Nor'easter Toby

Hi Dear Folk,

Closing out the day of our fourth nor'easter, Toby.  Our neighborhood is cloaked in snow and I can see that my butterfly bush is bent to the ground.  Time stands still for a day.

Christine

Robins In A Snow Blizzard

The Day

Hi Dear Folk,

Today has been a peaceful relaxing day,  the sun has shone and the berries are on fire.  Birds are dancing from tree to bush and twittering around feasting themselves.

Getting up late, reading The Years by Virginia Woolf, drinking tea and taking time to talk with friends across the pond and locally, just having the time to catch up.  A luxury when you work full time.

Lounging around in my new dressing gown, one of those lovely soft furry ones in shades of grey and white with a little black,  I have wanted one to cozy in for several winters now.  Enjoying The Day, I take my title from VW.

Christy

No Work Today

This is the snow storm coming through last night, but we were toasty with the fire going.  Mr. B. made raisin oatmeal cookies and chai lattes later in the evening after dinner.

I was let out of work an hour early and dashed over to the craft store to pick up the last ball of yarn that I need to finish my shawl, I was afraid if I didn't go soon they would not have the colour I need.  It should only have taken two but mine will take three, if I make another one I can see where I could possibly get it down to two maybe, but I'm not restarting this one again, it took long enough to figure the pattern out as it was.

It's lovely and sunny today, although bitterly cold.  We hope to go over to the park later in the SUV.

Now for my breakfast cup of tea and poached eggs on toast.

Hope your day is snug in the North and cool in the Southern hemisphere, where I've been reading of very high temps.

Take care,
Christy

George My Neighbour

George was my neighbour.  We are on the corner so only have one close by neighbour.  He was such a nice old gentleman.  It was always George and Gloria, they were High School Sweethearts and were just a very happily married older couple.

Gloria died several years ago in her sleep and George missed her terribly and was quite lonely.

We used to sit and talk.  He was in WWII, I asked where and it turned out that he was stationed at Wethersfield.  George remembered Earls Colne and Wakes Colne, Sible Heddingham and the villages around about.  My mum grew up in Earl's Colne, they could have walked passed each other in the street.  My mum was in High School then it is such a small world in so many ways.

About a month ago he died.  I miss him, I just knew he was always there in his dear little house.  I'd see him pottering around and it was a good feeling.

So the family came who I know some what and cleaned out many things, some they took and some were out in the trash.  And guess what was out in the trash.  These lamps.  I had commented to George some time ago how much I liked them, the way when turned on, the light shines through the windows and from the lamp post, he said they had bought them in the sixties I think from a local furniture store, long closed up.  The scene is Dickens "The Olde Curiosity Shoppe."

I just could not leave them there.  So brought them in.  Mr B cleaned up the basses, as there is a pair.  I would have gone at them with Brasso, but he said no, I'll clean them up with car wax and they came up a treat.

So I have one in my dining room window, and one on the library table in the Simla room.  The dining room lamp has a three way bulb and I need to get one for the other lamp.

It was a good excuse to rearrange these areas and give them a good old clean.

If there had been anything if asked would I like, I would have said the lamps and here they were.  When I get to see the family I will let them know.  But oh!  I do love them and think of George and Gloria.

Christy

The Future of Car Sharing

The Future of Car Sharing.  Why access is better than ownership.

Click on the link it is very interesting.

The Bright
Future of
Car Sharing

Christy

After The Storm

We just got our electric back at 6:15 PM this evening, just in time as the light was almost gone.

When we lost our electric at 9:15 PM last night we decided to call it a day and go to bed, with the wind howling, but to be honest not as much rain as we thought we would get right in our area.

Yesterday I spent the day making jewelery, that was fun, two bracelets in different styles to match my chalcedony ring and a pair of earings to match also.

It's been a quiet day, the gas stove has been on all day in the Simla room and we have been reading and I've been on my iPad as it holds at least an eight hour charge.

We raked out one of our camping stove's and Mr. B. made me a cup of tea which I had in bed.  We all slept in quite late, what a luxury.

Heating up the turkey soap.

This little cheap crank torch/flashlight, radio, alarm; which you crank really came in handy.

Brought out the coffee percolator.

This little camping stove is the best thing for camping since sliced bread.  I bought it at a Korean store, I know you can get them in other countries around the world.  They run on a little butane cylinder no bigger than a large hair spray bottle.

They are so easy to light and easy to tote on picnics.

Turkey Florentine soup with onion bread.

Tea and ginger snaps.

Peaceful time chatting with my boy about his plans and communing with the cats.

A little tea towel that I found a the NSH yard sale, made in the USA, so probably from the fifties, I love it.

My Beamish mug; which mum bought me on our last camping trip together with my parents.  So happy memories. 

Those leaves on that old oak tree never come off.  In fact I was amazed to see how many leaves were left on the trees after all that wind yesterday and yet there were.

We were very fortunate in this area right where I am, no damage I can see so far, but I know other areas were hit very badly, so a lot of aftermath for some folk.  Wish them all well.

Christy

Hurricane Sandy - The Perfect Storm

No work today!

