martha was never one to turn away strays. so when natalie the baby elephant showed up in her backyard, well of course she said "come on in!"
martha was my mother-in-law and god i miss her.
when we got to iron mountain, natalie was happy and lazy in front of the tv, so much so that it was hard to see the screen because her head was so big. but we adjusted, because she was so adorable. she had a fuzzy head but the fuzz felt more like bristles. it wasn't so comfortable to pet her but i did anyway, as i was lounging on the couch and she rolled her belly heavenward and wanted lots of pets. she was only a bit stinky but those huge grey eyes grabbed at my heart and pulled me back down to the couch and to "price is right",come on down. she smiled so big with her pink flappy lips when he said "come on down", imagine the giggle of a baby elephant!
time to go martha said, give nat a livasnap and a big salami and she'll be fine.
off we went in my best friend's miata which seats two but there were 8 of us and it was so much fun! everyone had their comfy spot, one on half-top of another, top down, stars brilliant.
when we got to the clam shack martha found a quiet area and ordered us all to march in place, march march march, which we did. then she hit the dirt on her back and led us through some senior calisthenics.
"arms out straight! now touch your chin touch your belly genuflect and now..elbows on your knees! do the bicycle!!!"
i mentioned to martha that this was not something i was dressed for and she said..."it's ok honey, just get through it. when we get home i am making hot toddies."
at home natalie was still lounging, and glen miller started to play and we all recovered from our sweat and we laughed so hard
and drank hot toddies.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
i don't want to be here, but i can't leave
it was a reunion. my mom and dad and sister would be there, plus a huge assortment of people i didnt' know. family inviting family inviting family inviting high school friends...
i didn't want to go.
i did though, and there were tables and lawn chairs everywhere. the old folks were in the chairs or watching the news, the younger crowd was in the family room downstairs. i joined the latter and had fun entertaining them for a bit, as they toasted with shots and beers and tossed pistachios in the air. after a bit a self-proclaimed "class clown" took over my gig.
time for serving dinner - what a disaster, but i was the only one who noticed. cheeseburgers with gummy excuses for shredded cheddar, corn on the cob which should have been steamy cobs of golden sweet crunchy goodness...they were mushy and white. there was a huge salmon filet laid out on the big table and it was gorgeous! rosy and slightly charred...but when i cut into it to serve myself a piece it was tougher than a cheap steak.
as everyone was serving up, i noticed that the hostess was gazing out her front window. she said "you can see the heat coming in over the grasses. i have lived here all my life and i know what i see. it is going to be hot soon, and the bass in the river will run rich. big catch this year."
i helped with the clean-up and then HAD to get out of there. mom was mad, she thought i would stay overnight but i told her i needed to get home to bozwell -- it was midnight and he'd been alone since 9 am!
finally found my car in a sea SUV's and farm trucks and it was so confusing! i found it finally by pushing the "open trunk" button on my remote, and there she was -- three rows over.
when i got there i saw that i was parked in by a couple of semi tractors -- the part of the semi where they drive it from and sleep and so on...anyway i could not get out. someone moved one of them, but then i saw the second one was so wedged into my white taurus that there was no escaping.
nope, not going anywhere any time soon.
i didn't want to go.
i did though, and there were tables and lawn chairs everywhere. the old folks were in the chairs or watching the news, the younger crowd was in the family room downstairs. i joined the latter and had fun entertaining them for a bit, as they toasted with shots and beers and tossed pistachios in the air. after a bit a self-proclaimed "class clown" took over my gig.
time for serving dinner - what a disaster, but i was the only one who noticed. cheeseburgers with gummy excuses for shredded cheddar, corn on the cob which should have been steamy cobs of golden sweet crunchy goodness...they were mushy and white. there was a huge salmon filet laid out on the big table and it was gorgeous! rosy and slightly charred...but when i cut into it to serve myself a piece it was tougher than a cheap steak.
as everyone was serving up, i noticed that the hostess was gazing out her front window. she said "you can see the heat coming in over the grasses. i have lived here all my life and i know what i see. it is going to be hot soon, and the bass in the river will run rich. big catch this year."
