Last night we bought

a new refrigerator.

Yes, I know. I should blog more often if my life is this exciting.

It was a choice between something practical (think dull looking stainless steel color) or flashy stainless steel with computer hardware.

The salesman looked at us and said the following (among other things)-
The stainless steel can get scratched by your wedding ring when you open the door.
It is hard to find a repairman in our area to fix if something goes wrong.

Now my wedding ring will not be a problem (I do not naturally open a door by sliding my hand underneath the handle) but the repairman thing would be. Also, we have two other appliances that are stainless steel. The issue with fingerprints is HUGE. And I do mean HUGE!!!

They are pretty to look at but did I mention the fingerprint issue?

The other refrigerator was actually cheaper. My regular maintenance man can fix this brand. And it does not show fingerprints.

I do realize that I will not have a trendy kitchen. But I have to live in it. It is not for show and I'm not buying appliances for the next owner. We are buying appliances for us.

But that first refrigerator did look cool. Did I mention the LED lights that lit up the inside. . .

I met

Daniel Schorr at a book signing in DC. A very charming man, with a great voice, whose presence left me tongue tied. I still don't know why. He was not a pompous man. Seemed very down to earth.

But this was Daniel Schorr. Someone that I grew up listening to. And I was in awe.

A quote of his in a NY Daily News article -

In a 2003 interview, he reflected on his NPR r position and called it "a satisfying home for the evening of my career. I no longer pursue scoops, but concentrate on the context and the meaning of things. I interact with journalists a third to half my age who seem to regard me as a walking history book.

"If asked, I tell them what lessons I have learned over the past 60-odd years. And since there are today more pressures than ever to conform, to avoid rocking the boat, I'm prone to advise: At least once in your lifetime take a risk for a principle you believe in, even if it brings you up against your bosses."

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/2010/07/23/2010-07-23_longtime_journalist_daniel_schorr_dies_at_age_93_.html#ixzz0uXcEQT7V

A no photo day

I went for gas this morning. My oldest went to have a TB test looked at and then we met at the clinic for the long ride to Portsmouth, VA. It was time to take S1's car to the company that will ship it to Hawaii.

When we met up at the clinic S1 looks at me very seriously and says
"Do you need to use the bathroom or anything else? Now would be a good time."
I just looked at him and laughed. It still has me in stitches.

We made it in 3 hours. Good grief was it hot. The car was looked over, processed and will soon be on its way across country and then put on the boat in San Diego. And it looks like it may be there on the day that S1 arrives. The processor seemed quite confident...

And then we came home. Stopped at Wendy's. Has anyone had one of their strawberry milkshakes? Quite good and a treat for the driver of a hot, stuffy car (me :-).

Cornflower Books

is one of my favorite blogs (Link).

Karen is a fabulous writer and she picks some of the best books to read - for herself and her online book club. This month's selection for the book club is The Go-Between by L P Hartley which is a very fine tale about a boy and the summer he turned 13.

Anyway, at the beginning of month Karen held a Buy a Friend a Book drawing. And I won!! Yesterday the book came and it was a perfect one for me.

I read To Kill a Mockingbird when the boys were in high school as it was required reading for them and as I had seen the movie several times I wanted to read the book. And now, in this 50th anniversary year of this great book, I was thinking about getting my own copy and reading it again.

Thank you so much for the book Karen. And I also might say that you have the prettiest penmanship!

Press Shy

 

On his way back to college town to be an EMT for the next 24 hours. Yes, he has passed his test. And he loves the work.

We are now 4, or The long good bye.

Glass half empty or half full. That is what these days boil down to.

S1 is back home. For the next month or so.

The process of moving out has begun. Transferring car title today. A friend from 1st grade is going with him to the DMV so that they can talk and catch up on life during the wait.

Yes, he and H have been friends that long. I still have visions of her sitting next to me in class that year reading "Go Dog Go" for reading out loud time. (A lot of kids liked that book. . . A lot of kids. . . .). Now they are adults with jobs/going to school.

Next will be for him to determine what the must haves in Hawaii will be/what we will need to ship.

I started watching

Last of the Summer Wine a few years ago - when my uncle died. It somehow seemed appropriate and it made me smile in a time of grief.

I have/had always gotten along with the older members of my family (grandparents, great aunts and uncles, aunts and uncles etc). I liked to listen to stories, jokes etc even when told several times. I liked playing cards with them, and listening to them talk long after I had gone to bed.

Which is why I guess I like a show about older people. And when husband asked me what I wanted to see on our trip to England I answered "Holmfirth" (where the show was filmed). And why for Christmas my husband got me the asked for dvd player that will play english dvd's.

Last of the Summer Wine

Literally.

The show will end this summer and though it has to end sometime it still feels bittersweet.

The London Eye was

kind of expensive. 17 pounds per person. But it was something that I wanted to do and am so glad that we did on our spring break vacation.

My favorite local sign.

No, you may not bring your horse to school.

Heinz and I have a routine on summer mornings.

Somehow he wrapped himself like that in the paper.

Evi (who is east village idiot on my side bar) asked the

question, How to deal with poison ivy. Obviously I don't do it right. But I do wear gloves when gardening. And try to avoid touching any body parts. That also means the piece of hair that falls across my face and is begging for an absent minded push. DON"T DO IT, screams my inner voice. And luckily, so far, I have not.

However,

I have a ton of tick bites on me. And they (the ticks that I have seen) are the size of a pin prick. So. . . , unless I look through my bifocals just the right way, I cannot see them. They really creep me out.

I
1. have washed most everything inside the house.
2. vacumed my bed mattress just in case.
3. combed Sport.
4. dried clothes in the dryer instead of using the clothes line.

I want to dry and drown these little crappy things.

Tomorrow all dogs get baths. Right now I will try to get some sleep. Have taken the benedryl which is not really working tonight.

We Grow Poison Ivy Big Here

Yes, those hairy things that you see are poison ivy roots.

Some people catch fish, I catch

hawks!

The hawk has been released. Put on my bee suit and gloves and cut the fencing around the peach tree that looks like it is on its last legs. Bella and Snoopy were highly entertained.

I think that it was after water. Will have to put some out there.

Crepe Myrtle in the Pines

 

No more caterpillars in the tomato plants.

What Was Eating My Tomatoes

 

Enlarge it if you must.

Day ?

Because I no longer know. I had thought I would take photos each day to post but that has fallen by the wayside. Instead I have been
watching copious amounts of soccer.

planting gardens. Usually I give up the first of June but this year I'm planting until frost or until the checking account asks for a breather. (That was tongue in cheek. I'm actually pretty good with money.)

practicing violin. I had my first ensemble practice on Wednesday night. No, I'm not very good but then again was so much better by the end of practice. I've been welcomed by the group with open arms. I didn't realize that I was joining an already established group. Even if it doesn't last past summer it is fun.

enjoying my youngest. He is so funny and has a biting wit. An ex girlfriend came over to celebrate his birthday and the four of us just sat around the table eating cake and ice cream and talking.

taking a hike on a trail that I haven't walked on before.

visiting with my parents.

playing with neighbor kitties (while they were out of town - don't tell Heinz :-).

took Bella on a road trip yesterday. We bought blueberry bushes and flowers. Cheese. Peaches. And then stopped for gas and ice cream for her.

started a paint by number kit.

reading.

And the list goes on.