Our New York office is closed too as all the NY Transit System closed down last night at 7:00 PM.

We had an announcement at our congregation meeting yesterday, from the Branch Office, to be prepared.  One of our elders phoned in the morning to make sure that we had everything we needed; which I thought was so good, plus make sure the elders have our phone numbers, and email address to contact us in case of extended emergency.

We have our wood stove so will not be cold, although it is not that cold temperature wise.  We have camping stoves and an outside calor gas grill.  We have food stores in the basement and will run water in the bath and fill up containers.  We live at almost at the top of the hill, so are on somewhat higher ground.  Will remember not to park the car under our old ash tree which is on it's last legs.

I don't get over anxious over these types of things, but on the other hand one would be foolish not to heed warnings and take the necessary precautions.  So many weather patterns are not normal anymore and you can't say it will not happen because so many freak storms have never happened before, there is always a first time.

Everything is shut down from Virginia to New York State, waiting for the impact of Hurricane Sandy.  I keep thinking of the movie the Perfect Storm with George Clooney playing a New England fisherman and how three storms converge together to make the perfect storm, well this is a similar situation in that it's a combination of hurricane and nor'easter amplified.

Hurricane Sandy came up from the south and they do this time of year,  but usually they gradually peter out and stay out to sea and then hit somewhere up in New England.  But this storm  which has been named Frankenstorm, because of a two cold fronts, one west of Hurricane Sandy and one north coming down from Canada, has drawn the hurricane inland.  It carries a lot of water and is moving very slowly, plus it is full moon, so tides will be at their highest, so will effect several high tides, the worst is meant to hit this evening.

Mr B made goodies and pork chops in the slow cooker.  I started a pot of turkey soup; which I will finish today.  Need to fill some water jugs and we will see what happens.

Just looking out of my Simla Room window yesterday evening.

At the moment some winds and rain, will keep you posted.

Christy

Monday Morning

I woke up this morning Monday in the wee hours of 4:00 AM and decided to get my morning cuppa and take the laptop outside and sit on the Oak Tree Patio.

It's like stealing time out of the day, so quiet and peaceful, our little pond waterfall in the background and just the night time insects.  A lonely goods train can be heard tooting in the background such an American sound to it, very haunting, very hobo.

Then I ran across this video which I thought would be great for my Paris in July posting, I'm listening to it, it's about 5:00 AM and I think I woke the bird life up, because all of a sudden after playing this there I hear one bird starting off her or his morning song, the sky is a deep grayish blue with clouds and a new day dawns.

Christy

Ford Focus ZX3 SVT

The Boy has a new car, a 2004 Ford Focus ZX3 SVT, he is very happy with it, and there is a little story that goes with it.

Rob has been coveting this car ever since he used to walk to Middle School, as it was a neighbour's down the road, so for the last eight years, since it was new.

The colour and style of car are harder to come by, it's a SVT Special Vehicle Technology.  So he put a note on the car asking if the owner was interested in selling it and he was, as he wants to buy the new Ford Focus coming out this October, and also was left a car by a friend.

The owner said someone at work was interested and Rob thought that he'd want more than he could afford, so I said just offer what you can afford he can only say no.  So this Monday he accepted Rob's offer and Tuesday morning they did the transaction and we have one happy kid.

Christy

Roses On The Front Fence

Roses in all their glory on my front fence.  You wish they would bloom for longer but what  a show while they do last.  This rose only has to touch the ground and it roots itself.  I think I might plant this further down our front fence too.

Christy

The Boy Cycling To School

I did think of titling this post When In Rome, but decided not to.  Here is Rob on his way to school, he's riding what he calls his beater bike.  Usually he drives, because quite often he goes straight from school to work or has a lacrosse game. 

I know driving oneself to school is I think such an American thing, it's especially done in the last year of school, hence I was going to name this post When In Rome Do As The Romans Do.  For Elementary School I used to walk or drive him to school.  For Middle School he always walked and for most of High School he caught the bus or in the last two years rode his bike, or in the last year drove his dad's SUV. 

By the way the messenger bag he has with his books in he bought in Spain and has used it for the last three years.  I must say Rob looks after things.

Also of his own volition he decided to sell the motor bike.  The reason being it needed new tires, clutch and carb work to pass the inspection and although the bike was worth it, Rob was thinking ahead to the winter and how he probably needs a car.  After he said he was going to sell the bike, I felt bad for him and felt it would have been worth to spend the money on the bike because it was sweet and worth keeping.  But being a mum with an almost 18 year old I did not like the idea of him out on it, it's such a worry.  Also when I was in my early twenties I had one friend killed on a motor bike and the other seriously injured.  Although to be honest I had my own motor bike in the UK for a year when I was seventeen, just a small cc Yamaha, so I know the draw of owning and riding a motor bike.  Also finances are tight and he could not afford not to recoup the money.

So in any case he came out just a bit ahead of the game cash wise and will put that towards a car.  So now he's on another quest.  I said to him, it's not the acquisition with you Rob, it's the quest, he said yes I think you're right mum and laughed.

Christy