April, 2022: Well Intended

/ Jo / Leave a comment

April was a busy month for us, all 3 of us — Charlie, Jo, and Sug.  Once spring sets in and things start growing at The Glade it’s all hands on deck to plant, weed, groom, prepare, etc., the outside spaces.

We’re moving away from last year’s bright orange scheme to a more pinky vibe.

In addition to the numbered list below:

  • I ordered COVID testing kits required for boarding our cruise ship.

    We have test kits to take within 2 days of our cruise.

  • I filled out the cruise line’s health assessment (times 2) before showing up at the dock.
  • I filled out Bermuda’s online application (times 2) so we can go ashore when we arrive.
  • I paid for 2 pieces of checked luggage for our fall trip to Hawaii.
  • I took in a pair of too-large nautical chinos so I could wear them on our cruise.   I’ll wear them with my “Bon Voyage” sweater.  It’s hokey. I know.
  • We attended a Spring Home Show at our county fairgrounds which was a waste of time except for the fact that Charlie and I tried a new restaurant and  both had a delicious bowl of cream of crab soup.
  • I happened upon a Celtic music concert by Ceol, Cultúr, Craic – The Celtic Music Club at our local library.  Quite a treat!

Now for my April list of good intentions:

  1.  Celebrate Easter.  We invited our friends to use our al fresco chapel during Easter week as a meditation spot.

    Thalia daffodils are blooming around the base of the cross.

    They were welcome to come at their pleasure.

  2. Go on a night hike or star gaze.  Star gazing was cancelled due to cloud cover.  I was very disappointed.  In its place the night hike was magical and informative.

    Even on a moonless night the sky was never truly dark.

  3.   Take a cruise from Baltimore to Bermuda. We leave tomorrow!

    Bon voyage!

  4.  Work on a house project either at home or at the shore house.

    The fence is back in place — now it needs some paint.

    We worked on the garden, especially refurbishing and setting up the iron fence in the garden.

  5.  See a movie: Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.  Also saw Ambulance, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent,  and Father Stu.  Of the 4 I’d choose Father Stu, an inspiring journey of faith.
  6.  Arrange tour guide for Bermuda.    I emailed a highly regarded Blue  Flag Taxi tour guide who is slated to meet us at King’s Wharf when we dock and take us on a 4-hour tour of the island of Bermuda.
  7.  Read a book:  Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand.

    Cyrano de Bergerac was based on a real person.

    This play was an easy read in English except for the challenge of picturing the scenery and action.  Glad I had seen the movie first.

  8.  Plan a party.  Plans are set in motion for a book swap in May and a  midsummer night’s get-together in June.

    Our last Book Swap was in 2016 — time to do it again.

  9.  Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word: RELAXATION.
  10.  Write a goal list for May, 2022.

Jo

Night Hike at Patuxent Research Refuge

/ Jo / Leave a comment

Earlier this month  I was slated to attend a “star watch” at the Patuxent Research Refuge but it was canceled due to excessive cloud cover.

Ranger Jeff led the group and told us beforehand what we were likely to see and hear.

Friday evening I did attend a “night hike” at the Refuge which was held starting at 8 p.m.  I was greeted at the North Tract by Ranger Jeff and whole host of Boy Scouts.

The beaver lodge (in the shadow of the trees on the pond) was a busy home base. Black animals swam to and fro looking for sustenance in the dimming light at dusk.

We waited until dark then walked around Merganser Pond for about an hour and a half. Before we started the hike we could see beaver swimming around in the pond — looking for dinner I was told.

Merganser Pond at twilight.

We listened to the night sounds: crickets, tree frogs, birds.

A moth scientist sets up lights and then views moths on a large sheet. Moths are important pollinators.

One detour led us to a scientist who travels the world studying moths.  Over 2,600 species of moths can be found in Maryland!

Even on a moonless night the sky was never truly dark.

Even with no moon the sky was fairly light due to light pollution from the surrounding developed areas.

Even with light pollution stars were visible in the sky.

I learned a bit and had a unique experience.  With 568 national wildlife refuges in the United States, take an opportunity to check out one local to you.

Jo

Book Swap 2022

/ Jo / Leave a comment

I was planning an extravagant party in the month of May but then decided I wouldn’t have enough time for preparations to really pull it off.

Everyone will be emailed or handed an invitation with a few rules.

