tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70363852024-03-23T13:23:21.665-05:00Five WellsMary Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00236910059228402369noreply@blogger.comBlogger544125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036385.post-32037893939312263552021-02-19T15:03:00.002-05:002021-02-19T15:03:42.835-05:00Sweeping<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPs9SD260SMg8lmOVHKsQuKh-JEs_49mauh1awL2sxJ9VTo3Iv_b4OA_4LdB6u2Ighr4wpTUYCoAOL8jp3oHy1JegOZYsr-67JBACMq4b7vR0DyyxIgpzzMOZ7OuDwK5vSFDHyMg/s573/Walrus+Carpenter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="573" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPs9SD260SMg8lmOVHKsQuKh-JEs_49mauh1awL2sxJ9VTo3Iv_b4OA_4LdB6u2Ighr4wpTUYCoAOL8jp3oHy1JegOZYsr-67JBACMq4b7vR0DyyxIgpzzMOZ7OuDwK5vSFDHyMg/w200-h163/Walrus+Carpenter.jpg" width="200" /></a></div> I've memorized exactly two poems in my life - both when I was 13 years old - and I've enjoyed them many, many times since then. Yesterday while I was sweeping I was thinking, "If seven maids with seven mops, swept for half a year, do you suppose," the walrus said, "that they could get it clear?" <p></p><p>"I doubt it," said the carpenter and shed a bitter tear. </p><p>Sweeping is like that.</p><p>I don't think there's anything about lyrics that makes them easier to remember, but they are. I think it's because every time you sing the song it refreshes the memory. And you probably sing more often than you recite. So, here's a sweeping reference in lyrics. "Last night in my dreams I was stationed forever on a far little rock in the midst of the sea. My one chance of life was a ceaseless endeavor, to sweep off each wave as it swept over me." This is <a href="http://ingeb.org/songs/olifeisa.html">The Housewife's Lament</a>. It's the first song I learned to play on the guitar. <br /></p><p>I want to choose another poem to memorize. Even at my age, I think I can do it. I thought there must be other poems about sweeping, so I googled it. That's a rabbit hole I really can't afford to go down today. There are more than three million hits. I'll just choose something from my favorite book: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Favorite-Poems-Old-New-Selected/dp/0385076967/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1EOF8JBKY28XT&dchild=1&keywords=favorite+poems+old+and+new&qid=1613608513&s=books&sprefix=favorite%2Caps%2C244&sr=1-1">Favorite Poems Old and New</a> - still in print after sixty years. </p><p>Check back for news of my selection. And thoughts about the other poem I memorized when I was young. </p>Mary Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00236910059228402369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036385.post-85951114386889843332020-04-01T14:01:00.000-05:002020-04-01T14:01:32.273-05:00Trade-offsSo many things in life involve trade-offs. Even the simplest things.<br />
<br />
I keep a jug of cider near my chair so I don't have to get up to get a drink. I know. It's lazy. And I really could use the exercise of going downstairs to get the drink. But lately, I've been thinking that cider has a lot of calories. Maybe I could switch to fizzy water.<br />
<br />
A friend kindly bought me a six-pack of lime fizzy water. I tried it. I LIKE it. But the next day I looked at the bottle and realized I really can't be responsible for bringing all that plastic into the world.<br />
<br />
I googled seltzer makers. I think the results can be summarized as complicated, expensive and definitely not waste-free. I realized that I really don't need bubbles. I just need something a bit more interesting than tap water.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJzpF_cMNWDHsv0MyhbPRqZOX5VLdavubn3wCci3ebgc7ZaXL6gHZvcQphpFVI_Wbtpfp_xylaRBrGZAOWdiyZZKX7AeGqg-Yr7BOrl8tkQ7ob0S8dn1mz101xdvXapyz0Eg2tEQ/s1600/fruit+infused+water.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="161" data-original-width="288" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJzpF_cMNWDHsv0MyhbPRqZOX5VLdavubn3wCci3ebgc7ZaXL6gHZvcQphpFVI_Wbtpfp_xylaRBrGZAOWdiyZZKX7AeGqg-Yr7BOrl8tkQ7ob0S8dn1mz101xdvXapyz0Eg2tEQ/s200/fruit+infused+water.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
This is it! Fruit-infused waters. There must be thousands of possible combinations many of which can be found <a href="https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/10-insanely-easy-infused-water-recipes/" target="_blank">here</a>. I haven't tried them yet, but I'm hopeful. I have to give up bubbles (which my cider didn't have anyway). But in exchange, I can give up calories and AND plastic.<br />
<br />
<br />Mary Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00236910059228402369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036385.post-91274252291204282652018-04-07T13:48:00.000-05:002018-04-07T13:48:00.489-05:00This should still be a good place to record ideas. Sometimes when I'm looking for something I remember writing, I run across other things I've forgotten about but still enjoy.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE0qm8azcy0QdnK9kJ6zHnjxkoESzEl78FrZOnwz2WXNUCAj9VIU4GM2ixJBYd_6jkCtS2KBReRRtOYvY-F2xV4bkRHxHkl8zOYXja7gacrCnbf_cGfTeQ7PgtQLm-5w9LGI4pAw/s1600/Finding+Forrester.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="268" data-original-width="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE0qm8azcy0QdnK9kJ6zHnjxkoESzEl78FrZOnwz2WXNUCAj9VIU4GM2ixJBYd_6jkCtS2KBReRRtOYvY-F2xV4bkRHxHkl8zOYXja7gacrCnbf_cGfTeQ7PgtQLm-5w9LGI4pAw/s1600/Finding+Forrester.jpg" /></a>I've been watching and enjoying <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0181536/" target="_blank">Finding Forrester</a>. I like Sean Connery. And I like stories about smart, decent people. And I like stories wherein the smart decent people win.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">A unique relationship develops between an eccentric, reclusive novelist and a young, amazingly gifted scholar-athlete. After the novelist discovers that the young athlete is also an excellent writer and secretly takes him on as his protégé, they develop an unlikely friendship.</span></blockquote>
