Adios

Time to say goodbye to 2011. To think about what went well and what could be better. Better settle in, this could take a while...

At our house this year we're welcoming the new year with a combination of contemplative and convivial rituals. A humble meal, music and the company of our dear friends. At midnight, we can count on Lucia to get up and open the back door to usher out the old year. She'll then go to the front door to welcome in the new. I love this simple ritual. We can also count on Phil and Terry to share a song or two, and next year at this time I plan to play along.

On New Year's Day I'll prepare a meal that resembles my grandma's traditional fare designed to bring good luck and prosperity our way. We'll have greens (symbolizing paper money), pigeon peas (symbolizing coins) and ham hocks. I've heard that pigs symbolize progress, but I'm guessing that ham was a part of grandma's meal because what proper southern cook wouldn't include some healthy amount of fat-laden salty pork product in their important celebrations!

And now for the dreaded resolutions...I hate New Year's resolutions with a passion. I'll just put that right out there here and now. I've never had any luck sticking to them and they just serve to lower my self-confidence and inflame any guilt and self-loathing I've harbored over the years. But don't get me wrong, I do love a good fresh start and a chance to formally wipe the slate clean!

I prefer to honor the past by formally saying goodbye to it. For me this is a much more appealing activity than thinking of all the ways I fell short and turning them into resolutions. This year as in years past we'll write down what we'd like to cast off and then put it straight into the fire and let it all go. Done. Gone. Buh bye. This symbolic releasing is so satisfying. Being a devoted list-maker at heart though, I can't resist revealing some rambling thoughts about what I'd like to welcome in for 2012...

• When I show up, I'd like to pay attention more and not to be so bloody attached to the outcome

• I'd love to invest far more money in experiences as opposed to material things

Other key words for the year...

Persist
Take action
Follow through

Unplug
Read more books
Pet the cats

Sit in silence
Elevate the ordinary
Tell the truth and above all...
Remember to relax, because the truth is time is on my side

Welcome 2012. I think I'm ready for you.

Screech...

Whoa, what just happened? The whole surgery thing just moved from an abstract, in the future kind of thing to something that's definitely going to happen now.

• Blood drawn - check (six BIG vials)

• Blood pressure - elevated a bit (just a little stressed are we?)

• Weight taken - check, and while we're at it let's just not go there shall we? (unless you want to hear all of the creative ways I'm managing my stress by cooking and eating, and cooking and eating some more)

• EKG - check

• Chest X-ray - check

This morning I passed my pre-op testing with flying colors and now I'm physically approved to go through with it. Now if I could just wrap my mind around the idea that it will all be okay. I'll be honest, spending the morning at the hospital today scared the begeezes out of me. There's something so odd and disingenuous about being asked "How are WE today?" by a hospital medical technician right before they stick you with a gigantic needle. Especially when it's delivered in that annoyingly chipper tone of voice. I mean come on, I'm here in the hospital having PRE-OP testing done, as in PRE-OPERATIVE, as in surgery, get it? How do you think I am? And while we're at it, here's what else I would like to know - who's this we you're referring to anyway? Let's cut all the sweetness and light crap and just get on with it. We are "fine". We are having surgery. We are scared and We just want it all to be over and done with as soon as possible so life can return to normal.

And no, I don't think I'll be liking you on facebook when I get home.
Now, anything else you'd like to know about me?

Perfectly Wonderful

We had a quiet and cozy Christmas eve dinner with friends and family this year. There's been no sign of any proper snow yet but the temps have dropped enough to keep a fire going. Mom's had plenty of kitty company to keep her occupied and to keep her from missing her Max too much.

This year Santa brought me a brand new patio and a gorgeous white pergola. Ken got the same thing in his stocking too. Funny thing about that... After foisting the world's largest hunk of prime rib into the oven we spent the day in front of the fire hanging out reading.

Lexi, Frank, mom and Lisa joined us later for the feast.

I'm so glad to be home now and to have time to really catch up to myself. There's lots of course prep on my plate right now but also time for long afternoon naps, reading, movies and hanging out with my sweetie. It's been a perfectly wonderful holiday so far and I feel the most relaxed I've felt in months. I love the last week of the year. No need to rush and plan or think about the clock. The holidays are over and our schedules are free from the usual obligations and distractions and I'm contemplating the coming year. Hopes are high.