Instead we’re having a Book Swap.  We did this once before and it was a lot of fun.  Invitations will go out at the end of this month before our cruise.  No response necessary.  All are welcome including friends of friends and young people.

Minimal prep is required for a book swap.

The Rules
  1.   Each person should bring no more than 10 books that you didn’t want to throw away but are ready to part with.
  2.   On the day of the swap bring your books and pile them in front of the sign that closest fits the category of your book.
  3.  When everyone has deposited his/her books on the surface provided you can check out the selection.
  4.  You can grab as many books as you brought to a maximum of 10.
  5.  Unclaimed books are fair game for anyone who would like them.
  6.  All leftover books will be donated to The Book Thing of Baltimore and/or The Maryland Book Bank where anyone can go to get free books .

I’m ready to make custom coffee drinks for guests.

This time the menu will change to make it even simpler than the last time.

Menu:

  • Chicken salad or hummus mini pita pockets
  • Biscotti
  • Pretzel sticks
  • Nerds
  • Cookies or mini-cupcakes
  • Coffee drinks or sodas

    I’ll be the barista on duty.

Labeling keeps the volumes under control.

I also need to remake the signs for the various book tables.

While invitees are limited to the number of books to brings, I am not.

And finally I’m stacking up books from my collection that I’d like to recirculate.

Jo

Look Up

/ Jo / Leave a comment

Sug went down to the shore house to help my son’s wife to take down the remaining kitchen ceiling.

Sug finished the demolition part of the kitchen ceiling.

My son and his friend were able to spend some time replacing this ceiling.

Son and friend insulated and installed drywall.

They checked to make sure all the rafters were sound and inline. They started hanging drywall over the sink area and above the cabinets.

After joint compound has been applied.

Then they finished the seams with joint compound.

The fluorescent tube fixture and hanging light have been replaced with 2 of these simple flush mounts in a pewter finish.

I had sent new lighting fixtures down to the shore house just before Christmas, 2020 to replace the old ones. My son wired the lighting fixtures.

Mount Sainte Anne on the ceiling.

We primed then painted the ceiling “Mount Saint Anne” by Benjamin Moore.  (This is the same color we used on the living room ceiling.)

Lattice Lane peel-and-stick tile by Armstrong.

The final big project in here is laying a level subfloor and stick-on tiles.

Plenty of room for a table and chairs.

It will be so exciting when this room reverts back to an eat-in kitchen larger than it was when we bought the house.

Jo

Oh Shoot

/ Jo / Leave a comment

Once upon a time Charlie asked me what I’d like for a Christmas or birthday gift.

View from a hot air balloon ride reflected in the water below was a unique experience.

I responded that I have everything I need or want.  What I really enjoy are new experiences.

We knew we had arrived at the right place.

He booked an appointment for me to learn to shoot a gun.  It just so happens our neighbors own and manage a gun range and so we went to their establishment.

My teacher first hung the target I had selected and sent it out a little way into the field.

We checked in with IDs and were given all the necessary items for a beginner: ear protection, eye protection, a pistol, ammunition, a target, and an instructor.

I was taught how to hold a pistol and line up a shot.

I was attended not only by Charlie (an experienced hunter) but also by a young man who ran the range and stayed with me the entire time.

The first gun I used had a clip.

He not only adjusted the computerized target but also loaded my gun for me.

With difficulty I pulled back the spring on the clip and the instructor loaded the bullets.

I tried to load it myself but had difficulty pulling back the very stiff spring and putting the bullets in at the same time.

The moment after my first shot.

I lined up my first shot and found the trigger difficult to pull with my feeble hands.

The small holes are from the gun I was shooting; the larger ones from Charlie’s gun.

My first shot hit the body near the shoulder and I was thrilled. I was actually aiming for the #5 near the belly button on the target and my second shot came very close.  I think I hit the torso on the target every time I pulled the trigger.

Turns out I’m equally accurate left-handed or right-handed.

I also had the opportunity to try a revolver which is complicated in its own way.  I had to pull back the hammer before I could pull the trigger.  However, loading it was much easier.

I love a new experience.

This unique (for me) experience was proof I’ll never be a gun person.  I guess I’ll have to hire a bodyguard.

