random thoughts – Day 2,266 (Sunday) – dance day

The weather was more respectful than yesterday, as in it was not precipitating “wintry mix” and was a more civilized 60-plus degrees. The morning and early afternoon were spent readying for the Natick Dance Showcase. The time used was more than sufficient, but I had the luxury of being unoccupied and chose to linger, pause, and move through the day in a shockingly calm manner.

There was coffee. Reading. Phone games. A shower. Run throughs of the dances. Verification of the costume components, which required two bags for transport. Yet another unsuccessful search for the elusive large I*EA duffel that would have eliminated the need for two bags. (I’m beginning to think I imagined ever owning it, as it has spent most of its time over the years in hiding.)

An undocumented amount of time was spent on makeup and hair. There were comical moments. To keep my bangs from doing weird things, I pinned them under in a roll while doing makeup, then forgot about it. When I took them out, they were tightly rolled in some horrible scene reminiscent of what Mummu did to my bangs when I was a kid and she had me looking like I was 50.

The little eye liner bottle fell from the counter and splattered eyeliner all over the floor. Waterproof eyeline, as in harder to clean up. Makeup remover towelettes worked. While putting on shoes and socks for departure I noticed there was spilled eyeliner still on my foot. Oops. It would not come off. The eyelash glue squirted out with more enthusiasm than needed, leaving splotches on the counter, the tweezers, and my fingers. There was swearing. Another makeup remover towelette saved the day.

With two hours until carpool pickup time, I wondered what to do next. Read? Recheck the bags for the 10^th time? Possibly jinx things by practicing the dances again? There were bits of all of those things with mixed results. I practiced a veil sequence from the duet but with a different veil because I didn’t want to unpack the one for the dance. It was a different size veil and a heavier weight and it didn’t go well.

Overall, the show was great. It was a surprise a few days ago when my duet partner and I learned we were opening the show. Our dance was to “Habibi Metal”, a fun take on some classical instrumental music. We embraced the “metal” and danced in jeans and metal tee shirts (AC/DC and Headbangers Ball) with zills and veils. We even had a headbanging move in it we named “the Beavis and Butthead” and it was so much fun.

Act One performers

Now, it’s time to start plotting the next choreography. So much music, so many ideas.

random thoughts – Day 2,265 (Saturday) – snow showers and costumes

May 30^th. At 7:25 a.m. it was 45 degrees with a wind advisory from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m., and “wintry mix” forecast until noon. The wind had the trees whipping wildly and the wintry mix included crispy ice and snow mixed with rain. The voice of Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz crept into my head, “unusual weather we're having, ain't it?” from the scene where Glinda the Good makes it snow in the poppy field to wake up Dorothy and her travel companions.

C’mon New England. This is supposed to be the start of beach season, not ski season. At least it wasn’t like my junior year of high school when “The Mother’s Day Snowstorm” delivered a foot or more of heavy, wet snow overnight May 9 - 10 and school was cancelled, so there is that to be thankful for.

Today’s plans to attend various outdoor events were scrapped the minute I got out of bed and grabbed the winter bathrobe and turned the heat back on. There was zero interest to freeze outside at the Greek Festival I have always liked, the grilled cheese food truck at the local cheese shop I keep meaning to visit, a hike at a nearby park, or anything else that was penciled on the calendar. 

New hair flowers for new dance top.

Instead, I organized the two costumes for Sunday’s show and packaged into zipper lock bags the various components for each. I ventured as far as Dollar Tree (1.5 miles from home) to seek out a very specific color fabric flower to go with one costume and larger zipper lock bags.

After scrutinizing the flowers located in four different spots in the store, I finally found the color I was looking for to coordinate with the new dance top for the troupe performance. In another week, I'll be doing the same thing for a couple of the costumes for the June show.

At home, I cut two of the yellowish-orange flowers from the bunch and attached them to a hair clip with a wire trash bag tie, green ribbon, glue, and hand sewing. The costume bits that had been packed earlier in the day were repacked into the spacious new, 2.5 gallon bags. Things are as ready as they will ever be, but that won't stop me from waking up around 3 a.m. from the recurring dream where I have arrived at the venue without a costume.

random thoughts – Day 2,264 (Friday) – progress and rewards

Progress continued. This morning the five Lowell-themed photos with new mats were set into frames and all six are now ready for delivery to the gallery on Monday. One by one, the current residents of the frames were evicted, set into clear sleeves, and stored on a shelf with dozens of others (I’m afraid to count them). The framing glass was cleaned and not a drop of blood was shed. The new artwork was set into the frames. A few small photos were set into mats and await labeling for sale in the gallery. Victory was declared.

The framing process miraculously led to a small organizational effort in the art/sewing room. A couple boxes containing random items were pawed through and the contents were redistributed and consolidated. Future efforts may involve the destruction of a slew of the old photos. That was today’s thought anyway.

New favorite ice cream.

Momentum carried to the kitchen. Three photos of recipe cards from Mummu that hung in the Lowell kitchen were hung. A pound of brussels sprouts and the rest of the broccoli was tossed in olive oil and roasted and made a delicious supper with a cheeseburger. 

It may be because I rarely eat red meat, but right after supper, I felt like I needed a nap. Instead, I went to out to buy some ice cream for a reward for the day's successes, and later crowned my new favorite Ben and Jerry’s flavor. Karamel Sutra has officially bumped Cherry Garcia out of the #1 spot on my B&J ice cream hit parade.

random thoughts – Day 2,263 (Thursday) – stress relief

With three dance performances on the calendar (May 31, June 13, June 16) and all the preparation work involved with practice, gathering costumes, planning hair and makeup, etc., I really had to question my sanity after accepting an invitation to be part of a photography exhibit with work due June 1. It added an extra level of planning and activity to what felt like an already full schedule, but the busier I am, the more I get done. Generally, anyway.

There was the review of photos, which began with 100 images on the theme of the show. These were reduced to 25 and test prints were done and used to reduce the count to six.  Full-size prints were made of these.

In the frame shop.

Back in the days when I exhibited frequently (a lifetime ago), I had a reserve of pre-cut window mats, backboards, and frames always at the ready. It turns out that inventory of window mats either no longer exists or is tucked away in some unexplored corner since moving. This was confirmed on Monday, after going through boxes and shelves of photos and already having been to the framing shop the previous Friday for mats for one odd sized photo. A message was sent to the frame shop on Tuesday to see if they could help with the additional need.

