2011 — Another Year Over

The finished basement finally was really finished with the books and bookcases brought down in January. Then the furnace and water heater venting problems were addressed resulting in replacing the water heater and the vent. The new tank has electric ignition (instead of a pilot light) so it will NEVER go out!

Also had an energy audit that reduced air leaks A LOT! From 1250 cfm to just over 300. The fireplace had to be sealed up in order to achieve that. Fireplace looks good…just can’t use it.

2011 was a brutal year for weather. We had record-breaking snow and by the end of the winter I was really, really glad that all I had to do was shovel off the deck and my car. The rest was taken care of. One benefit of condo living!

In April my mother passed. She was 5 months short of her 99th birthday.

The end of June I went to Maryland. Anne gave me a birthday present of a day at Sandy Spring Adventure Park. I kept thinking it was just zip lining, but what it turned out to be was a rope course. Long story short…after the 2nd zip and in the middle of the 3rd set of challenges I froze in fear. I could not get myself to go over the slack cable. Yes I was hooked in. Yes I had two slack cables to hold on to. But fear is fear and I aborted. It wasn’t until after that I got mad at myself. So I’m doing a lot of visualization (and not enough balance work) and in June of 2012 I will go back and I WILL COMPLETE that run. If I don’t do any more than that one, its OK. But I will do that one!

Summer saw record high temps and lots of rain…notably tropical storms Irene and Lee. Each of them dropped enough rain to fill the basement window well causing minor water issues. Irene was worse than Lee for window well flooding. The condo association is working on the “why” it happened in hopes of preventing it from happening again.

September saw me on Cape Cod at the same cottage I’ve been going to for 22 yrs. In October I went to Maryland to work as a volunteer at the Next To New Sale at Sidwell Friends school in D.C. Exhausting but fun.

On October 29th, Connecticut was treated to a major snowstorm while the trees were still in full leaf. I went to bed that Saturday night with my bedroom window open and listened to the snap, crack and hiss of trees breaking and falling. While most of the state was without electricity for up to 10 days, I did without for 37 hours. I don’t know how others did without for 10 days!

A week and a half after the snowstorm I rode my bike the length of the “impassable” Windsor Locks/Suffield Canal path. It was blocked every few feet with downed trees, but I managed to go over, under, around and through all obstacles. At one point I was pinned by my upside-down bike to a limb that had me snagged and my cell phone was on the ground six feet behind me. Obviously I got out of this jam unscathed. (What doesn’t kill me only makes me look forward to another adventure!)

Now winter is here, the end of another year, and the weather has been unbelievably mild so far. We have set records for high temps in the summer and precipitation for the year…warm and wet! My creative urges have been satisfied with cooking (most unlike me!) and, now that my sewing machine is up and running, probably some sewing. I haven’t written any poetry since August.

Since it’s the end of the year I feel I should have some words of Wisdom to offer. I don’t think I can do any better than what I wrote in my May 3, 2011 posting:

We can’t keep throwing hate at hate and expect our problems to be solved. Only Light dispels the darkness and only Love will replace hate.

I ask you to pray that Love and Light replace negativity on the planet.
I ask you to pray that all negativity be transmuted back to the Light.
I ask you to pray for Peace.
I ask you to Love one another.
I ask you to try really, really hard.

Happy New Year, everyone. May Peace be the theme of 2012!

Impassable Canal Path – or so they said!

Today was an absolutely beautiful day…deep blue sky, not a cloud in sight, temps around 70°. How could I resist taking a bike ride…especially since I had not ridden since Sept. 22nd, when I was on Cape Cod.

I went down River Road in Enfield. The damage from the snowstorm was pretty much cleaned up. At the East Windsor town line it becomes North Water Street, and was open all the way to Bridge Street. The transformer and pole that had been blocking the road is now repaired.

I crossed the bridge to Windsor Locks and made a right onto the access road to the canal path. Already I could see trees down and lots of debris, and the entrance to the path was bridged by a small partially fallen tree. Two young men were fishing in the canal (are you kidding me?) and I asked them about the path. They said it was pretty bad and I wouldn’t get very far. That’s like showing me a sign that says “Do Not Touch - Wet Paint.”

