Spent yesterday visiting SC in Grants. Today, in Santa Fe with MS, D, and MC and J. The latter are engaged: he popped the question on her recent bday.
Back to enchanting skies and weird rooftops! and the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum.
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| Nice Museum |
Abstractions
Dec 3
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| My fabulous earth ship hostess and guru |
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| I cannot sleep in: There is too much to absorb. It’s great to be home. |
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| After the dark night, An interior sunrise Lighting up the soul |
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| More abstractions |
1 C Water
3/4 C dark brown sugar
1/2 C white sugar
1 C sliced onions
3/4 C cider vinegar or white vinegar
2 tart apples (try Granny Smith), peeled, seeded, and diced
1/2 t salt
1 or 2 t fresh grated ginger
1/2 t each mace/nutmeg and curry powder
grated rinds of 2 oranges
1 lb fresh cranberries, washed & picked over
1/2 C currants or black raisins
The strained juice of the 2 oranges
tiny amount of dried, hot red pepper flakes
Simmer sugars and onions in the water for 30-35 minutes.
Stir in vinegar, apples, salt, ginger,
mace/nutmeg, curry powder, and orange rinds.
Simmer at least 30 minutes more, then stir in
cranberries, currants, and orange juice.
Continue cooking at least 10-15 minutes or longer, until the cranberries burst
My hostess LL shared her training from the Cuyamungue Institute on ecstatic trance poses. A very powerful experience.
Dec 4
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| Silver-gold linings To dark low-lying cloudbanks. A raven says hi. |
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| Her family quilt, Tiny stitches, jewel-like I slept very well |
*The photographer of the night skies is Barry Norris. barrynorrisstudio.mac.com
Dec 5
Charleston Airport memorial. Had a fun conversation with a gent whose wife was in the back of the plane. He texted her my plans and she knew all about TH. She said I was living her dream. However, since she is an artist who spends half her time in a Mexican hacienda, I'd say she is living a dream as well.
Started out at Urgent Care, getting tailbone checked out. (No breakages or bruise, but porous from ongoing bone loss.) Then to Hemingway's in Beaufort, SC (where E plays her blue grass gigs.)
Picked up fake tree, in storage with friend, and food. Helped decorate tree.
Dec 7Really rainy. L joins us. I help decorate tree. :)
Dec 8
Stopping by the display of nativities from around the world, at First Presbyterian church in Beaufort, SC. Nucleus was the 40+ collected by Marion Leach. Display inspired by the Trappist monks at Mepkin Abbey near Charleston. Several used local materials, like shells.
Driving to Ormond Beach with big bro and sis.
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| We haven’t left town But it’s time to take a break. Geezers need protein. |
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| We sat in the zone... Fake snow made of soap bubbles. Quite realistic. |
A brief respite at Mom's condo. L and E left in the morning.
Message to LS, who was feeling left out:
Basically
L has been driving for 4 days straight, I've been taking care of
business before I leave the country for another 4.5 months, E and
D are making things happen. The usual!
It all started
with Mom's desire for a visit. I haven't seen her in quite some time.
Then, E suggested I fly out to SC and drive down with her. Since
my back injury has kept me from going to Japan for this month, I decided
to do that, and fly back to England from Florida. When I return in
April, I'll stop by FL again and pick up the lightweight clothes that I
won't need in Norway.
Confused yet?
L helped Mom with her password: her new computer password incorporates
A info, so hopefully she'll remember it from now on. I'm hovering
while she goes through the process of learning the music composing
program. I didn't sleep well last night, so I'm running out of nice,
but she's used to that from me. ;)
All is well for the nonce: I leave on Tuesday.
Merry Christmas!
And then E, the smarty pants, encapsulates it all in a few succinct lines:
Helping Mom with her computer and sending whines to my sibs:
She wants me to teach her how to use Finale, which is an EXTREMELY complicated program. More complicated than Photoshop, which it totally resembles. She doesn't understand that, to use the program, she needs to understand things like "toggle" "click" "uncheck" "page break" "navigation." She needs to know what a control key is. She needs to understand how the editing tools work. AND, she needs to understand that when she is reading a tutorial, she cannot click on anything. (It's not a guided tutorial.)
