One Person's Junco ...

We have a birdfeeder in our back yard and one on our front living room window. And this year, more than previous years, we have a local small flock of juncos visiting. They've become my favorite bird. They apparently come "south" to here for the winter (?!), living in Canada in the summers. We used to get them passing through for a few days, but I'm convinced it's global warming that's making this their southernmost stop. Whatever the reason, I'm so glad they're hanging around. They're pretty and their behavior is too cute for description. The best I can do is to remind you of the song and scene in "The Music Man" where the women of the town get together and gossip. They sing "Pick a little, talk a little, pick a little, talk a little, cheep! cheep! cheep! Talk a lot, pick a little more." That's exactly what juncos look like when they look for food. They're mostly ground feeders and like bare ground where they can kick things about to look for seeds. So under our birdfeeders is usually where you'll see them. But the front feeder, the one with a mirrored back that sticks on the window, is apparently close enough to a ground feel for them to get into the feeder sometimes and then I can watch them closer. What adorable birds--a little bigger than chickadees and busy, busy, busy.

Here's my photo of a chickadee in the front
feeder. It was determined to get its breakfast! I got relatively close and shot this. I love this feeder ... and so does Susie the cat. The other day she thought for sure she'd catch one of the birds. We call it birdievision.

I know this is probably not the "right" way to use a blog--I should maybe be more introspective but you can bet that won't happen this publicly, even if only 2 or 3 people read this--but I just had to share.

What birds do you watch?

First things first: I have decided not to buy a car. My beloved Beetle will stay for an indefinite period because I don't really need to change now. If, at the end of 2009, I've put a gazillion dollars into it, I'll consider the Accent again. But maybe I'll look at some sort of energy-smart hybrid at that point. So bye-bye Accent. It was nice to meet you.

And I've already had a most successful morning with one simple action: I changed my kitchen table so that it now sits perpendicular to what it had been. It changes the room completely. I'm very happy that what I saw in my mind's eye is exactly what happened. The flow of the room is much more pleasing to me, and as an added bonus, we could bring in our too-big-for-the-house Norfolk Island pine from our beautiful but unheated sunroom/porch where it was dying. Literally. We'll probably have to lop off the top but I think we've saved the rest of it. It's now 10 years old, grown to about 5' tall from a potted plant that my ex-husband gave to me as a gone-away gift at Christmas in 1998. It's done very well and, like the Beetle, it's something I'd like to hang on to. (That's different from "hang onto" you know, as in, I'd hang onto a life raft but hang on to a memory. I think it's sort of more hang-on than hang onto. What do you think? Am I too picky? Am I ungrammatical?) So now we can, at least for another year or two.

Other than that my uneventful life continues to be so. It puts me at a loss, conversation-wise, but you who know me realize that's probably an overstatement. I mean, when can I NOT come up with something to talk about, always more than you'd ever wanted to know. As Mr. Monk would say, "It's a blessing ... and a curse." But I would switch that around for me.

Enough public introspection. Catch you later. I'll be off in a bit to catch "Gran Torino." (BTW, "Marley and Me" was good, but the book is way better, IMHO.)

Should I? Should I Not?

There are articles in newspapers and magazines and reports on the radio (NPR, of course) that now is the time to buy a car if you're in the market. So today I test-drove a Hyundai Accent, their version of the Beetle. It's a cute car as you can see. It's much like the Beetle inside--except for that unbelievably deep dash, and not even that different on the outside; lighter weight, I'm pretty sure, but remarkably similar.

But do I want to buy a car? Am I really "in the market?"

I have my adorable and much loved 10-year-old blue Beetle, which, as I explained before, is dear to me as more than just a car. And in addition to all that emotional baggage, it's my first car that's been my very own. And it's my first new car, having always driven used cars before that were selected by my now ex-husband. Do I want to abandon it? Can I?

I think that because I just used the word abandon in that last sentence I probably won't buy an Accent. Financially there are good reasons: low interest rates, my ability to add to the trade-in I'm given so that my loan would be smaller, eager car dealers who are giving the best deals ever.

But ... but ... but ... do I want to buy a car? I told the young salesman, Matt, today to call me in two weeks; I know I'll have decided by then. And right now I'm thinking that if I can hold off for another 6 years--not an impossibility with this car--I'll be getting a Social Security check from which I could make the payments (that's of course relying on the premise that my entire retirement fund will NOT have disappeared!). Or maybe I should think about holding off longer and like my mom, sell it to a grandchild. (That's a joke, FHS!)

Since I have so little running around in my head right now I have the tools available to torture myself while moving towards a decision. Feel free to enter your opinion and just muddy my thinking even more.