Today, my new friends at the frame shop hooked me up with five crisp white window mats and back boards. The relief I felt walking out of the shop this afternoon was immediate and it was a surprise to realize just how wound up I had been about it. Most people find relief at massage therapy or in a hot tub. For me, today anyway, relief happened in the frame shop.

I will get everything into the frames Friday and packed and ready to deliver on Monday as planned. It feels good.

random thoughts – Day 2,262 (Wednesday) – asphalt and costumes

The morning's view.

The morning's view from the couch included equipment for the final step of the neighbor’s driveway. Beyond the rhododendron that is now blooming, the business end of a dump truck rose from behind the red dumpster that has been in my own yard for the past month. The final operation of the driveway paving was relatively quiet and suddenly the crew was gone.

The new driveway looks great – like a swath of rich, black velvet. The only thing protecting its pristineness from potential damage is a thin strip of yellow plastic caution tape stretched across the edge adjoining the street. Meanwhile, my driveway looks like a faded, grayish, lumpy scrap quilt with long lines of patching. Driveway envy has definitely set in, but one thing at a time, please.

It was a mostly quiet day, meaning I cannot account for how I spent most of my time. Later, my dance partner and I practiced our duet choreography for Sunday’s show and two of the four group dances we are in for the June show a few weeks later.

Costumes in a row.

It’s hard to believe the shows are now so close. The costumes have been collected (mostly) and are hung on a rack in the spare room (jewelry and accessories still need to be gathered). There are a few costume pieces needing minor adjustments for the June dance show, and those items are over by the sewing machine. 

The costumes for the June show weigh a ton and will be a challenge (potential nightmare!) to stuff into a bag for transport. I can focus on all those moving parts next week. I just need to get through this weekend first.

random thoughts – Day 2,261 (Tuesday) – cemetery and clouds

Memorial Day may have been yesterday, but today was the day Mom, my sister and I went to the cemetery and did the family grave decorating. I grabbed my gloves and flimsy gardening tools and Mom and had hers, and we stopped to get flowers at a small greenhouse she likes. The selection was still good, even the day after Memorial Day. My sister met us at the cemetery in Fitchburg.

Bleeding heart.

We thinned the bleeding heart at Mummu’s stone and added yellow snapdragons because Mummu’s favorite color was yellow. At great-aunt Julia’s stone, we planted pink petunias and red snapdragons. Mom’s grandparents (John J and Wilhelmina) got white petunias and marigolds.

We checked on the graves of Mummu’s three siblings who had died in childhood – John W – aged 7 months, Lilja – aged 10, and John E – aged 16. John E’s grave is thickly overgrown with day lilies but we didn’t have the proper tools to thin them because the original agenda was planting, not thinning. We plan to return with the proper tools for the task.

The dug out bleeding heart came home with me and was promptly planted in the back yard. It originally came from either my sister’s yard or my yard in Lowell (which had come from my sister’s yard). It’s one of several plants I regret not having thinned from Lowell before I moved, but once the house sold, I ran out of time for things like gardening.

Evening sky from the passenger side.

Tuesday means dance night, for another couple weeks anyway. On the ride home, for which I was the passenger (my favorite automotive role), I took lots of photos of the clouds with the setting sun while chatting with my friend who was driving. I haven’t seen many sunsets lately. The trees at home usually block the view, and I’m not usually out anywhere else at the appropriate hour so I was glad to see it tonight.  

random thoughts – Day 2,260 (Monday) – books and such

The day, which began with rain, redeemed itself later with sunshine and humidity. This did not stop me from wearing a sweatshirt while taking a walk or pruning the azalea in front the house. It was on brand. I am also the person who once sat poolside in Florida summer heat and humidity wearing long jeans and a hoodie, while my family enjoyed swimming.

Neighborhood library box.

The walk was to return a book to the Little Library box near the mailboxes at the end of the street. So far this year, I have read 14 books, and 10 of them have come from the Little Library box. My neighbors have been putting in some great books that I likely never would have known of. There was no intention of getting another book until I finish the one I'm reading, but one caught my eye and is now on my kitchen counter awaiting its turn.

The book currently underway is a collection of short stories in the style of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. Technically, I guess it’s fan fiction by modern writers and the stories are really good. The morning rain left me unbothered as I went on some reading adventures with Holmes and Watson. Worked for me.

Later, I got busy and made fruit salad with cantaloupe, pineapple, mandarin oranges, and grapes, then later still, brought some over to Mom’s house, along with about a third of the bag of mandarins. A three-pound bag of tiny orange treats is a lot of tiny oranges, and the last bag I bought saw about six of them end up in the trash after getting gross and mushy. This time I brough Mom some before the same thing had a chance to happen again. I like mandarins, but I can’t eat that many of them.

Tiny toad hedge tenant.

The improved weather got me outside to trim the recently flowered and now sad looking azalea. I consulted some sources before beginning to cut, and took out the obviously dead branches, and cut back some wildly gangly ones. 

While working on the azalea, I spotted a cute, tiny, grayish-brown toad on top of the neighboring hedge. It was calmly sitting there while I carefully cut from the neighboring plant and made every effort to not disturb it. I guess now I know the source of the recent evening serenades that sounded like they were right outside the bedroom window.

random thoughts – Day 2,259 (Sunday) – wet one

A little steady rain and chilly temperatures didn’t spoil the Memorial Day weekend gathering and we still gathered a family member’s home. Despite all the rain this month, and what felt like a lot of snow this winter, I was told the water level is still six inches low and "we need the rain." Ok, cool. But could it maybe just rain overnight when people are sleeping? Please and thank you.

Instead of sitting on the deck, we sat in the living room/dining room area.  There were still burgers and hot dogs, just cooked inside. There was toss salad, potato salad, pasta salad, fruit salad, bean and veggie salad, chips and salsa. Then there were brownies, and after eating a huge one, I learned there was cake. Oy.

Final score - Twins 5, Sox 5.

The Red Sox played (after a delay) and we watched the game They lost to Minnesota again, for a three game sweep. I did not envy the die-hard fans sitting under plastic ponchos in Fenway Park in the rain, but I do admire their fortitude and willingness to do so.

