is there any more pie?

no pants, no dill, no sun

Posted on June 10, 2017 by is there any more pie?

Let’s address the “no pants” situation first, shall we? Just so you don’t think I’m walking around the house in my underwear…yet. For some insane reason I didn’t put my leggings or jeans in my suitcases and instead packed them in the boxes I mailed to myself. Yesterday, after unpacking both suitcases, I was pretty surprised to realize I only had one pair of long pants and those were the blue leggings I wore on the plane.

I have a pair of shorts and a pair of exercise capris, but it is **cold** here right now. My old white legs need to be covered.

My boxes should arrive on Tuesday. This will be very exciting, as the temps are not supposed to rise any time soon. Hint: think October. People around here wear long pants in October.

I woke up at 7, which is much better than waking up at 4 AM and means that I am finally operating on Pacific Daylight Time. I hope this means I will stay up later than 7 PM tonight. After downing a mug of coffee, I put on my now-baggy blue leggings, t-shirt and 12-year old gray Walmart zippered hoodie and went to town.

This is not a fashion statement you want to emulate. Just sayin’.

First stop: the Farmers Market. I bought tomatoes here, but they had no dill plants. The young woman who sold me my cherry tomato plants wore gloves, a winter coat and a wool stocking cap. Note: none of the plant vendors had dill. Maybe it’s one of those plants you have to start from seed yourself? (Does anyone know?)

Aren’t these peonies beautiful? I didn’t splurge and buy them, but now I wish I had.

Then I hustled over to the Dollar Store and to Walmart. I will absolutely not bore you with my search for rock salt for my new old-fashioned ice cream maker, but it got to the point where I was not leaving town without finding it. No matter how long it took or how many stores I had to drive to.

I want to practice making ice cream before the Funny Grandson arrives. Those hot summer days are right around the corner, right? RIGHT?????

Pinterest has several hundred (if not thousands) of recipes. I’ll start with vanilla and move on to huckleberry or blueberry. Will keep you posted.

I splurged on new beach towels, but stayed clear of the bakery sections in both grocery stores. Somehow I have lost my new favorite bathing suit from last year and I don’t know if the other two in the drawer are going to fit.

Do you sense a theme here? Have I become a person who can’t keep track of her clothes? What does this mean?

Maybe I don’t want to know.

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groceries and giggles

Posted on June 8, 2017 by is there any more pie?

Tuesday evening found me spending 4 hours in the Chicago Midway airport.

I don’t recommend it.

But in one of the gift shops I spotted this book. Hilarious, right? I didn’t buy it, but hope to find it in the local library when the Funny Grandson is here.

I roamed around and eventually stopped here for pizza.

I don’t recommend this either.

The plane to Spokane held at least 10 parents with small children, but because it was a late flight (we departed Midway at 9:30 PM) they fell asleep and it turned out to be a very quiet 4-hour flight. I was at my hotel by 12:15 or so, which was 3 AM RI time, so I staggered to my room to meet My French Friend Janou! She had volunteered to pick me up and take me back to the lake. We planned to go to Costco Wednesday morning and load up on paper plates, pork roasts, burger and sausages.

But first we had breakfast there at the Hampton Inn and, despite a strange encounter with a furious young man over the waffle maker, enjoyed coffee and waffles while catching up on each other’s lives.

My cart in Costco.

Here’s someone who is serious about stocking up.

Here we are loading our purchases into MFFJanou’s truck. She took advantage of a sale on bed pillows.

After Costco we went to a quilt shop that MFFJ had seen the day before and thought I would like. And I did! They had a huge display of sewing machines, including the Janome 9400, the one that I’m thinking about purchasing in the fall. I actually sat down and sewed a little on it. Truthfully? It was huge and complicated and scary.

The temperature was 92 in Spokane yesterday, but today here at the lake it’s cool and cloudy. I’ve been washing the outdoor tables and chairs and getting the deck and porch ready for summer. Later on I might make meatballs…or take a nap.

It’s going to take a while to unpack the suitcases. But I’m not in any hurry. It feels good to putter and clean and look at the lake.

I keep sitting down and staring at the mountains. I’ll carry a chair or two down to the dock later, rain or shine.

It’s good to be at the lake at last.

Posted in food, friends, lake, shopping, travel | Leave a comment

leavin’ on a jet plane

Posted on June 6, 2017 by is there any more pie?

Remember that song from Peter, Paul & Mary? How I loved it.

Anyway…back to the present…that’s what is happening later on today. I’m leaving on a jet plane for the lake, for the mountains, for the music and the food and the fun and the friends, not necessarily in that order.