That blurb omits several important details. The "reclusive novelist" is an alum of the exclusive prep school that Jamal, the young "scholar-athlete" is attending. And, as the name suggests, Jamal is black.Mary Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00236910059228402369noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036385.post-71149262330922416242017-03-07T08:44:00.002-05:002017-03-07T08:53:01.984-05:00Trading Bubbles<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO_9vOfzfbXmYvIUqZmBaqWDgur1r792LZgpJRaUXdCneBdoguibqZba9_9jp6evGFnyg6-kONtrGj6GvQ443M_-wKTxzdwyV86tkrI2vROSXD-K_VGPFBatAjgpxtHVAg-Enu-g/s1600/FB-Bubbles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO_9vOfzfbXmYvIUqZmBaqWDgur1r792LZgpJRaUXdCneBdoguibqZba9_9jp6evGFnyg6-kONtrGj6GvQ443M_-wKTxzdwyV86tkrI2vROSXD-K_VGPFBatAjgpxtHVAg-Enu-g/s200/FB-Bubbles.jpg" width="200" /></a>I remember when Facebook was all about friends and games. Not that long ago, really. My wall in early 2010 was all about Farmville 'til March when I learned how to post pictures. Then while friends were posting pictures of their meals and their grandchildren, I was posting pictures of garden flowers. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Somewhere along the way, the newsfeed started including "sponsored content," then clickbait. Now apparently it's all about Big Data. <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/next/tech/facebook-vs-democracy/?utm_source=FBPAGE&utm_medium=social&utm_term=20170305&utm_content=825587314&linkId=35127695" target="_blank">Facebook's Algorithm vs. Democracy</a>. Facebook's model seems to be to cram down your throat more and more of what you seem to like. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
The Guardian experimentally created stereotypically liberal and conservative Facebook newsfeeds and asked ten people (five liberals and five conservatives) to use the feed opposite to their own perspective during the month leading up to the 2016 election. The article<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/nov/16/facebook-bias-bubble-us-election-conservative-liberal-news-feed" target="_blank"> describing the experiment</a> appeared on November 16, 2016. I was interested in how they characterized liberal and conservative.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: 115%;">We created two Facebook
accounts from scratch. “Rusty Smith”, our right-wing avatar, liked a variety of
conservative news sources, organizations, and personalities, from the Wall
Street Journal and The Hoover Institution to<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="background: white; color: #005689; font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: 115%;">Breitbart News</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: 115%;">and Bill
O’Reilly. “Natasha Smith”, our left-wing persona, preferred The New York Times,
Mother Jones, Democracy Now and Think Progress. Rusty liked Tim Tebow and the
NRA. Natasha liked Colin Kaepernick and 350.org.</span></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjiIYB4am9yHAI-uD8PIbnQryMf9Z6QnCPCJUsvkfUS6DfNk83cCj2uNe96go3AkJ2VEQJDOCOsoHy_5SUwsmUtEA6sU_6kNdP0rd7P4pycRlst3wvn5wKPqL-GLHaDV4HIqpOzw/s1600/Point.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjiIYB4am9yHAI-uD8PIbnQryMf9Z6QnCPCJUsvkfUS6DfNk83cCj2uNe96go3AkJ2VEQJDOCOsoHy_5SUwsmUtEA6sU_6kNdP0rd7P4pycRlst3wvn5wKPqL-GLHaDV4HIqpOzw/s200/Point.jpg" width="200" /></a>Okay. I read <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/" target="_blank">NYT</a> daily and <a href="http://www.motherjones.com/" target="_blank">Mother Jones</a> occasionally. Not <a href="https://www.democracynow.org/" target="_blank">Democracy Now</a> or <a href="https://thinkprogress.org/" target="_blank">Think Progress</a>. Their coverage is hopelessly limited to Trump politics. <a href="https://350.org/" target="_blank">350.org</a> is too much preaching to the choir and not enough science. I had to Google <a href="http://kaepernick7.com/" target="_blank">Colin Kaepernick</a> but I see how that could suggest a liberal leaning. Let me add that I watch or read lots of C-SPAN, PBS and (gulp) Scientific American.<br />
<br />
But the conservative sites... <a href="https://www.wsj.com/" target="_blank">Wall Street Journal</a> is okay. <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/" target="_blank">Breitbart</a> and <a href="https://www.billoreilly.com/" target="_blank">Bill O'Reilly</a>, nope. <a href="http://www.hoover.org/" target="_blank">Hoover Institution</a> was new to me, clearly conservative but interesting. I heard <a href="http://www.weeklystandard.com/the-crisis-and-the-truth/article/2007097" target="_blank">William Kristol</a> on C-SPAN this morning, so I added <a href="http://www.weeklystandard.com/" target="_blank">The Weekly Standard</a> to the conservative list.<br />
<br />
So, I guess what Facebook doesn't seem to know about me is that I care more about diversity and good writing that progressive vs. conservative.Mary Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00236910059228402369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036385.post-66665753528677720322017-01-05T15:18:00.000-05:002017-01-05T15:18:42.198-05:00I Am From<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLwNI_9J2-vhyphenhyphenI3ElLcu7CZfcVjALyg_fGoFkW0xkb2QpMDWFTcAdZ7UJx_CSQhiEDgdi1S3apTViumeEc1QQJxOGhyphenhypheno974xEPIpd0tzFvXD7f6_TfZvW4SjCdxtpcBmTv528xsA/s1600/Poetry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLwNI_9J2-vhyphenhyphenI3ElLcu7CZfcVjALyg_fGoFkW0xkb2QpMDWFTcAdZ7UJx_CSQhiEDgdi1S3apTViumeEc1QQJxOGhyphenhypheno974xEPIpd0tzFvXD7f6_TfZvW4SjCdxtpcBmTv528xsA/s200/Poetry.jpg" width="131" /></a>A few days ago <a href="http://www.wnyc.org/story/holiday-weekend-special-report-leaked-information-dear-president-great-bosses-mundane-poetry-winter-culture-series" target="_blank">The Brian Lehrer Show</a> on WNYC included an interview with Steve Zeitlin, executive director of City Lore and author of <a href="http://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/?GCOI=80140100767700" target="_blank">The Poetry of Everyday Life:</a> Storytelling and the Art of Awareness. He talked about a <a href="http://www.nyfolklore.org/pubs/voic32-3-4/downstate.html" target="_blank">writing exercise</a> he uses in the Cooper's Union writing class he teaches.<br />
<br />
Zeitlin's use of the exercise was inspired by George Ella Lyon's poem, <a href="http://www.georgeellalyon.com/where.html" target="_blank">Where I'm From</a>. The idea has been used so much that Googling "I am from" yields many lovely poems and nearly as many templates and lesson plans to guide student writers.<br />
<br />
I've been writing a poem. I think this is an exercise that could be done every day with different results.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQuQXUVjs1muBnbtQNnCATIFrgbkvQAF2EpHHu9cUHubpTyrQMpoQBcF-6aJqxWPrfcrQVZWvRnPX2E7klhXdeFbMsRpWfG1rPguFya3drvr9KEQJnvTKVRxbhAAv4HpQ3fx2rQQ/s1600/Wiegelia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQuQXUVjs1muBnbtQNnCATIFrgbkvQAF2EpHHu9cUHubpTyrQMpoQBcF-6aJqxWPrfcrQVZWvRnPX2E7klhXdeFbMsRpWfG1rPguFya3drvr9KEQJnvTKVRxbhAAv4HpQ3fx2rQQ/s200/Wiegelia.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
