the disaster that is texas

Posted on February 18, 2021 by is there any more pie?

Well, my Texans are still in the midst of a historic freeze, with snow and ice and sleet covering the roads and sidewalks.  Tonight the last storm system will end after leaving more ice in its wake, but things will warm up nicely by next week.

Will has had no electricity (and therefore no heat) for over 80 hours.  The temps have been in the single digits night after night and in the teens and twenties during the day.

Luckily he is a guy who owns a lot of wool socks and warm clothes.  In fact, his prized possession is his great-grandfather’s red plaid Woolrich jacket.

I just saw a similar jacket for sale on Etsy for $550, but I doubt that Will would ever relinquish it.

He escaped to a friend’s house on Tuesday night (the friend had chains for his tires and could pick him up), but returned to the condo when his friend’s power went out the next afternoon.  But at least he twenty-four hours to warm up and eat a hot meal.  I’m sure he enjoyed his coffee Wednesday morning!

People are lining up for hours outside of grocery stores that can’t replenish the shelves.

Water pipes and water mains are bursting all over the city.  Water pressure is low or non-existent.  Fire hydrants have no water pressure either.

There is a “boil water” notice for all of Austin.  How do you boil water when you have no power?  How do you buy bottled water when you can’t get to a store?

And in Will’s case, how do you store supplies for a week-long emergency in a 640 square foot condo?  I think when this is over there will be supplies in place, just in case winters in  Austin turn colder.

The folks in Austin have no idea when power will be restored.

Ben, Amber and the Funny Grandson have power back, but no water.  The FG Face-timed yesterday to give me his version of his “adventure” with the storm, the cold, and the lack of electricity.

He told me that when the power came back on (after 2+ days) his dad made him oatmeal and it was the best oatmeal he’d ever had in his life and he could have eaten eighteen bowls.

I’m sure his Uncle Will is going to feel the same way.

 

 

 

Posted in austin, family, texas | 6 Comments

shot in the dark

Posted on February 16, 2021 by is there any more pie?

Last night we drove north to CVS for Banjo Man’s Covid vaccine appointment.

Oh, happy day!

Our state is having a very hard time getting its act together, but last week I was able to secure an appointment by staying on the CVS website and constantly refreshing the vaccine page.  After a few hours I got lucky.

Banjo Man is feeling fine this morning.  We’re looking out the window at freezing rain and then another snowstorm on Thursday.

But it’s not as bad as it is in Texas.

Ben, Amber and the Funny Grandson have experienced temps of 1 degree.  They have no power and, despite keeping the faucets dripping, have frozen, broken pipes.  They do have a gas stove top so they can heat up food.  But of course there is no heat and it could be days before the electricity is restored.

All the roads are covered with ice (school was cancelled last Friday and remains closed), so Texans are pretty much trapped in place until Sunday’s warmer temperatures.

And Will?  He has no electricity, no heat and no cell phone (Verizon has been having problems).  I hope he still has water.  And I know he has a great sleeping bag.  But day after day of single-digit temps and no heat equal a very cold condo.  And there’s no way to drive anywhere, as the roads are covered in ice.

At least Will can walk to the grocery store, because he owns boots and cold weather gear.  Maybe he can find a hot cup of coffee somewhere.

I worry about my Texans.  This is a historic cold spell and is the Texas version of RI’s “Blizzard of ’78”.

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all the pretty boxes

Posted on February 14, 2021 by is there any more pie?

This past week my manic quilting was replaced by manic decluttering.

Sigh.

As the end of the Covid isolation is nearing, as is our flight to Spokane (69 days), I can’t wait to enjoy a campfire by the lake.  I want to bundle up in my warmest jacket and–rain or shine–collect driftwood and look for arrowheads on the beach.  I want to perch on my favorite log and drink coffee.  I want to see an eagle.

But for now?  My cure for stress has always been buying plastic containers and putting stuff inside of them.  A pandemic has not changed that.

Of course I had to sneak the new plastic purchases past Banjo Man, who thankfully was on the phone when I returned from Home Depot having bought all six boxes on the shelf (and wished there were more).

A decade of “Buying Pretty Boxes At Home Goods” has ended.

After several days of sorting and organizing, here’s the result:

The remaining white boxes on the top left hold my vintage button collections.  I ran out of (a) energy and (b) plastic storage boxes.  Maybe next winter…

Here’s a bag filled with three pretty boxes of sewing notions and fun stuff for Harley Chick’s craft-minded granddaughter.

I love my label maker.   Can you tell?

And now I sit here with my second cup of coffee, listening to Tom Waites (The Early Years, Vol. 2) and wondering what I can throw away or repackage next.