Ready (or not...)

Mom arrives on Friday and Christmas is less than a week away. As in all previous years I'm no where near ready but it'll simply have to do! We've got a little tree and some lights hung.

Cue cozy. This is as ready as we're gonna get!

This month is really flying by so before it slips away completely, here's a recap...

On the fourth we said goodbye to our sweet friend Donald. A man who's heart was as big as his smile, who lived life on his own terms and who always (and I do mean always) made me feel that I was beautiful no matter how much I weighed, how straggly my hair looked or how bad my shoes were on any given day.

Donald was truly one of a kind and I really miss him.

Solstice celebration took place this past Saturday night, complete with roaring bon fire, magnificent pot luck meal and time to actually catch up with dear friends.

For sure the Fall semester wouldn't be complete without the annual Secret Santa studio party. This year's was one of the best with lots of thoughtful, creative and funny gifts. I'd say that the mustaches were the big hit of the evening this year!

I've got a fun, sweet and lively bunch this year!

Christmas arrives ready or not and this year I aim to enjoy every second of it.

Woes (but not all bad!)

Oh poor, poor, pitiful me...I've got computer woes again. As usual I have more photos on my computer than I have room for and if I don't do something soon I risk yet another crash. My only problem is that iPhoto won't let me access its trash can. Being basically resourceful, but lacking any real computer knowledge I muster up a strategy.

• First, consult the great google. No luck.

• Second, consult with my in-home on-call resident computer guru Ken. No luck there either (but in his defense he did say he'd look at it tonight).

• Third solution? Eat a cupcake. And let me just say, this is not just any cupcake either. This was a Thomas the train cupcake left over from Rep Class last night and it was my favorite flavor - yellow cake with chocolate frosting. Sadly eating it didn't automagically solve the problem. Now Pippa has positioned herself on my hands while I'm typing this post. Perhaps I should put her to work finding a solution.

Lately I just don't have time to post here at Newfield Knews. Oh woe is me. Obviously without enough time I just don't have much interesting to say either, though there is some newsy-news. Here 'tis:

• I'm finished with teaching for the term and have only juries, post-jury appointments and grading left to do. Then I'm done-done.
  

• Mom arrives on the 23rd for two weeks. I'm really looking forward to her visit but I'm not ready (oh woe is me again). We have no Christmas tree and not a shred of decorating done in the house unless you count the Halloween lights that are still up. Also we've done no shopping...zero, zip, zilch. The dining room table is covered (every inch of it) with last week's purchases for FOUND. Perhaps I should go shopping there...now there's the first bright thought I've had all week!!

• Surgery on my neck is three weeks from today. YIKES. My stomach just flipped over about ninety times. I know I need it and that it will fix most of the issues I've been having but that doesn't mean I'm not still scared. Any and all good thoughts you have to send my way would be warmly welcomed.

So that the latest news from this end. How 'bout you and yours?

Early

It's Thanksgiving break!! Hear that big whooshing sound? That was me letting my breath out.
Ahhhhh...time to sort through recipes, make a shopping list and locate the guest room. Jeral is coming for the week and we'll have eight at our Thanksgiving table. I can hardly wait!


We caught Evil City String Band at Felicia's last night and are looking forward to hearing Ruthy and Mike tonight. Good thing we buy our tickets in advance or we'd never never get out and have any fun!!

There is a dusting of snow on the ground and I can see the sun rise through the woods on the east side of the house. It is magical at this hour but the calm is regularly interrupted this morning by the sound of gunshot in the woods surrounding us.

The kitties have finally recovered from the hour fall-back and are letting us sleep a little longer these days. I just wish my strong internal alarm clock would let me sleep past 6...

Wishing

Lately I find I'm constantly wishing for the perfect moment, the right amount of time, the ideal circumstance or whatever in order to get done what needs to be done. Rats...if only I had the day to... (fill in the blank: finish this chore, get better at this hobby, take time for my latest whimsy du jour, etc).