My guess of the black blob in the yard being bear poop was confirmed by the relaying of a tale about a neighbor who lives one street over from me recently seeing a bear in their backyard at 5 a.m. Now I will be tempted to get up and look out the windows when I first wake up instead of rolling over and going back to sleep. I kind of would like to see a bear (from a safe and protected distance).

The overeating made me very tired. When I got home, I sat on the couch like a zoned-out blob scrolling through social media and playing Words with Friends and Duolingo Chess for a couple hours. Now, it’s time to go read some Sherlock Holmes stories written by modern crime writers (Murder in Baker Street – New Tales of Sherlock Holmes).

random thoughts – Day 2,258 (Saturday) – prepping

Cowboy caviar. Or Texas salsa.

It was a domestic day at home. After much deliberation and reviewing of recipes and the contents of the pantry, a big bowl of bean and veggie “Cowboy Caviar” (aka “Texas Salsa”) was made for a cookout on Sunday. The other main contender was a fruit salad, but the pantry contained nearly everything needed for the bean and veggie mixture – pinto beans, black beans, canned corn, diced tomatoes, plus chopped grape tomatoes, onion, and vinaigrette dressing. The only missing item was green pepper, so I mixed everything and added the green pepper later. The taste test was a success. I forgot how much I like that salad/salsa/stuff.

There was nothing on hand to make the fruit salad and it might have taken multiple stores to gather the items, depending upon what Aldi had in stock for produce. The Cowboy Caviar  felt like a good decision when I arrived at Aldi to get the green peppers. They had some of the fruit I like, but not enough variety for a decent fruit salad for a party.

In the effort to consume more calcium from food sources, I spent a disappointing amount of time at the dairy case reading labels because online articles about the type of yogurt with the most calcium are very contradictory. One claimed that Greek yogurt (my favorite) has more calcium, another said low-fat regular yogurt had the most. My label reading at Aldi revealed that of the yogurt they carry, the regular yogurt has more calcium per serving than their Greek yogurt so I bought the regular stuff. And also, some cottage cheese which I will try my best to consume, although my track record with it isn’t good. There are some recipes involving eggs and cottage cheese baked with some stuff that sound promising.

random thoughts – Day 2,257 (Friday) – matts and mowing

There were tasks scheduled for today, specifically, working on the photo matting and framing for an exhibit, and mowing the lawn. One of the photos is a nonstandard size and needed a special window matt cut. I found a framing shop close to the house.

It was a great time in the shop, and I ended up being there a couple hours. One of the owners demonstrated the matt cutting machine to show me some fancy additional cuts that could be done, but we decided against it. We had a great time chatting about downsizing homes, frames, matts, and a local arts group her husband is involved with. Later, her husband/co-owner arrived. He is an artist and he and I had a great talk about hanging art shows while he cut the matts and she had some lunch. 

Almost all mowed.

The lawn was less successful and energizing than the framing shop. It was my first mow since moving here because stepdad next door mowed my  yard last fall when he did his. My mower is electric and today I discovered my cord is too short to reach all of the front lawn. At least a dozen times it unplugged itself when it reached maximum distance, and I swore and stomped to the outlet to plug it back in. 

There is an L-shaped section in the front yard along the driveway and at the edge of the road that is still tall and shaggy because I couldn’t reach it with the mower. The opposite corner of the back yard has a corresponding shaggy patch that I couldn’t reach. Now, I need to determine the length of the cord so I can buy a longer one.

Mystery matter.

Near the shaggy back yard spot lies a surprise. There is mysterious matter in the form of a large black blob of glossy something that is dark like tar or licorice. There were small flies on it. It didn’t smell. 

Based on the size, I know it is not cat, dog, bunny, or deer poop. A lot of local people have been mentioning bear sightings on the Nextdoor app, so that was my best guess. I carefully mowed around it and decided to deal with it further tomorrow. An internet search for bear poop seems to have confirmed the guess. 

random thoughts – Day 2,256 (Thursday) – driveways

Yesterday’s guess about the driveway work next door was correct and part of it is being widened. As part of the process, the old driveway was dug out today. The clanking sound of roller being driven up the street kicked things off at 7:09 this morning. Before long, it was followed by the rumble of a dump truck and a collection of other vehicles.

Next door driveway work underway.

I had already been up for an hour and was drinking coffee, so it gave me some live entertainment. The existing pavement was cut with a circular saw thingy and the digger tore up pieces of asphalt and set them into the dump truck. My favorite part of the process was the workers yelling long conversations over the noise of the equipment.

By early afternoon, most of the equipment had disappeared and a beautifully flat, slightly wider, compacted dirt driveway remained. It will be interesting to see the next phase. 

My driveway is a little rough with some previously patched cracks and general unevenness and now it will look even worse by comparison. It will probably be next year when I’ve got my own driveway job going on and I should probably pop next door the next time the crew is there and get a business contact.

random thoughts – Day 2,255 (Wednesday) – hope springs

Ever since the dumpster arrived, the roofing materials delivered, and I learned one skylight was still on order, I’ve been on high alert when I hear trucks outside, hoping it is the skylight so the roof can be scheduled. So far there have been oil trucks, package delivery trucks, tree trimming trucks, and firetrucks.

Some sort of work next door.

Today, the sound of a truck drew me to the window (again) with a nugget of hope (again). It was a big truck alright, but not a lumber company delivery truck and not for my house. There was a dump truck full of dirt and some small machinery digging away at the strip of land between my house and the neighbor’s. It wasn’t very long before the dump truck left. The smaller equipment stayed. 

When I took a walk, I had a chance to check out the work. A swath of bare dirt runs along the neighbor's driveway and my best guess is that they are widening it. I guess I’ll know when it is all done.

During the walk, I also noticed the sudden absence of an asphalt driveway at a house two streets over. The entire stretch of pavement along the house from the street to the back yard shed was missing and the occupant’s cars were parked on the far side of the house. Spring has sprung and some neighborhood home projects with it. I’m getting antsy for my roof to be done so the siding can be done and then I can work on some plantings along the house. I want new exterior lights and house numbers to go with the new siding.

