random thoughts – Day 2,379 (Monday) – hearts of glass

Copper foiled heart.

My second of three classes in the copper foil technique developed by Louis Comfort Tiffany and his Tiffany Studio was today. I learned the step of applying the copper foil to each glass piece, and then soldering the pieces together to finish the piece started last week. It’s a heart rendered in various textures of clear glass.

The foil process was fun and nowhere near as intimidating or dreadful as I thought it was during my disastrous previous attempt, but back then, I was winging it on my own. This time, I have the benefit of an experienced instructor who taught me today how to smooth the foil and keep the solder lines smooth, and it went a million times better.

Plans for future glasswork.

There was enough time left in today’s session to choose another template, select glass from the scrap bins, cut the pieces and do an initial grind to smooth the edges. This all went much quicker than last week because the process was fresh in my mind. Next week, I’ll do a final fit on the new piece, apply the copper foil, and solder the piece.

After I got home, a few new heart patterns were drafted for future pieces. These will include bevels because I love bevels, and there are still quite a lot of them left from my Tennessee stained glass production frenzy.

 

random thoughts – Day 2,378 (Sunday) – tori day

Tori at Saima Park.

The quest of visiting fall events continues. It’s the crazy time of year when everything is happening at once before the season turns to winter and bad weather can sweep in and really mess up the best planned events. Attending the Lowell Kinetic Sculpture Race on Saturday meant missing the Johnny Appleseeed Festival in Leominster. After I was home from Lowell, I learned there was also an Indie Book Festival in nearby Winchendon, but it was too late to get to it before it ended. Maybe next year.

Today was the Tori (Finnish Market) at Saima Park from 10-2. For a few years I had dance class on Sunday mornings until noon and by the time I left class, the car would just autopilot home and I would be just far enough away when I remembered the tori that it felt too late to turn back.

This morning, I got my arse into gear and dressed for the chilly damp weather. It was drizzling with rain predicted for later, which I thought would keep the attendance low, but at around 10:30, the place seemed crowded. An attendant directed cars to the few open spots on the lawn near the pavilion, but I found a spot outside the gate and grabbed it. My hair was still damp from the shower and a walk in the drizzle wasn’t going to make it any worse. My friend who was working at the event thought maybe more people had come early to avoid the heavier rain predicted for the afternoon.

Tori haul.

Vendor tables lined the perimeter under the pavilion with another island of tables set in the center. My first target was The Kitchen Garden’s table for coffee bread and rusk, which is hard toasted thin slices of coffee bread, and probably the Finnish equivalent of biscotti in texture, which usually sells out early. This bakery is one or two towns away from home and I can get these items almost any time I want, but it’s more fun to get it at the tori while looking at a bunch of other stuff. The cinnamon rolls and other sweets were successfully resisted.

There was local honey and beeswax candles; handknit hats and scarves; decorative items; handcrafted tonttu (Finnish gnome); dishware made in Finland (Arabia) and candle holders (iitala); photography; and decor. One vendor had mugs, placemats, dish towels, tee shirts, woven straw decorations, plastic license plate holders declaring "Proud to be Finnish" and "Finn Driver", and tons of other things, and I bought some coasters and a painted tile.

At another table I bought Karjalanpiirakka (Karelian pasty of rice porridge baked in a rye crust). We made these in the Finnish language class I used to take. I know how to make them, but for one person it’s just enough work and enough of a yield to be too much. Buying four already made pasties was much more reasonable. As soon as I got home, they were heated for brunch. Maybe I’ll make some for Thanksgiving or Christmas when a lot of us gather and I won't be dealing with storing and eating dozens of them.

Baked mac and cheese.

The dreary weather inspired cooking and a macaroni and cheese dish was baked using all sorts of random cheese bits in the freezer for exactly this reason. Provolone, America, feta, and sharp cheddar all went into the mix with parmesan and paprika on top. I meant to add cottage cheese but I forgot to take it out of the fridge and in my world, it’s often out of sight, out of mind, as the saying goes. 

In any event, it was gooey, warm comfort food for supper on a yucky day. Tomorrow, most of it will be packaged for the freezer for future fast meals and cruddy days. 

random thoughts – Day 2,377 (Saturday) – goats, kinetic sculptures, kitties

Goats ready for head rubs.

After a couple years of missing it due to scheduling conflicts including dance troupe performance commitments, today my friends and I went to the Lowell Kinetic Sculpture Race. It was a beautiful day to be outside watching people powered machines race on cobblestones, in a mud pit, and in the Merrimack River. 

On the way to Lowell, we passed an arts and crafts fair on the common in Townsend and stopped to check out the booths and especially the goats, because, well, goats! The goats were eager to receive head rubs and kind words and we were happy to deliver. As we got back into the car we noticed there was also a pen with pigs and sheep.

Godzilla exits the mud course.

In the race area, we caught part of the procession down "Boneshaker Alley" on the rough and rugged cobblestones. Then, as we walked from the cobblestone area to the mud pit zone, we encountered some of the machines that ran into various troubles with snapped chains that hindered their progress on the paved asphalt streets of Lowell. 

Individuals and teams with racers of all ages (usually in costumes) pedaled the rigs on land and mud and added oars and rudders in the water segment. Some of the teams were STEM programs from regional schools and the kinetic race feels like the best group project ever.

The mud pit had several sections of bleachers on each side of the mud section, added since our last time attending. It's fun seeing the event grow.

Sculptures included a fire truck, Laika the Russian Space Dog (1957), a lobster, a snail, a big black dog, Godzilla, Bender the robot from Futurama, and other things I can’t recall. Spectators cheered and enthusiastically encouraged each rig.

Big Dog powers through the water.

The mood was festive at all three locations. At the river, food trucks selling Thai, sausages, sweet treats, and other foods were on site, but we opted to dash across the street to Heritage Ice Cream for sandwiches and fries and enjoyed the shade, A/C, and restrooms before settling in under the sun on the river wall for the water action.