Banjo Man had better watch out.

 

 

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such is my world

Posted on February 9, 2021 by is there any more pie?

Next week will mark eleven months since the pandemic became real and the lockdown began.

Last November our governor once again shut down almost everything in the state and I’ve been in my room ever since (except for that lovely week in Texas).

The room is small, but it works.

My cutting table can be wheeled around to get the best light.

My office chair can be wheeled from my desk to my sewing machine. 

My television (the photo showing yet another episode of EXPEDITION UNKNOWN) can be wheeled from the bedroom to the office.

And the ironing board can be lowered to become a dining room table.

Home, sweet home.  For now.

 

I

Posted in just for fun, rhode island | 1 Comment

the truth hurts

Posted on February 8, 2021 by is there any more pie?

Last year’s flag football picture.

The Funny Grandson is a rabid football fan.  His world centers around his flag football team and his afterschool hours at the Elite Training gym and his Sundays spent watching any and all NFL teams on tv.  He studies plays on You Tube and practices with his father in a nearby field.  He has collected hundreds of football cards.

Oh, does he love it!  He can quote all kinds of statistics and discuss strategy.  He can explain why a team won or lost.  He has many, many opinions about coaching.

Yesterday he proudly showed off his Patrick Mahones football jersey (“I know you won’t like this, Grandma!”) when he was Face-timing with me.  He proudly declared that the “Bucs” had no chance of winning the Super Bowl.

I vehemently disagreed.

“Have you ever seen Tom Brady give up?” I asked.  “It might be a close game and Patrick Mahones is really good, but you will never see Brady stop fighting.”

The FG mumbled something.  And then broke into a litany of reasons why Kansas City would triumph.

The trash talk ensued.  Escalated even.  We may have been shouting.

My final jab before turning the phone over to Banjo Man:  Patrick Mahones will be sobbing like a baby on the fifty-yard line because he couldn’t get any touchdowns! 

Now if you’re thinking I’m a Bad Grandma, let me assure you that the FG absolutely loves to trash talk.  We do it when we play UNO.  We do it when we play Mexican Train dominoes.  We are quite good at it.  And yesterday?  Well, the kid spouted all sorts of anti-Brady, pro-Mahones nonsense and loved doing so.

My daughter-in-law even texted me and thanked me for spending some time trash talking with the FG because it made him so happy.

 

This morning it is taking all the self-control I have not to send my grandson a Tampa Bay Super Bowl Champions t-shirt.

I wouldn’t even care how much it cost.  A few clicks of the mouse and the ultimate trash-talking revenge would be on its way to Texas.

Oh, the joy!

But since I don’t know how hard the FG took the Kansas City loss, I’ll be a Nice Grandma and stay away from Super Bowl apparel websites.  Instead I will now return to the kitchen to clean up after our Air Fryer Food Extravaganza yesterday.

We had egg rolls.  French fries.  Sweet potato fries.  Hot dogs, sauerkraut, potato chips, Doritos and guacamole.  I even found 1/2 a frozen brownie in the freezer to share during the third quarter.

Even yesterday’s snow storm (we got 8″) didn’t bother us.  We had our giant television, our couch, our air-fried food and…Tom Brady.

 

 

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snow plows, dead sea scrolls and a magpie

Posted on February 4, 2021 by is there any more pie?

After quite a long 48 hours, a snowplow returned to our driveway last night to plow us out and fix the mess that left us trapped before it all froze.  The driver was the owner of the company and wanted to see it for himself.  Hey, I could have texted pictures!

We were very relieved. 

So this morning the sun was shining, the sky was blue and I was able to plan a trip to Westerly.  Unfortunately, I had no errands to do.  No groceries to buy.  I refuse to look at clothes at TJMaxx until the dressing rooms open up.

But I needed to put a card in the mailbox at the Post Office, so there was that.

Banjo Man sensed my excitement and asked if I was going to come back.

I told him that I had a wad of cash and a Visa card and I could cross the Pennsylvania border before dark and before he ventured upstairs to see what we are having for dinner.

He laughed.  Sort of.

Yesterday I stitched 9-patch blocks together all day while streaming old episodes of EXPEDITION UNKNOWN.

I learned a lot about treasure hunting.   And watched three episodes about the Dead Sea Scrolls.  I’ll be streaming more episodes this afternoon after RI’s latest press conference about the Covid vaccinations.

Today the New York Times rated us LAST in vaccine rollouts.   So I imagine there will be some explanations/excuses from the folks on stage.  And hopefully some information as to how and where and when the over-75 folks can get vaccinated.