The inside work list, which was initially intended to be for the winter before it was procrastinated into now, is getting longer by the day. A new, still not purchased medicine cabinet will make my life easier on a daily basis. The recent days of heat made the need for ceiling fans for the bedrooms and dining room feel more urgent than in September when I first thought of it. Now I wish I had spent the winter more wisely and gone shopping for ceiling fans. 

random thoughts – Day 2,254 (Tuesday) – weather mood swing

It was sunny and hot (92 degrees). Until it wasn’t. Around noon, I ventured out to scope out the yard work situation. A small amount of raking occurred under the azalea and the dead leaves were set into the trash can from the free curbside stuff yesterday. I lasted about 10 minutes in the sun and heat before I went back indoors to sit on the couch under the ceiling fan. The window A/C units are in the shed, put there by a handyman last fall. 

Clouds collecting.

Later in the afternoon, it was cloudy. Then rainy and windy. It kind of snuck up on me. I was in the house with the shades lowered against the sun and heat, and eventually I realized it was less daylight-ish than it had been. When I looked outside, the clouds were gathering. With the sun in hiding it was safe to raise the shades and check out the changing conditions.

Before long, it got noisy with the wind whipping the trees across the street in a wild dance. Rain began pinging off the kitchen skylight and the metal stove vent pipe. Water poured off the roof and pummeled the back of the hydrangea. The sun reappeared while it was still raining, and there was some back and forth of clouds and sun for a couple hours and the temperature dropped to the 70s which was much more comfortable. The weather mood swing was in full effect. Whee!

Rhododendron is nearly ready.

Just as it was beginning to rain with a purpose, I noticed the rhododendrons are ready to start popping at each side of  the front door. After they bloom, I need to do a major pruning because they are wildly overgrown. There is another one in the back yard that is taller than I am and kind of scraggly.

I wondered how hot it would be in the lower-level church space where we dance on Tuesday evenings. It was warm, but not unbearable, but it got stuffier the longer we were there. It’s been better, and it’s been worse, and it surely will be both of those again. Hopefully, it will not be oppressive the night of our show.

We ran the dances for the show which was mostly okay until we got to the one where two of us are wrapped in silk veils. Silk is lovely and warm in the winter. In the heat it is hot and clingy and yucky. Just like last week, I kept stepping on the edge of the veil which made it hard to maneuver the thing. I have about three weeks to get that situation straightened out.

random thoughts – Day 2,253 (Monday) – treasure hunt

It was another beautiful weather day and I could get used to this, but I won’t because I know better. My heart has been broken by the weather too many times already in this lifetime. It’s supposed to be around 91 degrees tomorrow, and 87 Wednesday, but back in the 60s by the end of the week and for the next five days.

Sorting ribbons and trim and such.

The day didn’t have a plan, but a theme emerged along the lines of a treasure hunt. An excessive amount of time was spent early in the day looking for black Velcro which I was prepared to swear on my life existed in my sewing supplies. Four sewing drawers were rummaged through, plus two decorative tins with odd trims and notions, and the recently established and already messy ribbons and trims storage box. I found white and tan Velcro but no black.

In the process, ribbons and trims were carefully rolled, sorted by color and level of fanciness, and set in small snack size storage bags. Ribbon from two boxes were consolidated into one. 

After it all, I ended up using the tan fastener stuff on the purple velvet vest and it was officially declared done. The vest anyway. The top that goes under it still needs a tweak to tighten the bottom edge and while sorting through the ribbon stuff I got an idea for a potential change to the neck ties on the coin bra. And this, my friends, is how “work expands to fill the time allotted.” I anticipate more random change-ups in the next few weeks, mostly because there is still time.

Mid-afternoon, there was a curb alert post in one of the “buy nothing” groups with three chests with plastic drawers (perfect for sewing and crafts stuff!) and a big barrel (perfect for yard cleanup!). The post was 19 minutes old when I saw it. 

Finished. For now.

I mapped the route in Waze, then, as I was at the door, decided I should visit the loo. Along the drive, I imagined where I would fit the drawer thingies in the car, remembering halfway there that the cargo area still had two sets of snow shoes and some poles in it. As I drove up the destination street, a car passed me from the opposite direction on the cul-de-sac and I just knew it was the three storage unit things en route to their new home.

When I arrived at the house with the freebies, a woman was loading a wheelbarrow into the back of her SUV. She said she had come for the same barrel and storage things I had my eye on, but when she arrived, a lady was already loading all of those into her car. If only I hadn’t stopped for the toilet, I might have gotten at least one of the coveted items. Oh well.

It wasn’t a total loss. I got three flower pots, a bucket, and an indoor plastic trash can which will work for yard work, it’s just smaller the usual yard size. In other words, I’ll probably be able to load it into the back of my car myself and drop stuff at the yard waste area without assistance. This is still hypothetical. I took the items from the car and set the flower pots in the shed and the bucket and trash bin alongside the shed. Then I went into the house. I did not dive into yard work when I got home. Maybe at the end of the week when it’s cooler. We’ll see.

random thoughts – Day 2,252 (Sunday) – sunshine and calcium

Ferns in the sunshine.

It was a day of more of the same, except the weather was exceptional. Blue sky, puffy clouds, abundant sunshine and 84 degrees. The ferns in the back yard woods were pretty bathed in sunlight. The walk around the neighborhood didn’t require a jacket and/or speed walking to not freeze.. Thrilling! 

Dance practice was good. Our new troupe tops came in and were distributed. They are even prettier than I hoped. We ran through the dance for the May 31 show and the full program for a June 13 performance, where I know three out of the five dances well enough for muscle memory to be in effect, but the other two dances I don't know well enough to even fake it.

The note came from my primary care doctor about a  week ago about the DEXA scan. The verdict is “osteopenia,” which was the entire message from my doctor. One word. I wrote back and asked “What am I supposed to do?” Minimal helpful and hard to follow information arrived – specifically, “eat at least 1500mg of calcium from food sources.” Very little other info provided.

Now I’m reading articles online and reading labels and looking at charts I can buy (no printer, so I can’t just whip one off) and discovering with dismay how much stuff I like has zero calcium (potato chips). And how little calcium seems to be in a lot of other things I actually like. Milk is popular in the lists, but it stuffs up my sinuses and makes my throat phlegmy and because of that I have hated it since I was a kid. Seafood is popular on the lists, but I don’t see myself or my grocery budget taking a shine to oysters (barf), crabs, or sardines anytime soon.

