(no subject)
Apr. 20th, 2021 08:48 pmI just had my second shot Sunday, and spent a day sick and achy, but now I'm better and felt like cleaning my apartment. I've done the bathroom, dusted, swept, mopped, and vacuumed the place. I think I'll stop here so I don't overload and end up feeling sick again. I have a clean home, I made soup on Sunday so I've got food, and I don't feel bad. Also, Chauvin is guilty on all counts. It's time for a walk.
Life is good.
Life is good.
Monthly Goals!
Mar. 6th, 2020 02:51 pmGENERAL GOALS
1 (new to me) restaurant per month
No, but I went to my favorite Thai place for drunken noodle. It was delicious.
1 (new to me) movie per month
No
1 (new to me) book per month
Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport.
1 new recipe per month
https://allshecooks.com/poor-mans-soup-2/
It was quite good, though I played with the recipe a lot.
One museum
No
One concert/new artist
Faun- Walpurgisnacht https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLgM1QJ3S_I
They describe themselves as medieval metal. My kind of music.
One homesteading skill
Practiced with my dehydrator again. I'm going to do more mushrooms this weekend.
February Goals
1. No more zero days unless I'm too sick to move. YES
2. Keep Reddit blocked on Chrome. Mostly? I have it blocked now and haven't been on in a week.
3. Figure out how to use the sewing machine. No
4. See dermatologist. YES
5. Make dental appointment. No
6. Get to a museum! No :(
March Goals
1. Go to a thrift store.
2. MUSEUM.
3. Dentist appointment.
4. Walk every day.
5. Finish paper for my friend.
6. 4 more job applications.
1 (new to me) restaurant per month
No, but I went to my favorite Thai place for drunken noodle. It was delicious.
1 (new to me) movie per month
No
1 (new to me) book per month
Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport.
1 new recipe per month
https://allshecooks.com/poor-mans-soup-2/
It was quite good, though I played with the recipe a lot.
One museum
No
One concert/new artist
Faun- Walpurgisnacht https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLgM1QJ3S_I
They describe themselves as medieval metal. My kind of music.
One homesteading skill
Practiced with my dehydrator again. I'm going to do more mushrooms this weekend.
February Goals
1. No more zero days unless I'm too sick to move. YES
2. Keep Reddit blocked on Chrome. Mostly? I have it blocked now and haven't been on in a week.
3. Figure out how to use the sewing machine. No
4. See dermatologist. YES
5. Make dental appointment. No
6. Get to a museum! No :(
March Goals
1. Go to a thrift store.
2. MUSEUM.
3. Dentist appointment.
4. Walk every day.
5. Finish paper for my friend.
6. 4 more job applications.
(no subject)
Jan. 3rd, 2019 11:57 pmGENERAL GOALS
1 (new to me) restaurant per month
Not this month, sadly.
1 (new to me) movie per month
I haven't been watching movies much.
1 (new to me) book per month
Lots of books this month! I'm currently reading one called Violence is the Answer, by Tim Larkin. It's about the self-defense mindset, and it's really interesting.
1 concert per month
Went to the US Army Men's Chorus doing Christmas carols at the National Gallery of Art. It was lovely, and I learned a new song.
1 new recipe per month
Slow cooker beef stroganoff. Yummy!
One museum-
Two! The NGA, and then the Portrait gallery to see the Obama portrait.
December Goals
1. Get my teeth taken care of. Toothache. :( DONE
2. Go see at least one Christmassy thing. DONE
3. Go to Solstice ritual.DONE
4. Get up and go to bed at the same time each day. Getting there. Most days I'm up at 7, and going to bed around 11.
January Goals
1. Appointment to see gastro specialist.
2. Keep working on sleep/wake times
3. Take two days off a week.
1 (new to me) restaurant per month
Not this month, sadly.
1 (new to me) movie per month
I haven't been watching movies much.
1 (new to me) book per month
Lots of books this month! I'm currently reading one called Violence is the Answer, by Tim Larkin. It's about the self-defense mindset, and it's really interesting.