Jo

April, 2022: Intentions

/ Jo / Leave a comment

April is another busy month for us with more birthdays, Easter, and a big trip.  I’ll start packing soon; Charlie will wait until the last minute.

Now for my April list of good intentions:

  1.  Celebrate Easter.

    Our yard provides plenty of flowers for Easter décor.

  2. Go on a night hike or star gaze.

    We’re fans of the night sky.

  3.  Take a cruise from Baltimore to Bermuda.

    We haven’t been assigned a cabin yet.

  4.  Work on a house project either at home or at the shore house.
  5.  See a movie: Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
  6.  Arrange tour guide for Bermuda.
  7.  Read a book:  Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand.

    Loved the movie, now I’ll read the play upon which it was based.

  8.  Plan a party.

    Hoping to plan something out-of-doors while the iris are blooming.

  9.  Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word: RELAXATION.
  10.  Write a goal list for May, 2022.

Jo

March, 2022: Well Intended

/ Jo / Leave a comment

What a busy time we’ve had this month!  We traveled, we partied, we fasted, we designed, we built.

We saw 4 Broadway shows while in NYC; my favorite was Hamilton.

In addition to the list below:

  • I saw The Batman movie.  It was dark.
  • I saw The Lost City with Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum.  It made me laugh out loud a number of times; I thoroughly enjoyed it.
  • I took Saint Patrick’s Day treats to my Bible study.
  • I changed the mirrors in the master bathroom.

    New mirrors — everything else stays the same.

Now for my March list of good intentions:

  1.  Enact the surprise I decided upon last month.

    My party theme was “Ebony and Ivory”.

    I planned a sweet treat for Charlie’s birthday which I served to his choir at rehearsal.

    In addition to the KitKat keyboard, black and white cookies as well as chocolate or vanilla mini-cupcakes were available.

  2.  Head to NYC for a long weekend.

    Looking uptown from the 102th floor of the ESB you can see Central Park and beyond.

    We had a busy and exciting 4-day weekend during which we saw shows, saw sights, and ate.  We celebrated Charlie’s birthday.

  3. Work on a project at the shore house. Sug and I painted the ceiling and walls in the kitchen.

    Before

    After

  4.  See a movie:  See the movie musical Cyrano.

    Not your typical Cyrano.

    I saw the movie which didn’t play in many theatres and certainly not in ones I usually attend.  I knew the original story enough to realize some of the differences.  The characters became more and more real as the story progressed.  The truly heartbreaking moment of the film was when Roxanne declares her love for Cyrano and he acknowledges that he loves his pride more than anything.

  5.  Get plane tickets for Hawaii trip. I purchased our return tickets and accommodations before I actually had a flight TO Hawaii.  But in the end we’re all set.

    Tickets became available at the very end of the month. Phew!

  6. Read a book:  Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne.  This book was a treat to read.

    The route from London eastward.

    Because the situations and the flow of the book were not the same as the PBS series, the adventures seemed fresh and new.  I read some of the book on my computer at the link above then checked the book out of the library to finish.

  7.  Get estimates for backyard deck.  I have contacted several deck builders who are working up estimates for us.  Hoping the cost is doable this year.  Thus far the quotes seem outrageous!
  8.  Design and build a bench for the mud room.

    The mudroom bench after the first building session.

    After session 2 the bench is ready for use.

  9.  Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word: CREATIVITY.
  10.  Write a goal list for April, 2022.

Jo

Mudroom Bench Build: Session Two

/ Jo / Leave a comment

I planned to make a new bench for the mudroom and started building it. 

We’ve moved this cedar chest out to make room for a more practical bench.

The first day of building was relatively easy because the bench was not yet structurally sound.

The basic framework of the bench is held together with pocket screws.

Charlie does the muscle work.

We added side supports to spread the top of the bench equal to the bottom.  This essentially squared up the piece.

We used pneumatic tacks for the top boards.

We decided to attach the seat boards (which went from front to back with about a half-inch overhang on both sides) with a pneumatic tacker.

The bottom side pieces are also tacked on.

Since the bottom of the bench is essentially held together with pocket-screwed shelving we just tacked on decorative side pieces between the legs.

The bottom shelves are supported by pocket screws.

The bottom is held together with inset shelves.

I added floor protectors on the bottom of each leg.

After adding felt floor protectors, I lightly sanded the old wood with a radial sander.

The old wood soaked up the lemon oil.

