a darn good saturday

Posted on January 21, 2018 by is there any more pie?

Yesterday there was this:

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A kaleidoscope quilt top made several years ago.  You layer 6 layers of fabric in exactly the same places on the design and cut wedges.  The wedges are sewn together to form different patterns.  This was made with one fabric and I am so happy to have moved it out of the closet and onto a work space.  Almost finished and all it took was one afternoon!

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The original fabric.

And while I was sewing away, here’s what blasted from the speakers:

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Christmas gifts from Son #2!  Joy!

And then for the evening?  Three more episodes of this insanely compelling mini-series set in British Columbia:

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It’s so intense that most of the time we can only watch one episode per evening, but as it is racing towards the finish we find it hard to turn off.  It just gets better and better.  And the characters?

Oh. My. God.

Last night’s episode made me once gain want to learn how to shoot.  I periodically long to take lessons, but it’s more a fantasy than anything else.  But while safely tucked up on the couch last night I was once again reminded that it is crazy for a woman not to know how to defend herself.

So I need to get brave.

In the meantime, I think I’ll return to the sewing machine and finish this quilt.  I’m determined to dig out all those pieced quilt tops this year and turn them into quilts that someone can actually snuggle under.

Banjo Man is going to help me hang my guitars in my office today.  I’ve done some reshuffling in this small space in order to make room for all the music.  Almost done!

I’m learning this cheerful song this week…

Posted in books & music, quilting, rhode island, television | 4 Comments

the polka king

Posted on January 20, 2018 by is there any more pie?

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I didn’t know whether to recommend this movie or not.  Banjo Man and I thoroughly enjoyed it, but after reading a lot of horrible reviews I hesitated to tell you about it.

This Netflix movie is based on a true story, which is what is so fascinating about it.  Jack Black is terrific as Jan Lewan, a Pennsylvania Polka King who used his charisma and personality to swindle his fans out of their money in a Ponzi scheme.

For the first fifteen minutes or so I wondered why I was still watching.  Jan Lewan is just plain weird as he narrates his “story” in his point of view.  But we were comfy on the couch on a cold January night, so I figured what the heck, let’s see how this plays out.

Well, it got better and better.

Because it is a true story.  We couldn’t believe what the Polka King got away with and how he made himself into a larger than life entertainer.  It was truly fascinating.

When it was over, with the credits rolling, the real Jan Lewan was shown singing his songs, along with the actual newspaper headlines of the various events.  Clearly the screenwriters didn’t have to make this stuff up.

It was all there.

Solidly entertaining.

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the christmas gift

Posted on January 19, 2018 by is there any more pie?

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Last December I had something happen to me in a grocery store that had never happened to me before.  Or to anyone I know, for that matter.

It was just a few days before Christmas and Banjo Man and I were at the local HEB several blocks away from the condo.  I had a very long list, so Banjo Man and I had separate carts and agreed to meet up eventually, somehow, when we were both finished with shopping.

By the time I was about 2/3 done, my cart was piled high with chicken, sausage, cheese, vegetables, milk, eggs, etc.  If you looked at my cart you would understand that here was a woman who cooked from scratch–for a lot of people–and also needed a lot of paper towels.

I had just pushed my cart through a crowded health food aisle when a young woman called after me, “Ma’am!  Ma’am?”

I stopped and turned around.  My first thought was that I had done something wrong when picking up peppermint oil (enclosed in a steal-proof plastic case, to be opened at the register).

She didn’t confiscate my oil.  Instead she gestured towards a tall young man standing about ten feet away in the midst of shoppers jockeying for spots at the crowded registers.  “My husband and I would like to buy your groceries today.”

“Excuse me?”  I looked at my overflowing cart and then back to her.

“We’d like to buy your groceries today,” she repeated, pushing a folded bill into my hand.  “Merry Christmas!”

I was stunned.  All I could say was, “Thank you so much.”  And “Merry Christmas.”  They waved joyously and wandered off, clearly looking for other shoppers who might need some extra cash.

I unfolded the bill:  one hundred dollars.  I honestly didn’t know what to do.  If I gave the money back to them, explaining I didn’t especially need help buying groceries and they should pick someone else, that would be rude.  I would embarrass them.  Better to let them enjoy their morning of gift-giving surprise?

I still don’t know.

Had I looked poor?  Was that their criteria?  I was dressed neatly enough–not that anyone in Austin ever cares what anyone wears.  I wore makeup.  And maybe even lipstick, but maybe not.

I know I looked happy–unlike my usual grocery-shopping persona.  I was thoroughly enjoying getting the ingredients for all of the meals I was going to cook for my family.  I’d had an organized list and a pretty good idea where everything was located.  The store was crowded, but it almost always is.  I imagine I looked like I was having a good time, because I was.  My family was going to be together around the dinner table.  Joy!

