maid features a neurodivergent main character, Molly, who takes pride in being a maid at the Regency Grand Hotel. I won't divulge any more about the story as it is a mystery of sorts, but I was disappointed because Molly was written as a caricature and I expect authors to take more care and have more respect for characters on the spectrum. Your mileage may vary, but for me, The Maid was only 1.5 stars.

I didn't even consider reading What Happened to You? initially, because I had the distinct advantage of growing up with two parents that did their best, treated me well, and loved me. And then one day it dawned on me (when I was wondering what might be wrong with someone) that maybe I did need to read this book, to better understand people who may have suffered trauma, abuse, and the effects these might have had upon brain development. This four-star book has changed my thinking so I won't wonder what is wrong with someone but will reframe the question to ask what might have happened to them instead. 

Jane recommended The Lost Garden last week and it sounded just like the type of book I wanted to read. I couldn't find it at any of my libraries, so I bought it for my Kindle and I'm glad I did. It's written by Canadian poet Helen Humphreys and the prose reads like poetry. The story about gardener Gwen Davis leaving London to escape the bombing in 1941 to train girls in Devon how to grow potatoes for the war effort is a lovely one. 

What are you making and reading this week?

Success!

It took me almost three hours on the phone to deal with canceling utilities on the MD house, but I did it! 

I started with Delmarva Power first, mainly because I thought I could cancel our electric service online. I could, right up until the end of the process when I got a message that said due to an upgrade on their website this function was not available. I called the toll-free number as advised by the message and waited on hold for more than 20 minutes. I finally spoke with Alec who took all my information and then told me my service would be discontinued on Monday. I had specified at the beginning of our conversation that I wanted it to be stopped on March 1st, not February 21, so we started all over at the beginning. When I asked for a confirmation number, he gave me his extension and said to call him if there were any problems. I'm not sure how much faith I have that we will still have electricity next week, but I'll just call Alec if there are any issues.

I had thought electric service would be easy to stop, but it took about 45 minutes. I was really dreading calling Comcast because all of my past dealings with them had been a struggle, so I called the Elkton Public Works Dept. next to ask about the water and sewer. The woman was friendly, the process had been started by the title company, and she told me I didn't need to do anything. Great! I excel at doing nothing!

Next, I called Allstate to talk about homeowner's insurance. This woman was angry and yelled at me for even considering canceling insurance. I explained to her that I wanted the cancellation to be effective March 1, and she told me to call back after closing had happened, and not a moment before. Yes, Ma'am!

I couldn't procrastinate any longer and had to suck it up and call Comcast. I ended up being pleasantly surprised after speaking to  Jimmy. There was some initial confusion because we have two different Comcast accounts, one for MD and one for NJ. I kept specifying the one in MD and gave him the address about 15 times, but once Jimmy finally had my life story and understood the situation, things were a little easier. He called me Miss Bonny throughout the conversation, but it was better than talking to a surly grouch. I asked about the possibility of mailing back the TV box and modem, and Jimmy said, "Why sure, Miss Bonny, just drop it off at a UPS Store and they'll pack it and return it to Comcast for free." Thanks, Kim in Oregon for mentioning this possibility!

I feel like my phone calls were successful, but I guess we'll know for sure if we still have electricity next week, the Allstate agent will speak with me when I call her after closing and she lets me cancel our homeowner's insurance, and the UPS store actually takes my Comcast equipment. I especially appreciated the woman at Elkton Public Works and Jimmy at Comcast. If you ever want to speak to someone friendly at Comcast, be sure to ask for Jimmy and tell him Miss Bonny sent you!

Come Along With Me

It's been a while since I took you along on an exciting trip to the grocery store, but I could use some company for this less-than-fun task. Hop in the car and come along with me! 

I'm not sure what is D.I.Y. about pussy willows. Usually, I just put them in a vase and try to plant them outdoors when they grow roots. I haven't had any survive yet.

This display prompted a lightbulb moment for me. Jess (Justin's girlfriend) was telling me that she liked "Velveeta" for breakfast. I asked her again about this and she repeated herself. I didn't want to ask her yet again and risk sounding like an old lady who couldn't hear (even though that's what I was at that moment), so I just nodded and smiled. When I saw all these boxes in the granola bar aisle, it suddenly dawned on me that Jess must have been talking about BelVita. That made a lot more sense and is probably far better than Velveeta for breakfast. 

Anyone for mushroom jerky? None for me, thank you. I've added dried mushrooms to soup and stew, but never eaten them like jerky, even if they were hickory smokehouse flavor.