Winter ... um ... wonderland

It's cold. My computer weather says it's now "sunny and 8 F" (that's F for Fahrenheit, not what it might stand for!) and I can guarantee that's about right. I got back from walking the dog about an hour ago when it was a balmy 12. But there's a wind down near the river that my computer doesn't account for. I would've walked longer but my face was too cold. And the dog, who's part Husky, doesn't mind at all. That's snow on her nose in this picture, from sticking her head into snow listening for mousies under the snow-covered grass. Or maybe from just biting the snow as she is wont to do. She loves it.

I think I'm turning into a total wuss. I don't like the cold. I was born in this climate, for heaven's sake, and I don't like it. I'm not sure I ever did. Oh sure, when I was a kid and didn't know there were places that didn't get below freezing, much less below zero. I remember playing outside in the winter but I do NOT remember asking to go outside. It's what you did, especially when directed by your mother who was probably about nuts with too many kids in not enough rooms. But I could live without winter now, at this age.

It's pretty, I'll give you that. I made it snow, that trick that almost everyone has had done to them where the person just ahead of or behind you on a trail pulls on a snow-laden branch so it dumps half a tree's worth of snow, usually down your neck because your head is bent to watch the trail when you're on either skis or snowshoes. With the sun shining through it, it's pretty. But it's still cold. And it was cold enough last night and this morning to have the 3-5 inches we got come down in dry power. It looks like someone has covered the landscape with Ivory Snow. (I like to think about what would happen if that were true ... and then it rained. Would there be bubblanches, like avalanches?) So it was sparkly and skiers love this stuff, but I haven't been on my cross-country skis for several years now and I have no apologies. While I can walk out my back door and in about 5 minutes be walking along the beautiful Saranac River, the terrain is not conducive to x-c skiing, IMHO. Again, this is the wuss speaking, groomed trails that someone else has broken into the snow are the place for skis. Groomed trails tend not to have big bare patches or branches and old logs disguised as piles of snow. I'm not talking Florida here; I'd take, oh, maybe Tennessee or thereabouts. (Bruce shudders about that latitude because of their ice storms. I wouldn't mind those; they melt.)

I should have worn my snowshoes today. No snowmobiles had run the trail behind the house and I was breaking trail all the way to the river. And with 3-5"of new snow it all looks smooth, tricking the gullible (that would be me) into thinking that I could just walk like, well, walking. It was more workout than my legs expected!

I'll throw in one more picture and then I'll go start deciding what to make for dinner. In my life the excitement never ends.

Facebook or here?

I'm starting to become more active on Facebook and it's put my blogging into second place, I fear. But I like to write paragraphs and not just 1-2 phrase/sentence messages so I'll come here to actually write something (even when, as now, I have basically nothing to write about). So here I am.

Bruce & I went to a PSU hockey game last night, a good, fast-moving game against Norwich University. I don't know how those young men do it, a total of 60 minutes full-bore skating. Wow, it was a fast game. And we won, which was good. One of our goals was a slap shot from almost the blue line; impressive.

Daughter Elise just posted a photo on her blog that scared the bejesus out of me. It's a pregnant woman's belly with the clearly visible outline of a fetal foot pressed against it, from the inside, of course. I was so relieved to see her write that it wasn't a picture of her pregnant belly! I did go to Snopes.com, the urban legend checker-uppers, and they said they're not sure if it's a real or doctored photo. It's apparently been around since 2004. Wow.

It snowed and snowed today and the radar weather maps show more on the way. (It looks like it's stopped for now.) I think I'll try to snowshoe tomorrow a.m. rather than a regular walk "around the block." I haven't gained back the 7.5 lbs. I lost before Thanksgiving--miracle of miracles--and would love to lose more. But I have to get back on the very low carbs wagon and I'm finding that harder than I thought. The exercise should help.

Keep up with my Facebook pages; I've added some funny photos as I'm scanning old slides from late '70s and early '80s.


This one, for example. It's my sister Alicia and me in 1979, according to the date on the slide. Don't you love the glasses? I think I'll eventually get all my photos onto my computer and then make discs for the girls and let them throw them away. I don't want them to have to sort through photos like we did when my mom died. And on that pleasant thought, good night!

Retirement for Real

I'm trying on retirement-for-real, starting today. I have a little plan in my little head to try to give some little order to my days. I certainly do have a number of projects I want to do so this "organization" may help me actually DO them. Funny thing: when I went to type the headline for this post I typed "Retriement." I guess I really am retrying it.

BTW, I'm reading a book that is pretty interesting. As some already know, I'm a Christopher Moore fan after starting with A Dirty Job. This was his break-out book, got good reviews, was on the NYT Bestseller list for awhile, etc. It's called Lamb; the Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal. The premise is cool: the New Testament skips Christ's life, basically going from the manger to the cross with no back-story for those "lost" 30-or-so years. Well, Biff has been imprisoned by the angel Raziel in a 20th century hotel room in order to write the back-story as he experienced it. I don't want to say more but would love to hear from anyone who's read this book.