i helped with the clean-up and then HAD to get out of there. mom was mad, she thought i would stay overnight but i told her i needed to get home to bozwell -- it was midnight and he'd been alone since 9 am!
finally found my car in a sea SUV's and farm trucks and it was so confusing! i found it finally by pushing the "open trunk" button on my remote, and there she was -- three rows over.
when i got there i saw that i was parked in by a couple of semi tractors -- the part of the semi where they drive it from and sleep and so on...anyway i could not get out. someone moved one of them, but then i saw the second one was so wedged into my white taurus that there was no escaping.
nope, not going anywhere any time soon.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
buyers market
what a steal!! 169,9 for all this house!
i stood in a central hall than connected staircases and big rooms and there i was spinning in my 169,9 score. a gorgeous home. archways so high above me that when i learned there was no central air, it did not bother me a bit. how could anyone ever be anything but comfortable in this space?
the ceilings were soft salmon, the trim a quite green, and this was all mine, my place to be.....
the doorbell rang and people started coming in, i didn't know some of them but they knew me, and they were so happy for me. the first 5 were nicely dressed men and they brought their cats.
more and more people came, people i knew and loved but i could not name them now... i felt a little intruded upon (was not wanting company) , till one of them explained "we were at another party and just wanted to stop by to wish you well - we won't stay long! we told our other hosts that we were going out for cheetos".
so the tour commenced and i showed them every lovely room. every lovely room was different from the one before and the master bath was something to remember in an especially kind of way.
a bubbley tub in that 2 person whirlpool, as if someone had just gotten out for the body shaped pool in the midst of the bubbles.
who was here?
oh well, here we are, and thanks for stopping by --- and please go now because it is time to put my feet up in the kitchen, snack on cheese and leftover roast turkey, and watch
the golden girls.
i stood in a central hall than connected staircases and big rooms and there i was spinning in my 169,9 score. a gorgeous home. archways so high above me that when i learned there was no central air, it did not bother me a bit. how could anyone ever be anything but comfortable in this space?
the ceilings were soft salmon, the trim a quite green, and this was all mine, my place to be.....
the doorbell rang and people started coming in, i didn't know some of them but they knew me, and they were so happy for me. the first 5 were nicely dressed men and they brought their cats.
more and more people came, people i knew and loved but i could not name them now... i felt a little intruded upon (was not wanting company) , till one of them explained "we were at another party and just wanted to stop by to wish you well - we won't stay long! we told our other hosts that we were going out for cheetos".
so the tour commenced and i showed them every lovely room. every lovely room was different from the one before and the master bath was something to remember in an especially kind of way.
a bubbley tub in that 2 person whirlpool, as if someone had just gotten out for the body shaped pool in the midst of the bubbles.
who was here?
oh well, here we are, and thanks for stopping by --- and please go now because it is time to put my feet up in the kitchen, snack on cheese and leftover roast turkey, and watch
the golden girls.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
weekend project
it sounded like a great idea - a weekend class to create an art project. two rooms with nothing in them several floors up in an old apartment building, that was the studio. the floors still smelled like varnish and the light blue walls still were wafting their sherman williams scent underneath high ceilings. big windows, so breezy!
we were going to make paper lanterns, the round white kind. so first you had to draw a pattern. for best results, teacher said to sit inside a brown paper bag for 68 seconds before putting pencil to paper.
a few mintes later my pattern was cut out of a big piece of orange and pink cloth, sort of a navajo pattern. the next step was to make all the appropriate folds, which was tough to do as the material was so thick. i left the room to see what others were working on and when i came back one of my classmates had done all the folding for me. what a nice guy! in the other room a woman was stringing class balls together and somehow getting them to dangle in a very large very large glass bottle. she thought she would fill it with water, thus creating underwater wind chimes.
uh oh, time i returned the bike i had borrowed, so off i went, riding around on a blue bike with a tag on it that said "kathy's bike, please return to 405".
i sort of knew where to go, and ended up in a very strange brick building that should have been beautiful - lots of old brickand stained glass, but instead it was imposing and seemed dangerous. around a corner i found a tiny elevator door and wondered how the bike and i would fit in there, but when the door opened, it opened into a gigantic freight elevator. i bet you could move someone's whole apartment with one lift.