Had that been their criteria?  Find someone who looked happy about making a lot of meals?

I’ll never know.  Just like I’ll never really know what I should have done.

Once I’d connected with Banjo Man and ended up at the register, I made a donation to the Salvation Army.  But to be honest, I would have done that anyway.  It’s my tradition, a way to honor my World War II veteran father who always donated to them at Christmas and always became choked up with tears when he did.

The hundred dollar bill is still in my purse, tucked safely in a zipper compartment.  I take it out and look at it once in a while.  A reminder that people find joy in giving?  That life still has surprises, even in the grocery store?

I’ll keep the money safe for now.  One of these days there will be a moment when I’ll know what to do with it, when to pass it on, the perfect time to share the gift.

What I think the sweet couple in the grocery store would have wanted.

 

Posted in austin, shopping, texas | 4 Comments

the frozen dead

Posted on January 18, 2018 by is there any more pie?

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Here’s a new mystery series on Netflix.  It’s in French, with English subtitles, and set in the French Pyrenees.

We liked almost all of the episodes–good characters and lots of mysterious happenings–but the last episode left us…cold.  It ended with a cliffhanger and set up a future Season 2.   Lots of shows do this (Broadchurch, The Killing, The Fall) but I much prefer real endings.  C’mon, writers!

Speaking of France…

 

If you’re looking for a story of grief and love and new beginnings, the Kindle edition of this book is available on Amazon now for only $1.99.

And speaking of books…

This Netflix series is adapted from a Harlan Coben novel, THE FIVE.  We’ve watched three episodes and we’re absolutely riveted.

From Netflix:  “A mystery series created by author Harlan Coben.  Jesse, a five year old boy goes missing, 20 years later his DNA shows up at a crime scene.”

The Five

Other television notes:

THE BACHELOR has returned to ABC on Monday nights.  Be still my heart.

THE AMAZING RACE has returned!  Lots of good racing teams this season, and the tasks and challenges are difficult.  Good tv on Wednesday nights!

And one of my favorites, HUNTING HITLER, is back for its third season on Tuesday nights on the History  Channel.  I’ve finally convinced Banjo Man that it’s worth watching and he is now a fan.  If you can find the first two seasons on Hulu or the History Channel app, it’s an education on what went on during the last weeks of World War II in Berlin and Germany.  One of the world’s biggest mysteries is what happened to Hitler, and this team–and these guys are the real deal–is determined to find out.

Let me know what you think!!

 

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that sinking feeling

Posted on January 17, 2018 by is there any more pie?

We’ve had a leak under our kitchen sink.  I’m not going to tell you how long it’s been going on, because that would be embarrassing.

Very embarrassing.

Last spring we were determined to Solve The Problem.  First stop?  A kitchen-and-bath store in Westerly.  I did a little pre-shopping research and decided that another stainless steel sink was the most practical choice.

And here it was:

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Ours won’t have the stainless front.

We decided upon a faucet, too.  A pretty, swoopy one.   And then realized that by the time we found a plumber, ordered the sink and had things ready to be installed, it would be too late.  Summer was a-comin’ and time had run out.

Plus…we had spent too much time toying with the idea of putting in a new counter.  Only we couldn’t decide what we wanted.  Quartz and granite and marble were all too expensive.  Formica was affordable, but after collecting dozens of sample chips from three different stores I was no closer to finding the perfect shade and texture of cream-ivory-white-beige.

We talked about it again this fall, but once again…we ran out of time before Christmas vacation.

As of Saturday we were still reminding each other, “We should get this done before summer,” and “As soon as we’re feeling better we should make some decisions, find a plumber, get this fixed.”

Yep.  We’d agree we really should do something and then get back on the couch, with our blankets and remote controls.

Our dishwasher died over a month ago.  Not exactly tragic, but inconvenient.  I actually wondered if we could do without it, but after a month of doing dishes by hand Banjo Man was DONE.  We’d shared the chore, but we never seemed able to keep up with it.

Saturday we bundled up in our warmest clothes, stuffed extra tissues into our jacket pockets and headed to the dump, then to town.  We bought a Maytag dishwasher in record time (10 year warranty, go Maytag!!) and then tried a new fast-food Mexican place.  It was like a Subway for tacos–you line up and tell the taco maker what you want her to put into your taco as you study bins and bins of toppings and fillings.   They even had a salsa bar.

Yesterday the installer came with the new dishwasher.  It turned out he has his own handyman business and said he could fix our sink.  Or install a new one, along with the faucet.  Banjo Man was trying not to do a happy dance right there in the kitchen.