The state had a hard time getting it done and last Friday turned the whole process over to the cities and towns,  which was a surprise to the cities and towns.  This morning I heard that the most recent plan was to turn the process over to CVS.

Now, on to PENGUIN BLOOM.

We watched this movie on Netflix Sunday night and really enjoyed it.  Based on a true story (and a book), it tells the story of how an abandoned baby magpie helped an Australian family heal from a tragedy.  It’s a lovely, feel-good story…and I guarantee the bird will make you laugh.

We are working our way through an older series called THE TUNNEL.

There are three seasons, which should occupy us for another couple of weeks.

What are you watching?

 

 

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damn the groundhog

Posted on February 3, 2021 by is there any more pie?

My friend Dancing Mandolin Player sent me this yesterday.  Very funny and very true!  I just keep stitching and cutting and ironing the hours away.

A “man quilt” in the fabric-selection phase.

We’re expecting more snow and another week of frigid temps, so it’s not like we’re going anywhere.  Our world has turned to ice, never a good thing.

The snowplow driver did a half-assed job and now we can’t drive in or out.  It’s actually worse than what you can see in the photo.  We are waiting for him to return and fix it.

I’d planned on heading to the store tomorrow to buy Super Bowl snacks, but then again…maybe not such a good idea.

Nancy isn’t coming for our weekly dinner tonight, due to the fact that she’d have to park at the top of the road and hike in.  And this ice is no joke!  Better to stay safe and stay home.

And home is where the fabric is.

Since this photo was taken, I’ve cleaned it all up, honest!
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a cold spell, apples and a movie

Posted on January 31, 2021 by is there any more pie?

Greetings from the cold North!  It’s 9 degrees this morning, with a wind chill of zero.  Friday morning it was 8 below.   Tomorrow we’re getting a full blown nor’easter with 4-12″ of snow and high winds.

In other words, winter.

From My Modern Met.

I’m huddled up in my office waiting for it to warm up.  I have my coffee.  And a very thick warm robe.  All is well.

It feels good to be able to type this morning.  Last Tuesday I decided to make an Irish Apple Cake, a recipe that landed in my email box that morning.  Daughter Nancy was coming for our weekly dinner and Irish Apple Cake sounded like a good idea for dessert.

It wasn’t.  The three apples I had to peel, core, quarter and slice were as hard as rocks.  The recipe consisted of a layer of cake batter, a thick layer of sliced apples and a streusel topping.

I will never make it again.

Later on I noticed my hand was sore.  It finally dawned on me that was due to peeling granite-like apples.  I thought nothing of it until the next morning, when I woke up with a swollen, red and throbbing claw of a hand.  I used ice packs all day.  Ibuprofen.  Percocet.  My lymphedema glove as a bandage.  Nothing worked.

I stuck it out until Thursday afternoon, then Banjo Man dropped me off at the local Express Care.  An hour later I’d had x-rays, been examined, given a huge hand brace and a prescription for more pain pills.

I love my hand brace.  I’ve been wearing it 24 hours a day, until this morning.  It works!  And I can type!

Clearly peeling a case of peaches in August is much easier than peeling three winter apples.  Who knew?

Let’s talk television.

RECKONING (Netflix):  this is a 10-part series about a serial killer and the police detective trying to catch him.  Sound familiar?  It actually wasn’t, because each man had a family with its own problems.  They lived in the same middle-class neighborhood, attended the same church, their kids were friends.  Their sons had real issues, one with autism and the other a budding psychopath.  I thought it went on way too long, though.  And the writers left enough threads for a season 2.  I’m not sure we’ll watch another season unless we’re really desperate.

HIGHTOWN (Starz):  It started out interestingly enough, but the drugs, drinking, sex and all around crude behavior made us turn it off after a few episodes.  Set in Provincetown, on Cape Cod, the scenery is familiar and beautiful.  But the underbelly of the Cape isn’t.  We didn’t want to spend our winter evenings there.

LUPIN (Netflix):  This was fabulous (thank you to Mary and Kathy for recommending it).  Arsene Lupin, a charismatic thief and “master of disguise” in Paris, is bent on avenging his father’s death by destroying the wealthy family who ruined his life.  Only five episodes to watch now (the first half of the series) but the other five will be released this summer.  I can’t wait!  Wonderful characters and lots of plot twists.

Ralph Fiennes in THE DIG.

THE DIG (Netflix):  My 5-star pick of the week!!!  A film based on a true story, about the Sutton Hoo dig in 1939 and the discovery of the first Anglo-Saxon burial ship in history.  A wonderful, wonderful movie.  Ralph Fiennes stars as the amateur archaeologist (he calls himself an “excavator”) who is hired by a wealthy widow to explore the burial mounds on her land.