Yogurt isn’t as cruel to me as milk is, and I may have to boost consumption from a bowl to a gallon daily. Maybe an entire cheese wheel every day? Tofu is on the list, but I have never succeeded in cooking an edible version of it, and usually end out throwing it out. Dining out so I can have properly prepared tofu is not likely to happen anytime soon, but maybe I can find a tofu cooking school. This is going to be fun. And by that I mean, probably not fun at all.

random thoughts – Day 2,251 (Saturday) – swept

The weather, one of my favorite topics to whine about lately, was greatly improved today. The sun was shining, the air was warm, and windows were opened. It was everything I hope for in a spring day. There were town wide yard sale events in nearby towns, a yard sale in my neighborhood, and a farmers market opening, but I did none of these things. I got swept up in the purple velvet vest sewing project.

The day’s goal was to finish the vest. When the side seams were taken in and the neckline reshaped, the arm holes were affected and needed to be expanded. The gold trim on the edges of the vest had been removed in several work areas, and remained sewn in place at the back neck edge. Today, the arm holes were fixed and the trim was ready to be reset. There was a challenge.

The neckline had been reshaped from a straight vee neck to a curved line inspired by the belly dance Turkish vest design. When the trim was being reset, there was no longer enough, because the shortest distance between two points is a straight line (old neckline), but I now had a longer curved one. There were two gaps in visible places where the trim ran out.

A message was sent to my talented and brilliant sewist friend with a photo of the trim gaps. She replied, “Space to sew on interesting notions?” I did the palm to forehead “Duh! Why didn’t I think of that?” thing and sprang into action.

Gaps in the trim!

Scrap fabric from the big skirt project was fetched, which is, coincidentally, the perfect colors for the vest. In the space of 40 minutes, scrap fabric was lined with scrap fusible interfacing to provide support (proving that my tendency to save practically everything pays off eventually). From the scraps, paisley and floral motifs were cut out. These were pinned on the vest in the two bare spots, and elsewhere to make it look like a deliberate design.

Fray Check would help keep fabric edges from fraying. Surprise! When a bottle of Fray Check sits in a drawer for long enough (decades?), the liquid solution becomes a solid. The WalMart website was checked for the availability of the magic stuff, and a trip made to the store. This ate up a solid hour of prime sewing time, because it seems to be impossible for me to enter WalMart, find the needed item and exit immediately. The pattern drawer didn’t have any new costume patterns. The clearance aisle yielded a spool of trim for $1.50. The bakery discount rack was empty. The sweet potato fries were too high up on the freezer shelf to reach.

Back at home, there was an epic battle to get the cap off the new bottle of Fray Check. When I couldn’t unscrew it by hand, I tried my back teeth, which hurt but didn't help with the cap. Running the cap under hot water finally worked. The effort included swearing and the composition of an imaginary letter to the Dritz company about the excessively tight cap.

Almost done.

Finally, all the edges of the motifs were treated with the Fray Check and set to dry while I finished trimming up loose threads on the vest. The hand sewing of the motifs was slow going. It took a couple hours to stitch a paisley shape at each shoulder area, which isn’t even where the trim gaps were. 

It wasn’t quite finished today, but almost (which really only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades and thermo nuclear warfare). Definitely tomorrow it can be completed after dance group, unless the gorgeous weather on tap sweeps me up in a hike or some outdoor frolic. 

random thoughts – Day 2,250 (Friday) – a break

We caught a break from the rain. The day started out gray and cloudy, but the weather improved and it was sunny later in the day.

Velvet dance vest,
ready for rework.

The indoor part of the day was spent milling about. There was some reading (The Cactus, by Sarah Haywood) and thinking about alterations needed to a newly acquired dance costume vest. Then, I reviewed some pattern pieces on hand, plucked out about a mile of stitches, and set about altering the piece.

There was trim to be removed and seams to be opened and restitched to take the top in a bit. A neckline modification needed to be drawn on paper, then the fabric cut, and edges hemmed. Fasteners needed to be shifted. More trim needed to be removed.

As the daylight that is so good for ripping stitches dimmed, I set the project aside for the day. It had already consumed more time than I first imagined, but that seems to be the case with all the sewing projects lately.

Part of the problem is I am winging it and learning as I go with most of the alterations. The biggest lesson is that it seems easier to make something from a flat piece of fabric than to alter a completed garment. The big challenge with sewing from scratch is finding a pattern to follow (or making one) and finding appropriate fabric. Also, seamstresses doing alterations deserve every cent they request in payment.

The outdoor part of the day happened around 6 pm when I took a break from the costume project and left the house for the first time in a couple days. I walked to the mailbox, then looped around the neighborhood. It was so quiet. I saw one car traveling on the street, and one other walker. Trees are still blooming, lawns are fresh and green, and the spring yard ornaments and décor are popping up in yards.

random thoughts – Day 2,249 (Thursday) – more rain

The rain continued. It was steady and at times, very heavy, and dampened (ha, ha) my enthusiasm to leave the house. I did not enjoy it. The forecast for tomorrow is “expect light rain.” I will probably not enjoy that, either. I’m thoroughly over it. 

Rainy day cake.

Today, I read. Baked chicken with honey, soy sauce, and ginger. Baked and frosted a cake. Practiced a dance. Worked on the straps for a dance top. Watched the water flow down the driveway. Looked at the back lawn and woods which were vibrant and lush during a lull in the precipitation.

Today’s high temperature was 53 degrees. The bright spot is projected to be Saturday with a high of 74 degrees, followed by Sunday at 81, Monday at 80, and Tuesday at 89. I hope so. I’m counting on it. My sanity depends upon it.

random thoughts – Day 2,248 (Wednesday) – chillin'

At 5:40, the morning brightness nudged me awake. By 6:00 I was out of bed and making coffee. That was possibly the brightest point of the day (in terms of illumination). It wasn't long before it got cloudy and gloomy. It rained (again). It was chilly outside (still). I was inside chilly and grumbling about the heat being on (again). I thought April was the month of showers and mud season but this year May is heavy in the action. Blah, blah, blah. 

Current table mess.

It was a day spent in the house with the exception of one quick trip out to mail a card and pick up some photo test prints for a project. Broccoli and brussels sprouts (current favorite vegetables) were roasted and lunched upon with risotto (current favorite grainy thing).

The dining / sewing table now has a bunch of photos in addition to piles of patterns and boxes of pins. In addition to looking at photos, there was time spent working on dance costumes (still), reviewing videos of the dances in the show, and practicing dances. Blah, blah, blah. 