And there is so much family time ahead. I need to get out there early and get ready for the Funny Grandson, who has informed his parents that this summer he will learn how to kayak and he will jump off the dock.

I need to get to the lake and start making–and freezing–casseroles. Lasagna has been requested. And meatballs.

Banjo Man and I have agreed that our cross-country, 3000-mile road trips are over. Ten years of “on the road again” fun are well-documented with photos and blog posts and family stories. We had a wonderful time. We had…the time of our lives (and the musical references keep comin’!).

But it’s time to be practical. And realistic. We are not getting any younger. And the trip to the lake isn’t getting any shorter.

So I’m off to the lake today, and My French Friend Janou will meet me in Spokane where we will spend the night and head back to the lake the next morning.

As the song says, “All my bags are packed, I’m ready to go.”

Posted in family, lake, rhode island, travel | 4 Comments

sinking

Posted on June 4, 2017 by is there any more pie?

We have leaks, so it’s time to think about replacing our 27 year old kitchen plumbing, and that means under the sink, along with the actual sink and the faucet.

So we went to the fancy plumbing store Saturday morning. We have affordable choices, thank goodness.

Do we stick with stainless steel? I love this one with the 70/30 split.

I like the low separator, too.

And then there’s the gorgeous cast iron sink.

It’s beautiful, but if we went with a large open sink like this one, I would have to use a dishpan. And I hate dishpans.

And faucets? High and swoopy or lower and straight?

I love the high, swoopy one but it is too tall for my kitchen and would look silly.

Which is sad. But true.

One must be realistic.

Banjo Man’s number one consideration was in which sink would it be easier to wash the crock pot. I kid you not.

Which ones would you pick?

We also went to Home Depot to price countertops (I don’t think we’ll be doing that particular remodel though) and then to a Chinese restaurant for fried dumplings and the lunch specials.

All in all, a pretty successful trip…and this was after our 2 1/2 mile beach walk, too.

And now I am packing, because the lake awaits. Three more days until summer begins!

Posted in family, rhode island, shopping | 2 Comments

early morning sunshine and the atlantic ocean

Posted on June 3, 2017 by is there any more pie?

See the Towers in the background?

Yesterday Banjo Man and I went for a walk on the beach closest to our house, the “town beach”. We arrived early, before we needed a sticker on our car in order to park in the small lot. The beach itself was more of an obstacle course than a sandy stretch. Winter winds have tossed huge mounds of rocks on the beach.

This morning we decided to try a different beach, a state beach just a few miles farther away from our house. The sun was shining again–three mornings in a row!!–so at 7:20 AM we headed out.

Only to find the East Matunuck Beach parking lot gate was closed until 9 am, and then a state pass would be needed to get in. We’d planned to be gone by 9, before the “beach traffic”.

I couldn’t believe the beach could be closed to walkers at 7:30 AM! Any kind of parking is miles away, so that was disappointing. I was fuming and fussing and complaining all the way back to the highway. How dare they close the beach!

So we headed to Narragansett Pier, home of the “Towers” and the famous wall. That parking lot was closed, too, but there was plenty of parking along the wall and a set of cement stairs down to the beach.

We proceeded to walk for 2 1/2 miles, all the way down to Narrow River and back. It was cool and cloudy (I was sure it was going to rain on us on the trek back to the car) but we didn’t care. We were going to pretend it was summer and enjoy our walk.

Want to see?

Narragansett Beach, facing Narrow River at the far end.

I think he was fishing for “stripers”.

Where Narrow River enters Narragansett Bay.

Now we are back home, having shaken the sand from our shoes. Next Saturday project? Shopping for a new kitchen sink and faucet! Some time before fall we are going to find a plumber and replace our leaking kitchen plumbing. Plumbers are very hard to find, so this could take a while…

Posted in family, rhode island | 1 Comment

remembering

Posted on June 2, 2017 by is there any more pie?

The sun came out yesterday, so my mother and I stopped at the veterans’ cemetery to see the flags. We’d come here last Thursday–in pouring rain–to decorate my father’s grave with a plant. But the Memorial Day decorations had not been installed yet.

We were disappointed.

But yesterday the sun was shining and the flags were waving and we were able to pay our respects to the men and women who served our country.

How we miss him.

Posted in family, rhode island | Leave a comment

bye bye, little beasties

Posted on May 27, 2017 by is there any more pie?

Something happened yesterday morning that is going to change my life.

No, I did not discover a new diet. Or dye my hair back to brown. Or take up wind surfing.

