Back to work after a week off. It wasn’t enough I could use another one and another one after that. But like that extra bowl of ice cream I had last night, it turns out the first one really was enough.

Things at the Inn are just the same except I don’t take an immediate dislike to most every one who walks in the door. People seem nicer.

The War of the Marias rages on. One of them is pregnant now and the other is already anticipating and resenting all the extra work she’ll have to do. There are two new Inn Keepers to further lighten the owners load. Soon they’ll be sending checks from Costa Rica and checking in by email once a month.

Had lunch with a friend after work yesterday to seal the back to my regular life deal. Same restaurant, same table, same conversation, different order. I had a calamari salad with a honey dressing. Yum.

Back to work after a week off. It wasn’t enough I could use another one and another one after that. But like that extra bowl of ice cream I had last night, it turns out the first one really was enough.

Things at the Inn are just the same except I don’t take an immediate dislike to most every one who walks in the door. People seem nicer.

The War of the Marias rages on. One of them is pregnant now and the other is already anticipating and resenting all the extra work she’ll have to do. There are two new Inn Keepers to further lighten the owners load. Soon they’ll be sending checks from Costa Rica and checking in by email once a month.

Had lunch with a friend after work yesterday to seal the back to my regular life deal. Same restaurant, same table, same conversation, different order. I had a calamari salad with a honey dressing. Yum.

The studio is complete.

Behold.

more pictures here

I’m still moving in and organizing and throwing things away or packing them up for Goodwill.

The garden is just passing it’s prime though that central garden just outside the studio is still beautiful. I’ve had gophers and moles everywhichwhere in the yard this year. Those demons! Even the driveway which never ever had anything but flowers spilling over is now a maze of mole tunnels. Somehow the 2 hydrangea I planted are still there and blooming nicely.

The front garden is another matter. Lost most of what I planted earlier this spring. Even the pink bleeding heart which I thought was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. I’ve cut everything that was left back to the ground and will wait them out. Maybe they’ll move if I don’t give them anymore snacks.

Maybe this approach will work with all my worries. Starve them out, quit inviting them in for a tasty and nutritious supper. Ignore them and attend to other things like cleaning the bathroom or reading a book.

The studio is complete.

Behold.

more pictures here

I’m still moving in and organizing and throwing things away or packing them up for Goodwill.

The garden is just passing it’s prime though that central garden just outside the studio is still beautiful. I’ve had gophers and moles everywhichwhere in the yard this year. Those demons! Even the driveway which never ever had anything but flowers spilling over is now a maze of mole tunnels. Somehow the 2 hydrangea I planted are still there and blooming nicely.

The front garden is another matter. Lost most of what I planted earlier this spring. Even the pink bleeding heart which I thought was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. I’ve cut everything that was left back to the ground and will wait them out. Maybe they’ll move if I don’t give them anymore snacks.

Maybe this approach will work with all my worries. Starve them out, quit inviting them in for a tasty and nutritious supper. Ignore them and attend to other things like cleaning the bathroom or reading a book.

The studio is complete.

Behold.

more pictures here

I’m still moving in and organizing and throwing things away or packing them up for Goodwill.

The garden is just passing it’s prime though that central garden just outside the studio is still beautiful. I’ve had gophers and moles everywhichwhere in the yard this year. Those demons! Even the driveway which never ever had anything but flowers spilling over is now a maze of mole tunnels. Somehow the 2 hydrangea I planted are still there and blooming nicely.

The front garden is another matter. Lost most of what I planted earlier this spring. Even the pink bleeding heart which I thought was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. I’ve cut everything that was left back to the ground and will wait them out. Maybe they’ll move if I don’t give them anymore snacks.

Maybe this approach will work with all my worries. Starve them out, quit inviting them in for a tasty and nutritious supper. Ignore them and attend to other things like cleaning the bathroom or reading a book.

It’s been a strange couple of weeks.
I hurt my back. Again. It’s getting better.

Every little thing that could go wrong at work went wrong and this afternoon I noticed the little gnomes that live on the balcony across the street are gone. I didn’t notice them leave and now that they’re gone I miss them.