1 concert per month
Went to the US Army Men's Chorus doing Christmas carols at the National Gallery of Art. It was lovely, and I learned a new song.
1 new recipe per month
Slow cooker beef stroganoff. Yummy!
One museum-
Two! The NGA, and then the Portrait gallery to see the Obama portrait.
December Goals
1. Get my teeth taken care of. Toothache. :( DONE
2. Go see at least one Christmassy thing. DONE
3. Go to Solstice ritual.DONE
4. Get up and go to bed at the same time each day. Getting there. Most days I'm up at 7, and going to bed around 11.
January Goals
1. Appointment to see gastro specialist.
2. Keep working on sleep/wake times
3. Take two days off a week.
Monthly goals!
Dec. 1st, 2018 05:22 pmGENERAL GOALS
1 (new to me) restaurant per month
Merzi. You pick what you want as a base and protein and add toppings and sauces to your liking. Indian fast food, and so good! Definitely going back again.
1 (new to me) movie per month
I haven't been watching movies much.
1 (new to me) book per month
Lots of books this month! Right now I'm finishing a book on forest bathing, which is really interesting.
1 concert per month
Not this month. I did discover a new musician on Youtube. Jonna Jinton and the art of kulning, which is a Swedish herding call.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nc7F_qv3eI8
1 new recipe per month
Cottage pie. I had a loose recipe someone posted online a while back and played with it. Yummy!
One museum- Three! I saw the Corot exhibit at the National Gallery, looked around a bit at American Indian, and then went off to the Sackler, my museum home.
December Goals
1. Get my teeth taken care of. Toothache. :(
2. Go see at least one Christmassy thing.
3. Go to Solstice ritual.
4. Get up and go to bed at the same time each day.
1 (new to me) restaurant per month
Merzi. You pick what you want as a base and protein and add toppings and sauces to your liking. Indian fast food, and so good! Definitely going back again.
1 (new to me) movie per month
I haven't been watching movies much.
1 (new to me) book per month
Lots of books this month! Right now I'm finishing a book on forest bathing, which is really interesting.
1 concert per month
Not this month. I did discover a new musician on Youtube. Jonna Jinton and the art of kulning, which is a Swedish herding call.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nc7F_qv3eI8
1 new recipe per month
Cottage pie. I had a loose recipe someone posted online a while back and played with it. Yummy!
One museum- Three! I saw the Corot exhibit at the National Gallery, looked around a bit at American Indian, and then went off to the Sackler, my museum home.
December Goals
1. Get my teeth taken care of. Toothache. :(
2. Go see at least one Christmassy thing.
3. Go to Solstice ritual.
4. Get up and go to bed at the same time each day.
Monthly goals!
Nov. 3rd, 2018 02:32 pmGENERAL GOALS
1 (new to me) restaurant per month
None this month.
1 (new to me) movie per month
Not a movie, but I'm watching the Hilda show on Netflix. Love it. Makes me feel like I'm ten again, with that sense of wonder.
1 (new to me) book per month
Lots of books this month! I read one called The Big Ones: How Natural Disasters Have Shaped Us (and What We Can Do About Them) by Lucy Jones. Really good if you're interested in how natural disasters affect our world longterm.
1 concert per month
Not this month. I did discover a new musician on Youtube. If you like bagpipes I recommend The Snakecharmer- she's great. My favorite song of hers so far is a mix of Shipping up to Boston/Enter Sandman with her and two other women pipers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXm8JdC4k4c
1 new recipe per month
Hemel en Aarde, which is a Dutch recipe with applesauce and mashed potatoes mixed and baked together. With it, I served broiled bacon, sliced cucumbers, coffee cake, and cocoa. It's the menu from the book I'm using, "Cooking By the Garden Calendar" by Ruth Matson. Very good! I also learned how to make bacon in the oven.
One museum- Not this month.