After the race segments, we checked out LaLa Books on Market Street and then the Lazy Cat Lounge on Merrimack Street which has cat themed artworks and products, coffees and teas, and a room dedicated to interacting with cats. Two tuxedo cats napped in beds in a window.

Kitty plotting an escape?

A beautiful creamy white and tan cat was in the shop when we arrived, but was soon moved into the cat room when the shop got busy. The kitty wistfully peered through the window into the shop, looking like it was plotting an escape.

A group of young adults had a reservation for a birthday party in the cat room which features the Lounge’s “house cats” and cats available for adoption. It seemed like the best birthday party setting ever, and I wished there was such a place in Gardner. My friends said I should open one. Hmmmm.

random thoughts – Day 2,376 (Friday) – farmers' market

Westminster Farmers' Market.

I woke up this morning thinking it was Saturday. I was about to call Mom to see what she was up to, but then I remembered it’s Friday and she usually has plans on Friday. And then I forgot the day again. This went back and forth until mid-morning and I was finally fully caffeinated and had the day straight and was able to proceed.

Since May when I learned of it, I have intended (in general) to attend the Westminster Farmers’ Market. It’s held on Fridays from 3:00 to 6:00 and features a musical act along with the produce sellers and other vendors. Many weeks I forgot, and in some of those cases, when I remembered, it was too close to the closing time to bother. Some weeks I reconsidered because I didn’t like the weather. Some weeks I was just too lazy.

This afternoon, still cognizant it was Friday, at 3:15 I remembered about the Farmers’ Market. I sprang to action, meaning I put on shoes, grabbed the keys and phone, and left the house. It was a gorgeous day for an outdoor market – sunny and warm, but not too hot.

The market is on the town common which is large and sprawling. Tents shaded vendors selling local fruit wines and mead, art work, baked goods, local honey, granola, cut flowers, vegetables, knife sets, alpaca socks and gloves with alpacas for petting and feeding, and an ice cream truck. Regional band Chuck and Mud played on the gazebo. A cornhole game had some well behaved children tossing bean bags towards the boards painted with an ear of corn.

Across from the Farmers' Market.

Across the street from the common a stone wall ran along the edge of a yard, and between the giant pine trees sat a swing and a view of nearby Mount Wachusett. It was the perfect New England setting for a Hallmark Movie. If I lived in the fantasy of rom-coms, I might have expected to meet a handsome local as we both reached for the same ear of corn, pair of socks, or loaf of bread, but I don’t live there (most of the time) and that did not happen. Despite the absence of a movie worthy cute-meet, it was still a lovely event. It runs for another three weeks, so maybe next week.

random thoughts – Day 2,375 (Thursday) – surprises

September blossom!

During the morning exercise of standing at the bay window and looking up and down the street, then opening the front door to check the weather, there was a little surprise. Three months after blooming, one of the rhododendron bushes has a random new blossom! That was about the last thing I expected to see this time of year.

In the latest installment of the mostly unplanned recent art supply accumulation project, 4” x 4” block canvases were the acquisition target. I bought some from the massive Internet retailer a couple years ago and that was the first place I checked for more. A pack of nine canvases was listed at $21.

New art supplies!

To practice some due diligence and also because I love a bargain, I checked the chain store retailers, starting with Michael’s. It was my lucky day and they had the same item on 70% off clearance for $7.79 for the nine pack. Two packs were showing in stock in Leominster, the closest location. I exercised the buy online pick up in store feature and a couple hours later I was headed back home with twice as many canvases for less money. Score!

The afternoon featured a spontaneous visit with a couple friends and going through some belly dance costume parts. Now it is time to get busy making costumes. And creating on small canvases. And a dozen other things.

random thoughts – Day 2,374 (Wednesday) – day time

Even though I haven’t worked for more than a year now, I still kept the morning alarm set for 6:30 a.m. Many mornings, I hit snooze and sleep in ten-minute increments until I stop snoozing and hit stop instead. Then, when I finally wake-up wake up around 8:00 or 9:00, the first thing in my head is “oh-crap-the-morning-is-half-over.” But I keep doing it.

Sometimes I wake up early. Like, 4:00 this-is-too-frigging-early early. That is annoying, but I can usually fall back to sleep to an hour that feels more reasonable.

This morning, Kiki was meowing. She’s been very vocal lately, walking around meowing and only stops when I give her the Temptations Treats to which she seems to be addicted. I hoped she wasn’t demanding her morning treat early because that is just rude. I noticed a pinkish glow through the bedroom blinds and got up to check things out from the living room windows where the blinds lower from the top.

Morning light, 9-16-2026.

The sky over the trees and houses across the street was pinkish and getting pinker. I thanked Keeks for meowing me awake and watched the sky. The view was better from the front door, which meant I was on the front steps in my pajamas at 6:20 this morning, taking pictures of the sky, hoping no neighbors were up looking out their windows and glad that they were at least the nice matching pajamas. I knew better than to dress first because I would miss the entire morning spectacle. And sure enough, it was over in just a couple minutes.

After the sunrise the coffee was put on and I dressed for the day. By 10:00, I had eaten the current favorite scrambled egg, cheese, and veggie breakfast burrito and visited with Mom next door. There was a long-overdue appearance by the contractor who usually has many excuses and very little concrete, helpful information. He dropped off scaffolding to allegedly soon start the siding, just three months after the initial timeline.

The early start meant the day felt long and luxurious. A book was finished. A new one was started. There was a noontime walk and a 2:00 oil change. Trees and shrubs were trimmed. There was a second walk at 6:00 p.m. There is a lot to be said for being up early on a beautiful day. I need to start doing it regularly again.

random thoughts – Day 2,373 (Tuesday) – changes

Grass grows lush where
 it isn't wanted.

With the yard mowed on Monday, a bit of time today was spent pulling out the grass that grew back in the planting area under the tree out front. It wasn’t a perfect result, but it’s better than it was before. 

The whole time, I marveled at the ability of grass to grow back lush and healthy where it isn’t wanted and was previously pulled out, but not where it used to be, specifically the still partially bald rectangle where the dumpster sat for three months and was hauled away two months ago. Amazing.