Within a quarter of a mile from the entrance I encountered the first of many obstacles…some were not so bad and others were very challenging!

Photos of canal blockages

If you go to the link posted above you will see the pictures I took.

All the photos were taken in the first mile. When I got to the railroad bridge, my camera battery gave out. There was only one horrendous hurdle after that and a lot of little stuff. But this last big blockage was a quadruple branch over which I had to lift my bike from branch to branch. At one point my bike was practically upside down. It had me pinned to one branch while my shorts were caught on a snag and the handle of my bike was caught under part of the limb. I will admit I was a little concerned at that point. The way I was pinned, if I moved the wrong way the next snap I heard would have no doubt been a leg bone. But I managed brute strength and got the bike up and over and out. Then I went back and retrieved everything that had fallen out of my bike bag. ☺

I tried very hard to locate the eagle nest. From the Enfield end of the railroad bridge I scanned the canal bank with binoculars, but saw nothing. I was told this was the spot to see the nest. Could be there’s still too many leaves on the trees. Once on the canal path and right at the railroad bridge I scanned the trees…no nest. Either I missed it or the nest came down in the storm. Probably won’t know until they open the path next April (or not). Eagles nesting will keep the path closed until July 1st.

Riding Route 5 south to my street was a challenge. People have shoved the fallen tree branches out onto the shoulder where I ride. I had to dismount and walk around these obstacles a couple of times. At one point, I had to divert to the sidewalk.

All in all, it was an exhausting 12.44-mile ride. Normally it’s a piece of cake. Today I had to climb over more trees in one 4.5-mile stretch than I’ve climbed over in a lifetime of walking/hiking in the woods! ☺

I invite you to check out the photo album indicated above and marvel at how, if there was a Badge for Lack of Good Sense, I earned one!

Until next time…

Historic Snow Storm – October 29 – 30, 2011

For pictures go to:
What it looked like at my house

North Water Street in Warehouse Point

And best of all…Andy’s house in Warehouse Point

This storm was no surprise…it had been forecasted for days, and because all the trees still had leaves it was a disaster waiting to happen. AND happen it did!

I can speak only for the towns of East Windsor, Windsor Locks and Enfield, Connecticut.

I lost power at 11 p.m. on the 29th here in Enfield. I went to bed with my windows open a bit and listened to the trees in the woods booming, cracking, snapping and wooshing and they snapped and fell. Eventually I feel asleep until about 7 a.m.

Sunday, October 30th
Once I was up, I didn’t know what to do. Because of no power, my morning routine did not exist, so I walked around the house in a lack-of-caffeine fuzzy haze. I got dressed by flashlight but was unsure what to do next. No coffee, no morning news on TV, no catching up with email or Facebook. I was very concerned about what I was going to do for food…I had plenty, but I couldn’t cook it. And, how was I going to keep warm. If there were any warming centers in town how could I find out about them? Even my cell phone service was down.

I shoveled out the car and went to Friendly’s restaurant down at Sophia’s Plaza in Warehouse Point. Closed. Noticed I had a call from my daughter, Anne, in Maryland on my cell. I was able to call her back with false reassurance that I’d be just fine. At least it was warm in the car from a combination of sun and heater.

I spent a lot of time looking for coffee, food, and my lost wallet (yes, lost wallet).

Headache over no coffee and distress about the wallet. ☹

By noon I was getting very hungry…no breakfast. I opened a can of tuna and ate just a little with crackers…had to conserve…don’t know when I’ll get real food.

Threw my sleeping bag into the back of my car thinking I would go to Barbara’s (friend) because I knew she would have the wood stove going and had a gas cook top. But went to Pat’s (another friend) instead hoping their generator would be working. Not!

Still no coffee!

I went back home and put on three layers of clothing, wrapped up in my sleeping bag and sat in a rocking chair in my living room. The temperature inside was down to 55°, no TV, radio, phones…I felt so isolated.

THEN, the light must have hit it just right because I suddenly saw MY WALLET! It was on the TV stand next to the sliders to my deck. I must have walked past it a dozen times…why didn’t I ever see it? So grateful. Tears even.

