Happy 2010..!!

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Doesn't it seem like just the other day everyone was all in a flap about Y2K?  How could that possibly be ten years ago?  A whole decade, gone in a snap, though all things considered, maybe it was a decade we should be glad is over.

It was a decade of being Bushwhacked; a global economy in tatters; endless war; terrorism escalating and rife with hatred; our beautiful planet pillaged and plundered in the name of Greed.  It's enough to make a person despair, and to wonder:  where will it all end?  Where will we all end?

Then, just when I think we're doomed as a species, there are reminders of goodness, of greatness, of miracles even, and I can't help feeling positive again, and hopeful that maybe, just maybe, things might get better.

Negativity is a black hole that sucks life-affirming joy out of the world.  The only counter is to fight for all you're worth to deflect it with a positive attitude.  Stay away from negative people, sift through the dire warnings from the media and don't succumb to the temptation to believe everything you see or hear.  For every bad thing, look for the good, no matter how small.  Hold your spirit tight and don't allow it to be pulled into the depths of that soul-destroying black hole.

Here are some positive things I've thought about today, the last day of 2009:

• The hushed silence of a new snowfall
• Ozzy's unconditional love for his Mom (that would be me)
  
• My husband's unending support while I type away on The Novel, encouraging me even when I'm convinced my book is total crap
• A man who risks his life leaping over 4 seats to stop a lunatic from blowing up a plane
• A mother and newborn who die on Christmas Eve, then miraculously come back to life
• A belly laugh, complete with streaming tears and a runny nose, from something my BFF has told me over the phone
  
• Pizza, hot from the oven, with a cold Corona
• Lemon meringue pie
• The love of a good man
  
• Chocolate chip cookies, warm and gooey
• Winning the NaNo challenge in November
  
• People, all over the world, who help others less fortunate
• Babies, both human and animal, who know each and every day is a wonder of discovery and adventure
• The Summer sun sparkling on the Bay of Naples
• The Scottish Highlands, green and ageless and breath-taking
• My new, beautiful and yummy dining table and chairs
• A pair of Blackbirds (partners for life), and a family of tiny, cheerful Robins who live in our garden

There's no doubt, being human, that I will have my joy-sucking moments in the year to come, but I will also try to find, and savor, more of the positive ones.  Being a firm believer in 'what you cast out returns to you three-fold', I'm going to work hard to smile often, listen more, try to find the good in Life, and resist that black hole for all I'm worth.

"Although we cannot choose what happens to us, we can choose how we respond"

Epictetus  

Happy Holidays..!!

Snow Day...

We had a great snowstorm last night--the first snowy December in Edinburgh in over 20 years..!! Though it's been lightly snowing off and on all week, this was finally the real thing. We got about 4-5 inches, which isn't much in other parts of the world in the Winter, but for here, it was lots. It was so deep in places that Ozzy had to snowplow his way through the drifts.

Is there anything better than that beautiful hushed silence of a heavy snowfall..?? We bundled up and were out walking just after 8:00am. It was still a bit dark (Scotland in the Winter, don't you know), so the combination of too early and lots of snow meant we were just about the only ones out. We had to blaze a trail in several places...though it was easier for us than wee Ozzy. He wasn't complaining though, and just frolicked like the kid he is.

I took my camera since this was an Event, and below are the photos.

Across the street from the house is the road that leads down to the River Almond. The drop-off along the road is pretty steep, though I was able to walk pretty close to the brink and take this shot straight down the embankment.

Made it down the road to the bottom of the hill, and here we are just beginning our walk along the river.

After walking a ways along the path, I turned back and took this shot. It's the view looking back of the photo above. If that makes any sense..??!!

This is about the halfway point on the river walk. Alan and Ozzy are standing under a canopy of snow-laden tree boughs.

At the end of the river now, and walking toward the Forth and along the waterfront. My sister will remember these steps that cut through Cramond Village, from the upper level to the water. She took a great photo from the top looking down these same steps.

Finished with the waterfront and are climbing up a different hill to head home. It was just such a cool early morning walk, with no people, and other than the crunch of snow under our boots, blissfully quiet.

The Cramond Tower looms over the scene. A private home, with a view you would not believe. This part of the walk leads us past the Tower, up a trail through the woods, then through the church/cemetery (where we stop to give Oz some treats and feed the crows), then it's another 15 minutes or so to home.