October Goals
1. Take one full day off each week. YES
2. Complete my purpose exercise.YES
3. Go to Brookside Gardens at least once and preferably more. NO
4. Do 15 transcripts for my class.NO
November Goals
1. Learn to make kefir.
2. Learn to bake yeast bread.
3. Build up to walking five miles a day.
4. Plow into my class and get as much done in an hour as I can.
1 (new to me) restaurant per month
None this month.
1 (new to me) movie per month
Not a movie, but I'm watching the Hilda show on Netflix. Love it. Makes me feel like I'm ten again, with that sense of wonder.
1 (new to me) book per month
Lots of books this month! I read one called The Big Ones: How Natural Disasters Have Shaped Us (and What We Can Do About Them) by Lucy Jones. Really good if you're interested in how natural disasters affect our world longterm.
1 concert per month
Not this month. I did discover a new musician on Youtube. If you like bagpipes I recommend The Snakecharmer- she's great. My favorite song of hers so far is a mix of Shipping up to Boston/Enter Sandman with her and two other women pipers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXm8JdC4k4c
1 new recipe per month
Hemel en Aarde, which is a Dutch recipe with applesauce and mashed potatoes mixed and baked together. With it, I served broiled bacon, sliced cucumbers, coffee cake, and cocoa. It's the menu from the book I'm using, "Cooking By the Garden Calendar" by Ruth Matson. Very good! I also learned how to make bacon in the oven.
One museum- Not this month.
October Goals
1. Take one full day off each week. YES
2. Complete my purpose exercise.YES
3. Go to Brookside Gardens at least once and preferably more. NO
4. Do 15 transcripts for my class.NO
November Goals
1. Learn to make kefir.
2. Learn to bake yeast bread.
3. Build up to walking five miles a day.
4. Plow into my class and get as much done in an hour as I can.
A bit of poetry, author unknown
Apr. 22nd, 2018 05:11 pm"I like this room. It seems to bless,
With warm and gentle graciousness,
The life within. It lets me be
Myself. It sets my spirit free.
Some rooms I know are hard as stone,
And seem to cry, "Alone ! Alone !"
While others, rich as velvet is,
Seem full of restless presences.
But here these things my heart enfold:
Good books long-loved,—kind chairs and old,—
Warm sunshine where we need it most,—
Gay flowers in a friendly host.
And is it then so small a thing
To build a room where life shall sing
And love through years of quiet bliss?
Some day I'll have a room like this."
With warm and gentle graciousness,
The life within. It lets me be
Myself. It sets my spirit free.
Some rooms I know are hard as stone,
And seem to cry, "Alone ! Alone !"
While others, rich as velvet is,
Seem full of restless presences.
But here these things my heart enfold:
Good books long-loved,—kind chairs and old,—
Warm sunshine where we need it most,—
Gay flowers in a friendly host.
And is it then so small a thing
To build a room where life shall sing
And love through years of quiet bliss?
Some day I'll have a room like this."
(no subject)
Feb. 28th, 2018 09:09 pmUntil yesterday, I had no idea that laundromats outside Alaska don't come standard with showers.
Just to explain, Alaskan laundromats have, along with laundry facilities, several shower cubicles. Basically, there are four or five little rooms along one wall with shower setup and changing space. They're private, cost about $5, and provide towels. There are also water filling stations for people who live in dry cabins, which are exactly what they sound like- no running water. You fill up your five gallon jugs and haul them out to the car.
Your other alternative is a gym, or, if you're University staff or students, then you have the student rec center and there are showers in several of the campus buildings. The building my dad worked at has a couple of showers downstairs that are used by staff or grad students, and have been very useful when our pump broke down at home (we have running water. Mom was not going for a dry cabin with two babies.) When I worked at one of the campus libraries, our building had a small locker room. One of my coworkers who lived in a dry cabin would come in and shower there each morning.
I live in Maryland at the moment, and apparently this is not a thing. A quickie FB poll agrees. It's interesting to see what we take for granted as normal.