when we got to the fourth floor i stepped out into a new city. it was as if cities had floors, just like department stores, and this one was glorious! big white town houses with red trim and magnificent gardens, quiet streets and mature trees. i saw number 405 and peddled over there.
i didn't know kathy, but two of her friends were also at the door so i pretended we were all buds and kathy invited us in. dark wood, open floor plan, very lofty and very dark blue with crimson and beige accents - mission furniture, big art on the walls -- it was lovely.
soon kathy was bringing out plates of gigantic carrots as i helped one of her girlfriends alter her wedding dress, which was laid out on the dining room table. it looked way too big for her but maybe that is why we were sewing on it. layers and layers of rose colored effervesence with a black lace bodice, deep neckline and long, sheer sleeves.
back at class, it was time for me to do some cutting to create my lanterns, but much to my surprise, my lanterns turned into little girls' dresses! a white one and pink and black plaid one and a green one and a blue one - so pretty! they had tiny puffed sleeves, empire waists, and rows of flounces, so pretty! i hung them all up and they looked like a bouquet, i had two more to do, but suddenly i was totally bored.
i learned that there was a big stone balcony that no one used anymore, and the instructor said i could go out there. through the crusty french doors, it was cool almost cold. the old stones and arches and floor were smooth and chilly and it smelled a little dusty and rainsoaked. i felt like i was in a castle, so high up in the air, and below - oh down below!
a most gorgeous sandy beach - not white sand like in the carribean, but new england beach sand, just a tad on the rough side, good for your feet. the water was blue jean blue, calm and happy, itsy bitsy white caps flicking the shoreline.
"i don't want to finish my project" i said to teacher, "i want to go down there out there and just be there."
teacher said, "well then, go ahead! make THAT your weekend project! enjoy!!!!!"
totally worth the tuition.
we were going to make paper lanterns, the round white kind. so first you had to draw a pattern. for best results, teacher said to sit inside a brown paper bag for 68 seconds before putting pencil to paper.
a few mintes later my pattern was cut out of a big piece of orange and pink cloth, sort of a navajo pattern. the next step was to make all the appropriate folds, which was tough to do as the material was so thick. i left the room to see what others were working on and when i came back one of my classmates had done all the folding for me. what a nice guy! in the other room a woman was stringing class balls together and somehow getting them to dangle in a very large very large glass bottle. she thought she would fill it with water, thus creating underwater wind chimes.
uh oh, time i returned the bike i had borrowed, so off i went, riding around on a blue bike with a tag on it that said "kathy's bike, please return to 405".
i sort of knew where to go, and ended up in a very strange brick building that should have been beautiful - lots of old brickand stained glass, but instead it was imposing and seemed dangerous. around a corner i found a tiny elevator door and wondered how the bike and i would fit in there, but when the door opened, it opened into a gigantic freight elevator. i bet you could move someone's whole apartment with one lift.
when we got to the fourth floor i stepped out into a new city. it was as if cities had floors, just like department stores, and this one was glorious! big white town houses with red trim and magnificent gardens, quiet streets and mature trees. i saw number 405 and peddled over there.
i didn't know kathy, but two of her friends were also at the door so i pretended we were all buds and kathy invited us in. dark wood, open floor plan, very lofty and very dark blue with crimson and beige accents - mission furniture, big art on the walls -- it was lovely.
soon kathy was bringing out plates of gigantic carrots as i helped one of her girlfriends alter her wedding dress, which was laid out on the dining room table. it looked way too big for her but maybe that is why we were sewing on it. layers and layers of rose colored effervesence with a black lace bodice, deep neckline and long, sheer sleeves.
back at class, it was time for me to do some cutting to create my lanterns, but much to my surprise, my lanterns turned into little girls' dresses! a white one and pink and black plaid one and a green one and a blue one - so pretty! they had tiny puffed sleeves, empire waists, and rows of flounces, so pretty! i hung them all up and they looked like a bouquet, i had two more to do, but suddenly i was totally bored.
i learned that there was a big stone balcony that no one used anymore, and the instructor said i could go out there. through the crusty french doors, it was cool almost cold. the old stones and arches and floor were smooth and chilly and it smelled a little dusty and rainsoaked. i felt like i was in a castle, so high up in the air, and below - oh down below!
a most gorgeous sandy beach - not white sand like in the carribean, but new england beach sand, just a tad on the rough side, good for your feet. the water was blue jean blue, calm and happy, itsy bitsy white caps flicking the shoreline.