After the upcoming shows are done, I wonder what I’ll do with all the free time. And where I will fit all the costumes. It will be fun to find out.

random thoughts – Day 2,247 (Tuesday) – time and balance

Another day gone in a blink. My biggest still-unanswered question is, why didn’t the days ever go by this fast when I was working? Maybe I need more stress and chaos to make the days feel longer, because they are disappearing much too quickly in the peace and quiet.

It stands on its own!

There was a bit of personal stress at dance group tonight, and time did stand still a little bit, so I may be on to something. I forgot a chunk of one dance that I practiced just yesterday. Then, I was using a brand-new veil that I will be using in the show’s opening number, and it is much lighter than the veils I’ve been using. Unfortunately, habit kicked in and I was still tossing it like the heavier veil I’m accustomed to, and it went badly, multiple times. It wrapped around my head. I stepped on it, I dropped it. I have a few weeks to practice away the kinks with it.

The 25-yard skirt had its first test run. The sturdy skirt that can literally stand up on its own had a successful debut at practice with no mishaps. It balanced out the scales a little, but couldn't make up for horrible veil work and forgetting a chunk of a dance. In the skirt dance, it was the music CD that had issues and it cut out twice.

random thoughts – Day 2,246 (Monday) – costumes and blinking

The day disappeared. The alarm went off and snooze was tapped. Blink, and suddenly it was 8:00. There was coffee, Wordle, and a shower. The trash was put out. Blink, and suddenly it was 10:30 and I was eating leftover pizza for a late breakfast/early lunch. I blinked. Then it was suppertime. I blinked. Bedtime was approaching. Maybe I need to stop blinking so much. 

After multiple sessions with jewelry pliers, a needle and thread, the attachment of the coin panels onto the black top, which took much longer than expected, was finished. I think. I hope. I’m definitely tired of working on it.

A list was drafted for all the costume parts and accessories for each of my dances in the June show, which will become the packing list for performance day. This year’s costumes are more complicated than last year’s, and there are unresolved issues with the costumes for nearly every dance I am in.

Trees ablaze.

I still need to add new fasteners to a dance bra. Something cool needs to go under the big 25-yard skirt, because when the twirling and skirt flipping is underway, there is a full-blown leg show happening underneath. The costume ideas need to be whittled down and finalized for the duet, which was easier before I had four different ideas for the bottoms. Jewelry for each costume was not even a spark of a thought until the other day, and so far, no ideas have ignited. And then there is the hair. Oy.

Meanwhile, in the midst of the costuming challenges, I committed to a photography exhibit. A couple hours have already been spent reviewing photos in the scope of the show. So far, 100 photos from my main file were segregated. Then those were reviewed and the field was whittled down to 25. The target number of photos for the exhibit is five or six, so there will be another big reduction done tomorrow.

To clear my head, I took a walk to the mailbox. The trees down the street are ablaze in maroon leaves and in one case, flowers, and I’m not sure when it happened. Maybe it was that blinking thing again. It was chillier than I expected, especially on the return leg when it felt like I was walking into a steady breeze. Bonus, being cold made me walk faster and the cardio didn’t kill me. Now I can start working on my personal best time again.

Bee in a blossom.

I was chilly enough that I just wanted to get home, where the heat is still running. Come on Mother Nature, it is mid-May and it can get warmer any time now, please and thank you. 

In the haste to return, I forgot that I also wanted to take a picture of the house from the higher point on the street so the roof shows for the full before and after showcase. I remembered it when I was in the driveway looking at the azalea with the fat bees buzzing around in the blossoms. Maybe next time. The second skylight hasn’t arrived yet, so there isn’t even a target date for the project yet.

random thoughts – Day 2,245 (Sunday) – low-key

To plan for Mother’s Day, Sis and I did what we usually do. We asked Mom what she wanted to do, knowing there was a high likelihood she would say what she usually says, which is that she doesn't really want to do anything. It is my understanding from a very unscientific survey of a small group of mothers with which I am acquainted that it is the sentiment of many mothers that they would just like to stay home in a quiet house and not be bothered. Despite the maternal guidance, Sis and I did what we usually do and made a plan anyway. I guess it’s not that different from when Mom was a younger mother and we were younger kids and we didn’t listen to her then, either. 

We invaded Mom's house for a low-key day. We drank coffee and ate and talked for several hours. My sister had stories of the latest workplace drama which are always funny when she tells them. My niece was in a wedding yesterday and had stories and photos to share. As a mostly antisocial, unemployed, self-directed sweat shop operator/worker with no colleagues, I didn’t really have any good stories to share.

Kiki at the window,
May 10, 2026.

Mom’s windows have a view of her strategically placed backyard bird feeders. Most any spot in her living room has a great view of the antics of the squirrels, chipmunks, birds and a menagerie of wildlife. As we commented on the action of the squirrels outside the window, I suggested we create a news desk and narrate the action like sports announcers or Olympics judges with score cards. “Squirrel number one executed a bold and magnificent leap from the tree towards the allegedly squirrel-proof hanging bird feeder and really stuck the landing. I give it a nine.”

Later, my delightful feline fur baby posed in the window long enough for me to take her picture. It had thundered and rained earlier and the grass was lush and green and the pavement was still wet in places, and she surveyed the yard beyond. She’d probably have more fun looking out back to the woods with all the critters which included a groundhog this morning, but she doesn’t seem to know that area exists.

random thoughts – Day 2,244 (Saturday) – food and work

The gray, rainy morning made it hard to get out of bed. It also washed away any desire to fulfill any of the potential activities for the day. Plant swap the next town over? No, thanks, it’s raining. Steampunk Festival in Waltham? Nope. Requires a drive, and it’s raining. International Gem and Jewelry in Marlborough? No. See above. And so on. There were flashbacks to the year when it rained nearly every weekend in the summer.

Fortifying breakfast.

There may have been no motivation for fun out of the house activities, but in the house there were bright spots. Breakfast was a winner. A fried egg with cheese on an English muffin with a schmear of butter and some apricot preserves really hit the spot, set a cozy tone for the day, and powered me through until suppertime.