Later in the day, it was a shift in schedule and tempo as Tuesday ballet was traded out for the return to Tuesday belly dance. The place in Hudson where we danced the past couple years was sold and we are in a new to us space in the neighboring town of Marlboro.

New dance space.

The new space is large and lacks columns throughout the room, and for that we are most grateful. Constantly being mindful of not crashing into a wood column is not something I will miss. The old space has a wood floor and the new is multicolored tile, which will be helpful for keeping lines straight and evenly spaced.

It was nice to be back in the coin belt and to see familiar faces and a couple new dance mates. We have a different instructor who has a long association with our regular teacher, so it is mostly familiar. Some things might be a bit different and that is okay and a good way to grow. We had a warmup and followed it with starting to learn an unfamiliar choreography. Suddenly, our time was up. It was short, but good.

random thoughts – Day 2,372 (Monday) – new old things

Worcester Center for Crafts.

It was a day to try new old things when I started in a three-week stained glass class at the Worcester Center for Crafts, where I studied darkroom photography once upon a time many moons ago. There was construction and the street was mostly closed, but the Center had sent an email with instructions about it last week. After navigating the police detail and the equipment, I accidentally parked in the wrong lot and was on the far side of the building and had to walk around to the main entrance. I was assured it would the accidental wrong parking would be okay for today.

While in Tennessee, I took a class and went on to make and sell glass a lot of pieces. When X2 and I split up and I moved from his house, the grinder, tools, spool of lead came, and inventory of glass sheets came with me. And then it all came to Massachusetts and lived in storage for three years while I looked for a job and a house, where it wasn’t touched again until nine years later when I moved from Lowell to Gardner.

And now, it’s time to get busy again, but first, I wanted a refresher in the tools and cutting technique, and while I was at it, figured I’d learn something new with the copper foil method. I tried it on my own once, and learned it requires a steady hand for all the lines of solder. It felt more productive to stick with the method I knew. But after the next few weeks, I’ll know both methods.

It was fun being in the glass studio. I chose a template and selected some bits in various textured from the clear glass scrap bin. I got an instant reminder about cutting textured glass. It’s trickier to cut a clean edge than smooth glass and I spent most of the class time at the grinder, working all the edges so they will fit snugly during assembly and soldering.

Grinding glass is kind of fun and meditative. I was in the zone, intent on smoothing edge after edge and rewetting the grinding head, checking the fit of the pieces, and only half hearing the conversations going on behind me. Before we all left the studio, there was a chat about Worcester restaurants including Korean, Indian, Thai, and Chinese. I was a little hungry and by the time I go to the car, food was all I could think about.

Supper.

The ride home was spent thinking about dinner and all the things in the pantry I didn’t feel like cooking. Chinese food was the winner of the debate, partly because the other food types don't exist in Gardner, but only after I got home and checked the pantry and fridge to make sure I hadn’t forgotten about something easy and delicious. There was definitely no scallion pancake, crab rangoons, or pad thai.

It must have been the sweet spot for ordering and delivery, because the food was at my door in next to no time. I was already done eating at 5:09 when the clock ticked with the early side of the delivery window. That left me plenty of time to mow the yard. And the best part is, there are leftovers.

random thoughts – Day 2,371 (Sunday) – snack pendulum

The snack pendulum has swung back to the produce department. There was a brief flirtation in the salty snack arena involving a family size bag of potato chips. Mid-August had a summer romance lasting a few weeks with homemade carrot cake cupcakes and a grocery store carrot cake. Prior to that, it was dairy heavy with Greek and Icelandic yogurts, and before that, there was an extended infatuation with fruit salads made with combinations of cantaloupe, pineapple, grapes, strawberries, and blueberries.

Back on the green grapes.

The past few days have seen a renewed obsession with chilled, crisp, green grapes. About 1.5 pounds were consumed from Friday night to Sunday. So delicious. A restocking run will likely take place Monday, but the ongoing appeal of the grapes will be closely monitored. 

The last grape kick saw the trashing of a colander full when maximum capacity intake was reached. Without warning, the pendulum had swung, and despite an aversion to food waste, my palate had shifted and suddenly green grapes were out of favor again.

It’s anyone’s guess what the next snack attack will be. Based on the absence of a Costco in the immediate area, it’s likely to be the seasonal favorite and historically affordably priced big ole Costco pumpkin pie. I hope celery and ice cubes come around for an extended turn soon. Sometimes, I wish I had loyalty to one, low calorie, high nutrition snack which would make life a lot easier. 

random thoughts – Day 2,370 (Saturday) – seasonal gifts

Turning to gold.

The season is changing and nature is delivering gifts. The leaves on the tree out front have a couple spots where the leaves have already shifted from green to something akin to the Harvest Gold color that was popular in the 1970s. The yard needs mowing again, but there won’t be too many more needed and before too long, shoveling the stairs and walk will be the required yard activity.

Out back, the goldenrod is hanging on with golden color and is still attracting pollinators. I’m so glad I didn’t mow it down. According to some guides, the first autumn frost is roughly six weeks after the goldenrod begins to bloom, and based on that lore, we'll be waking up to frost almost any minute now. There are a couple random plants with fluffy balls like dandelion puffs mixed in the goldenrod crop. 

There is a massive pine tree in the woods that stands two or three times the height of the house. It dropped a couple large and lovely pine cones in the yard. Soon the showers of pine needles will commence.

Still golden.

A bear passed, unseen, through the back yard and left offerings of scat two days this week. At least a dozen holes of varying size and depth appeared seemingly overnight, dug by unknown critter vandals.

Elsewhere in the neighborhood, acorns litter the edge of the street and the tips of a few tree branches have turned red. One tree I passed today has been suddenly liberated of its leaves, but the branches still have some crabapple things dangling like holiday ornaments.

random thoughts – Day 2,369 (Friday) – 25 years ago

 Note: This is a reprint of my post about 9/11 from September 11, 2021. 

