Good Night, Sleep Tight

19 Aug

Or not, as the case may be.  In addition to my Restless Leg Syndrome, I have apnea, aggravated by the fact that I normally sleep on my back.  Last night was a nightmare.

The Squire and I left Greater Downtown Bradshaw on Saturday morning, and drove straight through to Newport, stopping only to grab a bite of lunch. Finding a place to lay our weary heads was a challenge; the Family Inn has gone to long-term stays only, and the office for the Best Western was hidden away in the restaurant next door. We finally settled on Motel 6.

I’d taken my pills an hour or so before we went to bed, but my legs simply would NOT stop galloping over the bed. If we were at home, I’d have gone downstairs for a third pill and a glass of wine, grabbed a book and decamped to the guest room. None of those options were available, as I’d foolishly brought only enough pills for two a night, and Tennessee does not allow alcoholic sales on Sundays.  I figured by the time I climbed out of bed, found my clothes and drove around the streets of Newport, I’d probably end up calling The Squire from jail. And then, a group of local citizens camped on the motel parking lot, gunning their engines, and laughing and joking until 2 AM. The Squire did get dressed and complained to the front desk, but it didn’t do any good.

We went off to church this morning at Annunciation, and enjoyed a very nice service. The rector is new to us, and preached a very good sermon. There was a woman behind us who had a beautiful voice, and she lent so much to the congregational singing. Caught up with some old friends and just had a pleasant time. One of the best things about the Episcopal church is that, no matter where you go, you are “home”. There are differences, but things are familiar enough that you are never a stranger.

Lunch with The Squire’s sister and her good friend, and then I came back to the motel and actually managed to get a nap, while The Squire went to Sis’s place and helped her with her genealogy website.  He friend, BJ, is a gem. He is much younger than she is, but is willing to help her out with minor problems such as changing light bulbs, and major things such as seeing that she gets to doctor appointments and such. He also watches out for his own parents and another friend. How on earth the man finds time to work and see to his own life is beyond us.

The last time I had a real knock-down, drag-out night such as the one I had last night was in late July, when we drove down to Harrisonburg to visit my nephew. I wonder if the fact that I sat in the car all day long and didn’t get any exercise at all caused the problem? Even when I work, I am up and down the hall to the coffee station and the rest room – it doesn’t sound as if it’s much, but it’s a loong hallway.  Maybe I should get off my duffle bag and take Blazer to the park once in a while?

Hummingbird!

16 Aug

The Squire was sitting in front of the computer this afternoon when he saw what he thought was a HUGE bumblebee hovering around a cleome plant in the garden.  A second later he realized it was not a bee, but a hummingbird. He grabbed the camera and shot this picture through the window; this is only the second hummingbird we’ve seen this summer.  The blossoms on these flowers are only slightly larger than a quarter, and the bird is nearly buried.

hummingbird

Win Some, Lose Some

13 Aug

We have been on a low-carb diet for several weeks but we had a birthday party at church yesterday, and there was no way to avoid falling off the wagon. When we make Mac and Cheese we add some cauliflower to the pasta to help cut down on the amount of starch. I had a lovely head of cauliflower, so I decided to simply cook all of it and pour the chees sauce over it instead of using any pasta at all. Essentially a huge bowl of cauliflower au gratin.

It didn’t work out quite the way I expected. It was so soupy we had to eat it with a spoon. It was that or pour it over a slice of bread, which pretty much defeated the purpose.  I guess I can just put it in the blender and call it Cream of Cauliflower Soup.

One Thing Leads to Another

10 Aug

This morning, The Squire mentioned that the door between the kitchen and the utility room was covered with finger prints. He went to get the Mr. Clean, and I looked for a scrub brush. Before the dust settled, we had scrubbed both sides of that door, removed the cat flap, scoured it, and replaced it. We washed both sides of all the windows, and  I washed the curtains and we rehung them.  Before lunch, no less.

Don’t be surprised if it snows tomorrow.

Wowser!!

7 Aug

There is a doggie day care center up the road from us, which really looks very interesting. The dogs are allowed to mingle in large, fenced off areas, with kiddie pools and toys, running and romping with each other. We are going on vacation soon and I thought perhaps Blazer might enjoy this sort of thing instead of the place where we usually board him.

Well.

They want a “trial day” first, which seems perfectly logical. Blazer has never been around other dogs to any great extent, and I was going to ask about bringing him up for a few hours, any way. However – that trial day costs $47.50, and if it works out we get a 10% discount on the next three visits.

Which cost $55 each.

I don’t think so. Blazer can do his socializing at the local park – for free.

Benjamin

6 Aug

Many years ago, The Squire gave me the American Girl doll, Felicity, for Christmas.  She has red hair and green eyes, as does your truly,  and I named her Kathleen. (Our middle daughter has Kathleen as her middle name.) According to American Girl, Felicity-Kathleen grew up during the American Revolution, which is the era I teach, and I used her as a prop for costumes and such.

A while back, AG came out with a boy doll, but oh, my! he is expensive. Well, everything that comes from AG is pricey, but the dolls are well made and well researched and all that jazz, but I just couldn’t see spending the money on a doll I really didn’t need.

So – cut to another scenario. I was looking for a Heidi Ott dollhouse doll, which are fully articulated, including the knees, elbows, and wrists.  Alas, the 1:12 dolls are not currently available. BUT – there were several 18-inch dolls, including a handsome young fellow named Benjamin, who came to live at our house as fast as the postman could manage it. He got a hair cut, and an Amish friend made him some new clothes. I gave him a dime to put in his pocket, and of course, he immediately had to go spend it on candy bars and ice cream.

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Any ID?

4 Aug

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Itsy Bitsy Spiders

2 Aug

 

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAWhen I sent out to feed the foxes last night I spied what I first thought was a bunch of odd, grey flowers in the grass.  I reached down to brush it, as it looked soft and fuzzy.

It was a spider’s nest, full to overflowing with the tiniest baby spiders I’ve ever seen. Each of the pinpoints in that photo is a tiny spider. We’ve all seen those round beigey egg sacks, caught in webs in corners or under window sills. This is the first time I’ve ever witnessed what happens when they burst open.  (To be honest, if I find them indoors I vacuum them up immediately.)

After I got my camera, I just left them alone.  I know spiders are the Good Guys in the insect world, so they don’t bother me one bit. However, The Squire can go into an arachni-leptic fit if he sees a spider, and there’s no point in upsetting the poor man. Honestly . . .

Little by Little

1 Aug

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThe original part of our house was built around 1935, and judging from the size of the oak trees that grace our back yard, they were planted about the same time.  Which means that they are about at the end of their lives.

The violent storms we’ve had over the last couple of days have brought down some huge dead branches, as well as a lot of little stuff. Some of the branches that fell were large enough to do some serious harm if they had hit either of us.  There’s a lot more dead wood up there, but a lot of green as well, so we shall see. Besides, where will I string my clothesline?

The thought of cutting down those huge trees is heartbreaking. They will leave such a huge hole against the sky!

Clang! Clang!

31 Jul

I was “on the altar” again on Sunday and managed to create a stir.

When I turned to put the offering plates on the side table, I shoved the lavabo onto the floor. Splashed water all over the chair and the floor.  For a split second I considered using the purificators to scrub the floor, but decided that was not an option. The Senior Warden came up the side aisle with a rag and tidied up while I went on about the business of serving communion.

All I can say is, at least it wasn’t one of the cruets.