I called in a mouse-killing professional and he showed up at the door at 10:30. He held a telescoping ladder (now I want one!) and slipped on little blue CSI booties. His name was Chris and he had a flashlight.

And after he climbed into our attic and told me he had a solution to our mouse problems, it was love at first sight.

Every Saturday morning at from 9-10 is a show on the radio hosted by the owner of Big Blue Bug Solutions. He answers all sorts of questions about mice and rats and spiders and ticks and bugs, bugs, bugs.

I love this show. I once called in, when my mother had had two huge black snakes hibernating on top of her cable box. But that’s another story.

When you build a house in the woods, which Banjo Man and I did twenty seven years ago, you are going to have an issue with mice. Which we did. Which we solved. Every November we hear mice in our attic (and nowhere else in the house), Banjo Man buys poison at Home Depot, and the problem is solved.

This year? Not happenin’. No amount of poison would kill these mice. I woke up at night hearing them above my head. It was an endless source of frustration. But getting Banjo Man to agree to hiring help was an more frustrating. Finally, after one particularly noisy night, I filled out a contact form on the Blue Bug’s website.

Banjo Man was grumpy and skeptical, but agreed to let the technician give us a free inspection.

And that’s when “Chris” climbed into the attic, assured us we had mice and not squirrels (my big fear) and explained that the poisons now being sold to the public are not all that poisonous, due to environmental concerns. BBBS has a different method: they use blood thinners and self contained boxes. Chris showed Banjo Man how to mouse-proof the outside of the house. We also have a carpenter ant issue and Chris promised that would be taken care of, too.

It all sounded wonderfully lethal and efficient. The cost was much cheaper than we had anticipated. We signed on the dotted line. Banjo Man beamed. I did a little happy dance.

Last night Banjo Man and I opened a bottle of wine to celebrate. After years of trying to convince my husband to call professional mouse-killers , I’d finally succeeded. And we were both thrilled.

Now, flush with victory, I’m trying to decide on my next project. I’m also trying not to spout, “I told you so” at every opportunity, but I’m doing it anyway.

I just can’t help myself.

Banjo Man’s future birthday gift.

Posted in a more pie opinion, family, rhode island, shopping | 1 Comment

heroes among us: project healing waters

Posted on May 26, 2017 by is there any more pie?

Once in a while I come across something I just have to share. This made my day.

fishing charity

fishing wheelchair

http://people.com/human-interest/maryland-man-helps-other-wounded-war-veterans-find-peace-and-healing-through-fly-fishing/

This article was published in PEOPLE magazine. I wonder if there is a way to expand this into the Clark Fork or Bull rivers. I wonder if there was a way to help.

I’ll keep you posted.

Posted in a more pie opinion | 2 Comments

when you need pants

Posted on May 19, 2017 by is there any more pie?

Banjo Man and I drove up to the Big City Wednesday. We had appointments with the TSA to complete the paperwork for a TSA-preapproved security clearance. We’ve gotten the “TSA Pre” designation enough times to realize what a great deal it is. So it was time to make it official.

Then we went to lunch at a diner Banjo Man had his eye on. I can’t say the food was great, but the local color was interesting.

And then we drove to Trader Joe’s for the frozen salmon filets. Oh, how that Banjo Man loves grocery stores! I was already planning where I would stop for iced coffee on the way home, but next to Trader Joe’s was the new store in town: Duluth Trading Post.

Banjo Man took off like a magnet, shouting “I need pants!” as he crossed the parking lot.

Okay then. I guess we’re in the right place.

I amused myself by taking photos of the funny signs all over the store while Banjo Man tried on a bug-repellant hat and cargo pants. He ended up buying them both.

He didn’t need underwear, but the signs were compelling.

“Swagger without the swing?” What a concept! How I wish the men who wear pajama pants on airplanes (a new unwelcome trend) would wear these underwear. There is quite enough “swinging” as they stuff their carry-on luggage into the bins above my head, thank you and their private parts bounce around near my head.

See the sign that says, “Free range boxer briefs?”

Oh, my God. Please, gentlemen, do not go “free range” in public. That’s for chickens, not your precious body parts.

They did have women’s clothing, and it looked nice. But the colors didn’t appeal to me. I would have bought a pair of khaki shorts but they only had charcoal, green and black. You know, camping colors.

I don’t camp. I do get sunburns, so maybe I’ll go back someday and buy a shirt to wear on the dock.

Oh, the dock….

It’s calling me. I am packing up my non-free-range bathing suits and getting ready to head west.

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