I think I need to walk away.
Message to Aunt:
I’m at Mom’s. She and LM seem to be doing well. We’re all decrepit. Mom has her usual ailments. LM cracked 4 ribs in a recent fall. And I am recovering from a fall in Ireland. It was actually a slip and hard sit on the outside steps. I finally went to urgent care so I could get a medical refund for my Japan tickets, and the X-ray shows no damage. But it’s still sore. So, I’ve canceled the long flights to and from Japan and have booked up the intervening time on 3 housesits in England. I’ll be in Oxford over Xmas and New Years, And since the train won't be running, I’ll be on my own. That’s okay though. I’m not feeling very festive. But, I’m still happy with this lifestyle!
The weather is lovely here. Not too hot, and not too cold. In other news, N’s second child is due any time now. I mailed off the blanket and newborn hat that I just finished knitting. So for once, I’m almost on top of things. Almost.
Shall we try a Skype on Xmas eve?
Dec 12/13
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| waiting for the daytona/orlando shuttle |
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| ofergawdsake |
"She's a suspicious character"
I wonder what happens if customs decides they don’t want to let you in? This is an important question as I got the major 3rd° today. I didn’t have proof of income and the fact that I had just been here for three months and turned around and came back was VERY suspicious. Having a resident cousin does not absolve me, rather the reverse: they think I’m coming to stay. The credit card was also suspicious because it looked like I was borrowing money... The poor gent was very dubious that I could support this lifestyle. There’s nothing like a white-haired gentleman looking at you with concern and shaking his head to make you question your entire modus operandi.
E says the problem was my immediate return: they thought I was trying to circumvent the 6-month visitor visa rule. And the customs agent did cite that rule, so E is probably right.
Meanwhile I’m here. I didn’t get much sleep last night because the guy next to me was listening to loud music on his headphone: it totally leaked through and he was dancing in his chair and he was really really snockered. But, I’m happy.
Arrived at Leyton house mid-morning and crashed for most of the day. E still at work, R and V in Oz.
Dec 14
Trees in Trelawn Rd
The hard drive from my old computer is in the hands of a sketchy (one might say dodgy) operation on the High Road in Leyton (E’s London neighborhood). It’s a combination dry cleaner and phone store, but he said he might be able to pull the data off of my hard drive. We can but hope. Since I don’t have a phone number for the month that I’m here I gave him my email address but I had to write it on a piece of paper that he stuck to the hard drive and we all know what my handwriting is like. Add to that the fact that English is his second language and I have no idea whether I’ll ever see that hard drive again.
But, as they say in Ireland, that’s grand.
No other news. I’ve been listening to books and knitting and doing laundry. It’s cold enough outside that I am glad my ex-sister-in-law found my coat and gave it to me when I was in Portland last August.
E is still working and tonight he’s gone to hear a folk rap band. I can’t quite wrap my head around it.
I miss R and V: they’re both in Australia. E showed me a video of V; she’s just starting to crawl. so darn cute!
The street here is lined with these great trees! So I took a picture of the trunk.
I know you’ve missed these banal reports. Tomorrow I go to Oxford, which should be more interesting
Dec 15
First world problems: E was worried that I had left confidential info in dodgy hands, and I decided she was probably right. I retrieved the hard drive this am. My guess is that they were ok guys, and if not, that they hadn’t started work on it. I’d told them I was taking off, so there was no rush. And they would have had to work around lack of passwords.
Not sure what to do next, tho.
So, for the next 3 weeks I’m living on an island in the Thames. The dogs are poodles named Lolly and Pop. (The daughter of the family named them when she was 6.) I plan to revel in the view and the walks.
It’s cold so after taking a walk to the covered market and getting a portable coffee maker, I came home to chill out.