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I am from the mountains. And the woods.<o:p></o:p></div>
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</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->Solitude, silence and song. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Secrecy and stubbornness.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Ideas and imagination.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I am from the piano <o:p></o:p></div>
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and the sweet, fragrant Weigelia in June. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I am from pine pitch</div>
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And the dirt road with the wooden bridge over the brook.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
Mary Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00236910059228402369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036385.post-8272377924155160122014-11-11T21:23:00.000-05:002014-11-11T21:24:44.980-05:00Clouds<a href="http://cloudappsoc.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/RifatAnkara-700x443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="RifatAnkara" border="0" src="http://cloudappsoc.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/RifatAnkara-700x443.jpg" height="202" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Once in a blue moon, Facebook really pays off. A friend linked to The Verge <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2014/11/10/7187501/6-reasons-real-conservatives-should-defy-republicans-and-support-net" target="_blank">net neutrality article</a>. It was good. Then I had time to browse around <a href="http://www.theverge.com/" target="_blank">The Verge</a>. Almost immediately I found this <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2014/9/25/6133385/out-of-thin-air-is-this-the-worlds-newest-type-of-cloud" target="_blank">cloud article</a> - which led to <a href="http://cloudappreciationsociety.org/" target="_blank">The Cloud Appreciation Society</a>. I LOVE clouds. I learned about the basic Cumulus, Nimbus, Stratus, Cirrus in Girl Scouts. And I've always wondered about them. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">So, I set off on a cloud search which led to <a href="http://www.rmets.org/" target="_blank">The Royal Meteorological Society.</a> Turns out, Brits take clouds rather more seriously than we do. But then there was NASA's <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/135641main_clouds_trifold21.pdf" target="_blank">The Importance of Understanding Clouds</a> where I learned that the key ingredients of clouds are water vapor and aerosols. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I thought aerosols were the enemy. So, I clicked on </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/Atmospheric%20Aerosols:%20What%20Are%20They,%20and%20Why%20Are%20They%20So%20Important?" target="_blank"><b style="color: #2e2e2e; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">Atmospheric Aerosols: </b><b style="color: #2e2e2e; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">What Are They, and Why Are They So Important?</b></a> <span style="font-size: large;">As I had surmised from context in the Clouds article, they are minute particles in the atmosphere. And they're important because they interact directly and indirectly with the Earth's energy budget. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I don't know why it had never occurred to me that the earth has an energy budget. Of the 340 watts per square meter of solar energy that falls on the Earth, 29% is reflected back into space, about 23% is absorbed in the atmosphere and the remaining 48% is absorbed at the surface of the Earth. NASA always capitalizes "Earth." I guess that's another thing I should have known. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1334/413/320/RainbowCloud2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1334/413/320/RainbowCloud2.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">At this point I'm seriously nibbling at the edges of climate change and I'm adding links to my toolbar at an alarming rate. </span><span style="font-size: large;">I paused to find something wrote about clouds a long time ago. I searched my blog for </span><a href="http://fivewells.blogspot.com/search?q=cloud" style="font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">clouds</a><span style="font-size: large;"> and sure enough - there was this great picture of an iridescent cloud. As I was scanning the other articles the search listed, I realized I didn't remember most of the things I wrote here. And I remembered how much I used to enjoy writing them. And what a great place this is to collect links and ideas. </span>Mary Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00236910059228402369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036385.post-31838486306074173802014-01-20T15:52:00.002-05:002014-01-20T15:55:14.009-05:00Housekeeping 101Funny thing about housekeeping: there's a surprisingly fine line between clean and obsessive. I dunno. I mopped the kitchen floor. But it's a bit filmy. I'd better rinse it. And rinse it again. Maybe I should buff it and wax it - not necessarily in that order. "Ah! That looks good," I think - as I bend over to pick up a wisp of cat hair.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikqum8DpilN8e8A1tNI88WMR8NQdFQEcKdkn4RpcCIrAS6qkSUJHtirdt-d549SZWoW83PoqiupWb0jhEA6-JfjxYBqpc1pj2CxwdFUd4xQC7lWz3O-TlmSsi0KGYC5azBgOUOiw/s1600/Gold+Star+Chart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikqum8DpilN8e8A1tNI88WMR8NQdFQEcKdkn4RpcCIrAS6qkSUJHtirdt-d549SZWoW83PoqiupWb0jhEA6-JfjxYBqpc1pj2CxwdFUd4xQC7lWz3O-TlmSsi0KGYC5azBgOUOiw/s1600/Gold+Star+Chart.jpg" height="180" width="200" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
Over the years, I've developed my own weird Gold Star Chart. Even shared it with my daughter. I like it 'cause I don't have to do everything on the list. But if I do most of them, I can more or less keep up. <a href="http://www.rosybluhandmade.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/cleaning-checklist.pdf" target="_blank">Here's another one</a>. And <a href="http://tidymom.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/TidyMomCleaningSeries-1.pdf" target="_blank">another</a>. And <a href="http://images.marthastewart.com/images/content/web/pdfs/2009Q3/ms_checklist_weeklyclean.pdf" target="_blank">another</a>. Oh, face it. There must be thousands.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtOV7QcAUvAvFoD4o65RERr2pTRcMduaEkG-Tmm-vw32b_JVsBjomeqWnygsEYaAuRMoaOXowAiyNVWKxxH-6zSxI3s6cVHSPHwkG0K0rnjquuv44MNY5mNZyiAmt0SSu0lhWfWA/s1600/Kitchen+Checklist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtOV7QcAUvAvFoD4o65RERr2pTRcMduaEkG-Tmm-vw32b_JVsBjomeqWnygsEYaAuRMoaOXowAiyNVWKxxH-6zSxI3s6cVHSPHwkG0K0rnjquuv44MNY5mNZyiAmt0SSu0lhWfWA/s1600/Kitchen+Checklist.jpg" height="155" width="200" /></a><br />