On a long ago Tuesday morning, I drove down Providence Boulevard (Rt 41A), crossed the Red River, and continued to Franklin Street in downtown Clarksville, Tennessee. It was the sixth day of my new job as a staff writer at Our City, the free weekly newspaper covering news and entertainment for Clarksville, Hopkinsville, and Fort Campbell. Each Wednesday since arriving in Clarksville in March, I had made it a point to find a rack and grab a copy of the paper. I was thrilled to be working in my second professional job as a full-time writer and the first writing job with bylines. 

My assigned beat was Hopkinsville and Christian County, Kentucky, just over the state line down Highway 41A past Fort Campbell (Home of the 101st Airborne). It required attending County Commission and City Council meetings, and covering the occasional arts event. Even though government and politics had never been an area of interest for me, I would have gladly covered trash pickup routes if assigned.

That sunny morning, I parked in the designated spot outside the building and headed inside to my desk. On Tuesdays, the writers would be busy working on the following week’s story assignments, the sales folks would be selling ads to pay for the printing of those stories, and a large newspaper publisher in Nashville would be printing the current week’s issues which would hit our distribution racks the next day.

I had barely made it to my seat that particular morning when the desk phone rang with a call from the husband/reason I was in Clarksville. He was at home during what would turn out to be his last couple weeks of a job search. He asked if I had heard the news, then told me what was playing out on TV at the World Trade Center. Meanwhile, phones were suddenly ringing all over the office with calls for colleagues with the same horrible news. Shock rippled through the office. There were tears.

The surreal day unfolded. We covered local news and events, and there was no TV in the office. We were in the weird space of knowing that terrible things were happening and being largely cut off from the streams of information. The rarely used radio was turned on and played throughout the space. It wasn’t enough, and during the day our group made several trips next door to a neighboring business to crowd in their conference room to watch the coverage on their TV.

At home, the wretched day became a freakish night glued to the TV news. The Ex and his active duty friends wondered if he might be called back for active duty, having just retired from the army in February. Calls were made to and from family around the country. Time lost its usual cadence. The roulette wheel of emotions would settle briefly on numb, angry, shocked, or sad, before moving on to another and then another.

Fort Campbell heightened its security to Threatcon Delta, its highest level. Access was limited to one gate and no visitors were allowed. All military personnel were required to present IDs to enter and the traffic stretched down Highway 41A for miles in each direction.

On Wednesday, the upcoming issue’s cover story was reformatted. We writers hit the phones and the streets to interview people for their reactions to the events of the previous day. I crossed the state line into Kentucky to chat with people in parking lots and lunch spots.

My first issue with published articles is the September 19, 2001 issue with the cover article titled, “September 11, 2001: What We’ll Remember.” People we interviewed expressed feelings of shock, fear, grief, and pain. They told us about the phone calls they made or received upon hearing the news. One woman told me her mother-in-law called her with the news and to express her firm belief that it was “biblically, the end of time.” A Rite Aid worker told me the store had sold out of its entire stock of American flags.

At a popular Hopkinsville burger diner,  I overheard someone in the lunch crowd say, “We are going to see things we have never seen before in this country.” They were prophetic words 20 years ago, and they still ring true today.

random thoughts – Day 2,368 (Thursday) – shopping and playing

Thursday often means time spent with Mom and Sis and today, we went shopping. Sis hoped that Ocean State Job Lot would have a few specific things she needed and we set out.

The store was a bit chaotic. U-boats loaded with products or in some cases, empty boxes, clogged several aisles, which are already a bit narrow. I was nearly run over by the same woman and her shopping cart at least three times. There seemed to be an abundance of manager-level types scurrying around. A woman sat atop a tall ladder organizing boxes on the top shelf and explained to a guy standing at the bottom that the coffee would be separated by decaf and caffeinated. I was standing in an aisle nearby and overheard this conversation between colleagues.

Guy: I like your shirt. (From where I was standing in, the back of it seemed to be a plain dark blue short sleeved tee shirt.)

Gal: Thanks! I got it at TJ Max. Or maybe it was Marshall’s. I like it a lot. It’s not too clingy. I sweat a lot, like a LOT, and I hate it when my shirt sticks to me.

Okay, then. 

As the coffee was being stacked nearly to the ceiling, another managerial type came around the corner quickly and nearly crashed into me and a worker. At the end of another aisle near the doors to the stockroom, a guy wrestled with a Ty branded round tiered shelf display. He tried to nudge a board with wheels on it under the fixture and it wasn’t going well. I was trapped in the aisle so I tried to find the trail mix I like. The fixture was successfully relocated, but the trail mix wasn’t found.

The pause while trapped in various locations by abandoned shopping carts and retail tools was a nice little break for me. I had been busy tidying merchandise in various aisles while searching for the things I wanted. The toothpaste was messy. The socks were all mixed up. The office supplies looked like a cyclone tore through (I fixed them). The canvas panels were disorganized and I had to sort them in my quest for the smallest canvases available (none suitable found). 

Shut the Box.

Straightening store merchandise seems to be the form of volunteer work to which I am naturally suited. I did the same thing in the crafts department at WalMart yesterday, tidying the stencils, the paints, and all the little wooden shapes and letters for craft projects, because one empty bin had an image of a paw and I wanted to find said paw. Instead, I found crown, bird, and gnome shapes scattered everywhere and got them set back where they belonged. I should probably get myself a paying gig with an employee discount.

After the shopping, we couldn’t figure out what to do next, so we went back to Mom’s. I grabbed the new Shut the Box game from my house and we played that for a while. We were devising ways to turn it into a gambling game, and then we read the pamphlet in the box and learned it’s a traditional pub game often played for money so we were clearly on the trad-pub track. Today was considered our practice run, and the next time we may be playing for cash.

random thoughts – Day 2,367 (Wednesday) – breaking up, moving on happily

Bob Ross!

After a nearly decade-long relationship, Xfinity and I have broken up. It was a long time coming, mostly because in both cities I’ve lived in, I was waiting for there to be an alternative available in my area. I was excited when I saw the new provider’s trucks and techs working in my neighborhood several months ago. A postcard campaign followed and I responded by phone and again online, and last week, the promised message to schedule installation arrived and today was that most glorious and exalted day.