I do like how I can rely on the grocery store to clue me into upcoming holidays.

We have St. Patrick's Day less than a month away,

Passover beginning April 15 (I do hope that traditional Passover fare is more than just matzos and seltzer),

and Easter on April 17.

Here's a delightful new product, Peeps Pops. It looks like four Peeps on a stick and each Pop costs more than a whole box of Peeps.

I rarely go down the pet food aisle, but I did on this trip to see what was available for pets.

The jerky and many of the other items available in the dog snack section looked far better than the mushroom jerky.

And after your pet has enjoyed a snack, perhaps you could interest your cat in a snack drink. Right up at the top, it says "Snack drink for cats". I was amazed!

I was even more surprised by these "Lickable Treats"! It looks like soup, stew, and even special stew for senior cats. I got a kick out of the picture on the front showing them being eaten or served with a spoon. Cats can enjoy some pretty good meals.

Thanks for coming along to the grocery store. I wasn't pursued by the creepy Stop & Shop robot, and looking for new and interesting items did make my trip more fun than usual.

Have you encountered anything new during your grocery shopping? Or maybe your cat enjoys Lickable Treats and Catmilk Snack Drinks? Inquiring minds would like to know!

Too Much

I meant to write a post earlier today, but that didn't happen. I've got a bit too much going on, so I'm taking a short break this week. We're back and forth to MD, packing and loading the last pieces of furniture and boxes. It's my fervent hope that we have just one trip next week to deal with the very last of the details. Wish me luck returning the Comcast equipment! It's been an exercise in frustration so far. We spent this morning chasing down the notary that we had made an appointment with to sign the documents so we could close on the MD house remotely. He finally showed up 90 minutes late, but then there was copying and FedExing to do, all while the settlement agent kept emailing me wondering what was going on. Closing isn't officially until the 28th, but the buyer scheduled it at a location three hours away, so we chose to close remotely. Detail, details (and the devil is in the details)!

Both of the kids have some big things going on that they want our advice on. It's nice that they still want to know what we think, but it's also made for some sleepless nights. A family member broke her arm sledding, so that will require surgery, hardware, and plenty of help from others while she heals. It's always something!

These pictures have nothing to do with me telling you that I'm taking a break; I just think a post needs some photos and these are some recent ones. I was feeling a bit overwhelmed this weekend and went out for a walk. Our town in NJ is making some huge renovations, which means they are knocking down lots of old buildings. I was quite taken with the safe door, and since I didn't think I could put it to any use, I thought it should be preserved in some way. 

I hope you all enjoy a good week, one without frustrations, issues, and feeling overwhelmed. Since this is real life we're talking about, I hope those things are at least kept to a minimum. See you next week!

Museum of Me - February 2022

Hello and welcome to the February installation at the Museum of Me. The staff has been working hard on a new exhibit. This has involved some searching through the archives, dusting, and rearranging. If you'll please follow the docent, she'll show you around this month's exhibit. This month it's a Valentine's Day memory. 

I've never celebrated Valentine's day in a big way but made plenty of heart-shaped meatloaves and brownies decorated with those awful chalky conversation hearts when the boys were young. I used to enjoy helping Ryan and Justin make valentines for classmates (possibly more than they did) with red and pink construction paper, doilies, red foil hearts, and glue sticks. One year we had a great idea for a Valentine card, and the museum staff unearthed it from deep in storage. 

When the boys were about four and six years old, John started traveling extensively for work. Sometimes it was just for a few days, but there were plenty of times when he went to South America or Asia for two or three weeks at a time. When I asked Ryan and Justin what they wanted to do for Daddy for Valentine's Day, they thought a really big card would be a good idea to show how much they missed him. I don't remember how we came up with this idea of having them form the letters but I do remember how much fun we had doing it. This was back in the olden days when you had to take photos and then take them to be developed, so it was a project. 

We cut out the photos and backed them with construction paper that was originally red, and then glued them on a piece of poster board that was originally blue. John had it thumbtacked in his office for many years, so it has faded quite a bit. It might have helped if the museum staff had used acid-free paper and some better archival storage than putting it on a shelf with the rest of the photos, but the sentiment is still there.

I love the goofy grins and Justin's favorite dinosaur shirt.

I remember there was some discussion about who got to be upright and who had to lie down for the L, but they're both smiling in the picture. 

Most of all I love these kids and this Valentine's Day memory of how much fun we had at home together. 

The Museum of Me exhibits will be changed monthly on the second Friday of the month, so please stop by again in March for the next carefully curated installation. (The gift shop is on the right on your way out!)