"i don't want to finish my project" i said to teacher, "i want to go down there out there and just be there."
teacher said, "well then, go ahead! make THAT your weekend project! enjoy!!!!!"
totally worth the tuition.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
slipped
all i wanted was some time alone. it was a big place and it should not have been too difficult to find a place to be alone for a few minutes. a large very large old building with grand staircases, walls that were chipped here and there, a basement that smelled musty, old, and a little bit wet and i loved the way it smelled. like grandpa's barn in epsom, new hampshire 40 years ago.
i believe that my colleagues were suspicious of my desire. i guess i was a dead giveaway wearing just a slip and my feet bare as i tried to take the staircase in a casual manner.
i thought i found a place, a closet or an apartment. i went in but donna lived there and she was sobbing. she found out she was radioactive and her family might be in danger, too. she was wearing headphones and packing a suitcase.
pretty soon i decided i could rent a room, which i did for a few dollars - just long enough to take a rest, maybe catch part of oprah. but dang it this room wasn't empty - there were a bunch of little groomsmen preparing for a wedding in there! they had on yellow satin vests, and top hats. one of them panicked because he could not find his bow tie
and i found it for him, it was under my pillo.
i believe that my colleagues were suspicious of my desire. i guess i was a dead giveaway wearing just a slip and my feet bare as i tried to take the staircase in a casual manner.
i thought i found a place, a closet or an apartment. i went in but donna lived there and she was sobbing. she found out she was radioactive and her family might be in danger, too. she was wearing headphones and packing a suitcase.
pretty soon i decided i could rent a room, which i did for a few dollars - just long enough to take a rest, maybe catch part of oprah. but dang it this room wasn't empty - there were a bunch of little groomsmen preparing for a wedding in there! they had on yellow satin vests, and top hats. one of them panicked because he could not find his bow tie
and i found it for him, it was under my pillo.
wash your hair
i was late, so LATE! i always mc'd these meetings but today i could NOT get in the shower - someone kept jumping in ahead of me. time was running out. finally i got in there and was soapy from head to toe when my mom yelled "we have to go NOW!". i didn't even rinse off, i just hopped out of the shower suds and all and tried to pull on clothes. tight scraping squeaky tugs on pants and shirts with my skin wet and the clothing dry. i told mom to go ahead with me and she said "ok".
suddenly i noticed how dirty my hair was but i couldn't do anything about it, so i sprayed it and sprayed it with half a can of bedhead and off i went. i was wearing the cutest pair of pastel striped flats.
at the meeting the speaker was telling us all to be careful. we were sitting in brown folding chairs in a hall somewhere and the meeting was not too well attended. he passed around a box of small stuffed brown dogs, they looked homemade. we thought they were basset hounds from their noses, but their legs were all different lengths. then the speaker passed our rubber chocolate candy and we were to feed him and all would be well.
later on i finally got my shower, but only after noticing my makeup was absolutely perfect and what a shame - i wondered how i could keep my face dry -- turn away from the showerhead? but uh oh, without getting my face wet, it would make it really hard to
wash my hair.
suddenly i noticed how dirty my hair was but i couldn't do anything about it, so i sprayed it and sprayed it with half a can of bedhead and off i went. i was wearing the cutest pair of pastel striped flats.
at the meeting the speaker was telling us all to be careful. we were sitting in brown folding chairs in a hall somewhere and the meeting was not too well attended. he passed around a box of small stuffed brown dogs, they looked homemade. we thought they were basset hounds from their noses, but their legs were all different lengths. then the speaker passed our rubber chocolate candy and we were to feed him and all would be well.
later on i finally got my shower, but only after noticing my makeup was absolutely perfect and what a shame - i wondered how i could keep my face dry -- turn away from the showerhead? but uh oh, without getting my face wet, it would make it really hard to
wash my hair.
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