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Then there's the series of pictures I took to illustrate "clean" for my daughter. It's a wonder she hasn't disowned me. Still, I admit, I find these picture to be a useful reminder.<br />
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Okay. I suppose that's enough procrastinating. I should probably go take down the Christmas tree...Mary Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00236910059228402369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036385.post-74143264063293427822013-09-07T12:37:00.000-05:002013-09-07T12:38:20.768-05:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNsngfBeoSrgUo7au_5Q1mbEsbxbA7eg5iKa9llYbKrFfG6TDCIF5CGkgyw8z8HnYx2kdU9ciZduRHb3hV_qFhWAHt0aT4pi1QcRatJcNeBX0OURzFTA4_AB65JklSqYZivqrfQ/s1600/beehive.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNsngfBeoSrgUo7au_5Q1mbEsbxbA7eg5iKa9llYbKrFfG6TDCIF5CGkgyw8z8HnYx2kdU9ciZduRHb3hV_qFhWAHt0aT4pi1QcRatJcNeBX0OURzFTA4_AB65JklSqYZivqrfQ/s320/beehive.jpg" width="240" /></a>It's September. <br />
<br />
Blazers and loafers. <br />
<br />
School buses. <br />
<br />
Goldenrod. <br />
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And the heavenly scent of honey from my hardworking bees. Mary Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00236910059228402369noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036385.post-85002888116040115202012-06-24T10:27:00.000-05:002012-06-24T10:27:15.608-05:00Good Food<span style="font-size: large;">Why don't those words rhyme?</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://thischickcooks.net/wp-content/themes/atahualpa/images/treeillustration.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="This Chick Cooks" border="0" src="http://thischickcooks.net/wp-content/themes/atahualpa/images/treeillustration.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Never mind. Thanks to Ruth for the link to <a href="http://thischickcooks.net/" target="_blank">This Chick Cooks</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="http://thischickcooks.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/chick-pea-salad-with-summer-veggies-250x250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="chick pea salad with summer veggies" border="0" height="200" src="http://thischickcooks.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/chick-pea-salad-with-summer-veggies-250x250.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"> I'm looking forward to <a href="http://thischickcooks.net/2012/06/15/blueberry-burgers-sounds-so-wrong-tastes-so-right/" target="_blank">Blueberry Hamburgers</a>. I've got lots of frozen blueberries to use up before this season's harvest. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">And <a href="http://thischickcooks.net/2012/06/18/chick-pea-summer-salad/" target="_blank">Chick Pea Summer Salad</a>. Yum. </span>Mary Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00236910059228402369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036385.post-57442527525118618412012-06-04T08:17:00.001-05:002012-06-09T07:19:28.026-05:00Facts and Logic<a href="http://static.politifact.com.s3.amazonaws.com/politifact%2Fphotos%2FPolitiFact-Ohio-True.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="We use the Truth-O-Meter to rate the accuracy of political claims." border="0" height="178" src="http://static.politifact.com.s3.amazonaws.com/politifact%2Fphotos%2FPolitiFact-Ohio-True.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Whether or not you agree with <a href="http://www.factcheck.org/" target="_blank">FactCheck </a>or <a href="http://www.politifact.com/" target="_blank">Politfact's </a>ratings, you can learn a lot from their facts and logic - or simply their inclination to look beneath the surface.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Politifact's six ratings, True through False and Pants On Fire, are based on five principles.</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Words matter. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Context matters. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Burden of proof is on the person making the statement.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Statements can be right and wrong. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Timing and information available at the time the statement is made.</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I don't know how or where I developed the habit of questioning so much of what I read and hear. But the habit has served me well. And I still believe that if we all had access to facts and good logic, we'd tend to reach similar conclusions. </span></div>Mary Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00236910059228402369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036385.post-20243373298941709062012-05-15T07:49:00.001-05:002012-05-15T07:49:53.656-05:00Charlie Helps in the Garden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsxeOury8D0usuHQeKufrEvsbo1ymXM2bo3uQq2RgEa2ubprEh46-6S0CJIDpQMbjX-HYV8MRN2f7KaR_g7iGUgKsmFLwmUZsvDs9ncoeMBDyuGjwpdsaausSCAn9VlmXL3XH27g/s1600/CharlieWeeding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsxeOury8D0usuHQeKufrEvsbo1ymXM2bo3uQq2RgEa2ubprEh46-6S0CJIDpQMbjX-HYV8MRN2f7KaR_g7iGUgKsmFLwmUZsvDs9ncoeMBDyuGjwpdsaausSCAn9VlmXL3XH27g/s320/CharlieWeeding.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Charlie's helping Bill weed the garden. It turns out that Charlie's specialty is deadheading dandelions and he's really good at it. He just needs more practice with where to place his feet when reaching for the tasty dandelions. We only let him do this 'cause these are raised beds and he's gotten just lazy enough to avoid lifting his foot the 8" necessary to step into the bed. </span></div>