The installation window was between 10 and 12 and the technician arrived at 10:15. Magical cable was strung to a new box on the house, a modem and router were connected, and the account was set up. The installer said his colleague was doing an installation down the street and I’m the second house on the neighborhood to be connected. Danggit. If I’d taken the 8-10 installation slot I could have been first in the hood.

The installation was easy, just like the company claims. Cancelling the old service was a little less easy. First there was the quest of reaching a human, which required getting past the gatekeeping recording and then dealing with the “AI Assistant” Boss. The “Assistant” asked the reason of the call (“I want to cancel service”). It asked if I wanted to “review service” or “downgrade service.” I repeated “cancel service” in a highly enunciated, probably bordering on aggressive manner. Then the robot said “discontinue service.” Right. Because that is how mere mortals talk. Yes, “DISCONTINUE.” At least I was finally connected to a human.

The robot may prefer pretentious-speak, but the human was well versed in sales-speak. She thanked me for being a customer since December 2016, asked how she should help (“cancel my service”), then why I was cancelling (“I have a new provider and it is $100 a month less expensive”). She went into a spiel about their other “new lower priced tiers and packages” blah blah blah. She asked when I got my latest pricing info, said she didn’t see any calls logged on my account, then seemed to suggest it was my fault for not knowing they had lower priced packages because I never called to ask. I told her the menu and AI hell involved in calling were a huge deterrent, but I used their online tool which informed me I was already getting the best package and price. I wish I told her I wasn’t aware of the need for an annual college level research project into my pricing.

Anyway. The cancellation order was placed as of 11:59 tonight and I will be receiving a refund of a chunk of the payment made last week. That got us into the return of the TV box, power cord/adapter, and remote. The two options were to bring it to The UPS Store, which required an 18-mile trip to the only nearby location; or UPS could pick it at my house, which would require packing/boxing the equipment and printing a label, which is easy except for the part where I don’t have a printer.

At The UPS Store, the clerk was a delight, the other customers in line were fun, and the visit went by quickly and pleasantly. With a massive WalMart across the parking lot, I once again set aside my general objections to the place and went in. I had driven for a half hour, so I might as well make it worth the journey.

New (mostly clearance) craft supplies!

The Leominster WalMart is spacious. The crafts section felt huge compared to Gardner’s. The pattern file drawers are labeled and there are pattern catalogues to browse. There is a larger inventory of pre-cut fabrics. There were items I didn’t recall seeing in Gardner in my many craft department visits, and I engaged in my renewed hobby of buying craft supplies with the purchase of reusable stencils, stencil brushes, and five clearance priced wood crafty frames (75 cents each!).

Then, I trudged the quarter mile across the store to the grocery section and discovered the store brand pints of sea salt caramel ice cream cost less in Leominster than what I paid in Gardner five days ago ($1.78 vs $1.96). And the Gardner price of five days ago was nine cents higher than what I paid a few weeks ago and it’s starting to feel like the same mysterious, magical pricing the old cable/internet company uses. Maybe WalMart thinks the Gardner folks are fancier or have deeper pockets or want us to call and ask for better pricing or something.

Back at home, it was a toss-up whether to finally explore the channels available through my Samsung Smart TV that I’ve had for many years, or start stenciling every smooth surface in the house. The TV exploration won (for now) and I learned I have a Bob Ross channel! Had I discovered this years ago I might be an expert at painting happy little trees for squirrels to play in. Bob Ross said, “It's so important to do something every day that will make you happy.” Well, today it was multiple things, including cutting the bondage of cable and shopping craft supplies. 

random thoughts – Day 2,366 (Tuesday) – tuesday monday

This morning I slept late. It was a little confusing and I even forgot to make coffee once I stumbled out of bed. I scrambled to dress and get the trash bin to the curb. The trash truck driver has switched things up the past few weeks and does my side of the street first now, eliminating the early warning system we used to have when the other side was picked up first. Maybe it’s vacation coverage. Or boredom from driving the streets in the same order week after week.

Breakfast.

After I rolled the bin to the curb, I went straight to Mom’s. We compared notes on the way that Monday holidays confuse the whole week. Tuesday feels like Monday, trash pickup is a day off, routines are disrupted. When she asked what I was doing today, I had to think for a second before I remembered it was dance day and accidentally made other plans.

When I finally got around to breakfast as it was creeping closer to lunchtime, it was three slivers cut from a mini zucchini bread extracted from the freezer on Monday. A schmear of cream cheese and some instant chai latte, and the latest book I got from the Little Library (Sweet Sweet Revenge Ltd. By Jonas Jonasson) and I was in business.

Unlike last week when I was lazy and dumb and it was raining and I decided to not go, I made it to dance today. It was great and I know because I broke a sweat. That doesn’t always happen. Despite the light sheen of sweat, my bare feet remained cold and slippery on the floor, making me mistrustful of my balance and stability on all turns and leaps. And there were so many turns. We went through an entire series of five or six turns back and forth across the floor. It nearly knocked me out with dizziness. Other than that, it was really fun.

The route I usually take home had a sign reading “Main Street Closed Ahead” so I took a longer route free of detours. It took me past a Market Basket and I popped in to check for hot prepared meals. There was nothing in the heater but rotisserie chicken and I ended up at the nearby refrigerated case for my second supper of grocery store sushi in a week’s time. The sushi was pretty good and the wasabi and ginger slices were both extra zingy. My sinus passages opened up and I could breathe freely for a nanosecond and that alone was worth the price.

As for the trash I rolled to the curb in the morning, it was never collected. The neighborhood is still dotted with trash and recycle bins. Maybe tomorrow.

random thoughts – Day 2,365 (Monday) – soup's on

On Labor Day in my past, I often spent the day engaging in the seasonal wardrobe changeover. White shoes and most of the strappy sandals would be stashed away until Memorial Day. Autumn hues, suede, lined booties, and winter white footwear would emerge from the depths of a storage box and begin to mingle in the closet.