It was a great adventure, and a really fun day.  Though, it was an entirely different story when we got home and had to disrobe 87 layers of clothing, get out of snow-filled boots, strip off jeans soaked to the knees, drip snow all over the kitchen, and try to melt the snowballs off Ozzy's chest, legs and undercarriage.  That was less fun.  Still, it's a rare treat to have the snow, so yeah, I guess all things considered, it was a perfect Snow Day.

Contrasts

We had our first snowfall yesterday.  I was hoping for a real deluge, but alas, though it snowed all day and into the night, it melted almost as fast as it fell.  This morning, on the Ozzy walk, I was expecting a Winter Wonderland effect in the mountains, but it was so dark and dreary, the mountains just blended into the gloom.  Figures.  It never fails that if I don't have my camera I've missed the shot of a lifetime, and if I do, nothing.

In any case, I was thinking, as we got home from the walk, what a contrast the rose garden was today, compared to July.  So, for a hit of lush Summer vs the bleakness of Winter, see below.  I suppose we really need Winter to remind us of how wonderful Summer is...right?  Sigh...

Beautiful July

Bleak December

My only other news is the book is now at 84K, Chapter 35, 418 pages...and I don't have a clue how I'm going to finish it..!!  I know where I'm going, but it's taking me a really long time to get there.  Course, once I finish, it will be revision and rewrite, meaning I will no doubt end up with a short story once I cut out all the crap.  Still.  It's been an amazing thing to do.  Now, if I could just get to the bloody end..!!

So, since today is a "work" day, I'd best get to writing, rather than blogging.  Before I go, let's all bow our heads, cross our fingers and with real feeling, begin to chant:  

Come On Spring..!!

Just a note...

NaNo, Genre and Writing

NaNo:

Even though I reached the 50K goal on November 21st, today was the last day to get my final certified word count in on NaNo. I finished 64,868 words in a month of glorious, terrifying and angst-filled moments. I am nearly two-thirds of the way to finishing my novel, and hope to get it done in December, take a break, then do revision and rewrite in the new year. I am really pleased, not only with the way my story is unfolding, but because I've completed a daunting task that I didn't think for a minute I could finish. Just goes to show, doesn't it?


Genre and Writing:

So, what kind of book am I writing? I would have to classify it in the Paranormal Romance genre, though it's also an action/suspense/mystery. Leave it to me to write a book that doesn't easily fit into any specific cubicle. I would prefer a different designation for this genre (leaving out that pesky romance word), though for now there isn't one.  I don't read romance novels, and yet here I am, supposedly writing one..!!

Paranormal is a type of speculative fiction involving humans interacting with the supernatural: vampires, ghosts, shapeshifters, mythological beings, and creatures like fairies, dwarves, etc. It's roots are in Gothic fiction, though I think those roots have grown into a very large tree that encompasses a much broader scope nowadays.

Living in Scotland, I am surrounded by myth and legend, so I brought one of my favorite legends to life.  And, no, I'm not going to tell you which one.  You'll just have to read the book.  Though, if you're really clever and know your mythology, you might figure it out from the brief synopsis below.

My main man, Alex, meets a human woman, Rowan, under dire circumstances. The story takes place in Scotland, in the Highlands. There's a mysterious book, a really nasty bad guy, fist fights, murder and mayhem. Oh, and the thirteen Sacred Trees who are characters in their own right. I've done loads of research on these factual and historic trees; ancient ones with their own mythology, their own personalities and attitudes.

As far as the romance bit goes, yes, there's sex. I mean, come on. Two people meet, whether over coffee at Starbucks, or in the forest running from killers, make a connection, and eventually fall for each other. What usually happens next, in real life or not? Yep, sex. I managed to hold them off until Chapter 14, but wow, did they make up for lost time.  Seriously, I had no control over these two, so don't blame me if the pages are scorched.

My book is not a bodice-ripper romance. It's a mystery based on ancient legends, the coming together of different worlds, and two people trying to solve the mystery while they struggle to overcome the odds against them. Maybe I should call it a Paranormal Mystery...with sex.

Official Notice

I've just downloaded my novel to the NaNo website for the official word count, and I won with 55,818 words, and before the November 30th deadline. If you look off to the right there, you will see my winning web badge, plus I got a real certificate (printed on paper, not just to view online).

I also get to say, and mean it, that "I've been there, done that, and have the tee shirt to prove it."  The tee shirt will look just like the web badge...the one on the right there...yeah, that one...the one that says WINNER..!!!