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<br /></div>Mary Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00236910059228402369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036385.post-54357933434891222572011-06-02T08:35:00.000-05:002011-06-02T08:35:06.146-05:00Why I Can't Get Enough Work Done<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTRcER84eDZ1eZCJz68pbW5S6vO5qZ4hwQ6Z88iAqzH0jwVUENxe4GZDpRNEwG9sIWF8wrvq14wuzHGK2CjFh-liY1N3rYLN-TxWG0mArT9NjkQVFWpef8fj2ay69yyxOu8QeHpw/s1600/Squirrel2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTRcER84eDZ1eZCJz68pbW5S6vO5qZ4hwQ6Z88iAqzH0jwVUENxe4GZDpRNEwG9sIWF8wrvq14wuzHGK2CjFh-liY1N3rYLN-TxWG0mArT9NjkQVFWpef8fj2ay69yyxOu8QeHpw/s320/Squirrel2.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">We were replacing the deck last weekend. Late in the afternoon we took a break to admire our progress, "when glancing aside for a moment I spied..." this baby squirrel. I quickly put myself between him and the cats. B wanted me to pick him up but I thought he'd bite me.</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoIjtr2pb92njNVRAkLiBQPpp3EbCxENCvy8aG8d8OjkqIkoc4nBURp7HxBVgZ1MCbpIDXYwLXnPCiHQdLjKfJa-of8i1NCOQrSWr9SS7vALQZe204s2WTawWOovsG1jFBFsTuLw/s1600/squirrel1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoIjtr2pb92njNVRAkLiBQPpp3EbCxENCvy8aG8d8OjkqIkoc4nBURp7HxBVgZ1MCbpIDXYwLXnPCiHQdLjKfJa-of8i1NCOQrSWr9SS7vALQZe204s2WTawWOovsG1jFBFsTuLw/s200/squirrel1.jpg" width="133" /></a> <br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">No. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">As it turns out he wanted nothing more than to be friends with us. He happily scrambled up B's clothes.</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I suppose this means they've lost their mother.</span></div><br />
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<br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn5yJRJnje4GYnOyqEBosquQEzaDMqdm-Vka47aIuSFbScMPMXGscGl2WS-T_WblXDzzbfQB7-N0PtIWLbo1mwKH4rmkxOHly3eTSszOBeLwh1cKNh0BcSvpXRPAmZHYc4KxBcAQ/s1600/Squirrel4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn5yJRJnje4GYnOyqEBosquQEzaDMqdm-Vka47aIuSFbScMPMXGscGl2WS-T_WblXDzzbfQB7-N0PtIWLbo1mwKH4rmkxOHly3eTSszOBeLwh1cKNh0BcSvpXRPAmZHYc4KxBcAQ/s200/Squirrel4.jpg" width="200" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> We spent the better part of the next hour trying to get him to go back to his tree (and taking pictures) only to have his sibling join him on the ground.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1bWI1ho6s71saBmmOmMjQlxgaAan4HrnupTkX5zgjECe8RKiMAISQowr22srw0sGJXFKTAx9LixPmVGRDDY_sBrRXn4l6VZv067XzMy98aIGMQ6yIsDoSiHGYEEoAs6AKWOB7hA/s1600/Squirrels2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1bWI1ho6s71saBmmOmMjQlxgaAan4HrnupTkX5zgjECe8RKiMAISQowr22srw0sGJXFKTAx9LixPmVGRDDY_sBrRXn4l6VZv067XzMy98aIGMQ6yIsDoSiHGYEEoAs6AKWOB7hA/s200/Squirrels2.jpg" width="200" /></a> <br />
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</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_f5fxrEBwr9d42aijTvOPb_Cf-X0t5EXSeG9emSW9fmUs5eE4Dy0Qd0Tm6XPclDIOywZeNEaNwJ5ys-qgbMLe03_uhngUL08hjMkQTsGplD8XnCHOF-k2DAeH5RKZYV0Tjjnrg/s1600/Squirrel3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_f5fxrEBwr9d42aijTvOPb_Cf-X0t5EXSeG9emSW9fmUs5eE4Dy0Qd0Tm6XPclDIOywZeNEaNwJ5ys-qgbMLe03_uhngUL08hjMkQTsGplD8XnCHOF-k2DAeH5RKZYV0Tjjnrg/s320/Squirrel3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I really don't think B's going to volunteer as a surrogate - tho' I do think it crossed her mind. </span></span></div></div>Mary Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00236910059228402369noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036385.post-87605376564363486472011-05-16T06:43:00.000-05:002011-05-16T06:43:18.542-05:00Survivor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ52AL_1jfSq0WWbqYRrz4S_nBLtpTm1QGkNdueWmwGyRQEfiKJj1qetyGFuUpEAqfaNaPLtqJo_XNIhmAexZk-sfsmKzw7AsYZXrizJbkGMBb0CCtIwE-0tlzoOHpvbdGiiYanw/s1600/Survivorx.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ52AL_1jfSq0WWbqYRrz4S_nBLtpTm1QGkNdueWmwGyRQEfiKJj1qetyGFuUpEAqfaNaPLtqJo_XNIhmAexZk-sfsmKzw7AsYZXrizJbkGMBb0CCtIwE-0tlzoOHpvbdGiiYanw/s320/Survivorx.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Three years ago, we built this garage and driveway over my favorite garden. We moved a lot of plants, but I knew we'd miss some. The next two years one pathetic leaf emerged in this spot. This year, look!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I'm not sure if the message is forgiveness or "Nya, nya, nya, nya, nya."</span>Mary Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00236910059228402369noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036385.post-76030912631137420732011-04-18T09:43:00.000-05:002011-04-18T09:43:24.347-05:00Visualizing My Budget<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhESrUae_6Yn58Z6cbTwygaa-srKPLIk5ej5iMxbq6v7GAGmlrdA4NvHAZE1XZdJivRDq_ZKxVLWyb8Ep9AyZKupmOHt1rGh45XNTQLkLvSoU9SpHEaa8HI7tP3969_nmfVB8Tzyw/s1600/PieChart1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhESrUae_6Yn58Z6cbTwygaa-srKPLIk5ej5iMxbq6v7GAGmlrdA4NvHAZE1XZdJivRDq_ZKxVLWyb8Ep9AyZKupmOHt1rGh45XNTQLkLvSoU9SpHEaa8HI7tP3969_nmfVB8Tzyw/s1600/PieChart1.jpg" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Well, this helps explain why I struggle with my spending. Last year I made $21,000. But I spent -gulp- $9,000 on taxes. I knew I was paying taxes. But I never put the pieces together to visualize just what a chunk of my income that is.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwbxgRLVs2042KFyo9DZQXq82X147rK3Awe0p26N9zGdAwtzCjmnzea3wQluXlOzC-4PFYHX2KLxpQ-OnPlX48SVggP0FCqBnT51hjk1MrQ3v3V2J2HzD1c7jZoYyipPZiJiOHLg/s1600/PieChart2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwbxgRLVs2042KFyo9DZQXq82X147rK3Awe0p26N9zGdAwtzCjmnzea3wQluXlOzC-4PFYHX2KLxpQ-OnPlX48SVggP0FCqBnT51hjk1MrQ3v3V2J2HzD1c7jZoYyipPZiJiOHLg/s1600/PieChart2.jpg" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Income tax (including FICA) is one-third of the total tax. Property tax (not counting the acres of woodland) is the big chunk. I'm clinging to the comforting thought that property </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">taxes</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">, including that huge school tax bill, support my own neighborhood. I love my log house in the woods. But if I had a mortgage, I'd never be able to afford those taxes on this salary. </span>Mary Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00236910059228402369noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036385.post-74073192775245325312010-11-30T10:07:00.000-05:002010-11-30T10:07:04.621-05:00The Most Beautiful Stove in the World<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDDo5MYVRi0v7EuzaFbUSY7ENu1EWgCg75LyJbNHfHIYd4DmCKf-gNmnVZ2GRL9Ta0MM5XouMM_4kWhA9jqtIG6VYUK8w0bl-p8AJ9XW4r9yzUuQ1oU1_zifhs9RUbtCReGYsE5w/s1600/StoveSpace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDDo5MYVRi0v7EuzaFbUSY7ENu1EWgCg75LyJbNHfHIYd4DmCKf-gNmnVZ2GRL9Ta0MM5XouMM_4kWhA9jqtIG6VYUK8w0bl-p8AJ9XW4r9yzUuQ1oU1_zifhs9RUbtCReGYsE5w/s320/StoveSpace.jpg" width="217" /></a>All summer this space silently weighed on my mind and tugged at my heart.My beloved thirty year old Waterford cookstove was missing. I joked that it was spending the summer at rehab camp. But it wasn't funny to me. It was a bit like my house was in a coma - lacking any life energy and seriously in danger. </div><br />
