Sunday, May 19, 2013

Time for a Cup




Or a glass...or perhaps the whole damn bottle...

And yes...rumors of my demise are (as Twain wryly commented) "greatly exaggerated".

It all started with a simple upgrade to the latest and greatest version of Linux...started much too late in the evening...and babysat...until it was very late and I saw it progressing nicely...so I muttered those fateful words

"It's nearly done...what could possibly go wrong, now?"

and settled in for a good night's sleep...prepared to awake to my bright shiny new OS/Update in the morning with coffee.

Apparently the Update requires FULL PARENTAL SUPERVISION...who knew? 

On the upside...after basically an Internetless week...I have honed my telephone skills with those who called to find out if I had Fallen off the Earth and Been Consumed by Dragons...coffee and chat with "Idgy" became a telephone based affair as well...the house has never been cleaner...my mini garden and flowerbeds look amazing and thriving...red geraniums...irises bloomed and no visible weeds...the Frog Spa is re-mossed and filled and ready for the little hoppers...and Tess brought me a tiny black and white feral newborn kitten, a can of Tiny Tiger and Bottle.

 (See what happens when you can't look up cute kittehs on the internetz????) 

One of a litter of four...and she knows I am a sucker for a black and white cat. The rest were variations of tiger stripe.


Tucker is aghast.  

"It's LOUD,  Mom!"

(...perhaps I shall name her mini-me...)

Actually, I named her "Shelby" (like the Mustang GT 500) and to her credit she is just as LOUD comparatively~  and on a more or less two hour schedule.

Chris...ever the comedian...says meditation is, of course, the only answer.

"Ohmmmm...ighad what have I done?"

"Ohmmm...ighad is she LOUD."

"Ohmmm...ighad what the HELL was I thinking?"



In less than three weeks she will be eating solids. And for THAT I am grateful.

                                                            Shelby

A good week. Checked out Charlie's Chill and Grill with Steve, Loretta and Judy. New eatery in Greencastle...reasonably priced...great food and soft serve ice cream...a nice addition to our town.

Spent a lot of time reading/basking/playing in the "dirt".

Now I'm sun-kissed...have 50% of the beds planted and the rest "on the way". The bright red geraniums clumped here and there...some beneath the purple irises give that corner a very "Red-Hattitude" feel!

Awaiting the arrival of my David Austin (rose) and Meyer (potted) Lemon Tree. The latter having a space reserved in my bathroom for the winter months.

This week's books. One non-fiction. One fiction.

The Non-Fiction:  Kiss my Aster a whimsical gardening book by Amanda Thomsen...where the novice may learn a few things...but everyone will laugh out loud.

Her description of blue fescue:
 
"This is short and chalky blue when planted in full sun. It's brown and dead in the shade."

If you love gardening, plants, or just enjoy a good laugh...this is the book for you. 
Excellent and entertaining read.

The Fiction:  Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis. This Oprah Book Club Recommendation is possibly the finest piece I have read this year.  A journey through the lives of Hattie and her children. A black woman transplanted from Pennsylvania to Georgia during segregation and the strength it takes to "get by" sometimes.
Definitely a must read.

 Friday evening spend with Donna, Eric, Dane, Chris and the rest of their "Dag" crew. Us watching the boys with their "Dag Weapons" on the lawn safely out of harm's way. Eric brandishing the grill for kebabs of grape tomatoes...steak...red onion...red, green and yellow bell pepper...smoked sausage...ham and water chestnuts.
"You have to squeeze the grilled grape tomato over the kebab"
and Eric referring to them as

"...grilled orbs of death..." 

Guess who doesn't eat tomatoes?


And catching up with all the boys on Saturday...with an early morning call from James

"Did you know your Town Square is burning?"

Enormous fire. Several businesses gutted. Especially sad given the amount of work recently done to refurbish the Town Square. Happily no one was injured.  And the news of he and Carl...roommates again...working hard and playing hard in Florida.Both considering learning to parasail over the Bay.

Chris swooping by with Zach on their way to who-knows-where...and surprised to see Zach has lost a good 25-30 pounds since college and added a few inches height. It is good to see them out and about together again. Both have the same twisted sense of humor and rapier wit. Entertaining just to watch them banter together.

And checking in with Lennon who is happy and doing well with his classes and has decided to go for the whole four year bachelor program.  
Huge surprise!  And plans to see him next April during the West Palm Beach/Ft. Lauderdale/Sarasota/Tampa/Port Richie tour...and possibly even San Juan for a couple days!

So...hoping to get the remaining glitches worked out with this machine soon and settling in with a bedtime cup of tea...after feeding "Shelby"...again.   

Where the hell does a 4 inch less than 4 ounce kitten put it all???