This year there were 170,000 participants (highest number of people to date), and I have now joined the ranks of the less than 3% who have actually crossed the 50K finish line--though the exact percentage won't be known until after November 30th.

Okay, okay. Sorry, sorry. Bear with me a little. It's just my overwhelming sense of accomplishment that I've done this wondrous thing that's making the tooting of my own horn so loud. 

One more blast on the trumpet, then I'll shut up:  I DID IT...!!!

National Novel Writing Month

Last month I stumbled across this strange thing called NaNoWriMo (or in long-hand, National Novel Writing Month). I go to the website and discover that for the month of November, would-be novelists, professional writers, or anyone who wants to, can sign up to write their novel, or 50,000 words of it, between November 1-30.

I dink around the website, thinking what an odd idea this is, and man, how daunting to put yourself under that kind of pressure. Cripes. 50,000 words?? In just a month??

I find out this concept started about 10 years ago in San Francisco and has grown from just a few hundred intrepid folks, to over 120,000 participants in 2008. It's now an international November thing, with most countries of the world represented. Wow. How cool is that?

I read on. The success rate is astronomically bad. Last year, for instance, of the 120,000 or so people who signed on, less than 15,000 actually accomplished the goal. Holy Lost the Plot, Batman!!

I mull this over for a week or so, half of that time wondering if I'm insane to even be thinking what it appears I'm thinking. I've just spent two months laboring over the house and all the DIY crap. Can I commit myself to another month of angst? Isn't it time I relaxed, got back to reading that pile of books I have stacked next to the bed?

Finally, one day while walking Oz, I mention this whole thing to Alan. He says I should do it, why not, I've been talking about writing a book for ages, didn't I say I even had a plot bouncing around in my head? I say there's no bloody way I could do 50,000 words in just 30 days. I'll be mortified if I sign up and can't do it. He says, who cares? All you can do is try.

October 26th I go on the NaNo website. I have butterflies. I can't believe what I'm going to do. I will be humiliated when I fail. Fighting my inner demons, I sign up. I get my notification that I am now an "Official Participant in NaNoWriMo 2009." I nearly throw up.

November 1st, Sunday. I don't even have the plot worked out. I only have a vague idea of my two main characters. I stare at the blank page (okay, the blank computer screen). I'm a total loser the first day. I have to write 1,667 words each and every day to reach 50K by the end of the month. I am doomed.

Then suddenly, like a bolt out of the blue, the first sentence comes to me, then the first paragraph. Oh.My.God. I write like the Furies are breathing down my neck, the words flying out of my head, filling page after page. When I finish the first day, my word count is 4,400. I am exhausted, but also elated. As the week goes on, I feel good, positive. Maybe I can pull this off after all.

Week Two hits. I can't remember my name, let alone the frigging plot of this stinking, worthless novel. What was I thinking? I can't write, and what I do write is crap. The mind parasites have crawled in and are eating my brain with voracious appetites. My word count is lower than a five year old's IQ.

Walking Oz, I tell Alan I'm quitting. Shocked, he says I most certainly am NOT quitting. Just write something, anything, to get the ball rolling again. That same day I get an email from the NaNo people. It's a pep talk about the Dreaded Week Two. Everything I am feeling is normal and happening to everybody else, all over the world. I should feel better that I'm not alone in this. I don't.

I take the day off to think things through. Late in that afternoon I suddenly remember where I was going with the plot. I tentatively sit down at the computer, I read the previous chapter to get myself back into the mindset. I tell my mind parasites to leave me alone, I'm writing. And I do.

Today, the end of Week Three, I wrote my 52,518th word. I reached the goal with more than a week to spare. I am filled with euphoria at my achievement. I am exhausted from using my brain so hard for so many days running. I'm only halfway to a full novel, but that's okay. I made it this far, what's another 50,000.

November day...

I won't be posting too much this month as I'm working on a project.  And no, I won't talk about it.  If I don't accomplish my goal, you won't hear another word on the subject, so just never mind.  If I do accomplish my goal, you'll hear the shrieks.  So, now that I've said WAY more than I intended to, I will now share some cool photos I took last weekend.

This is a shot of the River Almond, down the hill from our house.  It was a bitter, cold Sunday, but with the winding river and Fall-colored trees, it made the walk bearable.

Further down the river, there is a calm, placid section, just before the water hits the Forth, and the sea.  The water was very still and the reflection was just incredible.  Rather than show any of the trees hanging over the water, I just concentrated on the reflection.  I love this photo.  At first it seems upside down, doesn't it..??