I am trying to write, and am vowing to do it for a certain time period every day. I'll let you know how that goes. (As you can see, I'm getting more regular here.) And I'm experimenting with Facebook and will try to be a regular there as well. Not really resolutions, but an attempt to push myself by writing things down.

We shall see ...

Hockey Game for the Books

We went to two hockey games yesterday: The first one was the consolation game in the "Cardinal Classic" tournament and it was between Wesleyan University (CT) and Castleton State (VT). In the evening we watched Plattsburgh State play Williams College. The first of the two is truly a game for the record books because it was stopped with only 7+ minutes left to play by, of all things, a fire alarm. The entire fieldhouse had to be evacuated; the boys had to go outsi

de into a bitter wind in their sweaty uniforms and on skates, and the crowd had to go outside also. (Bruce & I took the opportunity to break away to Burger King for a quick supper before the important game.) I don't think many hockey games have had the distinction of emptying the arena for a fire alarm.

But the real record-book component is the reason the alarms went off: There was a softball clinic going on inside the other half of the fieldhouse--indoor track, indoor tennis courts when they drop nets from the ceiling to create courts, basketball court (not used for PSU games--who knows why). And someone made a direct hit on an alarm box with a softball! I really think that should have been picked up by CNN Headline News. My opinion is that it would make better news than some of the car chases they show.

But everyone got to come back in, the last few minutes of the consolation game were played--Castleton won--and we then played and beat the Williams "Ephs." Yes, that's their team name. And apparently their mascot, which they do NOT feature on their jerseys, is a purple cow. If you're in the know, you pronounce it eefs, as in the beginning of the name Ephraim, as in Ephraim Williams, college founder. (I would say the name with a short e, but what do I know.) The Ephs are a very physical hockey team and in the last few seconds of the game their coach was either ejected or penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct! But we won anyway, so it was a good night. But a fire alarm. Sheesh!

Bye-bye Bug?

Well, I just paid an inordinate amount of bucks to cover maintenance on my 1998 New Beetle.

Here it is as a "newborn." Note my appearance. Time shows on people, if not on cars! The blue Bug still looks the same. Sigh.

I've been a very good car-owner, taught well by Bruce, and have done all the required maintenance. He's been the best detailer ever seen; I'd have to pay about $200 for his work and he's done it at least once a year since I bought the car. But my baby is now 10 1/2 years old (they grow up so fast, don't they?) and I'm thinking about replacing it. I'd thought all along I'd get another Bug. One major reason is that I never have to guess about which car is mine in a parking lot! (Except I did try to get into someone else's blue Beetle once; couldn't figure out why my key and remote wouldn't work until I saw the daisied license-plate holder!) But the maintenance is soooo expensive that I'm looking at a Hyundai Accent this time around. I started my research yesterday and will go to the local dealer in the next week or two.

My wonderfully maintained car is given only a $3K trade-in value in Kelly's Blue Book and Bruce's reaction was, "Then keep it!" But the blue Bug will only continue to slump in value, new cars will not get cheaper and interest rates on loans will only go up. So now would be the time to get a different car. It just kills me to say that. I love my Bug. It was my first divorce decision and it turned out to be such a good car it gave me the confidence to make other decisions on my own. (If it had been a lemon I'd probably would have run myself over with it, thinking I was incapable of deciding anything.) So losing it is going to be fairly traumatic for me. And I'm not even a "car person!"

Stay tuned. I'll eventually have a photo of me with whatever I decide. Not easy to think about.

1-01-2009

Happy New Year!

I hope your 2009 will be a year of good things. My only resolution is to stay as happy as I've been in 2008. There were bumps, of course, but absolutely nothing so bad I didn't survive. I mean, I'm here writing this, right?

I deconstructed Christmas in the house today: took down the tree and boxed all the "house deco's" (hey, that's what's on the box they're in; of courseI wrote that on the box but so what). It didn't make me as sad as it often has in the past, although I don't know why. But the house is back to just a house, and that's okay. On with the year.

Before I do get on with the year, though, I have to show you the only new decoration I bought this year. (I wish I could put pictures horizontally in a row but you'll just have to suffer through scrolling.) I didn't know which shot really shows this piece best so you get two:

That's actually a glass block, of the kind used for glass block walls/windows, wrapped in a beautiful bow and then, the coolest part, those are Christmas lights on the inside. I just love it. I had it on a timer so it went on when the tree did and until I went to spend some time in the living room, that was the only light in there. It was really pretty.

And since I'm doing my Christmas photos a bit late here, I'm adding one of Susie (or Suzi, when I think she looks particularly glamorous). The snowman she's in love with usually sits on a window sill but was knocked off when I opened the living room drapes. She could not resist sharing his space, so to speak. It was too cute. (She's a very private cat and unaccustomed to PDAs.)

His black hat and very white body must have attracted her! I took several shots and she didn't move. That's pretty committed, for a cat.