where is weese?

"I heard she and her adorable wife got a timeshare on an island somewhere."

"really?!"

"yup... and there is NO internet access - BUT they have beachfront property and someone to bring them cool things to drink and fresh towels."

"really?!"

"yup... and they don't even have a phone. all they brought was a couple changes of clothes, oil paints and an easel for that artistic wife of hers, and several pairs of walmart reading glasses."

"wow."

"yup... doncha want to go too?"

Friday

tip-o-day

This tip is brought to you by Bammies.
Bammies is my mother-in-law.

Honestly I never expected to get a tip of the day from this woman...

Bammies likes to wear crocs knockoffs.
Bammies noticed tho that on hot, humid days her feet perspired.
Bammies solved the problem.


Had the picture been better I would have left it at that.
But since its kinda hard to make out...go ahead and 'biggin' the picture - notice the feminine pad placed perfectly in her shoe.
It's not only a perfect fit, but the adhesive back secures them in place. Plus... you can change them out as often as needed. What's better than that?

Of course its not nearly as funny until you hear that Pop pop is wearing them now too.
:)

the pregnant pause

I cannot stand reality TV.
O sure... I thought Survivor was nifty -- when it began ten years ago.

But now reality TV makes me want to toss the big backlit box out into the driveway.
Yes, I could just turn it off and walk away - but I am weak and clearly addicted.

You see we have this routine, and I am all about routine.

Each evening my cuddly wife and I retire to our suite to ready ourselves for rest. This inevitably happens 10 minutes or so before the hour. During this time I switch on the TV in preparation to begin some carefully selected show that will be used for the sole purpose of setting the sleepy-timer to.
For the 10 minutes or so before our show on the Great Pyramids, or Mega Movers (a weese fave) or perhaps Animal Cops comes on, there are the final moments in a myriad of REALity TV shows.

It seems to me - granted I don't actually watch the shows -- that every single one of them ends with this cliche, irritating pause before they 'reveal' the big outcome to the nervous contestant.

You know this pause. Maybe once a long time ago - it felt new and clever and left you on the edge of your seat. But seriously, how many times can a pause like this be effective, certainly its no longer gripping.

The host will lead with some ubiquitous unfinished sentence... some examples are (but not limited to):
"The audience voted and ..."
"The amount is..."
"The winner is..."
The camera then pans to the nervously awaiting contestant... and there
we

P
A
U
S
E

And so as quickly as I can I grasp for the remote, fumbling with the buttons only to switch to another channel with another host doing the same stupid pause with a different, yet frighteningly identical set of moronic contestants.

Why oh why do I not toss the thing out the window.

The twins and our prodigal son

We had a sleep over this weekend with the SIL and BIL's twin girls. We had so much fun.






I told them some stories from the Grimm brothers. And then a couple of less dark classics. Tho I don't remember all the details of most fairy tales so I embellished a bit. I think my rendition of The Three Bears was a hit.









Then Ferris...who we may now need to refer to as Giacomo - returned from his Italian adventure. The stories on the car ride home were unbelievable. He told me as we walked through the airport parking lot that this was the best decision of his life and may never be topped. He saw Rome, and Florence and Milan and the Alps and the Amalfi coast and Sorrento and Cinque Terre and ... the list goes on... all while enjoying a women to men ratio of about 10 to 1.

As you can see...he'll be going back.*

He brought gifts for all.. including little Firenze soccer jerseys for the girls.

*A traditional legend holds that if visitors throw a coin into the fountain, they are ensured a return to Rome.

Friday

tip-o-day

Ok people... break it up...nothing more to see there... let's move on.

Alrighty then, today I want you to go out your front door, turn around, and look with fresh eyes.
Is your door clean? Is the glass clear and sparkly? Do the walk or steps need to be swept?

This is not only the entry into your home, but into your lives, your energy, your spirit. Let it be mindful, orderly and welcoming. You don't need expensive door knobs and knockers.
A simple entry that is tidy is most welcoming.