As you come out of the woods by the river, looking West up the Forth, off in the distance is Barnbougle Castle.  Alan and I talked to a guy, not too long ago, who knew the family many years ago.  Apparently, the only remaining family member is a 97-year old woman.  Her husband is gone, and both sons died in WWII.  She lives there alone.  Can you imagine..??

Every morning, as we finish our Ozzy walk, we take a break at the Cramond Kirk.  Ozzy gets his water and treats, and in the peace and quiet of the cemetery, Alan and I plan out the day, and believe me, sitting on a bench in a graveyard makes you very conscious of each passing moment..!!  Over time, 3 crows have latched on to us, waiting for Ozzy to finish his treats, then they swoop down and eat the crumbs.  This is the main one, who always arrives first.  The other two are usually behind us, on the Kirk roof, cawing for Ozzy to hurry up.

And, here's Wussy Boy.  I keep his "rain" towels over the radiator in the kitchen, so as soon as we get back from a walk, I can dry Ozzy off and he can't track crap all over the house.  By the time we get back from an hour walk, the towels are very warm and toasty. After a really cold walk, like it was Sunday, he just revels in the heat, collapses as soon as I throw the towel over him, and won't move.  It's pretty funny, really.  I don't know what His Highness will do if we ever move and don't have hot towels at his disposal.  Cripes.

That about does it for this post.  I'll be busy this month, but will try to blog here and there as the month goes along.

A cool Scottish thing...

I know it's 4 days past Halloween, but I have to mention this very cool thing about what happens here in Scotland. I don't know about the rest of Great Britain, but this is what they do here. 

When we got our Trick-or-Treaters, they did stuff to earn their treats..!! Seriously, it is one of the most entertaining things. A big group of kids came, maybe 10 or so, and one girl did this gymnastic flipping act, which apparently covered all the kids, because no one else did anything. Still, it was great. Then, there were the singing duo, who were adorable, but slightly off-key, and the kid who told a Knock, Knock joke. But, my most favorite of the whole night was this boy. with his violin, who played a Scottish jig. Honestly, standing on our porch, belting out this perfect Scottish jig, with no effort at all. I wanted to give him the whole bowl of candy, I was so impressed. 

Too bad Halloween kids in other parts of the world don't have this wonderful Scottish concept of actually earning what they are given.

Pumpkins ready...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN !!!

THE END..!!!

I feel like bursting into some kind of Hallelujah Chorus song, or jumping up and down and screaming like a girl (by which I mean a real pierce-your-eardrums little girl, rather than a grown up woman rip of a scream, though that would work, too).

The DIY is done. Everything painted, carpeted and all agonizing, back-breaking work finished. Below are the results, though the photos aren't too good, for some reason. Maybe because the weather has turned to crap here and with British Summer Time over, it's dark by 4:30pm, or maybe it's just that in "real life" the photos just do not even compare. Whatever. Here are the pictures.

Main Bedroom:

Living Room, though we did this last year, so really, it doesn't count for this DIY trip:

The Den:

The Hallway, though again, we did this last year:

Bathroom:

Gail's Room/Bedroom/Dining Room, or the Back Sitting Room if you want to be totally accurate:

My Sanctuary Room:

Kitchen, with yummy new floor...in fact, The Floor That Started It All:

I think I need to get a wide angle lens. The photos are just showing bits and pieces of each room, not the real dimensions, or the wall colors, or the gorgeous new carpet. Oh well. The frigging point here is that it's done...over...finished.

Oh dear...I'm feeling the need to shriek, jump up and down, possibly flail around like a maniac. I better get off the computer before I break something.

Almost there...

I'm writing under my new alias as I have changed my identity, moved to the Outer Hebrides, dyed my hair red and am starting a new life.  OK...just kidding, though over the past two grueling weeks I have fantasized many, many times about doing exactly that.

We are on the last leg (literally..!!) of this effing DIY project, with the final room being carpeted tomorrow.  Over the weekend we will hang the pictures, clean the last of the mess up, and sometime early next week I will post photos of the newly restored house.  This has been a nightmare of epic proportions, though like childbirth, the truly painful parts are already fading from my memory.  Sort of.

One day last week, in an attempt to clear my head and smell the fresh air, rather than paint fumes, Alan and I took Oz for a long, lovely Fall walk.  Below are some cool photos of the day.


Walking along the river, we saw this Heron in a tree.  Honestly, I never imagined Herons in trees, but they do it here all the time.