Obviously summery fabrics would be swapped out for earth toned lightweight sweaters in silk and cotton, with cashmere and alpaca queued up to enter the scene the minute the temperature plunges to the chilly setting.

None of this happened today. What did happen, was the launch of soup season. Despite my love of the stuff, it was a minimal soup summer. Two containers of vegetable soup base have been in the freezer since spring. I had been chilly in the house all day and suddenly it felt like time and my brain switched to soup mode.

Maybe it's soup season.

Imagine my surprise when my chilly body with the soup mode brain went outside for a walk and it was warmer than in the house. The cardigan over my long-sleeve tee shirt was shed halfway through the walk. I opened the windows when I got back inside. Later, I checked the thermostat and saw it was 71 degrees in the house, which is closer to cold gazpacho soup season than hot soup.

Despite the actual warm air, the vision of hot soup lingered in my mind and there was no turning back. Plus, I haven’t gone grocery shopping and there aren’t any especially interesting ingredients in the pantry from which to produce an interesting meal.

A container of soup base was excavated from the far-left corner of the freezer. It got a bit of a summer treatment with the addition of summer squash, diced tomatoes, and onions sauteed in olive oil, plus a pour of half-and-half. Mixed frozen vegetables were added and a leftover chopped hot Italian sausage from the freezer. I had forgotten what was in the original broth, but as it transformed in the pot with the new vegetables from a frozen block to a liquid, carrots, onions, and potatoes appeared.

The bowl of steaming soup was topped with shredded parmesan cheese and plated with a side of Ritz crackers and it was good. So very good. The additions mean that the original quart of soup, even after I ate a large bowl, magically had 1.5 quarts left.

New broth scraps have been accumulating in the freezer all summer in preparation for fall soup season. Bags of onion skins and trimmings, broccoli stems, and Brussel sprouts trimmings are crammed in the cubbies on the freezer door, jockeying for space with bags of bread ends that I swear will one chilly day become chocolate bread pudding. Based on the inventory, it’s time to begin the next round of broth making.

A few hours after the hot soup supper, the next logical food and beverage step occurred. The switch in my brain was flipped, and even though it isn’t actually chilly, it was suddenly time for a mug of steaming fruit tea. This is an evening ritual from fall until spring. Tonight’s selection was black cherry tea.

The forecast for the rest of the week is temperatures in the mid to high 70s. Based on that, soup season may meet a brief delay and the freshly boosted veggie soup may be put back into the freezer.

random thoughts – Day 2,364 (Sunday) – dance show

Windows at Common Street Spiritual Center.

Another couple months gone by and now another Natick Dance Showcase. This time, I was 100 percent an audience member, in attendance to see some great belly dancing and to support my friend/dance bestie/duet partner/dance classmate.

It was a day of lounging around all day like a regular Sunday with no plans instead of the usual flurry of preparations required when I am dancing in the show. 

Sure, I showered and styled my hair, but it was the cool weather blowout and quick hit with the curling iron and not the more elaborate styling decision process for dancing. Makeup was a quick shoosh of eye shadow and not the more calculated effort of carefully chosen colors and eye liner that will allow for eyes to be seen many feet away. (and look generally garish up close). There were no concerns about foundation and blush that could potentially be washed out under stage lights. No worries about forgetting an important costume component like a veil or zills, just a shopping bag with Dance Bestie’s Tupperware containers from the delicious carrot cake cupcakes she baked for my birthday several weeks ago.

Soorati dancing to Possibilities.

My biggest responsibilities were being ready in time for the Bestie carpool pickup and making sure my phone was fully charged for photos. It was easy. It also all felt a bit odd. Instead of triple checking my costume bag, I puttered around the house and then started a new book. 

Once at Common Street Spiritual Center, I claimed a front row seat and browsed the vendors. I took pictures of the windows and their shadows, and the stage from the backstage area.

As for the show – it was another terrific production. The producer added some lighting effects which were an improvement for setting mood and vibe. The dancers and costumes, as always, were beautiful. Bestie was amazing in her solo, a gorgeous veil piece to “Possibilities” by the late Michael Hutchence of INXS. So beautiful.

random thoughts – Day 2,363 (Saturday) – kiki steps

Bit by bit, Kiki has dropped her guard. She no longer hides when I enter a room she is in. She will let me pet her when she’s camped out on my bed and I pass through the bedroom, when before, she would slink off the bed and hide under it.

Kiki strikes her favorite pose.

She can be very vocal, especially when the staff has committed an egregious error.  The sudden onslaught of meowing gets me up and wandering the house to see what the problem is, and twice it has been an empty water bowl. The problem is fixed and she is congratulated for her superior communication skills.

At bedtime, Kiki follows me into the bathroom. She used to stop at the threshold, let out a meow, and retreat to the bedroom, but now she will cautiously step into the bathroom before letting out a meow and retreating. The ritual is my nightly reminder that the Temptations Treats are kept in the bathroom closet and she is hand fed treats every night before bed, and excuse me ma’am, the treats seem to be a bit tardy.

Kiki has always allowed me to pet her with one hand. If the second hand appeared, she would slip away from me and bolt from the scene. Lately, she has allowed me to touch her with both hands and I am enjoying the newly-earned privilege. I’m still holding back and avoiding the step I really want, which is to pick her up and hold her. I don’t want to move too soon and violate her trust. When I first adopted her, the foster human warned me she hated to be picked up, so it’s definitely a go slow, proceed with caution situation.

Kiki also seems to be working on a potential modeling career. Her favorite pose is to lift one hind leg then leave it extended for some random stretch of time, almost as if she forgot it was raised or is expecting a high five. While she holds her pose, I admire her pretty little toe beans (from an acceptable distance) and often screw up several attempts to get her picture due to low light and focusing issues or poor composition cropping off her ears or tail. Once in a while the planets align and I get the photo I wanted.  

random thoughts – Day 2,362 (Friday) – lost time, turkeys, shopping

It was another day lost to lord knows what. It was after 8:00 when Kiki stood on the bed, gently suggesting with her rough tongue on my forehead that it was high time I got myself out of bed. The household rule with pets is “if you can tell me what you want, you can have it,” so I got up.