Now I needed real food. Hot food. But how do I find out what’s open and serving food? Go to the Enfield PD, of course. The dispatcher didn’t have a clue, but a gentleman in the lobby directed me to the Red Rose restaurant in Springfield, MA.

There was a wait of 1½ hours, but it was warm and the food, once I got a seat, would be hot. I eventually got a seat in the waiting area and checked my cell phone to see if I had service. I had a missed call from my daughter, Kathy. I looked up and saw her. There she was in front of me. I had to call her name twice before she realized it was me calling her. Too funny. She and Lou were there for dinner. I joined their reservation and within 20 minutes or so we were seated.

Coffee…three cups later I was finally headache free.

Monday, October 31st
Kathy and I wound up in Springfield on Riverdale Road at a Burger King for breakfast. We were also able to stop at a gas station that had gas and no line.

We then made the rounds…Paul, Andy, then Kathy booked a room at the Clarion Motel in Warehouse Point. From here I let Kathy off at her house and I went to see Pat in Windsor Locks just as she was leaving for a motel. I was at Alice’s checking up on how she was doing when the power came on. It was 11:55 a.m. Thirty-seven hours without power. Since we both live in the same condo complex I knew I had power too! We jumped up and hugged each other we were so happy.

Since then I have opened my home to family and friends needing a shower and BYOF for a hot meal. I have had takers…my pleasure!

We have lost our ability to live as our pioneers did. We’ve grown soft because of all our technology…and happily so until something like this happens!

One thing I noticed is that people at intersections with or without non-working traffic signals were very good about stopping and taking turns going through. People I saw were very patient. The one place where I suspect patience was worn thin was the gas station on Route 5 at Exit 46 off I-91. They had two Enfield cops there to keep things moving in an orderly fashion. You could tell which neighborhoods had power because the gas stations were pumping and the lines were long.

So, all in all, my life is slowly returning to normal. Please keep a good thought for those who are still waiting.

What I Did On My Fall Vacation ☺

Tuesday, Oct. 18, 5 a.m. Groan! Are you kidding me? Why am I up at this gawdawful hour? Oh, yah. I have a flight at 8 this morning to Baltimore. I’m going to DC to work on the Next-to-New Sale. The sale benefits the scholarship fund, so it’s a very important event. This was my second year and I’ll be back next year!

Coffee pot started; ran up stairs to get dressed; finished packing; lugged everything downstairs; drank coffee, downed two pieces of toast; lugged everything (very heavy suitcase, very heavy backpack, purse) out to the car.

Back in the house to double check:
drapes, blinds, curtains closed…check;
clock alarm shut off so it won’t go off at 5 a.m. every morning while I’m gone…check;
garbage taken out…check;
water heater turned down to “vacation” mode…check;
make sure thermostat is OFF…check. Well, I guess it’s time to go.

I drove to the home of my friend, Pat, and she took me the final 1+ miles to Southwest Airlines Departures.

Anne picked me up at BWI and we headed straight for Sidwell. Once we got in the gym I went straight to “textiles” where I spent the next 5 hours sorting and pricing bedding, table cloths, etc.

At 3:30 I went over to the bicycle section where I would stay for the remainder of the sale. At 4 p.m. the doors were opened.

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday were each designated for different groups of the Sidwell “family”. On Friday and Saturday the doors opened to the public. Also on Saturday, it was homecoming day so we had a lot of alumni and parents of alumni as well as the general public.

Each day started with my needing to get up no later than 7. It was easier if I waited until Rick and Jacob were out of the house…fewer people to deal with. After coffee and getting dressed it was a quick breakfast and off to the sale with Anne. We would get there around 8:30ish…after leaving Andrew off at his school.

The doors opened 9:30 and closed at 9 each night except Saturday when they closed at 4. Anne would try to get me home at some point during the very late afternoon, then she would go back.

On Thursday night, Anne and I went to a Celebration at The Sienna School, where Andrew goes to school. There should be more schools like that!