Raj has started leaving again. Neighbor Jim says he’s noticed her escaping and taking walks down Main Street at dusk. She settles in after a while at the edge of the driveway where she watches the cars go by. He’s worried she’ll get hit by a car because she limps so badly and can’t move very fast. She’s wily though that Raj and she knows about cars and other things I can’t even imagine.

We’re almost finished with the studio but there is more work after that. Always more.
Hope I don’t stove out.

It’s been a strange couple of weeks.
I hurt my back. Again. It’s getting better.

Every little thing that could go wrong at work went wrong and this afternoon I noticed the little gnomes that live on the balcony across the street are gone. I didn’t notice them leave and now that they’re gone I miss them.

Raj has started leaving again. Neighbor Jim says he’s noticed her escaping and taking walks down Main Street at dusk. She settles in after a while at the edge of the driveway where she watches the cars go by. He’s worried she’ll get hit by a car because she limps so badly and can’t move very fast. She’s wily though that Raj and she knows about cars and other things I can’t even imagine.

We’re almost finished with the studio but there is more work after that. Always more.
Hope I don’t stove out.

It’s been a strange couple of weeks.
I hurt my back. Again. It’s getting better.

Every little thing that could go wrong at work went wrong and this afternoon I noticed the little gnomes that live on the balcony across the street are gone. I didn’t notice them leave and now that they’re gone I miss them.

Raj has started leaving again. Neighbor Jim says he’s noticed her escaping and taking walks down Main Street at dusk. She settles in after a while at the edge of the driveway where she watches the cars go by. He’s worried she’ll get hit by a car because she limps so badly and can’t move very fast. She’s wily though that Raj and she knows about cars and other things I can’t even imagine.

We’re almost finished with the studio but there is more work after that. Always more.
Hope I don’t stove out.

I’m missing my space and my supplies but I have this bag of fabric in my room with several started projects and I had this stitched portrait of Lu down at the bottom. I can’t even remember when I started it but I wanted to put my hands on some fabric and needle and thread and when I finished I decided she needed a little ribbon of brown leaves I’d seen at Birds of a Feather. Ta da

I’m missing my space and my supplies but I have this bag of fabric in my room with several started projects and I had this stitched portrait of Lu down at the bottom. I can’t even remember when I started it but I wanted to put my hands on some fabric and needle and thread and when I finished I decided she needed a little ribbon of brown leaves I’d seen at Birds of a Feather. Ta da

I’m missing my space and my supplies but I have this bag of fabric in my room with several started projects and I had this stitched portrait of Lu down at the bottom. I can’t even remember when I started it but I wanted to put my hands on some fabric and needle and thread and when I finished I decided she needed a little ribbon of brown leaves I’d seen at Birds of a Feather. Ta da

This is where we keep our fridge. In the laundry room by the back door. It’s an old house with a tiny kitchen where one couldn’t fit even a tiny fridge. And yes I realize the stove is in a sort of dangerous predicament right by the back door. That’s why I mostly use the burners next to the counter. And behind the stove’s door number two is a kick ass broiler that one must vigilantly watch while roasting red peppers or anything else for that matter. There have been fires.
That stove is a masterpiece. Even though it is poorly located.
Much in the house is.
The previous owner worked for a time as a temporary day laborer remodelling houses. This proved to be our downfall as he went about gutting and then designing the interior to fit some strange plan in his big brain. He had one good idea and that was turning two of the bedrooms into one. That was the end of his good ideas. The bathroom is tiny and has two doors one of which slams your knee bones when your on the toilet and your husband or daughter or dog decide to come on in.

What used to be the dining room was no bigger than a small closet and he decided to open it up but only part way. He made half walls so the room is still too small for a table and chairs. We’ve turned that into a comfortable office space. There are other things about the house that drive me mad but we’ve decided to fix them. One thing at a time. We’ll be busy til we die and so will my daughter’s children and so on.