After the guy left, we made an instant decision to forget about installing new counter tops.  I don’t know why the idea of making decisions about counters and back splashes and paint seems so overwhelming to me, but it does.

The ugly truth?  I might be too old for remodeling projects.

Later that day we returned to the store where we’d seen the perfect sink and ordered it.  Eight months after our first shopping trip we’ll have a new sink, new faucet and new dishwasher.

And that’s enough for 2018.

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I kind of love this.

 

Posted in rhode island, shopping | 2 Comments

3331

Posted on January 16, 2018 by is there any more pie?

3331.  That’s how many pieces there are in this new quilt I’m piecing together.

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Because it was a “Mystery Quilt” I had no idea what I was getting into or how many pieces I would end up cutting and piecing and ironing and sewing to other pieces…

But it’s January and I am thinking of how pretty this will look on one of the beds at the lake this summer.  So that keeps me going.  The colors make me think of mountain sunsets and blue-sky mornings and the dark shade on the beach at dawn.

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It’s quiet here.  Banjo Man and I are feeling much better, but we’re still more than happy to stay close to home and rest up.  Yesterday afternoon we drove south to Walmart to pick up all the important things, like chicken broth and walnuts and quilt batting and yogurt.  I’ve been making lots of soups in the crock pot this month.  Today’s creation?  Creamy chicken and mushroom.  I’ll start with this recipe and make it thicker, I think.  With broccoli and no carrots.  And maybe some cauliflower rice for thickening.

Tomorrow and Thursday I will be taking my mother to various medical appointments, so it’s good to have dinner already made and in the crock pot when I stagger home.

Have you tried cauliflower rice?  Or should I say riced cauliflower?

I’m experimenting with it.  The jury is still out.

We are expecting the arrival of a new appliance in about an hour, so I need to get dressed and make sure the house looks presentable.  And then it’s back to this…

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I only need to make 49 more.

 

 

Posted in quilting, rhode island | 4 Comments

first date, 48 years later

Posted on January 12, 2018 by is there any more pie?

This is the anniversary of my first official date with Banjo Man.  In 1970.

It is also the anniversary of selling my very first piece of writing.  In 1986.

And the day I received my first check from my book publisher.  In 1987.

January 12th.

My lucky day.

So what’s going to happen today, you ask?

Good question.

Since we’re still recovering from the Texas Virus That Lasts Forever, we are not going out for a romantic dinner.

And I am not cooking a romantic dinner.

But…I think we’re going to town to buy a new dishwasher!   Our old one broke a month ago and we’re tired of washing dishes.  Yes, I know that having to wash dishes by hand is not a real hardship, but we’re tired of it anyway.

So far I’m not really crazy about January.  The cyclone bomb blizzard, the Arctic Freeze, the Texas Virus and the non-delivery of propane to heat the house (we had to wait a long, cold week, along with the rest of the state, and stay in our offices with portable electric heaters)?  And that’s only the first twelve days!

I started to write a blog post five days ago only to discover my computer was updating some major Windows programs.  When it was over, my Start button no longer worked and my Edge browser–and the easy way to get to my photos for the blog–was gone.  Four hours of intense computer manipulations resulted in…nothing.  Except a headache and the urge to toss the laptop out the window into the snow.

I am hoping that the little repair in town can fix this.  Microsoft is certainly no help.

We are supposed to get a lot of rain tonight.  The kind of rain that, if blocked by the piles of snow around the house, will flood basements.  Ah, yes, something else to look forward to.

But because it’s my lucky day, I’m not the least bit worried.

lucky numbers

 

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a note from the arctic freeze

Posted on January 7, 2018 by is there any more pie?

The good news:  the bomb cyclone winter storm is over.

The bad news:  it’s 0 degrees this morning, with a wind chill factor of -26.

The good news:  we have electricity.

The bad news:  we are low on propane and therefore conserving heat by using the propane fireplaces very little and using our electric heat a lot.  We look forward to Monday’s delivery!

The good news:  we are recovering from the virus/bronchitis/Texas bug that we got in Austin.

The bad news:  we are recovering very, very slowly.  This thing is hard to get rid of!

The good news:  Son Ben is safely back home in Texas.

The bad news:  we miss him.

The good news:  starting tomorrow, the arctic blast is over and normal winter temperatures will resume.

The bad news:  it’s still January.

 

 

Posted in family, rhode island | 2 Comments

so far so good

Posted on January 4, 2018 by is there any more pie?
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Earlier this morning.  Ben cleans off the car.

I know that many of you out there in Idaho and Nebraska and points west of us are shaking your heads over a January blizzard.  You’ve been through them a zillion times.

You.  Know.  Snow.

And you know all about arctic temperatures and mighty winds.

You’ve been there, done that, over and over again.