After the coffee and dressing in jeans and a long sleeve tee shirt there was the presentation of treats to Kiki. This is why she is concerned with both ends of my sleeping schedule. She gets treats before I retire to the bed each night, and again shortly after I get up in the morning. And I’m pretty sure that is why she cares about when I get up.

Anyway, it was a regular day at home. Two years ago when I still had a job, the Friday before Labor Day weekend would have been spent in the 4^th floor office. There might have been plans for after-work drinks and apps with a colleague.  The whole day would have had a lighter vibe knowing that Monday was a day off.

Toms in formation.

Free of the rigid schedule of employment, the days preceding holiday weekends are a bit less glamorous. Today, I lounged around all day like many other days. Around 3:30 I sprang to life (like many other days). The evening walk was executed a bit earlier, and I saw the two female turkeys with their off spring one street over from my house. The three littles hid in a flower bed in front of the house and the mother stayed on the lawn with her eyes on me. Across the street, the teenager and mother dashed into the greenery as I rounded the corner. Further down the street, the males had no instinct to hide and paraded in formation through a yard. The sun highlighted the green, rust, and golden iridescence of their feathers. So pretty.

After the walk and the fetching of the mail, a trip was made to WalMart for ice cream and to look for a table game I was recently introduced to that is enough fun that I want it. I think it will be a fun way to alternate with Yahtzee when Mom, Sis, and I have our game afternoons, and on Christmas Eve when we gather to eat and play games.

At the big retailer, ice cream, potato chips, and some random art supplies were found, but not the game. The optical shop was open so I popped in to look for frames similar to some I found online that are too large for my face according to the product specs. There was nothing I liked.

The absence of the game on the shelf was not a big deal, as it was already in my online cart with the behemoth online sales site, with delivery for Saturday. I pushed the button to buy the item as soon as I got home. Well, after I ate some salted caramel ice cream and potato chips, which is one of the finest combinations of creamy and crispy, salty and sweet known to my palate. 

Flagging favorited on a Friday night.

As for the lack of eyeglass frames in a brick and mortar, there are now several more in various online shopping carts and "favorites" lists. Something in the proper size will eventually show up. I hope. And this is how I now celebrate the eve of a holiday weekend -- junk food, Netflix, and online shopping. Tonight's Netflix choice was Talamasca, based on books by Anne Rice. An online book retailer now has five belly dance costuming related books in my basket. An online eyeglass retailer has several frames flagged as favorites. 

random thoughts – Day 2,361 (Thursday) – lunch out

It was a “Ladies who Lunch” day with Mom and Sis. Well, except for the part where the phrase refers to “well-off, non-working women who meet during the week for upscale daytime meals.” None of us are “well-off.” My sister still works. And instead of an “upscale” restaurant with fine dining and wait staff, we were at a downtown pizza joint where we had to order at the counter and seat ourselves. But is was daytime and lunchtime and we can dream.

The company was good. An extra in the scene was questionable. While driving to our destination, I saw a guy with his tee shirt hiked up over his belly as he stood in the middle of the sidewalk and buckled his belt on his shorts, which appeared to be unzipped at the fly. Of course, I shrieked “ewww” and told Mom and Sis what I had seen.

We parked the car on the main street downtown. That was a challenge, as the open spot on the street was next to a parking meter, lamppost, and giant planter filled with flowers. When in the designated spot, the front passenger door could be opened a little, and the back passenger door couldn’t be opened at all without smashing into the impediments, meaning, Mom couldn’t exit the car safely. Sis backed up to clear the sidewalk décor, Mom and I got out and began exploring the parking meter, and Sis parked.

Lunch out.

As we headed to the preselected pizza place, for which we had reviewed a menu at Mom’s, Mr. Open Fly walked around the corner. His shirt hem was now covering his belly, the fastened belt buckle peeked out from the hem of the shirt, and the fly on his shorts was still open. Mr. Open Fly puffed on a cigarette as he strode down the street with his duffle bag. We walked slowly trying to not breathe in the cloud of smoke trailing behind him. He went into the coin and card shop a couple doors beyond the pizza place and we ducked into said pizza place.

The total for two steak and cheese subs, two bottles of Coke, and a bag of chips ($39) felt pricey, so that part fit the “ladies who lunch” vibe. We couldn’t read the crowded menu high on the wall behind the counter but we knew we wanted steak and cheese. At the table we wondered about the age of the menu at Mom's with the $12 sub price. The receipt wasn’t itemized, so we may never solve the mystery of what any of it cost. I don’t eat out much and today was another reminder why.

After ordering, we had our choice of tables, being the only diners in the shop. A couple customers came in to pick up orders.  A delivery guy headed out with an order. Two delivery guys with dollies loaded with bags of flour and other ingredients rumbled across the wood floor and shook the table and our chairs. It reminded us of being on the old wooden roller coaster at Whalom Park. A plastic pallet of sub rolls sat on the floor on the other side of the room.

The surrounding spectacle was more interesting than the food. The subs were just okay. We each had half of a sub with one half left over. The cheese was a couple slices of cold American cheese slapped onto the sub roll instead of melted over the barely adequate amount of meat. Market Basket steak and cheese has a lot more for less, but the closest MB is 30 minutes away. We may try the pizza at today’s place someday, but I don’t see us rushing back for more steak and cheese.

random thoughts – Day 2,360 (Wednesday) – shopping day

More dance costume material.

It was gray again, but drier than Tuesday. Grownup things were accomplished. Like, leaving the house. The bar is pretty low here.

A stop at Salvation Army led to a $10 score of a couple more lightweight sweaters, a purse, and a girls dress with an amazing green embroidered overlay.  In the checkout line, the lady behind me said she was flipped off by some dude in the parking lot. Half-off day prices are glorious, but some of the people are another story.

The plan is to use the mesh embroidered overlay from the dress for a belly dance costume top but is possible it’s too pretty to take apart and there isn't much fabric for mistakes. This will need a carefully crafted design plan.