Once fortified, the finishing work on the dance top was started. Music played from the laptop (Dark Cello again). The top was tried on for final fit adjustments and a couple seams were adjusted. Narrow elastic was added to the back bottom edge, learned from the stretchy top done a month or so ago. Topstitching was done on all edges to keep the lining from showing, learned from having made the same pattern many moons ago for my first belly dance show in Tennessee. Three sets of small hooks and eyes were added to the inside front edges, and the two decorative filigree clasps on the outer front. And it’s done. It took two shifts – the morning shift got a lot done, but when mistakes and frustration began creeping in it was time to set it aside and do something else.

 

Done!

A break was taken with a trip to the wet world outside. The quest was fruit for a salad for Sunday, and the initial plan was to go to Aldi, and if I didn’t find everything I wanted there, I would go to WalMart. I took a premature turn and ended up at WalMart first. It was crowded, but I found a parking spot and went in, dodging the raindrops.

I breezed through the produce and then checked the craft aisle for a scissor sharpener I saw Friday at another store, didn’t buy, and regretted during the morning sewing session when my scissors were not behaving. No scissor sharpener. I returned to the produce department and got pineapple, mango, and cantaloupe.  I interacted with people in the checkout line, so it wasn’t a totally antisocial day. When I headed back to the car it was raining more assertively than when I went in and the decision to not take an umbrella or even a hat was regretted. A dude in a tiny red car nearly ran me over as he backed out of a parking spot. That was fun. My hands were full so I couldn't even flip off the driver.

At Aldi, I got green grapes and some veggies that I knew would cost less than the prices I saw at WalMart, and then splurged on a gigantic refrigerated five cheese pizza. It was so big, it hung off the edges of my pizza pan. It was a good $5 expenditure and a great supper. For a rainy, crappy day it had some bright spots with good food and the completion of a task. Now it’s time to assess the remaining costume needs and wrap it up. There are other non-dance related projects in the queue that need attention.

random thoughts – Day 2,243 (Friday) – zoned out

On Thursday, I was in the zone, cranking out a sewing project. Today, I was more zoned out. 

A country drive was taken to a national chain store still carrying fabric by the yard and sewing materials. The list was short: a decorative fastener for the top made yesterday; some sort of trim for the top made yesterday; drawstring cord for the big skirt made a week or two ago; two types of hook and eye closings for a couple costume parts and to have on hand; and elastic to restock what has been used in recent projects. Some of these had already been looked for in WalMart without luck, so the net had to be cast wider.

Supplies.

At the destination retailer, I was greeted with signs declaring that all fabric was 30% off until Saturday and was tempted to look at it all, but stuck to the list and the original mission. The basic types of hooks and eyes were found (check!). The options for decorative closings were limited to buckles, satin frog closings (wrong vibe) and a metal filigree design in silver tone and gold tone. I got the gold tone filigree (check!). I scrutinized the trim rack. There were rhinestones, fringe, fringe with rhinestones, tassels, lace, pom poms, and nothing even close to suitable for the top. The ribbon display had reels of the wrong solid colors and prints that were all wrong, like mushrooms, butterflies, and polka dots (fail!). There was no cording in the fabric department, but the clerk there asked a colleague and I was led to the “wearable crafts” aisle and shown the 550 parachute cording that is used for bracelets and other woven items (check!). The skirt is big enough to be a parachute, so it seems appropriate.

The quick procurement of the list items didn’t stop me from slipping into a zoned out state and walking a chunk of the store. The wearable craft aisle is at the furthest location from the exit, so I had to navigate some square footage anyway. I discovered they sell sheets of glass for stained glass making and drooled over the wooden display cabinet with vertical slots holding the glass sheets. My glass sheets live in a milk crate and in a pile on top of the milk crate, still wrapped in packing paper from the move. The one from Tennessee. In 2013. I wish I was exaggerating. 

In nearly every aisle and department there were decorative letters in various sizes and fonts from two-foot tall paper mâché freestanding sculptures to two-inch flat wood cutouts. As I read through the alphabet in one area, I noticed there was no “I”. Then I noticed there was also no “U”. I even looked behind the neighboring letters. That had me checking each time I saw a display and in several areas that was the case. So weird. Why? If you are doing initials and yours happen to be an I or a U, or gawd forbid, both U and I, I guess you are out of luck, sucker!

While I was entertaining myself inventorying the alphabet in crafts and home décor, a manager type dude was talking with a group and going over the philosophy of the floor layout. “Imagine each display as an investment. You want to maximize your ROI.” He talked about displaying products that were movers, and what to do with others that weren’t moving. I tried to get away from the cluster and left the garden décor area, but they caught up with me again in the craft aisles. 

In my accidental and spontaneous craft store retail management class I learned the plan is to get all the rest of the fall stuff out ASAP. This store usually has Christmas on full display by June 25, so that tracks. It was interesting but there was a lot of info being relayed and I forgot most of it because I was shopping and not taking notes. I made my way through displays of pilgrims, pumpkins, autumn leaves, and straw bales, past the displays of drawer pulls and knobs, signs proclaiming “Dad's Garage” and “She Shed” and finally to the register and freedom.

View from the bedroom.

Back at home, the azalea is now fully exploded with color and visible through the bedroom window. The fiddleheads are tall and releasing their lacy fern fronds.

Inside, paracord was inserted into the skirt waistband, cut, and the end melted with a candle flame. The skirt is now technically 100% done and I tried it on again. It is definitely about an inch or two shorter than I would like and hovers above my ankle bone. I still have time to mess with it and make adjustments. One option under consideration is to attack it from the top and remove the waistband and add another narrow strip between the waistband and the skirt. The other option is to go on a crash diet and lose a few pounds so the skirt naturally sits lower. That might actually be easier than tearing the top of the skirt apart. Ripping out those seams will be a huge ordeal. I was pretty focused when I sewed it and did durable seams that were stitched and then topstitched.

random thoughts – Day 2,242 (Thursday) – back in the zone

Thrift store brocade pants.

There were a couple days away from the sewing machine, but today I was back at it and it was good. It all started with a pair of pants found in a thrift shop after my bone density scan on Tuesday. They are a pinkish red with a heavy gold metallic pattern, which under much of my indoor lighting photographs as orange with gold. I thought the fabric would make a good costume top. They had a red tag, which was this week’s designated color for the blessed and glorious price of $1.29. I recently paid $12.99 a yard for gold metallic embellished fabric for the 25-yard skirt, so there was no way on earth I could walk away from the pants at that price.

They were not pants I would wear as is (or at all) which alleviated any guilt from chopping them up. When I tried them on, the silhouette was weird and they were puffy like a balloon from the waist to the crotch then the leg tapered with a beautifully executed notched deep hem.

