Adjustment Time

Nothing is easy these days.  I feel as if my whole world has been turned upside down.  A good friend suggested I start walking on my hands ... but since that is not likely to happen, I guess I will just have to adjust bit by bit.

My new vehicle scares me ... steep learning curve  My new camera needs to be studied.  My new computer screen doesn't look the way it used to.  I have a couple of new teaching gigs starting next week so I have to prepare in a vacuum.   And there is someone new in my life ... and that requires an adjustment.  All of this is good ... but I am feeling a little overwhelmed just now.

So ... if you don't hear from me except sporadically ... it's just the adjustment phase ... I am climbing several steep learning curves just now ... eventually I will feel comfortable in my new skin.

On a very practical level, I pick up Remi on Thursday and he joins the family for about 10 days.

A good friend is going to be performing here in Wakefield the end of the month ... and the Ottawa Area Guild of Potters are having their annual show this weekend as well ... and it is my baby's fortieth birthday so I will be touching base with him as well.  So April is going out in a burst of flame.  maybe it will melt the last of the snow here.

The Other Excitement at the Lake a 6 Alarm Fire

The Finished Staircase

Staircase Progress - testing once more...

Odd photo explained

Tamarack was working on my computer yesterday, and, as part of that process, trying to figure out why I couldn't find and post photos.  We posted the early photo of the staircase because that was easily available.  Still lots of work to do but it is also much further along than that photo shows.

I will be glad when the work is completed because then the mess can be cleaned up ... but it has been fun working with my friend Peter on this indoor project.

Must run ... have to get out and back in before the road becomes a sludgy river of Leda clay.  It already has crevasses that forced Tamarack to park and walk from Rowboat Flo's  yesterday.  Her car is even closer to the ground than mine and has a particularly low slung exhaust system.

Have a great week.

Let's all live, love and laugh

My week started well ... more staircase painting  ... baby hugs from Lily ... Tammy's birthday celebration ... a good night's sleep in town ... back to staircase painting on Tuesday ... and today is a prep for class and teaching day while Peter continues to paint the staircase.

The staircase is beginning to take form and I can see the possibilities for design emerging.

Lily is now 6 months and a honey.  Her mom just got a wonderful tattoo ... tasteful ... and in a place that is unlikely to droop or get flabby , leaving her at 70 with a skewed tattoo.  Black lettering curves discreetly along her instep ... a permanent reminder to live, laugh and love ... and to raise Lily within that philosophy, a philosophy that will become stronger and more necessary, rather than fading and become irrelevant as she ages.

Lily's grandmother sent me a cute reminder to do the same myself  (live the philosophy ... not get a tattoo):. a set of drink napkins decorated with the reasons women drink ... a list of annoying men (men who ...) and then ... the words: "no men". I laughed.  Also reminded me that life itself operates imperfectly ... with no easy choices.

Enjoy the rest of your week.  I intend to live, laugh ... and who knows? ... maybe even love a little!

"When will spring come?" she whined.

Still no spring up here ...

Saturday was balmy. Sunday morning the ridges in the muddy road were rigid and the puddles solid. Sunday afternoon was lovely, and this morning everything is solidly frozen again.  I have switched my ice walkers from my winter boots to my rain wellies.

The deer carcass was finally picked up by the township and now just a few feathery wisps of downy undercoat mark the spot.  Tomorrow's rain should wipe away all remaining smell and Kenya can be let off-leash on our walks again.

Yesterday we followed the deep hard indentations of perfectly preserved raccoon tracks as we walked along the road on the other side of the lake. Tomorrow's rain will obliterate them and turn the roads to sludge.  I may be forced to park further away from my house once that happens.  I usually have to for a few days each year.

The staircase is still an on-going project and its accompanying mess and clutter is beginning to get to me.  It didn't help that Kenya added to the mess when I gave her a new jungle baby to play with.  She loved it, talked to it  and squeezed it till the temptation to find the squeaker was just too much to resist.  Then she decapitated it.  This was followed by disembowelment, and then attempts to unbraid the body.  I came downstairs to discover clouds of white fluff and bits of pelt, ears, nose, eyes and extremities scattered all over the livingroom..  It cost about $4 but provided hours of entertainment.  For both of us.  I get a kick out of watching Kenya interact with a squeaky toy ... almost as much as when she treats animals on a screen as if they are real. 


Watched The Black Swan on the weekend.  What a good portrayal of insanity and grace.  No dogs in that movie.  Kenya slept.

Kenya will be very glad when spring really arrives, the lake opens up completely, we can walk more comfortably, and she can work off her energy getting fit rather than getting into trouble.  We both will.

In other news I am still sitting on the horns of a dilemma regarding my car ... and spending far too much time trying to make a decision.

And ... I received the results of the biopsy.  All clear ... just an age spot. Hmmph ... and Hooray!

Tonight we are celebrating (belatedly) Tammy's birthday by going to a tapas place we love downtown. 

Other than that, nothing new ... still cooking (tried ground turkey in a meat loaf yesterday ... too wet ... I found it off-putting ... but it tasted fine) ... still teaching (we are still playing doctor) ... Except for a strong desire for winter to end, life is good.

Hope you have a great week.