Anne was co-chair of the entire event this year and she, her co-chairs and her entire core committee did a magnificent job! Plus, congratulations to ALL the volunteers.

On Sunday morning Anne and several volunteers went back to finish cleaning up. A lot of packing up of left over clothing, textiles, etc., was done Saturday night after the sale was over, but there was still a lot to do. I stayed home and had a late breakfast, packed up my stuff and waited for Anne to get back so I could get to the airport to come home. By the time she got back she was so exhausted Rick volunteered to drive me to BWI.

Different charities came Sunday morning to pick up the left-overs!

My day-to-day in the bicycle department was to sell the bikes that were donated. We had everything from the sublime…the highest priced was $175…to the sad little Mongoose kids bike with the front tire off the rim, lots of rust, needed a new seat, but the frame was good…priced at $5. We also had trail-alongs and trikes and biking shirts and shorts. Also in our section were the strollers. I never did count how many bikes we had, but it was a lot as you can see from one of the pictures. As for the bikes: we sold all but one of the trail-alongs. I learned last night that the bike sales were record-breaking. The entire sale came in at a couple hundred dollars short of an all time record high.

I flew out of BWI for BDL at 6 last night (Oct. 23rd) and was picked up by Pat. We sat at her house drinking coffee for a while, catching up on our respective weeks.

I slept until almost 8 a.m. this morning and plan to do nothing for the rest of the day. Starting tomorrow it’s back to the dust cloth, vacuum and window cleaner. Yes! I have to finish my fall cleaning before it all needs to be done again! ☺

I have two weeks to get my Christmas book to Staples for printing. I’m early this year because I have a 30% off coupon. That will make a big difference in the cost to produce 12 books.

So, there you have it. I'm sure I forgot some of the things that happened during the week, but, until next year…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

There’s a First Time for Everything!

My Beautiful New Mantle
A few months after I settled into my condo, I was in Goodwill looking for something…don’t remember what. However, I did find these beautiful candle holders. Perfect. Well, guess again. When I put them on the mantle they were too wide! My bargain $4 each candle holders would not fit on my mantle…for a year they sat on the hearth. There was a solution…but it cost me!

After a year of planning and saving, my bargain candle holders have a brand new mantle to sit on. The old mantle was very narrow and painted. When I taped up Christmas decorations the tape pulled the paint off. Ooops! ☺

I had never stained anything before and here I was faced with this super important focal point in my living room. I took more than one deep breath before I started. I consulted my son, Paul, since he had done an entire floor and knew more than me. His advice was priceless!

(exhale! ☺☺)

Spaghetti Sauce
This I don’t have any pictures of…just use your imagination. ☺

I had the opportunity to get a lot more tomatoes than I could use right away at the end of the tomato season. I had never prepared tomatoes for freezing before but I knew you should blanch them first to take the peels off. With one batch I tried squeezing the water out of them before freezing and decided that was not my method of choice. The next couple of batches were frozen whole (after blanching) and I’ll poke holes in the freezer bag when I defrost them for sauce. The liquid can drain out the holes and save me the squishy job.

Even though the seeds are not an issue, I think next year I’ll de-seed the tomatoes in addition to blanching.

Doing things you’ve never done before…that’s what keeps life interesting. ☺

Cape Cod 2011

Saturday, September 17 – travel day
Up at 5 a.m. Yuck! Coffee was the first order of business, then get dressed and start finishing packing. Suitcases (yes plural…one summer clothes and one winter clothes) and box of bathroom stuff brought down to the front door. Then all bedding put into one of those bags you vacuum the air out and it compresses to almost nothing. Bedding is kept clean and takes up hardly any room in the car.

Sunday, September 18 – Day 1
Breakfast out and then beach hopping. It was very windy and off and on showers. Good day to just go looking.

Stopped at Billingsgate Art and Antiques on Route 6 in Wellfleet (next to Dunkin' Donuts) just to see if they might have some sort of bench I can put in my bathroom. I've been looking for cane or rattan or just anything! Found this bench. Has the ugliest hand painted oil cloth cover on the seat. Seat cover will be replaced and the bench will be painted. I think I'm happy!