The trouble with cast iron (as my stove repairman repeatedly told me) is that it expands and contracts. Over its 10,000 days of heating my home and cooking my meals, one by one its parts loosened, its screws dropped out, bits of refractory cement turned up in my dustpan. From time to time I replaced worn out parts. I resigned myself to the fact that it became so leaky that it wouldn't hold a fire more than a couple of hours and I was using twice as much wood as I had when it was new.<br />
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<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir6iAAgBTzNk1gWw6b9OktPthgceuQW1cAer0M_gQaQ1lIyIS29zR4OiUSqxZU4RLooAXdogDliABf1rEb6OuNaT12HoPZiDXCJoiLJuZFBreW_ogCKFd_tj6e9ByjSsxeGexOqg/s1600/Stove2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir6iAAgBTzNk1gWw6b9OktPthgceuQW1cAer0M_gQaQ1lIyIS29zR4OiUSqxZU4RLooAXdogDliABf1rEb6OuNaT12HoPZiDXCJoiLJuZFBreW_ogCKFd_tj6e9ByjSsxeGexOqg/s320/Stove2010.jpg" width="212" /></a>Six months and $5,000 later, it's back! In one tiny detail it reminds me of the moment after Maggy was born when a sense of relief washed over me making me aware of how anxious I had been over the preceding months.<br />
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I expected it in August - or maybe September. But one after another, things went wrong in the repair process. Each new problem required another replacement part from Ireland. Is is possible that they don't have air freight in Ireland? When nights got chilly in October my subliminal anxiety edged its way into my consciousness. In November as I planned the Thanksgiving menu I could barely control my frustration.<br />
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Finally the stove's return was scheduled for November 24th - the day before Thanksgiving. The schedule didn't make me feel much better. There was still at least a 50-50 chance something else would go wrong. Tuesday the 23rd, as I drove home from work, I imagined the inevitable phone message waiting for me. Sure enough, the answering machine light was blinking. It was Angela asking if they could bring it Wednesday afternoon instead of morning and trying to reassure me not to worry. They absolutely would bring it Wednesday afternoon.<br />
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Wednesday I occupied myself with distracting chores all day. Mid-afternoon when the truck pulled into the driveway I was cautiously optimistic, skeptical, hopeful and doubtful all at the same time. I couldn't make small talk with Bob. After greeting him and pointing out just where the feet of the stove should go (even after six months of cleaning the floor, the marks where it used to stand were still there) I went upstairs to clean some more. Hours later, there it was in all its nearly new glory.<br />
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On the plus side, Bob charged me just what he'd estimated in August (twice what he'd estimated in June) tho' he said, and I believe, that he'd put quite a bit more labor into it than he'd estimated. On the down side, because of the paint and cement tempering and burning off, I couldn't cook our Thanksgiving turkey in it. Thank heaven for B's gas oven upstairs. Still, we did all our stovetop cooking on the Waterford and enjoyed it's warmth.<br />
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It was truly like watching the house awakening from a coma. And I was thankful. </div>Mary Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00236910059228402369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036385.post-83879909053005464632010-11-19T22:31:00.000-05:002010-11-19T22:31:26.715-05:00Everyday Things<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoRQpGCmQA9q0k1vIyGN_SBf32bK3bO-5tA6_5I2znykJGyWNs9suJxc6JMOmO6UOjYmya640Cf8xFNDo022WAl4GHlQ4olhpk8qYzY78pU56fmnel1KLoeIMISgjS2V2V82CROg/s1600/EverydayThings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoRQpGCmQA9q0k1vIyGN_SBf32bK3bO-5tA6_5I2znykJGyWNs9suJxc6JMOmO6UOjYmya640Cf8xFNDo022WAl4GHlQ4olhpk8qYzY78pU56fmnel1KLoeIMISgjS2V2V82CROg/s320/EverydayThings.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>Years ago I read a cool book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Design-Everyday-Things-Donald-Norman/dp/0465067107/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1290221157&sr=1-1">The Design of Everyday Things</a>. In a modest way, it changed my life. I learned, among other things, that on doors in public places horizontal handles push out and vertical handles pull. It's hard to describe how much that simple concept has simplified my life. <br />
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Tonight I visited with a friend I haven't seen in years. She told me her daughter recently started a business in Human Factors consulting. Who knew that everyday things had become a "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_factors">multidisciplinary field incorporating psychology, engineering, industrial design</a>" called <a href="http://www.humanfactors.com/home/usability.asp">Human Factors</a>. And that this would lead to "<a href="http://www.worldusabilityday.org/">World Usability Day</a>."<br />