This is a lovely town.
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| An exploration Takes me to coffee prison. I may just stay put. |
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| Covered Market display |
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| Performances: Tightwalk fiddler on Cornmarket Street, and my hostess, judge on Strictly Come Dancing. |
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| Then cuddle with the puppies |
First 2 walks: towards Port Meadow and then along Thames Path to Folly Bridge and Christ Church Meadows
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| Along the towpath The beautiful nasty swan Hissed menacingly. |
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| Tom Tower and Gate, Christchurch |
Dec 18
To A:
Thames walk to Christchurch Meadow: Took the triangle back through Jericho in a cold rain yesterday. Today’s walk, though frosty on the nose and underfoot, was nicely lit up with winter sun.
Lolly is now snuggled in my knitting while Poppy is keeping a dozy eye on the backwater.
All remains well. I used your printer yesterday, hope that’s okay. Please let me know if you’d rather I didn’t.
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| Christchurch meadow |
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| A cold wintry light, Frosty nose, frost underfoot, Still water runs deep. |
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German kids punting on the Isis through Christchurch Meadow. The gent sitting on a nearby bench and swigging from the brown-bagged bottle told me one of the kids fell in. He laughed heartily and then confessed it was mean of him. But it WAS funny, he said. It must have been jolly cold. |
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| Looking towards Folly Bridge |
The dogs have been very fussy today. I got up late
(9:30) and when I opened the door to let them pee, they made a break for
the open gate. I had to jump into my host's wellies and race after
them. I was wearing my puppy pj's, bright red. It must have been a
lovely sight.
Then, hysterical barking as they saw a cat, a
mailman, a random person....they were not content to let me drink
coffee and eat toast, so I had to take them on a walk RIGHT NOW. I took
the other side of the Thames and had a nice chat with the lock keeper,
who gave the dogs biscuits while I took some pictures. He lived in the
states for awhile, working at casinos in Atlantic City. His lock keeper
job started as volunteer work. He says that all sorts of boats come
through: they just need to fit under the bridge (which, by the by, is
not that tall.)
I mainly took pix of the graffiti. We came back on the Osney Mill side of the river.
There were various barking incidents, most incomprehensible.
Around
3 they saw a cat and went berserk, so I took them on another walk, this
time going into town for a bit. The Botley road (near my house) is the
only way out of Oxford in that direction, and the traffic was totally
backed up. But there were very few people on the sidewalks.
I'm
enclosing a picture of a boat that I thought was abandoned (it was
covered in leaves and schmutz.) But when we came back along on our
second walk, a young man was climbing in the open hatch, shlepping a bag
of something. So.. I guess he lives there. Many people do live in
houseboats, but they are mainly the long brightly painted type. This
one looks too much like a boat.
Spent some time writing, now going to bed. Good night.
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| The dogs won’t let me Just sit and watch the light change. We must walk....and watch. |
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| Osney Lock and my island |
Dec 20
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| Moorings at Jericho Wharf and Oxford Canal |
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| I think they need a bath! |
I have to get up early tomorrow, so this is a quick note. Still finding new dog walk routes! I left them alone tonight and walked 30 minutes to Christchurch Cathedral for a Christmas Concert. Boy sopranos! And two sing-alongs. I couldn’t remember the words to “O Little Town of Bethlehem” because the tune was by Ralph Vaughan Williams and my memory is tied to the saccharine tune we use in the States. Interesting how the mind works!
TO L: Lovely reverberate music in a lovely (and imposing) setting. I hope to find some more music. So far I’ve spent my week in Oxford walking the dogs along various waterside paths. I have two more weeks to visit the Ashmolean and check out other museums and bookstores. Sigh. So much to do, but I just want to curl up with the dogs and read! I must be ergophobic. Or agoraphobic. Or both!
It was a lovely concert. Must get to sleep now.