After wishing earlier today for a "walk in the woods, a nap in a sunbeam and some leisurely time spent in the kitchen cooking for the week" I ended up working. At least I was home in the daylight!! Actually today was one of my favorite kinds of low key days - part day off/part work day. The day off part meant I stayed in my pj's long after it was advisable (and fashionable). The work part of the day meant that I got all of the vintage Christmas linens pressed, measured and tagged. Oh yeah, and those really cool vintage Christmas lights I stashed all year? They've been tested and are ready to go and they work! Does it matter if I keep a few? Just wondering... To my utter delight and amazement I also discovered today that I tagged the Christmas ornaments back when I bought 'em LAST YEAR. Who knew I had such foresight. Now if someone would please invent a way to get an extra ten hours more into every day. It'll take at least a week of 34 hour days to empty out the garage and we really need to get the cars in there before the first proper snow...

Please promise you won't turn us into the hoarding show on TV...

Home

Today is one of those rare weekend days off. We'd planned to head to auction a few hours away but the allure of sleeping in and getting caught up at home was just too great. To be home in the daylight hours feels like the greatest gift of all today.

It'll hit 60 today with lots of bright sunshine. I hope the day includes a walk in the woods, a nap in a sunbeam and some leisurely time spent in the kitchen cooking for the week. Breath in...breathe out... I feel better already!

Hipsters

Since my last post we've been to Philly and back to celebrate Ken's dad's 93 birthday. He looked hale and hearty and is in good spirits. We wish we could see him more often. We had a fun visit with Amanda, Pat and Robin, successfully dodged a major Nor'Easter and fit in a visit to Three Potato Fourand Hipster Home.
So many great finds, but too little time and even less room in the car...

We're in the very last days of Fall here and it couldn't be more beautiful.Our Japanese Maple is hanging on for dear life to its radiant leaves. Wish I could say our little storage barn was hanging on...

The patios's been cleared, the outdoor furniture is stowed away and the grass seed has sprouted where there there once was a garden bed.
The simplicity of this new garden look makes me very happy and peaceful...no more weeding, at least out there where I intend to relax as much as I'm able! Hope you're finding time to enjoy the change of season where ever you are.

Excuses

This why we live here...just sayin'

Well, well, well...I guess it's time for me to join the ranks of the many bloggers who begin their posts with "Sorry it's been such a long time since my last post". My excuses are many and typical (just too busy...) but my main reason for not posting lately is that my hard disk just up and died on me one morning about five or six weeks ago. Without access to my photos or my Mac I've been a bit lost and the thought of posting from my phone makes my skin crawl. I've been limping along on an old computer of Ken's but the experience has just served to confirm that I am definitely a Mac girl through and through. Lazarus (aka my sweet husband) managed to work his magic again by raising yet another computer from the grave. He even located all of my zillions of backed up files and has restored most of them to my Macbook...I still don't get the whole "they're stored on the cloud" thing but I now trust that it's true and it works!

In the weeks since I've been absent from Newfield Knews lots of everyday wonderfulness has taken place. My students and I made it to Midterm with our wits mostly intact.

Most of us are healthy and each of us is exhausted in one way or another. Commence countdown to Thanksgiving Break!

We're well into the Fall season now and it's peak or just past peak weekend for leaf color. The colors have mostly been muted this year but are still beautiful and inspiring. I miss our big old sugar maple more than ever and as usual I wish I had more time to be outside. We're holding out hope we'll see another burst of sunshine and warmth before the first snow flies.

The pergola is stained and the landscaping is done! For the first time ever, our landscaping plan consisted of total demolition of a garden bed. To rationalize the decision I keep telling myself I'm going for a more Zen approach in my garden. The honest truth is I just don't have time to tend to a garden these days and I'm tired of looking at the weeds and feeling guilty about how horrible it all looks. So George came in with the big rig and just plowed the whole thing under - Oh Happy Day!! After he took what he wanted and I dug up the lone plant I wanted to keep (an oak leaf hydrangea we received as a wedding present) and I said goodbye with a big grin on my face and never looked back. Best decision ever.

I'm now in possession of a new camera - a birthday gift from my sweetie. It's a Canon Rebel DSLR and I am totally smitten. Now I just have to learn to use it. I'm working on that.

Happy Fall everyone!

It's good to be back!

9/10/11

Diary of a perfect birthday day:
Breakfast at Waffle Frolic

followed by hanging out at the lake and the Ithaca Farmer's Market and then camera shopping.

Beautiful flowers and festive balloons from my mom,


and an entire day off with my sweetie.


Topped off by dinner out on the patio


with my sis

and some sweet friends.

It was my sweetest birthday ever.