For some reason this storm seems more intense, more dangerous, than others we’ve experienced here in New England.  The snow is coming fast and heavy.  It will stay fast and heavy throughout the day and into the evening.  We’ve been warned that there will be a coating of ice on top of all of this (15″?) snow, and then a certain plunge to temperatures of -20 for three days.

A windy rainstorm last fall exposed our state’s faulty electric infrastructure.  A minor storm caused power outages across the state, outages that lasted up to one week.  No one could believe it and yet…

The governor and those in the know have told everyone to prepare for living without electricity for the near future.  The worst is yet to come in the next three hours.  “Warming centers” have been set up in every town, though how anyone is expected to get to one is beyond me.

We have propane stoves, so we are not going to freeze.  We are prepared with lots of water and all sorts of food.  We’re not going anywhere and will be fine.  We have batteries and candles and cell phones and blankets.

I’m going to post this while I still have electricity.

 

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At 11 am:  He’d rather be in Texas.

 

 

Posted in family, rhode island | 2 Comments

what the heck is a bomb cyclone?

Posted on January 3, 2018 by is there any more pie?

I am so not a fan of January.

Once again, Banjo Man and I were sick as we left Austin.  Banjo Man had been suffering with a cold and cough for days and went willingly to an Urgent Care Clinic in Round Rock on Friday when I told him that’s what the plan was.

He didn’t even argue or have a counter-suggestion, which shows how sick he was.  Diagnosis?  Acute bronchitis.  Cure?  Antibiotics and magic cough suppressant pills.

We knew he was sick when he couldn’t go to the Saxon Pub to hear his favorite musician, Johnny Nicholas, at the Wednesday night happy hour.

Fast forward a few days to Sunday, when he and I–along with daughter Nancy and Son #1 Ben–headed to the airport to fly back to Rhode Island.  Now it was my turn to be sick.  The night before I suddenly realized I was coming down with a head cold (something Will, Son #2 was suffering with).

I had no choice but to fill my carry on bag with tissues, huddle in the window seat and pray that my ear drums wouldn’t explode.  The ear drum thing was touch and go.  I will admit to weeping silently during the last half hour of that flight to DC.  Once we landed I told Banjo Man that I really wanted to get a room in DC while they went home without me.

He thought I was kidding.

Not.

We had a three-hour layover and Banjo Man wrapped me in his little travel blanket.  I bought some Claritin and hoped that it would work for the next–blessedly short–flight to Providence.

I survived just fine.  Without tears.  Yay for me.

It was 4 degrees in RI when we landed at 8:30 PM.  It had been bitter cold for more than a week, so we had little hope of our car starting.  We’d left it at the Hampton Inn, so we needed to get the shuttle.  Banjo Man said he’d go by himself, see if the car started, then come get us.  If it didn’t start we wouldn’t hang around for hours waiting for AAA but would instead rent a car at the airport.

We had a plan.  Unfortunately we didn’t have a shuttle.  It was New Year’s Eve and the shuttle driver was in high demand driving Hampton Inn folks back and forth to local restaurants.

But after all that worked out, the car started!  I love you, my old Highlander.

I couldn’t get out of bed Monday.  Or Tuesday.  Just the typically vicious head cold we all hate.  Today I am sitting at my computer, something I think I can manage for another 30 minutes or so.  Improvement!  I still have a killer earache but that’s going to have to wait because…wait for it…we’re getting  snowstorm tomorrow.

Not just a snowstorm.  According to the weather channel and the local news reports, we’re getting a “snowicane”, a “cyclone bomb” and a nor’easter, all wrapped up in one miserable snow happening.

Something about air currents meeting each other as Canadian arctic winds meet the snow storm as it barrels up the coast.  On Saturday it’s going to be minus 12.  MINUS 12!

Ben was supposed to fly home to Texas tomorrow, but we changed his flight to Saturday.  Tomorrow will be horrendous and then Friday we’ll be digging out, dealing with 45-70 mile an hour winds and probably no electricity.

Not a good day to fly, even if flights are leaving the airport.

I’m sure Ben wishes he was back in Texas, dealing with unusual 25 degree temps and keeping the water running so the pipes don’t freeze.  Piece of cake compared to a bomb cyclone of snow.  The good news is that Ben has been able to spend lots of time with his grandmother, which was the whole point of his trip to RI.

We’re doing the usual things in anticipation of no electricity (and therefore no water).  I should say Banjo Man is doing the usual things.  I can’t imagine exerting myself by even going into the kitchen and filling pots and pans with water.

Very pathetic.

We will have heat from the two propane fireplaces (one upstairs, one down).  We certainly have a lot of quilts.

See you on the other side…

 

 

Posted in family, personal female whining, rhode island | 4 Comments