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| Carol concert at Christchurch Cathedral (MAO, Music At Oxford now has me on their email list) |
Dec 21
Prepping for Christmas with my cousin, wearing my other cousin's apron. Lefse and decorations
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| train delayed both going and coming: GBR stole at least 2 hours from me! |
Since R and V are in Australia, I came down to London and E and I made lefse. It’s not very good, actually, but we played Baroque Christmas music and also made some decorations. So, it was time well spent. These things are better shared. Sadly, I had to leave too soon: I needed to get back to the dogs, and dark comes early.
Even more sadly, British Railways stole an hour that could have been spent making origami ornaments! The train was 20 minutes late getting in, and delayed another half hour going back, all because of the same disabled train on the track. I mean, fix it already! Still I could have been on the coast run from Seattle, so I won’t complain.
And, it’s my own darn fault for traveling on solstice with the moon and Capricorn lined up, or whatever the hell it is that means all decisions and travel are effed up. (I came home to a Facebook post warning me, too late.)
So, happy Saturnalia!
Dec 22
Ashmolean, at last! A cross between the British Museum and the Huntington. I loved it! But now I’m tired. (With Jerusalem artichoke soup and truffle oil at the rooftop restaurant, plus Christmas turkey dinner, including pigs in the blanket.)
And afterwards, home with Lolli and Pop.
To A: Tomorrow they get pigs ears and wing pix. Anything else?
FYI, I met a tall lanky gent yesterday who told me I needed to watch the dogs more carefully as the boaters are complaining about the poop. Mea culpa. From now on I'll keep them on the lead even when the gate is locked.
FYI, I met a tall lanky gent yesterday who told me I needed to watch the dogs more carefully as the boaters are complaining about the poop. Mea culpa. From now on I'll keep them on the lead even when the gate is locked.
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| You know you are loved When they snuggle on your feet. These dogs are smelly. |
Dec 23
A walk through town followed by book reviews on Goodreads
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| Bridge of Sighs, outside Bodleian |
I did however take a very long walk and located sites for further exploration: the Bodleian, Magdalen College, and Radcliffe Camera. And I learned that dogs are not allowed in the Botanic Garden, and it will be cheaper to avoid the weekend: the weekday is set up without ticket taker, on a donation system. Being cheap, I plan to skip the donation.
I’ll bake tomorrow.
Dec 24
Posted pic of arrival in London 2 years ago. I miss traveling w/ G, but it's good to be able to do what I want to do.
I miss company
But am happy to be home
And not traveling
Today's walk on the towpath: interesting wallBut am happy to be home
And not traveling
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| First try was Grace Kelley. FB games |
By the time you get this I’ll probably be at a midnight service at St Mary Magdalen, always assuming I’m not in a sugar coma. I made fudge yesterday and today I made ginger snaps (without molasses) and julecaga. The latter is in the oven. Lord knows how it will turn out. I had to peel the cardamom out of the pods and crush it with spoons and glass. My kingdom for a spice mill! Or at least a coffee grinder.
The young sprig at the local market stared blankly when I asked for molasses. The inter webs had a ginger snap recipe that used applesauce instead. I substituted marmalade. It actually tastes okay, but the texture is too crumbly.
I’m listening to Messiah, Bach’s Christmas chorale, and now good olde Hildegard.
So, my Christmas Eve is turning out okay. I do miss you all tho. It’s my first Christmas without family, and/or friends.
God rest you merry.
Dec 25
Church was high Anglican mass, almost completely sung, even the gospel. Lots of incense. The priests were so very young. I must be getting old. I was sitting behind a pillar that totally blocked the pulpit, but I could see everything else.
All in all, a good day!
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| Dinner after church at the Mitre |
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| The angel dogs have their Christmas treat |
To the Gang:
I had strict instructions from my hosts’ daughter to put the angel wings on the dogs. They hated it! But it was highly amusing to everyone we met. I like to think we spread Christmas cheer.