I've noticed that ours is in need of some paint and new weatherstripping...thanks to pets trying to open the door themselves. On the inside the FREE dog has just about clawed her way through the wood to get out at menacing delivery folk. Basically, the door is ruined. A new door is not in our budget this year, so ... I sweep, clean the glass, and shake the mat often.

My imaginative wife has placed a table on the porch by our entry. It holds a couple plants and some candles to greet our guests. If you come in the evening she will light them just prior to your arrival - even if evening has not yet cast its full shadow.

Remember, the entry is not only for guests. Every time you walk into your home you should feel centered and peaceful. A welcoming entrance can set that stage.

Go on... get up... go look.

let the sun shine in

Ok... well if there were sun. It would be able to shine in after today.

We hired someone to raise the canopy on a big maple tree right behind our house.
You can see the tree in the picture below.
We started to notice an increase in moss and mold because there was just not enough light and air.



The only way to do this is to have someone climb the tree because its not accessible with a bucket.
From my office window here in the attic I am at eye level with this fellow as he begins the job.


Then there is this other guy down on the ground.


They have to lower the branches because of the patio and plantings below the tree.
They are being very careful.


Whaddya think Sara?

what time is it?

Do you wear a watch?
I do somewhat regularly.

Have you ever worn your watch on the 'other' wrist?

It's so... unnatural.

Vitamin D

I would be the first to tell you that I love a rainy day.
I have no problems with gray gloominess. I have mentioned on several occasions that I prefer to work in a warm, dark environment.

Even with the ridiculous amount of rain we are getting here in the North East I was trodding along just fine. Oh sure... there was the lawn anxiety. But I can have that in the best of weather.

Until this morning. When the sun came up. My sun-lovin wife and I had our coffee on the patio and soaked up the D. It was delicious.
Just now, I simply took the trash to the street -- I felt lifted and refreshed. I could feel my Chi shift.

I am impressed. Thank you Gaia.

too busy

I am too busy.
Or maybe ..its all in my head.

Friday

tip-o-day

Today ...a couple of thoughts.

This first was sent to me by a warm, cuddly friend. She makes a habit of sending us mindful passages.
The sentiment is nothing new - but it gave me such joy just to read it and savor it.

The most important thing in all the world is to be kind.

and this ... this one occurred to me spontaneously, and I wanted to share:

Even a small piece of cheese can make everything right.

Enjoy your weekend peoples.

Opposites may attract, but...

My companionable wife and I do most things together. We truly enjoy each others company and generally make a good time doing the most mundane of errands.

That said – there are things we not only do on our own because we enjoy our individuality ….but frankly there are just some things that the other doesn’t want to do.
For example – I am not a good craft store pal. I get impatient and grumpy. I just don’t understand the laboring over subtle shades of blue beads.

My creative wife on the other hand is not really a great Home Depot buddy. While she is perfectly happy going with me – she tends to wander off …which then takes quite some time roaming around the store to find her once again (often with a cart full).

This past weekend my adorable, wandering wife accompanied me to said Home Depot where… included on our list would be some considerable contemplation in the toilet repair aisle.
Before we left home I assessed the dire toilet situation – took some measurements, poked around and was fairly prepared to look for the items I thought I might need.

So there we are in the plumbing aisle. My somewhat disinterested wife next to me while I pondered washers and hosing and such. After a short time of me wondering whether I could get away with the 9” tubing since the 8” was not available, or perhaps I should go longer to make a loop…but not too long… – she declares –

“Wait… this fixes 90% of toilet problems”

I turn… in disbelief… to see her holding a brightly colored box… a kit if you will.
A kit.
Really…
90% of the problems.
As I hold my handful of little washers and bolts.

“Lemme see that…”

So we took the brightly colored kit home (along with a couple of the individual parts…just in case).

Worked like a charm.

Somehow I doubt I’ll ever be able to reciprocate in the bead aisle at Michael’s.

This is what happens...

when I give my green-thumbed wife my car.

Friday

tip-o-day

If you work on a computer all day like I do, and find yourself experiencing neck, shoulder or back pain you may want to readjust your seating vs. keyboard position.
Try a keyboard tray, or raising your chair height. Be sure your shoulders are not hunched.