They left another bowl in the driveway this morning. This one is gray and has little black paws around the bottom. Very cute. Perfect for Rajah. I’m almost certain it wasn’t Rajah since she’s really too old and wobbly and basically uninterested in prowling the neighborhood at night like she used to. This makes seven or eight I think. I’ve lost count.

This is where we keep our fridge. In the laundry room by the back door. It’s an old house with a tiny kitchen where one couldn’t fit even a tiny fridge. And yes I realize the stove is in a sort of dangerous predicament right by the back door. That’s why I mostly use the burners next to the counter. And behind the stove’s door number two is a kick ass broiler that one must vigilantly watch while roasting red peppers or anything else for that matter. There have been fires.
That stove is a masterpiece. Even though it is poorly located.
Much in the house is.
The previous owner worked for a time as a temporary day laborer remodelling houses. This proved to be our downfall as he went about gutting and then designing the interior to fit some strange plan in his big brain. He had one good idea and that was turning two of the bedrooms into one. That was the end of his good ideas. The bathroom is tiny and has two doors one of which slams your knee bones when your on the toilet and your husband or daughter or dog decide to come on in.

What used to be the dining room was no bigger than a small closet and he decided to open it up but only part way. He made half walls so the room is still too small for a table and chairs. We’ve turned that into a comfortable office space. There are other things about the house that drive me mad but we’ve decided to fix them. One thing at a time. We’ll be busy til we die and so will my daughter’s children and so on.

They left another bowl in the driveway this morning. This one is gray and has little black paws around the bottom. Very cute. Perfect for Rajah. I’m almost certain it wasn’t Rajah since she’s really too old and wobbly and basically uninterested in prowling the neighborhood at night like she used to. This makes seven or eight I think. I’ve lost count.

This is where we keep our fridge. In the laundry room by the back door. It’s an old house with a tiny kitchen where one couldn’t fit even a tiny fridge. And yes I realize the stove is in a sort of dangerous predicament right by the back door. That’s why I mostly use the burners next to the counter. And behind the stove’s door number two is a kick ass broiler that one must vigilantly watch while roasting red peppers or anything else for that matter. There have been fires.
That stove is a masterpiece. Even though it is poorly located.
Much in the house is.
The previous owner worked for a time as a temporary day laborer remodelling houses. This proved to be our downfall as he went about gutting and then designing the interior to fit some strange plan in his big brain. He had one good idea and that was turning two of the bedrooms into one. That was the end of his good ideas. The bathroom is tiny and has two doors one of which slams your knee bones when your on the toilet and your husband or daughter or dog decide to come on in.

What used to be the dining room was no bigger than a small closet and he decided to open it up but only part way. He made half walls so the room is still too small for a table and chairs. We’ve turned that into a comfortable office space. There are other things about the house that drive me mad but we’ve decided to fix them. One thing at a time. We’ll be busy til we die and so will my daughter’s children and so on.

They left another bowl in the driveway this morning. This one is gray and has little black paws around the bottom. Very cute. Perfect for Rajah. I’m almost certain it wasn’t Rajah since she’s really too old and wobbly and basically uninterested in prowling the neighborhood at night like she used to. This makes seven or eight I think. I’ve lost count.

My Dishwasher comes home today. For good. Thank you and Oh Shit.
The house is a mess. Not anywhere near as neat and tidy as the Dishwasher and I both like it but there’s nothing for it. Em’s home and she is, to put it delicately, a slob. She’s being pretty good about containing it to her own room but it spills out and it depresses and confuses me. I’ve managed to wash dishes every day but beyond that, I’m just barely holding it together as the following will clearly demonstrate.

I call this my Crack Smoking Skirt

It all seemed like a good idea at the time and you wouldn’t believe the amount of time I spent putting it all together. Yes, it was a strange week last week. I had the worst case of “the spins” for days on end. I know it’s no excuse but maybe it is. I don’t know.

I’m thinking I’d pair it with these beauties

scored at the thrift store.

I can hardly wait to find the perfect top for the whole ensemble.
Maybe something furry.