Grocery shopping took place. I had a big Hannaford reward coupon ($10 off $25), and was determined to use it. I missed the expiration date on the last one and wanted to avoid it happening again.

Grocery store sushi.

The deli drawer is now stuffed with blocks of sharp cheddar cheese and shredded parmesan. The fridge has coffee creamer and several flavors of Icelandic yogurt. The freezer is restocked with Gardein pretend meat scrambles and as a bonus, frozen falafel, which I hadn't noticed before. 

The ice cream cooler was avoided. In the quick walk past it, I noticed signs that Ben & Jerry was on sale and I resisted the urge. The discipline didn't carry very far past the ice cream. The bakery cooler had packs of two cannoli for $3.99 and I caved. The little brown window box was so cute.

While browsing the perimeter of the store in an attempt to avoid the temptation of the inner aisles of cookies and potato chips, a cooler with several varieties of $5 grocery store sushi was found. It was all very pretty. Just like that, a no muss, no fuss, no cooking late lunch / early supper was decided.

random thoughts – Day 2,359 (Tuesday) – minimal effort day

It was gray and rainy and the perfect day for minimal effort. And minimal effort it was. The basics were covered – a shower, coffee, food. The official “staying in the house” brown lounge pants and hoodie were donned in the morning with the intent of changing later. The bed was stripped and sheets washed. 

Kiki lounging and waiting for a treat.

Kiki did her usual lounging about on the bed until I pulled the sheets off, and then she looked mildly offended and disappeared for a while. Once the bed was remade, she and her magnificent whiskers were back on the bed, alternately napping, surveying her kingdom (my bedroom) and telepathically requesting treats when I passed through the room.

Beyond the big “accomplishments,” the rest of the day was spent on word games, reading (Perfume, by Patrick Suskind), and binging Netflix shows. The new season of Leanne is out and it’s pretty funny. The entire second season was watched this afternoon, which I did instead of changing out of the slug outfit and going to the weekly dance class I love and didn’t attend today.

The sporadic rain showers stopped long enough for the street to dry, but I still skipped the almost daily walk to the mailboxes. The USPS notifications didn’t show anything urgent being delivered. Maybe tomorrow the switch will flip from “off” back to “on” and the activity level will ramp up again. Or not. We’ll see.

random thoughts – Day 2,358 (Monday) – green and golden

Two weeks had passed since the last time I mowed and the yard was shaggy. It needed to be done. I meant to mow on Sunday and then I forgot, so it had to happen today. The back yard is small, quick, and straightforward. The extension cord is long enough to get the furthest corners of the rectangular space done efficiently and without incident.

Goldenrod!

The goldenrod out back along the edge of the woods is getting tall and has been flowering for a couple weeks. It has been left deliberately for the pollinators. I read something recently that said the first autumn frost can be expected about six weeks after the goldenrod begins to bloom. That seems awfully soon, but is also helpful information for the planting instructions of "before the first frost."

The other day, many bees were making the rounds of the goldenrod and I watched them from the windows. Today, I got to see them up close up during the yardwork. One little buzzer was covered in a sweater of golden pollen.

The larger front yard is different story. The mower power cord (75-feet) is just long enough to reach most of the yard, but the tiniest tug or extra tall blade of grass causes the plug to edge itself out of the outlet the fraction of an inch that will shut the mower off. The mowing process requires a lot of flinging of the cord to get it out of the way of the next pass and I often think that rodeo school and rope work would come in handy. In general, much swearing occurs in the front yard stretch of the project.

Preserving the little flowers.

Lately, random little clusters of weeds with tiny white or yellow flowers have been springing up and I have been mowing around them. My general lawn rule is, if it’s green or has some sort of flower, it can stay. Once I figure out a way to minimize the front lawn and maximize the area with flowers and shrubs, the transformation will begin. Lawns are so silly. So much effort for an expanse of green that is encouraged to grow and then cut down when it does what we want it to do. At least I get some walking in with the mowing.

random thoughts – Day 2,357 (Sunday) – finishing and starting

Sewing finished.

After a fermentation period of several weeks, Operation Finish Mom’s Sewing Projects began today. The first project, chosen weeks ago, was based on the criteria of quick and easy. It was a cotton vee neck top which needed one sleeve stitched in and a hem on the bottom edge. It had been in a box with fabric for an unknown number of years and has the lightly dusty “been in storage” scent to it.

The sleeve was pinned in earlier in the week. Finishing it wasn’t specifically on today’s list (nothing was on the list), but suddenly, I was off the couch and in the spare room fetching the sewing machine and setting it up on the dining table. The sleeve was stitched. The narrow hem was sewn. The top was tossed into the laundry. I didn’t try it on so I don’t even know if it fits me, but it fit the sewing mannequin. 

Propelled by the satisfaction of completion, the next project was retrieved. After rummaging through a bin and a bag, the purple and gold brocade skirt, bought at Salvation Army several months ago was found. The intention for this one is to remake it into a belly dance belt and it was brought to the sofa along with the seam ripper and thread clippers.

The zipper and waistband were removed and the pleats unstitched, and then the project was set aside for the day. The basic prep work was accomplished and the next steps require a pattern, which depends on the specific design chosen.

There is currently no design chosen from several options available. The shape could be pointed or curved. There could be multiple sections connected with D Rings.  The belt could fasten in one or more places with ties, snaps, hooks, or even buckles. There are also embellishments to consider, because beaded edging is often sewn on in the first steps, before the lining. And I was becoming preoccupied elsewhere.

Ellison Barber on Allegedly.

The TV had been turned on during the skirt disassembly step, mostly for the noise company. I was thinking of stand-up comedy, but an interesting show popped up in the Netflix home page lineup. It was Allegedly, a true crime series podcast with Ellison Barber and various guests. The case in the first episode is one I started watching a documentary series about last night (The Death of the Pastor's Wife). 

I’ve heard of many of the cases covered in the episodes and the series is fascinating. The dance belt design can wait until morning. I’m sucked into this show right now.