I've been able to use this time to work on Christmas projects that involve the computer, so that's good. But this afternoon, the iPhone inexplicably stopped charging. After buying a new charge cord, which didn't solve the problem (even though the old one is sort of frayed) we figured out that the weak link in the chain was not the cord but the plug - the little cube that has a USB port and plugs into the outlet. Now why would that suddenly fail? It's charging fine now with a new plug.
Wednesday, December 14, 2016
Cold and cold
I still have my cold, and outside, it is cold, and will be getting really frigid. So I'm staying in. I didn't go to a Hallowell event yesterday evening, nor to a church meeting today, and will skip a Brahms rehearsal tonight. I can hardly croak anyway. Poor Ellen has to do things I usually do - e.g., feeding the stove, running errands, shoveling the deck - but she is quite cheery about it. And she is keeping me well fed and hydrated. Lucky me! I'm just staying cozy by the fireplace, with tissues handy.
Saturday, December 10, 2016
Rats!
Today is our River Singers concert and I'm in bed with a cold. Phooey! My nose started to run yesterday afternoon. By evening I started sneezing. I took ecchinacia and managed to get some sleep but I'm pretty miserable today. So no concert for me. It isn't too bad as long as I am warm in bed, but when I get up I start running and sneezing again. I'm supposed to be in church tomorrow and at a second concert in the afternoon but I'm dubious. We'll see.
Saturday, December 3, 2016
Cookies, cookies, cookies!
We've finished making cookie platters! I say "we" - Ellen made all the cookies, which is 95% of the job. I helped clean up during the baking process and did some schlepping; then tonight the two of us distributed the cookies on to 3 sizes of platter - small, medium and large, wrapped the platters in shrink-wrap, and tied them with a ribbon. 38 platters in all. (16 s, 10 m, 12 l). All together they will fetch about $400 for the church. They fly out the door. It took about 3 hours to do the job this evening. We're tired! Ellen is amazing!
Wrapping the medium platters
A large platter, wrapped, no ribbon
Ready for tomorrow
Ellen made apple butter and jams too, plus tea cakes. Quite a spread !
The big picture - but there is a lot not in the picture! There is a huge white elephant table off to the left, and also a raffle table with 8-10 items. Cookies are off to the right. Tables are for a lunch.
Hilltown School Winter Fair
We are in Northhampton at Tamar's school. She just sang in a couple of choruses and played in a ukulele ensemble. Julie and Mimi are here too.
Thursday, December 1, 2016
The spring is UP!
Went to check the water level in our spring today and it had come up to the 12 foot mark! Wow! That's almost 8 feet higher than yesterday! We did get a lot of rain last night. So, no more hauling of water. It feels sort of weird taking water out of the faucet and flushing the toilet by pushing a handle instead of pouring in a pan of dirty dishwater. I had my first shower today at home in aImost three months. I guess we'll just have to get used to it.
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Madlibs
On Thanksgiving Day at Katie and Savanna's, I wrote a Madlibs for the occasion. Here is the original:
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A Thanksgiving Visitor
On Thanksgiving Day, 2016, a knock came at the front door of
205 West Pelham Road. "Who could that be?" said Brendon, looking up
from his game of ___name of a game____.
"No one ever comes to the front door." Savanna opened the door, and
standing there was man with ___ a color____ hair.
"Hello," he said, my name is Donald ____a last name____. "May I come
in?" Savanna wasn't sure. She took a moment to scratch her ____a body part___ and collect her thoughts. "What do you want?" Donald ___a verb for making an offensive sound___
and stuck out his ___a body part___,
"I'm reaching out to people who didn't vote for me. I want to unify
our ___a political
unit___. "Oh, well, come in then," said, Savanna, as she
pushed aside the __a
piece of furniture___ so that Donald could come in. "Katie,"
she said, "we have company. It's Donald __last name from above___." "Tell him to pull up
a ___piece of furniture___
and sit down," said Katie, calling from the ___a room in the house___. "Would you like a drink?"