Here's another one.  This part of the river gets lots of sunshine, so they must like not only the privacy (across the river from humans and other riff raff), but also the sun.

Just where the river meets the sea, I saw this lovely one wading in the water.  For some reason the photos came out with a very blue and gold cast, which I like.  It was early in the day, shady on the riverbank, and with the Heron on the other side of the river I had to use the telephoto.  Maybe all those things combined made the shot blue/gold.  I don't know, maybe it was just me still learning about my camera.  Whatever, I like it.

After the river, we came out along the beach and spied this group of Herons.  They are usually a solitary bird, so this was very cool to see them in a bunch.  Altogether that day we saw about ten of them along our walk.

As always, we walked home through the woods.  The early morning sun was just gleaming in this glade, the orange leaves a thick carpet under the trees with their yellow leaves.  It was very cool.

So, we have nearly reached the end of this long, hard travail of DIY.  Tomorrow the last carpet, Saturday getting everything sorted and cleaned, and Sunday I am not getting out of bed.  Well, except to walk Oz, twice.  And maybe a time or two to wander around the house admiring all the work.

Two down, two to go...

We spent all day yesterday getting the den back together, though it's not quite right yet as some furniture from Room #3 (Gail's room) had to be put in there.  The front room is again a total mess, so much so I couldn't even bear to take a photo.  We took out two of the three bookcases and put them back into the den, but then filled up the space with all the crap we took out of Gail's room.  I was so frigging tired last night, I could hardly stand upright.  Honestly, is there anything worse than a pack rat man...???  And, good god, what's with the British Colonial weigh-more-than-a-rhino furniture...???  Ugh.  I'll need back surgery before this is over, no question.

Here's the den, just after the carpet was laid.  The room is now bright and airy, compared to the way it looked before.  Now, if we had just stayed with the original idea of "let's lighten up the den," says Alan weeks and weeks ago, instead of involving the whole blasted house, I could be sitting back today reading my book...sigh.

I know it seems like a carbon copy of the main bedroom, and basically the colors are the same, but that's the point: whatever goes in the rooms are the show, not the paint/carpet.  Though, I have to say, the photos aren't doing the colors justice here at all.  The rooms are not blah and/or as bland as they look in these shots.  Guess you have to see it in person.

So, today it was all the prep work on Room #3, and tomorrow we paint.  Unless I drop, or need that back surgery, or run off to the Outer Hebrides and change my identity.  If I never write on this blog again, you'll know one of the above has happened.

So, Noon comes and goes...

...and then 1:00, 2:00, and 3:00. Where are the carpet layers..?? I leave at 3:30 to walk Oz, leaving Alan to hold down the fort in the miraculous event they show up. Ozzy and I get back home at 4:00, and Alan finally calls the bugger carpet company, where we are expecting to find out that, rather than homework, dogs ate the carpet. But, lo and behold, we are told the carpet layers are on the way..!!


And, OMG, here's the main bedroom about an hour later:



Isn't the carpet beautiful..?? And gorgeous..?? And finally ON THE FLOOR...!!



This was much later, about 3 hours later in fact. We got most of the stuff back into the room, though haven't hung any pictures or anything yet. Ozzy was so happy to have "his" room back, that he leaped onto the bed, rolled around, got some toys, the whole time with this big grin on his face. The photo could look better, though by this time it was dark outside so had to use the flash. Still, it's such a feeling of accomplishment to have at least one room done.



So, I'm going to sit back and relax for the rest of the evening. The next round of carpet. for the den, is tomorrow morning. At least now I feel like we're making some headway. (Oh crap, I hope that isn't going to be "famous last words..!!")

DIY saga continues...

For those of you following the DIY Hell we've been going through lately, in particular the carpet issue, you will maybe remember that today was the day the carpet was to be delivered to the warehouse in Edinburgh, with carpet laying beginning in the first of our two rooms tomorrow.

When Alan called the carpet company this afternoon, to make sure all was on track, he was told the van with our carpet in it had broken down, and the carpet would most likely not be delivered to Edinburgh until sometime tomorrow. He was assured the carpet laying would still continue for tomorrow, though it would be late in the day.

I talk to my BFF in Idaho on Wednesdays. She immediately asked me about the carpet. I told her about the van breaking down. She howled with laughter, then said "Yeah, and the dog ate my homework." And that, my friends, just about sums it up.