Anyway, the day went quickly. I just got off a Gmail video call with Aunt Linda...so that’s another option while I’m off phone. Gmail also has free phone calls through the computer if you want to talk in your jammies and be hidden from sight.
Time for this girl to go to bed. Good night!
Dec 26
I got up late, to a lovely wintry sunlight. So, I took the Thames footpath on past Aldate, where I usually turn towards Christchurch. It went on and on, finally reaching the Iffley road, where I turned back to the city centre. By then, it was cloudy. All in all, I was walking for 3-4 hours, without a break. And yet, the dogs kept dragging me back out! And into a downpour. Dogs. Sheesh. One would think I’d lose weight, but I’m bigger than ever. Sigh.
Spent the rest of the day working on my sweater and watching Paul Hollywood’s City Bakes. (Not a weight loss incentive) The Iceland one was most interesting. G, he was unimpressed with Bourdoin’s in San Fran. Apparently we should have gone to Tartine’s.
Anyway, I made reasonable progress on the sweater. I have to finish half of the front, and then do a collar.
Boxing Day walk route: from Osney Mill south along Thames footpath past Folly Bridge and college boathouses to Iffly Road, back north along Meadow Lane, jackdaw lane to Magdalen Bridge, along High, down Oriel Lane, through Castle and home.
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| It snowed and it’s cold So we walk through the graveyard And call it a day. |
FYI One of the dogs threw up, mainly liquid on the stairs, in P’s room, and on the rectangular downstairs carpet. I cleaned with Febreeze, but is there spot remover if that doesn’t work? What brand do you prefer, if I have to buy it?
Thing 2...Poppy has been eating grass and scratching by rolling on his back, and also shaking his head like he has ear mites. I don’t see anything wrong with him, just letting you know in case it gets worse.
It snowed mildly last night and feels below freezing today (but is not). The Thames is overflowing its banks, but not up to the footpath. We took a shorter walk today, and I let Lollipop loose in Osney Cemetery. Since we followed the Thames to Iffley Rd and back yesterday, I’m not worrying about their exercise. 3-4 hours yesterday makes 45 minutes today okay, right?
To the gang: Snow and cold kept me indoors, trying to finish my sweater. It’s too tight...guess it time for another diet!
Tomorrow I hope to explore a bit more so I have something interesting to share, but I rather like a day snuggling with yarn and dogs.
Dec 28
Frosty Osney Cemetery: a good place to let the pups off lead for 10 minutes before breakfast.
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| But the scarf will stay forever |
The colorful gent was one of the staff: the job is to watch over things and engage visitors. He was indeed engaging. 😺
I believe the bird is the English Robin. He bullied me into giving him some of my treacle cake.
Going to bed now.
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| I look up to meet A fearless, demanding gaze. I set out some crumbs. |
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| I drop my yarn ball In the half-full cup of joe. Natural dye job |
Another walk to Christ Church meadows and back past Dorothy’s birth place in Brewer Rd off St Aldate (at one time the Jewish Road)
Another long walk, checking out the river. It has risen and is rushing
past, transformed from a reflective sheet to a moiling current. Quite
fascinating. Ran into a London couple who’d come down for some green
and were seeking the Botanic Garden. Don’t know why they didn’t pick
Richmond and Kew, but that’s up to them I guess. They had an actual
paper map, so I showed them where the path would take them. As they
walked on the gent commented that if you want directions you had to ask
an American. Not quite sure what he meant by that.Spent the rest of the day reading, knitting, watching bad tv.
Dec 30
I was awakened by a text from Erik: My host will be awarded the Order of the British Empire; henceforth she will be Dame Darcey Bussell. Go figure! I’m guessing her husband will not be Sir Angus....
I have lost track of the days...thought it was Friday. I don’t want to miss hearing the new year rung in!
Finished my sweater. It’s actually too warm, but I’m guessing I’ll be glad of it.
And that’s all!
Dec 31
Walk to Magdalen College to ring out the old year and ring in the new.