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I want to know more about this.Mary Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00236910059228402369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036385.post-4186026546168173412010-10-29T09:22:00.000-05:002010-10-29T09:22:12.906-05:00Latest Project<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLwGX6D9IvEsNiSqoXZN0nFX9WCxVLAt7z0iBDFfsvDOPfvgX4R9U7Ba9t5NNQysPy27qM7q5ldr2wt0I4w-rqaqv2Mr7tyW_Yde_P_UA0UBpX2tIa5HKi-Jyc1a3lm5b7PFQKtQ/s1600/floor6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLwGX6D9IvEsNiSqoXZN0nFX9WCxVLAt7z0iBDFfsvDOPfvgX4R9U7Ba9t5NNQysPy27qM7q5ldr2wt0I4w-rqaqv2Mr7tyW_Yde_P_UA0UBpX2tIa5HKi-Jyc1a3lm5b7PFQKtQ/s200/floor6.jpg" width="133" /></a>I'm torn between surprising Maggy and bragging about the latest DIY project. I'm betting that Maggy will be surprised when she sees this. And by Thanksgiving she will forget about it and still be surprised when she comes home. </div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I've avoided having guests for months because thanks to my four feline friends, my seventeen year old carpet is really, really embarrassing. <br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWKJzIxLLouq2gEU4CHkwOtK00OmT-BxCDYGyZgnyGQ5vD6B5h6RcjYWyDxXwkdH-7_LqHw2i2MaA-yOrkrZwWDb_9C1rRU42Jeqk7e5gHjhCIS0AxpIahdriGdDjeDxZvlQrcEA/s1600/Floor5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWKJzIxLLouq2gEU4CHkwOtK00OmT-BxCDYGyZgnyGQ5vD6B5h6RcjYWyDxXwkdH-7_LqHw2i2MaA-yOrkrZwWDb_9C1rRU42Jeqk7e5gHjhCIS0AxpIahdriGdDjeDxZvlQrcEA/s200/Floor5.jpg" width="133" /></a>Taking out the old carpet was really the worst part of the project. This new wood product is a snap to install. It really won't allow you to do it wrong. </div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">I like the new effect a lot! Can't wait to have company now. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI8NN5_CC8UxFIQtZ_usPJ931j-1NJkw_-N7hhVo8MTarjwxbnH6NbbtQI03dezEtHTocU8mnirjDBkj9wGJnwNIlmk7xAV4i6GKgKtjihRH0Y3kvT5k9wHgpS1va46pAwvmgjrg/s1600/FloorFinal2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI8NN5_CC8UxFIQtZ_usPJ931j-1NJkw_-N7hhVo8MTarjwxbnH6NbbtQI03dezEtHTocU8mnirjDBkj9wGJnwNIlmk7xAV4i6GKgKtjihRH0Y3kvT5k9wHgpS1va46pAwvmgjrg/s1600/FloorFinal2.jpg" /></a></div>Mary Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00236910059228402369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036385.post-7465670337878380292010-08-10T07:51:00.000-05:002010-08-10T07:51:58.125-05:00I Love Summer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_a-4hrI5RHG1z9WOT9YeTfr67NXVA62SLbiC06xXq-6hyphenhyphenDXovHyG3ztiBw9GEkZu2Cwlbx-GlEUaZsdPCK2rorUrv7BIb2XIp9C1d0XaQoGMcv7d1Dss6kB_9MNMlS755GDpIGg/s1600/Tomatoes2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" mx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_a-4hrI5RHG1z9WOT9YeTfr67NXVA62SLbiC06xXq-6hyphenhyphenDXovHyG3ztiBw9GEkZu2Cwlbx-GlEUaZsdPCK2rorUrv7BIb2XIp9C1d0XaQoGMcv7d1Dss6kB_9MNMlS755GDpIGg/s320/Tomatoes2010.jpg" /></a></div><ul><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sungold (very early, very sweet)</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Snow White (sweet, juicy, refreshing)</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Black Cherry (distinctive, rich flavor)</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">random green tomato I accidentally knocked off the vine</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sweet Chelsea (the red one in the back, sweet and juicy, big for a cherry.)</div></li>
</ul>Mary Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00236910059228402369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036385.post-62931835829497686562010-08-07T06:51:00.002-05:002010-08-07T07:10:15.294-05:00The Reality Based Community<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin6SoKnxnhQmTM4IlD7dmyq-iM1OMK4x69pxElEl5RG8pSmAzyuSWobc9WNQrs-Px2NNEHDhAYL_Klg2H7-4HB-nBebGr7iFFt1uya5TTeEm3ObqyvEtwNQKDH50sGTvhN7VuPuw/s1600/CloudRays2July2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin6SoKnxnhQmTM4IlD7dmyq-iM1OMK4x69pxElEl5RG8pSmAzyuSWobc9WNQrs-Px2NNEHDhAYL_Klg2H7-4HB-nBebGr7iFFt1uya5TTeEm3ObqyvEtwNQKDH50sGTvhN7VuPuw/s320/CloudRays2July2010.jpg" /></a>Two delightful rays of reality this week.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Mayor Bloomberg explains why construction of a <a href="http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/08/03/mayor_bloomberg_on_mosque/index.html">Mosque near Ground Zero</a> will proceed. We do not allow our government or individuals to interfere with each other's religious practices. Or with the lawful use of private property. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Federal Judge Vaughn Walker handed down a decision overturning California's <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/05/us/05prop.html">ban on gay marriage</a>. We don't allow a majority vote to deny human rights to a minority. Government's role in marriage is to record who is married and enforce laws that ensure that marriage partners are treated fairly. Individual religious beliefs may judge whose marriages are sanctified within a particular religion. But that is not the role of government. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>Mary Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00236910059228402369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036385.post-41181063423158170422010-07-25T11:56:00.000-05:002010-07-25T11:56:18.487-05:00New LookIt's that time in summer when one welcomes a rainy day to catch up indoors. I should be balancing my checkbook. But Blogger has made it easier to change the blog template. So, here's a new look for you and an inspiration for me to write here more often.Mary Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00236910059228402369noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036385.post-72828261429346383722010-07-17T08:53:00.001-05:002010-07-24T09:35:16.271-05:00Breakfast<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJEO447O8BWAo1wNGkYhDX1dDMsVK23Nnw9v7rtfDtJWLSIvXM7CgWBAy_mJYmwcuZc4kIIA2JcAhYyUPRgQu00Ax6bGXdBzLGoK4KDxGmEQsuq2341ez-ax7hVGanC9NF8N6U6g/s1600/Breakfast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJEO447O8BWAo1wNGkYhDX1dDMsVK23Nnw9v7rtfDtJWLSIvXM7CgWBAy_mJYmwcuZc4kIIA2JcAhYyUPRgQu00Ax6bGXdBzLGoK4KDxGmEQsuq2341ez-ax7hVGanC9NF8N6U6g/s320/Breakfast.jpg" /></a></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Homegrown eggs and blueberries with Rosemary peasant bread from Wegmans. It just doesn't get any better. </div>Mary Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00236910059228402369noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036385.post-79324763040495724842010-07-15T09:35:00.002-05:002010-07-24T10:51:41.132-05:00Wardrobe<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC6a_cq27WZIxIrBCLK0Sd5Dewqzi4M-dbiq8YztSTVu1z5gkLi28VYW2C7SAY_Fexpo8R9UJmW4sm4kosmB5dQAaDoRrkxrx0ab14AjgKf_Gh9PAlukecCeqg_kknhuoUQxXLhQ/s1600/Wardrobe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC6a_cq27WZIxIrBCLK0Sd5Dewqzi4M-dbiq8YztSTVu1z5gkLi28VYW2C7SAY_Fexpo8R9UJmW4sm4kosmB5dQAaDoRrkxrx0ab14AjgKf_Gh9PAlukecCeqg_kknhuoUQxXLhQ/s320/Wardrobe.jpg" /></a> <br />