In all cases, typing all day is a rather unnatural position to hold your arms and torso in... so do try to get up often, stretch... maybe take a little stroll around the office.

Weekends in Italy

It seems Ferris is adjusting to dorm life in Italy just fine.
He called us a couple of times... from various locations around the country.

This weekend they took a long train ride north. One of the guys was sick, and got much worse on the train... but they got him to a doctor in Milan who gave him antibiotics and sent them on their way. So of course, they threw the guy on a ferry boat up a lake in the Alps to stay in a hostel for the night.

He called the next day from stands of the Milan vs. Roma soccer game. No clue how he found it... let alone got in.

patiently waiting

I just saw the street cleaners on the side road across the street.
That means they will come to my street soon.
I get very excited about the street cleaners.
Think about it... its like the biggest industrial vacuum ever.

Of course I ran right out there to sweep out the end of my driveway.
I mean hey... none of that sand and gravel out there is mine. The way I figure it is I bought those street cleaners with tax money.
It's the least they could do for me.

reflections

Over the many years we have lived here we've been giving more and more of our large suburban lot back to "The Nature". Our deep backyard is now overgrown in stages. It spans from a young forest farthest from the house to a blooming meadow in the latest section we are naturalizing - ie. not cutting anymore.

As I was out on the tractor over the weekend I noticed a large gopher hole in this newly overgrown swath of lawn.
Of course... I worried a little. Holes like that can be dangerous.
Then, I remember we had an old reflector on a post in the garage and so I installed it at the site of the gopher hole.

I was very pleased with myself.

The next morning my nature-loving wife and I were sitting on the patio enjoying a cup of coffee.
I proudly pointed out my ingenuity.

weese: "Look...waay out there in the back yard. Look what I installed to protect the wildlife."
my curious wife: "Yes... I thought I noticed something out there."
weese: "See, now the deer won't break their little legs romping around back there."
my wiseguy wife: "Yeah, because deer have headlights."

hmm.

Friday

tip-o-day

This just in...
Ferris has arrived safely in Italy.
He is participating in a study abroad summer program.

Here are some views from his Italian dorm room.



I gave him some tips on the way to the airport.
We reviewed some of the material in the parents pamphlet, where it talked about being safe and smart while out on the town. Especially for the American girls traveling with the group -- European men may misinterpret their friendliness as an invitation to intimacy, or that accepting a drink from a man may be an acceptance of such an invitation. It also talked about how to drink responsibly and maintain a high level of decorum. All good advice for the young twenty-somethings...

Also on the long ride to the airport he practiced Italian phrases from a little book he bought.

"Where is the bank machine?"
and,
"What do you recommend?"

oh and...
"Can I buy you a drink?"

Friday

tip-o-day

I once read that a goldfish will grow to adapt to the size of its environment. In other words, if you put your goldfish in a larger bowl it will grown larger. If you keep it in a smaller bowl it will remain small.

In keeping with this same theory - it's important never to buy larger pants.

I have been remiss...

It's a good thing Ferris doesn't read my blog.
Because it might upset him to know that I didn't tell you how he went out to H OO Ters of all places on a Monday(school) night to have a couple beers with his friends.

He bought his beers.
Cuz he is a stand up guy ...who likes to pay his own way.
And he can...
Cuz he's a man now.

Happy 21 baby boy.

Friday

tip-o-day

Remember that book someone wrote a while back about how we learned pretty much everything we needed to know in kindergarten.

Sometimes its just a matter of applying the knowledge.

Do you remember pencil rubbings? You know... where you take a sheet of paper and lay it over something that's textured. Then you hold your pencil flat and rub it across the page. The shading then picks up the texture onto your page. I remember running all over the school grounds to find interesting things to rub-- trees, rocks, the engraved sign on the entrance...

Well that same principal works great when you need to make a template to mount something to the wall.

I used this method in my home office to mount modems and power strips to a peg board tucked behind the chimney.

I just flipped over each device, lay a sheet of paper on it, and rubbed with my pencil over the mounting holes. Then I just lightly taped the sheet to the wall and drilled a small pilot hole directly through the paper.
After putting in the screws each device fit like a charm.