I was all alone with the bells and the river and an effing cold wind. Going through the town I was stunned at how many under-dressed young women live in Oxford (and that they will queue in the cold at many clubs). One woman’s skirt was so short you could see her crotch. She was wearing white lace panties. They should have been black to match the skirt.
The Year in Review:
First lines of blogs in 2017 I wrote no entries in Feb and March. I was working, taking
classes, and making plans to enter the Life Nomadic. Apparently I had
no time to write!
Jan: I delivered my rent check and he said, "So, it's 2017 and the world hasn't come to an end."
Apr: We put 5 more boxes in his storage unit in the basement of the building, and he fingered the chicken wire that separates his space from his neighbor's: it has come loose from the staples that moor it to the flimsy wooden framework.
May: I'm sitting in a lovely hilltop house in Petaluma CA, listening to baroque music on Spotify, watching the gentle coastal hills across the way.
• When I came back from Australia, I was loath to do my trip laundry.
Jun: Years ago, I saw a picture of a young woman walking a pack of dogs of all shapes, colors, and sizes.
• We were talking about making music, versus playing notes.
Jul: Years ago I read a book by Rebecca Solnit about walking.
• In looking for community activities, I came across the Claremont Forum.
Aug: Five days ago, hundreds of white nationalists, neo-Nazis and their ilk descended upon Charlottesville, VA, population 49K, to protest the removal of a civic statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee.
• "You are wearing your smug hat," she said to him.
Sep: The GWR train from Paddington to Plymouth goes through green hills and along the southern coast.
• I just re-read one of my private blogs, the blogs where I talk critically of people whom I love, where I question relationships, where I whine even more unbearably than I do in the public blogs.
• I got up early to let the dogs out and do some tutoring.
• I am walking directly into a bright westering sun which has the effect of dimming my vision.
Oct: As I travel around, I'm popping into other people's lives and then out again.
• So, now I've lived through a hurricane too!
• A neighbor with two dogs has been taking me on the twice daily walks, and tomorrow we’re driving to another location
Nov: I was talking with R about a possible writing project.
• People think I'm looking better and that I seem to be healthier.
Dec I'm sitting on the couch next to the snoring dogs, wearing the sweater I've just finished knitting.
Jan: I delivered my rent check and he said, "So, it's 2017 and the world hasn't come to an end."
Apr: We put 5 more boxes in his storage unit in the basement of the building, and he fingered the chicken wire that separates his space from his neighbor's: it has come loose from the staples that moor it to the flimsy wooden framework.
May: I'm sitting in a lovely hilltop house in Petaluma CA, listening to baroque music on Spotify, watching the gentle coastal hills across the way.
• When I came back from Australia, I was loath to do my trip laundry.
Jun: Years ago, I saw a picture of a young woman walking a pack of dogs of all shapes, colors, and sizes.
• We were talking about making music, versus playing notes.
Jul: Years ago I read a book by Rebecca Solnit about walking.
• In looking for community activities, I came across the Claremont Forum.
Aug: Five days ago, hundreds of white nationalists, neo-Nazis and their ilk descended upon Charlottesville, VA, population 49K, to protest the removal of a civic statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee.
• "You are wearing your smug hat," she said to him.
Sep: The GWR train from Paddington to Plymouth goes through green hills and along the southern coast.
• I just re-read one of my private blogs, the blogs where I talk critically of people whom I love, where I question relationships, where I whine even more unbearably than I do in the public blogs.
• I got up early to let the dogs out and do some tutoring.
• I am walking directly into a bright westering sun which has the effect of dimming my vision.
Oct: As I travel around, I'm popping into other people's lives and then out again.
• So, now I've lived through a hurricane too!
• A neighbor with two dogs has been taking me on the twice daily walks, and tomorrow we’re driving to another location
Nov: I was talking with R about a possible writing project.
• People think I'm looking better and that I seem to be healthier.
Dec I'm sitting on the couch next to the snoring dogs, wearing the sweater I've just finished knitting.
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