This morning, the elastic waistband was cut off and all the seams were opened up. The pants had a lining, which was a bonus, because the top I was making called for a lining and it spared me finding coordinating fabric. The pants might have been homemade. There was no evidence of labels of any kind, and I noticed when taking them apart that the pants had been cut without consideration for the pattern. The fabric design ran in one direction on half the pants, and upside down on the other half, which wasn’t immediately obvious, but once I saw it, I couldn’t unsee it.

The project, like all the ones before it, took longer than expected. There were hiccups and hurdles, and pattern alterations and design decisions. I decided to keep the notched hem and the lower leg pieces were the perfect width for the sleeves, which would not need to be hemmed. I was mindful of the direction of the gold motif, which required extra care with pinning and cutting. The original plan was to add trim using the green and gold portion of the border from the saree I made the harem pants from the other day, but the pattern is just too much. If anything, it needs a solid trim to calm it down, not one with even more gold thread. There is still some work to be done, but it requires the procurement of a decorative closure for the front and possible trim for the bottom and neck edges, closure of one seam in the back, and the tidying up of thread ends.

Pants transformed to a costume top.

While I was ripping seams, altering and laying pattern pieces, then finally sewing, a two-hour music collection called “When Cello Meets Dark Techno – Dark NeoClassical Cello” played on YouTube. It was a great backdrop for the day’s work and was played on repeat multiple times. While working and grooving, ideas were popping in my brain for dances, designs, photography, writing, basically everything. A notepad was at my side to jot things down. It felt amazing to be “in the zone” again. It’s been ages (years!) and I’ve missed it. A lot. Seriously. It felt so good I could cry, but I didn’t because I’m still emotionally stunted.

The day wasn’t all slave labor (me) under a cruel taskmistress (me). There were at least two breaks. I stopped mid-day to roast broccoli and brussels sprouts and make packaged risotto for lunch. The rest of the lunch became sustenance at the supper break with the addition of a lobster cake. There are mixed feelings about having eaten a pound each of brussels sprouts and broccoli in one day, but it was over two meals and it could have been the less healthy things I gravitate towards. Perhaps the lesson is to buy (and roast) more brussels sprouts and broccoli. And buy magical brocade pants to chop up.

random thoughts – Day 2,241 (Wednesday) – pets and rain

Tuesday had a trip to Lowell for a bone density scan, today had a trip to Worcester for a hair trim. I am living large this week and mingling with the world. While leaving the driveway on Tuesday, I had the chance to meet Mindy, a neighbor who moved in “up the street” in November. For some reason, people are vague with saying where they live. When I met Marie, she said she lived “up the hill” which is funny because there are some slight inclines but nothing close to a proper hill here. Then again, I grew up in Fitchburg which is all hills and I am definitely biased concerning hills.

Anyway, Mindy was walking with her golden brown dog named Socks. I asked if "Socks" was because of her white paws, but Mindy said that was the dog’s name at the shelter and she and her husband didn’t want to change it when they adopted her. I get it, that is why Moose was called Moose.

Kiki on the bed!

The big news at my house involves Kiki, who was named "Stanley" and erroneously believed to be male at the shelter. I just couldn't call her that and "Kiki" popped out one morning while leaving for work when I meant to say "bye kitty kitty." 

Miss Kiki has begun sleeping on the bed while I am in it. It has taken two years and three months to arrive at this point, but for the past five nights she has hopped up onto the bed and cozied up for some strokes on her little dainty cheeks and shoulders. 

A couple times during these five nights she has walked across my neck with her tiny, lethal claws which was a bit uncomfortable, and I hope she’s not calculating how much pressure is needed to murder me in my sleep. It would be dumb move on her part, because I’m pretty sure she has no idea where the bag of her food is stored or how to open the pantry door.

Bountiful blossoms in the rain.

This morning, while backing out of the driveway, I noticed the bush at the corner of the house has many more dark pink flowers opened than Tuesday, and also that the wind had blown petals from the flowering tree onto the lawn and it looked like snow. I didn’t want to stop for pictures just then, and figured I’d get them when I got back home. Ha! The joke was on me. During my time in Worcester, it began to rain and it kept raining the rest of the afternoon. Any pale pink and white flower petals were pelted into the lawn when I got home, and I had no interest in standing in the rain to photograph a bush, but I did get a picture from the living room window. The bedroom windows are closer, but they have full-length screens and it’s hard to get decent pictures through a window screen. I have tried and failed at this many times.

random thoughts – Day 2,240 (Tuesday) – changes

When I had my annual visit with the primary care doctor several months ago, she referred me for a DEXA scan. I somehow missed this note. A week or so ago, a call came from Lowell General Hospital to schedule said scan before the referral expired. Today was the day.  

DEXA scan day.

Instead of the usual routing via Routes 2 and I-495, which must have been extra horrid, Waze navigated me through a series of small towns where the traffic was light and the roadsides were scenic. The routing swapped out stressful highways for rolling farmland, barns, dairy farms, a wedding venue, an ice cream stand, and quaint town centers. It was a beautiful.

The technician was fun to chat with and scan was over quickly. We covered a lot of topics, including lost medical records, aging parents, and living in the south versus the northeast. We both felt we were at our peak physical shape at 50 when she was running half-marathons and I was playing roller derby, but things have changed. I would love to have my derby legs, butt, and stamina again.

The hospital gift shop is located near the entrance and I always stop in on the way out. There was the usual hospital gift shop items of stuffed animals and balloons on sticks and personal care items. Today, there were extra special surprises with a window display featuring rhinestone encrusted hard shell evening bags. A rack with logo sweatshirts included sequin shawls. Shelves displayed items for the upcoming parental celebration days for mothers and fathers.

The version of me from the 1990s through about 2018 would have pulled out a credit card and bought a fancy purse and a sequin shawl or two without a second thought. That version of me also had a high likelihood (or reasonable hope) of using said fancy items at dressy company Christmas parties, New Year’s Eve shindigs, or any number of fundraiser galas. Today’s version of me resisted. For one thing, the memory of all the fancy handbags and shawls and jackets that live untouched in boxes and closets is still fresh because it wasn’t that long ago all that stuff was moved into the new house. And now my blingy desires have changed and are regulaly met with belly dance costumes.