We enjoyed it so much I think we’re going to watch it again.  The filmmakers went to incredible lengths to make the portrayal of the dig an accurate one.

The Sutton Hoo treasure is available to view virtually at the British Museum.   https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/galleries/sutton-hoo-and-europe

I’m going to spend some time there this afternoon.  There’s a lot to see.

And that’s it for now.  Stay warm, stay healthy, stay safe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in movies, rhode island, television | 2 Comments

life at the zoo

Posted on January 25, 2021 by is there any more pie?

I broke my television Thursday.

Not the giant one in the living room (thank goodness!) but the 32″ tv in the bedroom.  It sits on a little rolling kitchen cart which I spin around and move to the opened French doors that connect the bedroom to my office/sewing room/music room so I can watch tv from there.

While I was struggling to move my bulky design wall (I started a new quilt last week) I bumped the tv, which promptly pitched forward and dangled headfirst from all of its cords.

The screen hit the corner of the cart and broke.

I was very sad.  And that was weird, because up until the last four months I’d hardly ever used it, even though I’d owned it for seven years.  Normally I don’t watch television until evening, when Banjo Man and I settle on the living room couch to stream murder mysteries or historical dramas.  Or, on Monday nights, The Bachelor on ABC.

I much prefer the radio, but I gave up listening to the Rhode Island political news and Covid updates months ago because I know the stress is bad for my health.

No kidding.

So with the pandemic keeping me home, I turned to the television for company while I’m sewing, cleaning, doing paperwork, etc.

I’ve discovered all sorts of interesting shows.  I particularly like the “hunting Nazi’s” shows.  And old episodes of “Below Deck”.  I have a crush on Captain Lee and I wish I could meet Ben, a particularly hilarious chef.

World War II in Color is always a hit, especially when they in the Pacific (where my father served).  As are shows about mysterious places in the world.  And mysterious abandoned buildings.

Archaeological shows are fascinating, too.  If someone has found a mysterious cavern in a long-forgotten pyramid, I’m ready to go along with all that new scientific equipment and see what’s there.

Also, due to Covid Prison, I know a lot about Vikings.  A lot.

And when they’re up in Minnesota writing on large rocks, I’m all in.  I have several episodes of “Secrets of the Viking Stone” on the dvr just so I don’t miss anything.

Have you seen “Secrets of the Zoo”?  On the National Geographic channel, it shows all the behind-the-scenes activities with the animals and their caretakers.  I love it.  As I told friends recently, I have watched so many episodes that I think I could successfully artificially inseminate a rhinoceros–or at least be a valued member of the team.

So you can see why the loss of my television was a big deal.  I immediately ordered a replacement on Walmart.com and then drove south to pick it up.

By the way, this Walmart pick-up service is phenomenal.  I’m heading out now to get this week’s grocery order.

I am also going to put on all of my warm clothes and take a walk.  It was 19 this morning, but the sun is out and the sky is blue.

And “Weaponology”, a history of the US Marine Corps, is on at 3:00.

The Kensington Runestone in Minnesota.

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blowin’ in the wind

Posted on January 18, 2021 by is there any more pie?

Sunday was a gorgeous day, around 38 degrees and sunny.  So what to do?  Take a ride to the beach, of course.  The walls were closing in and we needed to get out of the house for a little while.

Here’s our view of Matunuck Beach.  We had no idea how windy it was or how rough the surf.  In fact, neither one of us could remember ocean wind this strong.  We stayed long enough to take a photo and then scurried back to the parking area.

Lifeguard stands waiting for summer.

 

Once back in the car–with the heat blasting–we headed to Narragansett Pier to see if the surfers were taking advantage of the waves.

They were.  The waves were smaller and the wind was calmer here, so the Pier area was filled with people like us who wanted to breathe clean ocean air and watch the surfers.

Banjo Man taking pictures.

And then we were on to the Point Judith lighthouse, where the surf was sure to be huge.

It doesn’t look too wild from this photo, but the wind was so bad we could hardly stay on our feet.

Trying to keep my hood on.

We staggered back to the car and drove through Galilee to see the fishing boats and the seafood restaurants.  By Memorial Day it will be bustling again, but on a January Sunday it was empty and everything was closed up tight.

And then home, to turn on the heat and watch football.

We’ve been lucky to have had only one snowstorm this winter, so I won’t complain about wind!  And the ocean air was Covid-free and wonderful.

We must head to the beach more often, just to breathe.

 

 

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