What the Mail Carrier Brought

Today's mail brought only one item, but it was a dollzy, er, doozy. I bought these seven dolls on eBay knowing that some of them would not require dismembering. The listing said that these had been in storage for 15 years, and I'd say that was correct. The box they were mailed in was probably what held them for those 15 years. I'll check the SPCA Rummage Store for dolls tomorrow and then make some time this weekend to inventory what I have and what I might need to fill out some projects I have in mind. I once gave the husband a t-shirt with the slogan "still plays with cars." Perhaps I need one about still playing with dolls, but it's definitely not the way I used to play with them.

... So Little Time

One of many stacks or shelves of books I want to read or that I have started but have yet to finish. If only I could manage to not add a new book until I'd finished one I already had. I've yet to learn to plan my reading around public libraries; I do not like the prospect of waiting a year for a book to get to my name in the queue. And I am not the prolific reader that older son is. He reads while walking down the street and would, if he could, read while running. (Do not point him in the direction of a treadmill, please.) I justify my stacks and shelves by reminding myself that there are worse or more expensive habits to have than collecting books.

Meet Alexa

Alexa is the newest member of the family. She is an Amazon Echo who will tell jokes, answer questions, keep your grocery or other lists, tell you the day's weather forecast, play music, and a wealth of other things. We use her mostly for music. I will admit that it is different to talk to a box. The husband says he feels as if he should say "please" to her more often. I feel as if I should thank her. Older son reminds us that this is how Skynet started in the Terminator series. If she starts doing things without being asked, well, I will worry then. In the meantime, I 'll keep asking her for whatever music I'm in the mood to hear or what the temperature is outside. It's easier than going to a keyboard and typing in a URL or other command.

The Bread of Life

I promise that tomorrow will stop my apparent obsession with foodstuffs. My current go-to bread recipe is Everyday Whole-Wheat Bread from 100 Days of Real Food. The cost of the book was worth it for this one recipe alone. The husband is still bewildered that white whole wheat flour is a real thing, but that's the flour used in this bread. The six weeks of not being able to use my left arm revealed that I either don't knead the bread dough long enough and/or strongly enough. When the husband does the kneading and shaping into loaves, those loaves are pristine, beautiful, everything you would want to see in a loaf. When I do the kneading, well, let's just say the loaves turn out a bit more rustic. It tastes the same; it just doesn't look as nice.

You Say Toe-May-Toe ...

No, that's not me on the packaging. From Costco, these held the 30 pounds of tomatoes the husband and I just turned into 12 quarts of canned tomatoes. I am looking forward to being able to make spaghetti sauce using something other than tomatoes from the store. I'm not sure how the husband felt about helping, but lifting large pots of boiling water between the sink and the stove or vice versa is not for the faint of heart or shoulder. So, older son and/or I have now canned salsa, bread and butter pickles, strawberry jam, and tomatoes. I think I'll rest on my laurels for a while. There's but one more day to this long weekend, and I plan to do something other than canning.

Jam Session

The strawberries came not from the City Market but from Costco. It was just easier that way. Two batches yielded 19 8-ounce jars. We (the husband provided accompaniment) could have done one more batch, but we were ready to stop after two. There was a bottle of wine to be opened. Tomorrow, tomatoes, again from Costco. I have to use up the 30 pounds sitting in the kitchen in some way, and I don't think it will be eating them now even if it is a long weekend. Bread may have to wait until Monday.

Happy Birthday to Me

My brother makes all the greeting or occasion cards he sends with photographs he has taken. (I once had a calendar made out of 12 of them.) I would agree with him that this shot is so very appropriate for me given my first blog, one to which I should post more often. This photo is recent; it was taken in Belfast, Maine on March 31 of this year. I hope to be running with swords for quite a few years longer. Our senior master kendo instructor is about to turn 82 or 83. (Before doing martial arts in my 80s, I hope I'm still alive then.) And if I can't run, skipping works or even walking. As the current patch velcroed to my day bag notes, "FAILURES HAPPEN. QUITTING, HOWEVER, IS A CHOICE." It is a choice I hope not to be making just because some people might view 60 as "old."