asked Savanna. "Yes," said Donald, "I'll have a ___name of a drink___. Donald settled in and asked,
"Have you heard that I want to build a ___name of a large structure___ to keep out ____name of a group of people___? What do you think of that idea?" Tye
piped up. "I think that idea ___a pejorative expression___! Savanna spoke up. "Donald, you should know that we
think you are a ____a mental illness___. "You may be right," said
Donald. But remember, I'm your ___same mental illness___. What can I do to win
you over? Katie joined the
conversation. "You could appoint ____name of a well-known person___ to the Supreme
Court." "I love ___same name___ exclaimed Donald. Consider it done. What else? Brendon spoke up again, "How about ___a participle for a violent
action___ your ____a body part___ into
your ___a body oriface___
and ___a participle for making a
loud noise____ like a ___an animal___. "Brendon," said Savanna,
suppressing a ___a
bodily noise expressing disapproval___.
Don't be rude to our guest." "Not to worry," said Donald.
"I like the boy's honesty. Brendon, what is your favorite dish for
Thanksgiving dinner?" "___an unusual food___, said Brendon. "I love __same food___, said
Donald. I eat it every day. Well, I have to go. Have a Happy
Thanksgiving!" "And a Happy
___a holiday___
to you," said Katie.
"Try not to trip over the ____a piece of furniture___ on your way out! After Donald left, Tye exclaimed, "That
man is a ___a
well-known villain___. "Amen,"
said B. "Let's eat ___another unusual food____!
And here is the way it came out with the responses I got from people (which, admittedly, were a bit unusual at times).
A Thanksgiving Visitor
On Thanksgiving Day, 2016, a knock came at the front door of
205 West Pelham Road. "Who could that be?" said Brendon, looking up
from his game of Scrabble.
"No one ever comes to the front door." Savanna opened the door, and
standing there was man with purple
hair. "Hello," he said, my name is Donald Pinchass. "May I come in?" Savanna wasn't sure. She took
a moment to scratch her earlobe and
collect her thoughts. "What
do you want?" Donald muttered and stuck out his uvula, "I'm
reaching out to people who didn't vote for me. I want to unify our state. "Oh, well, come in
then," said, Savanna, as she pushed aside the futon so that Donald could come in. "Katie," she said,
"we have company. It's Donald Pinchass." "Tell him to pull up
a hassock and sit down," said
Katie, calling from the mudroom. "Would you like a drink?"
asked Savanna. "Yes," said Donald, "I'll have a pineapple juice. Donald settled in and
asked, "Have you heard that I want to build a mosque to keep
out a quilt club? What do you think of that idea?" Tye
piped up. "I think that idea sucks! Savanna spoke up. "Donald, you
should know that we think you are a
trichotillomaniac. "You may be right," said
Donald. But remember, I'm your trichotillomanic.
What can I do to win you over?
Katie joined the conversation. "You could appoint Sarah Palin to the Supreme Court."
"I love Sarah Palin exclaimed Donald. Consider it done. What else? Brendon spoke up again, "How about throttling your hip bone
into your nostril and crashing like an ardvaark. "Brendon," said Savanna, suppressing a boom. Don't be rude to our guest."
"Not to worry," said Donald. "I like the boy's honesty. Brendon,
what is your favorite dish for Thanksgiving dinner?" "Pigsfeet, said Brendon. "I love Pigsfeet,
said Donald. I eat them every day. Well, I have to go. Have a Happy
Thanksgiving!" "And a Happy
Patriot Day to you,"
said Katie. "Try not to trip over the commode
on your way out! After Donald left, Tye exclaimed, "That man is a Billy the Kid. "Amen," said B.
"Let's eat octopus!
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
More Putney Craft Tour
Here are some photos from the Putney Craft Tour that were not available when I made the previous post:
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| Gail showing Brendon the scouring apparatus |
| The "picking" operation |
| Part of the "carding" machinery |
| The spinning machine |
| Bobbins in the spinning operation |
| An old photo showing children operating the machines - common in the early 20th century |
| I forget the exact name for this machine but it is part of the final process |
| When the wool comes from! And also the source of some sheep cheese we got |
| Joshua Letourneau working on creating a marble |
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| Bob Burch heating a bowl |
| Bob Burch shaping a molten bowl |
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| The potters wheel at the glass blowers studio. Brendon made this photo |
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