I wiped all the wood down with lemon oil which darkened it and brought out the natural color.

I hope the bench does NOT become the dumping ground the cedar chest used to be.

Finally we set the bench in the mudroom near the door where it fits perfectly (since it was made for this exact spot).

Inspiration bench

Actual bench we built

I’m still deciding whether to darken the new wood to reduce the contrast between the old and new.

Rustic and functional

In the mean time here it sits.

Jo

A Visit to the Empire State Building

/ Jo / Leave a comment

Charlie and I had a glorious 4-day weekend in NYC.

The Empire State Building is the pointed-top skyscraper visible at the right side of the photo of NYC.

One experience I was hoping he would really enjoy was a visit to the Empire State Building.

Our goal was to get as close to the top as possible.

I purchased tickets online that would take us to the 86th floor outdoor observation deck and ultimately to the 102nd floor windowed mast.  Charlie was dubious since he knows I know he does NOT enjoy heights.

We didn’t realize King Kong would be attacking the ESB during our visit.

We walked to the ESB from the NY Public Library — about 8 minutes.  Our tickets were for 12:15 p.m. and we arrived about 20 minutes in advance of that time. We queued on West 34th Street and were let inside starting at noon.  The line moved quickly.

Charlie and I both used the NY COVID Safe app on our phones as both ID and vaccination status at all venues.

Inside our ID and COVID status were checked.

Jo and Charlie inside the Empire State Building.

Obviously the ESB is accustomed to handling much larger crowds.  Photo opportunities, even in the lobby area, abound.  We stood in front of a photo of the exterior of the building to have our picture taken.

We also went through airport-like security before we we allowed to ascend.

Later we and all visitors would have our photo professionally taken by staff.  No one gets in unaccounted for. (We had the option to purchase the photo but decided against it.)

A view from the 80th floor.

The first elevator stop is the 80th floor.  From the ground floor to the 80th is a 58 second ride during which there is a video on the ceiling of your trip up and up.

In reality Charlie would never have been caught having lunch on a girder above NYC.

In addition to windows overlooking Manhattan and surrounding areas the 80th floor has displays of the history of the ESB and lots of photo opportunities.

The outdoor observation deck on the 86th floor of the Empire State Building.

We hopped on another elevator to the 86th floor which has an open air deck.  Charlie was not thrilled with this experience.  (This was the area where Sleepless in Seattle was filmed.)  The view from this observation deck was 360 degrees over NYC. I could have spent more time here.

I captured a shadow of the Empire State Building from the 102nd Floor.

However, I was eager to reach the 102nd floor (where An Affair to Remember was filmed) for the grandest view of all.  I asked the guard on the 102nd if he enjoyed being there.  He said it took some getting used to but now he loves it.

The 102nd floor was uncrowded.

I loved it, too  The windows were very clean. How is that possible?

Looking uptown from the 102th floor of the ESB you can see Central Park and beyond.

This was my favorite stop of the day.

My orders were “Hurry up and take the picture” and “Let’s get outta here”.

We documented it in photos just to prove Charlie also made the trip.

Next stop: lunch at Serendipity.

After the Empire State building we headed uptown.

Jo

Brighter Reflection in the Master Bathroom

/ Jo / Leave a comment

I decided to do a relatively inexpensive change to the master bathroom which has lightened it up a bit.

The larger one is over Charlie’s sink and the more delicate one is over my sink.

Ever since the master bath was added to the house in 2013 and finished in 2015, I’ve had vintage mirrors hanging over the sinks.

Non-matching vanity mirrors are not everyone’s cup of tea.

They do not match.

These mirrors just fit the space.

With the thought of a more permanent solution, I ordered matching beveled mirrors from Lowes.  They came very well packaged and arrived on a Sunday.

Amanti Art Arrow Silver 17.12-in W x 21.12-in H Satin

There’s not much room over either sink since they are separated by a window so I had to order a framed mirror that was less than 20 inches wide of which there are not many choices.

Before

After

I hung the one over my sink on the nail that was already there and added a matching nail over Charlie’s sink at 17 inches above the backsplash tile line.  Since the hanging hardware was pre-installed on the backs of each mirror they lined up very well.

This project was one of the easy ones.

The new mirrors add a clean sparkle to the bathroom.  I have moved the vintage mirrors to a more conspicuous place.

Jo