More Storms

Tuesday night the lightening spread for at least 120 degrees around the horizon.  Whole hands with extended fingers of lightening extending from the sky.  I sat out in the back until I caught myself falling asleep in a chair so I missed what rain came later.  The intermittant sprinkles that had fallen dried up within a minute of hitting.  Temperatures have been between 100 and 115 degrees F.

Brother Jay had surgery yesterday evening: a lumbar-peritoneal drain was inserted to deal with spinal fluid collecting at the base of hie head.

There are no more surgical options remaining for him.  It was a long, long day at hospital.  He was chipper and very cold when he came back to the room.

Angela’s Answers

1. Four places I frequently go: walks up back, violin lessons, church, grocery shopping
2. Four people who email me (regularly): Jeni, Lydia, Isaac, Kim  (I chose actual people, not businesses)
3. Four of my favorite places to eat: my house, Thai Express, in the garden, on the lawn
4. Four places I would rather be right now: reading in bed, with Jeni in Austin, with Kiny on her way, with Hannah in the Gobi desert
5. <s>Four<s/> people I think will respond: Jeni, Kirsty,
6. Four TV shows I like to watch: Firefly, MASH, The Twilight Zone, Jerico

The Amoretti Oxford Purse

Check it our here.

Jay’s Global Warming Theory

His theory works this way:  The industrialized nations contain an aging population.  And the women of that aging population are putting out way over their limit of heat.  As I fling off the covers several times a night, as my friends my age do so, we are releasing so much heat the globe is warming.

The Fortnightly Purse

Although my daughter is above the age for these to be of use, I love the idea of the Skirty.

And as well, I like R M’s marketing ideas.  One of which is the fortnightly purse.

An idea I will keep in mind for future use.

Addenda

To the squash casserole: If using store bought mayonnaise, add about 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to the mixture before cooking.  Lemon really helps the flavor sparkle.

And in Food in our Neck of the Lakes, I added a photo of Banner clutching the corn cob.

Also in the middle of

Jay borrowed a Sawsall from Henry for something and ended up trying it on the old water tank in the basement.  Our house is over 150 years old.  Water for the house used to come from a spring, and the higher tech version of that was to run the spring water into a giant battleship steel tank and pressurize it so water could be pumped as needed for the bathroom.  There used to be a continually running “faucet” into the kitchen sink.

Anyway, that tank takes up a lot of room.  Jay has worked for a few hours to cut off one end so it now looks like this:

Last night we sanded the medicine cabinet.  Took off the door, the on/off switch, the lights, etc. I had never used 0000 steel wool before.  Amazing stuff.  The cabinet has one coat of white enamel on it now and looks wonderful.  Another coat or two to go.

Jay has been fixing the screen door hinges that have gotten out of whack over the years. Isaac installed a new spring hinge door closer.

The kids with Jay’s help have been sanding down with a rotary sander in the garage the top of Isabelle’s dresser.  It was pale green paint.  It is bird’s eye maple underneath, although whatever patina it had has been totally destroyed.

Dave and Jay removed the new counter and Dave sanded down the wall edge so it would fit more snugly.  Emotionally harrowing for me.  And the vanity has been shoved over.  Looks like it all is going according to plan, though.  Thank God.