I dragged a few bags of stuff out of my "hoarding" room to Salvation Army last week. My reward for this virtuous recycling was a chance to browse in the Salvation Army store. I scored a summer jacket, a pair of camel colored Ralph Lauren jeans and four shirts, including a perfect color and fit linen shirt and a beautiful silk shirt with a twill stripe accent - all for $20!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq0_OJBc6L7bDFnCyQ4sLrQt_643TvGqsoH2_zsJCzFBY78sU6qsQ0MEHWUtS_kvrMTNIGRTc3MrCpaZDhI0W5tBgU0KS1ETfE576IbehpNXLfhwZXDlNdQFFEvS8iWBekK78BPQ/s1600/ShirtBefore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: right; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq0_OJBc6L7bDFnCyQ4sLrQt_643TvGqsoH2_zsJCzFBY78sU6qsQ0MEHWUtS_kvrMTNIGRTc3MrCpaZDhI0W5tBgU0KS1ETfE576IbehpNXLfhwZXDlNdQFFEvS8iWBekK78BPQ/s200/ShirtBefore.jpg" width="140" /></a><br />
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Here's the favorite peach colored linen ready for work. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEingJnCVK4kB1l0OLFevEJG-WjB8UhZKSg3TOxKbF3xRYK1uyrGLX15akQ5lhAjbffnEHobfkIm5irHT9t-Llto_nWD6r8d-x8b36pVo1NYE9lGHsXpSd9bMKscydmDz2kMqcunMw/s1600/ShirtAfter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEingJnCVK4kB1l0OLFevEJG-WjB8UhZKSg3TOxKbF3xRYK1uyrGLX15akQ5lhAjbffnEHobfkIm5irHT9t-Llto_nWD6r8d-x8b36pVo1NYE9lGHsXpSd9bMKscydmDz2kMqcunMw/s200/ShirtAfter.jpg" width="142" /></a> <br />
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And here it is after a day at the office. I know how it feels.Mary Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00236910059228402369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036385.post-6457381882517891782010-07-12T08:37:00.001-05:002010-07-24T08:53:26.830-05:00Belated Happy Birthday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6FThaaD-FsvnHM3VDYZCVeGcz3D2uQK5xTpy9457QaZYDFL2CWJ8ZahRpcI3WF_k6AWEWlgpasOsLFDal0QB1jRjcc-8l7yj0VUXztQ7oNwtkVICtt24NcJ0bqU59P-2jKSjRRQ/s1600/MaggysMustang.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6FThaaD-FsvnHM3VDYZCVeGcz3D2uQK5xTpy9457QaZYDFL2CWJ8ZahRpcI3WF_k6AWEWlgpasOsLFDal0QB1jRjcc-8l7yj0VUXztQ7oNwtkVICtt24NcJ0bqU59P-2jKSjRRQ/s320/MaggysMustang.jpg" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Belated Happy Birthday to Maggy. Part of the reason Maggy lives in New York is that she doesn't want to own a car. Still, even as a rental, this Mustang convertible added a lot to her birthday experience.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: right;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2lZ1wMbOwRCMujk75pjAEEZC_I5BPybSlcCrKFv1FL_nmrj9dJVgcMsGR9r6LGHMvMpp6d9lwB9ne-tw9rOdthruymIid9OKZXjdBfgb_XGXhCQ4JRo84D7b6MHR4vlvvg7d37Q/s1600/Maggysbirthday2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2lZ1wMbOwRCMujk75pjAEEZC_I5BPybSlcCrKFv1FL_nmrj9dJVgcMsGR9r6LGHMvMpp6d9lwB9ne-tw9rOdthruymIid9OKZXjdBfgb_XGXhCQ4JRo84D7b6MHR4vlvvg7d37Q/s200/Maggysbirthday2010.jpg" width="200" /></a>Here's one of the gifts she gets to keep: Bill's painting of pigeons - Maggy's favorite New York wildlife. </div>Mary Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00236910059228402369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036385.post-17354927206638258052010-07-05T19:29:00.005-05:002010-07-28T08:24:49.880-05:00Independence Day<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUPzS8_JatFID9JdT3UcIVW6PVgKHQ1_u9jbMFyGp32htcJGvAWtbKfwjjLdo2L88WKhPzMSQLuKnI1dF9irJdYqNU8faImXlPQIJv11KGOhPkuV458j_kYSdXaL6K3QfmRejpbg/s1600/Clouds2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUPzS8_JatFID9JdT3UcIVW6PVgKHQ1_u9jbMFyGp32htcJGvAWtbKfwjjLdo2L88WKhPzMSQLuKnI1dF9irJdYqNU8faImXlPQIJv11KGOhPkuV458j_kYSdXaL6K3QfmRejpbg/s400/Clouds2010.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Late afternoon overhead view from my deck.</span></div>Mary Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00236910059228402369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036385.post-85469764045518688772010-06-09T09:27:00.000-05:002010-06-09T09:27:51.000-05:00Open Door PolicyDuring nice weather I often leave the door open a bit so the cats can come and go rather than trying to keep track of who's in and who's out. I don't have a kitty door because I really don't want 'possums and raccoons coming in. While Belinda was away, I put a note on the door reminding Bill not to let the cats in. I patiently tracked the cats down each morhing and put them out when I left for work, secure in the knowledge that when I came home the house wouldn't smell like the litterbox and I wouldn't trip over a cat herding me toward the kitchen. On weekends I spent blissful hours doing housework without tripping over cats. Housework went faster 'cause there was no litterbox to clean, no new stains on the carpet, no chipmunk parts to clean up and hardly any cat hair on the furniture. I could even sit down for a break without cats trying to settle on my lap.<br />
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It's more complicated when Belinda's home. I work late many nights. She believes, as the cats do, that they should eat at the same time every day preferably at the very predictable hour that she gets home. She feeds then and naturally doesn't want to wait for them to finish eating and go out for their after-dinner business. So, she leaves the patio door ajar. I accept this because the roomful of moths when I get home late is better than cleaning the litterbox and the carpet. (I can't wait to get rid of that carpet.)<br />
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Last night when I got home just before midnight, I muttered to myself about the open door and the kitchen light on, gave the kitties a snack and fixed some dinner for myself. For a while it was two cats in, one out, four out, two in, one out, etc 'til I stopped paying attention. An hour or so later, when I noticed that they were all asleep within arm's length of my chair, I pushed one off my lap and went downstairs to close the kitchen door. There was a furry face in the door. As I mentally re-counted the cats I left upstairs I realized it's one of the two young racoons who come to vandalize the birdfeeders every night. It's hard to blame him. The cats hadn't finished their midnight snacks and the dishes are just inside the door. I've never been very nice to the vandals, so he still doesn't like me much. When I say, "Shoo" he goes. But, I need a new door policy. <br />
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Please don't lecture me about rabies. I understand. I respect this pair of racoons and, for the moment, they respect me, too. Getting in my car and driving to work every morning is no doubt riskier than my occasional, brief interacttion with the racoons from a polite distance. Still, I need a new policy.Mary Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00236910059228402369noreply@blogger.com0