Today is 9/11. I will never be able to think of the events of that day without hearing the music of Shostakovich. We were in rehearsal when we received word that a plane had flown into the World Trade Center. I had visited there only a few months before. Had walked the neighborhood extensively and had especially enjoyed the sweet little church located just a block or two from the Twin Towers. I've never been back to the site and don't know if I ever will. No words I'll ever write can even come close to describing the horror and devastation I felt on that day. I tacked a note on my studio door and went home. It read "Pray for peace". Guess we're still working on that.

Rain, Rain

Our friends and neighbors thirty miles to the south of us are under water this morning. Thousands have been evacuated. Here it's damp and foggy and the roof is leaking in our bedroom, but what a small inconvenience compared to the loss of a family home and its entire contents. Today is a day to be grateful.

Our roofers arrived cheerfully and promptly yesterday after my somewhat frantic call and immediately located the source of the problem. The clapboard sheathing on our fireplace chimney is completely rotted inside and out and no amount of flashing and caulking will fix it this time. We're talking complete demo and rebuild, but they're experts and quick workers and it'll be a good as new in about two weeks.

While they were up on the roof I entertained them with a demonstration of what to do if one suddenly finds oneself standing in quicksand. When I walked out to meet them I accidentally stepped on the ground above our newly dug french drain. I've walked on it before but never after such rain. I knew the ground was soft, but who would've expected I would sink in the mud up to my thighs (no exaggeration). I thought the guys would pee their pants laughing and after two seconds of being scared I joined right in. I mean really. It must've been quite a sight. I managed to extricate myself fairly quickly but not without getting covered nose to toes in slimy clay mud. Good thing I have a sense of humor and a good washer. So what did you do on your rain day yesterday?

All Washed Up

The public schools are closed today due to rain. Now that's something I've never heard before. We're pretty lucky here in our neighborhood. We've got a few washed out roads and a lot of flooded basements, at least that's what I hear. I'm not venturing down there...no how, no way...not unless I absolutely have to.

This year critters ate all (and I do mean all) of my beautiful lettuce and then they helped themselves to the parsley, the beans and the strawberries for dessert. Thank heavens they weren't interested in the asparagus. They even got many of my potted tomatoes but thankfully the top few were out of their reach.

From the sound of things out my window this morning it appears the rain may have stopped. I can hear the crickets again. Please summer won't you consider staying on just a bit longer or at least until the rest of the tomatoes are ripe?

Just after I clicked to publish this post I got a phone call telling me that classes at the College are canceled until noon today due to widespread flooding. I've never had a "rain day" before.

This Very Minute

September...ahhh.

Cool nights, early days and a bevvy of birthdays including my own. Fleece sheets, down blankets, wearing socks to bed.

Apple picking, stew cooking, port drinking. Sweaters, hats, scarves. Traffic snarls, tricky parking, so many new faces.

Question after question after question and many are my own.

Suddenly summer's starting to fade from view and I really feel it now.

Hanging on...

Stormin' the Castle

Here's to dear friends,

good food, good wine, a comfy couch

and "The Princess Bride" on dvd.

Thank you Terry and Diane for thinking of a way to get us to slow down, take a deep breath and laugh out loud.

Labor Day Proclamation

Being a child of the 70's, born and bred in the south (south Florida that is) and the product of a regular church going family, I saw my share of proper church fashion. My favorite of all time remains the polyester, pastel, double knit leisure suit, especially if it's worn with pair of sparkling white patent leather loafers. I don't know where or why or who it was that impressed this on me, but some how I grew up thinking that wearing white after Labor Day was a cardinal sin tantamount to going around the entire day with your zipper open or your bra strap hanging out. Today in honor of Labor Day and my upcoming birthday, I thought it worth announcing here and now for all to see that I intend to wear white when and where I please all season long because after all, you're not the boss of me, at least not any more... There, I said it! Happy Labor day.

This and That

We made a good go of the onsite auction yesterday, sticking it out for four or five hours before packing it in. Had we come to buy this

or this

we might've declared the sale a huge success.

What we found instead was a rag tag auction crew with a primitive analog auction system and a pile of stuff that gave a whole new meaning to the word craptastic.

Still all in all, it was nice to spend the day together taking in the sights and sounds of rural upstate NY and we did manage to come home with a few nice treasures.