I am hoping to post photos of the new carpet actually ON THE FRIGGING FLOOR tomorrow, but we will just have to wait and see. Sigh.

I've gone BERSERK...!!

Let's pretend I'm doing an experiment in the interests of science or something, not, in fact, exhibiting further proof that I have gone nuts after discovering Super Macro on my camera. I swear, I will try to contain myself after these last photos.


This is the Rowan tree in the front garden. It is laden with berries this year, which in the natural world apparently means a hard Winter coming. Duh. This is Scotland.




This is a SM (Super Macro) shot of the same berries. Don't they look like apples..?? How cool.



A regular shot of some Lobelia and Diascia in one of the cauldrons on the walkway to the front door.


One of the Diascia, up close and personal. Holy cow, I am loving this.

Wait until you see these last two. This very beautiful Dahlia head is so large, it won't stand up by itself. That's Alan's arm in the background.

Now check out the heart of this Dahlia. Wow. It reminds me of the Kraken that ate Captain Jack Sparrow in the 2nd Pirates movie..!!!



OK, that's all. I really have to get on with other stuff besides taking pictures, but man, am I glad I finally figured out this Macro business. Too cool.

Super Macro

For my birthday last Summer, Alan bought me a new digital camera, a Canon PowerShot S5IS. We went to Italy shortly after, so I learned about the camera "on-the-job" as it were. It takes beautiful photos, (nearly all the ones on this blog), though has some bells and whistles I have yet to figure out. One thing I've been struggling with is the Macro. No matter how hard I try to decipher the camera-speak in the manual, this feature has eluded me.

This afternoon we were sitting out on the garden bench, reveling in the sunshine, when I noticed this lovely Nasturtium. I grabbed my camera and for the next half hour tried to get the blasted Macro to work.

This is as good as I could manage. Now, this isn't a bad close-up, but with my old Nikon SLR I could have done better.


So, moving on to a different Nasturtium, I tried again. Same result. An OK close-up. but buggers, where is the shot I'm looking for..??



While I was virtually laying on my stomach on the garden path, fiddling, fiddling, fiddling, I changed my options from Auto to Manual. This time when I hit the Macro button, I suddenly found SUPER Macro.

Wow.

I know we should all stop and smell the flowers, but maybe we should also stop and look at the flowers. Is this amazing, or what..?? What beauty inside a flower. Click on the photo to see it larger...it's incredible.

Sunny Sunday in Edinburgh

After a week of total crap weather, including two days with winds gusting up to 70mph, it was wonderful to wake up this morning to a glorious, sunny day. We took Ozzy for his usual walk, around 9:00am (no sleeping in on Sundays--or any days really--around our house, not with Bossy Boots).

___________________________________

Even with the tide out, you can see how still the water was this morning. It was so quiet, after the horrible winds, though there was definitely a chill in the air. And look at the sky. Not a cloud. It's days like this that I love living in Scotland.



Ozzy loves jumping up on the sea wall. I love how this photo came out.



The first glimmer of the leaves changing. We are climbing the hill, leading into the woods, which is halfway home at this point.



Hard to get the perspective here, but we've climbed way up the hill. With the tide out, you can't see much of the water, but wow, look at the sky. (Since we don't see much of the sky around here, I'm totally mesmerized when we do..!!)


Because it was so beautiful, when we got back from the walk, Alan and I decided to work in the garden. After pruning some roses, and taking out all the dessicated Sweet Peas, I picked some tomatoes for a salad.



That was an attempt at a fake out. Did you think they were nice, big tomatoes..?? Well, remember this is Scotland; with only 4 sunny days per year, tomatoes have a hard time. Here's what they really look like. And, yes, that's a teaspoon. Stop laughing...they still taste great even though they're small. OK, miniature. Shut up.




Nasturtiums are still growing, and look great. These are right at the front gate. I love the contrast with the gray stone walls.



And, last but not least: my work shoes. I love these shoes. I've had them for about 10 years, but sadly, in shoe years, they're about 387 years old and nearing the end of their days. The right big toe space is now worn through, they are spattered with paint, scuffed beyond any shoe polish help. Notice the left one is a different color..?? I was crawling on my hands and knees, painting the baseboard the other day and stuck my foot in the paint can lid. Then I had to use a scrub brush to remove the paint, which took off the top layer of leather. Oh well, I'm still not throwing them out. Clarks doesn't make this style anymore, so I'm doomed when these are totally wasted.

There's just nothing like a comfortable, perfect pair of old friends, is there..??