Just to explain, Alaskan laundromats have, along with laundry facilities, several shower cubicles. Basically, there are four or five little rooms along one wall with shower setup and changing space. They're private, cost about $5, and provide towels. There are also water filling stations for people who live in dry cabins, which are exactly what they sound like- no running water. You fill up your five gallon jugs and haul them out to the car.
Your other alternative is a gym, or, if you're University staff or students, then you have the student rec center and there are showers in several of the campus buildings. The building my dad worked at has a couple of showers downstairs that are used by staff or grad students, and have been very useful when our pump broke down at home (we have running water. Mom was not going for a dry cabin with two babies.) When I worked at one of the campus libraries, our building had a small locker room. One of my coworkers who lived in a dry cabin would come in and shower there each morning.
I live in Maryland at the moment, and apparently this is not a thing. A quickie FB poll agrees. It's interesting to see what we take for granted as normal.
(no subject)
Jun. 11th, 2017 11:06 pmI had a magical experience on Friday. I went into Washington, DC, for a dental appointment in Georgetown. It was my birthday weekend, so I decided after lunch to go up to Dumbarton Oaks, a historic garden and museum. I love the garden and try to go a few times a year, but it's been a while since I was in Georgetown. I got there around 3:45 and wandered around for a bit before I came to part of the garden called the Ellipse. It's a huge circle of grass surrounded by benches and a double row of hornbeams, with a fountain in the middle.
I sat down on a bench to catch my breath, looked at the lush grass and thought, "Why don't I?" I promptly pulled off my sandals and walked onto the freshly trimmed grass. It felt so good underfoot, like a living carpet. I let my feet feel where they wanted to go, padding slowly in a circle for several minutes until I heard a group coming.
Then I put my shoes back on and retired to the North Vista, which drops in shallow levels to an ornamental rail. Again, my shoes came off and I walked the length of the vista slowly, watching for chipmunks (I saw my second one of the day there!) and just enjoying the different feel of the sun-warmed patches of grass and the shady ones. After that, I went back to the Ellipse and began walking it again, this time in company with another woman. We smiled and nodded, both of us moving in concert in our bare feet around the circle.
After a little while, we passed each other and she spoke to me, asking if I was meditating. I said I was, and she was too. We kept walking and smiling as we passed each other again, until another woman and her three young daughters came in. She asked, "Are you grounding?" and we both agreed that we were. She joined us with her youngest daughter and we all continued to walk together.
When they left, my impromptu meditation buddy and I kept walking for a while, enjoying the transition from sun to shade as the sun's angle shifted. When the garden came close to closing time, we both wound down our walk and got ready to leave, thanking each other for the experience. It was wonderful.
There's a photo below (not mine) of what it looks like.

I sat down on a bench to catch my breath, looked at the lush grass and thought, "Why don't I?" I promptly pulled off my sandals and walked onto the freshly trimmed grass. It felt so good underfoot, like a living carpet. I let my feet feel where they wanted to go, padding slowly in a circle for several minutes until I heard a group coming.
Then I put my shoes back on and retired to the North Vista, which drops in shallow levels to an ornamental rail. Again, my shoes came off and I walked the length of the vista slowly, watching for chipmunks (I saw my second one of the day there!) and just enjoying the different feel of the sun-warmed patches of grass and the shady ones. After that, I went back to the Ellipse and began walking it again, this time in company with another woman. We smiled and nodded, both of us moving in concert in our bare feet around the circle.
After a little while, we passed each other and she spoke to me, asking if I was meditating. I said I was, and she was too. We kept walking and smiling as we passed each other again, until another woman and her three young daughters came in. She asked, "Are you grounding?" and we both agreed that we were. She joined us with her youngest daughter and we all continued to walk together.
When they left, my impromptu meditation buddy and I kept walking for a while, enjoying the transition from sun to shade as the sun's angle shifted. When the garden came close to closing time, we both wound down our walk and got ready to leave, thanking each other for the experience. It was wonderful.
There's a photo below (not mine) of what it looks like.
