The Friday Five Good Things

Five good things that happened this week.

1. Another gorgeous day so I worked in the garden

2. I found my quote book I've been looking for forever buried in a pile of papers in the basement. The Gremlins must be back because I've looked through that pile several times before.

3. Dinner out at Point Breeze.

4. A jacket I wanted went on sale. Come to Mama.

5. Himself has a wardrobe full of chemistry t-shirts. He wears them when he teaches and sometimes the t-shirts coordinate with a particular lesson. Thursday was Cation Day 😺 He woke me up at the crack of stupid to show me he was wearing the t-shirt. I made him turn on the light so I could see it.

How was your week?

Throwback Thursday - The Notebooks

Image courtesy of The Graphics Fairy

To clear up some confusion, the Notebook passages posted on Throwback Thursday were written by my father and found by me after he passed away. They were his attempt to tell the family history. He was in his late 80s or early 90s when he wrote them. Today's chapter:

I was also getting established in the profession by scraping along. Uncle got me some small jobs and eventually would get more work but no money.I learned the lesson that a lot of people learned that it did not pay to work for your relations.

Uncle Fred sent me a client and it was a tough case. She was related to Uncle. And probably was one of the first live in girl friends in the 60s. It  would not be years before it would come out in the open. Her case was difficult because there was a state statute that said that kind of situation was illegal and there would be no recovery. I talked to Uncle Vincent about it and he said try the case. Eve if you're going against a statute at least you will get some experience. So I accepted. And began to discuss the pros and cons with the client. It arose from the fact that her man promised to marry her but put it off. He went to Italy for a visit and there he found his love and married. The moment that she received the telegram she sought a lawyer. He took the case, but as it began to get close to trial he wanted to opt out and told her. That's how I got the case.

When I told her that she was not in a good position because of the statute she said I'm not suing for that. I'm suing him for the work I did of maintaining his house, getting his children to school, lunch, etc. etc. The trial lasted two days and it was a circus. She did exceedingly well on the stand. When asked by opposing council if she had slept with the defendant her answer won the case. She said that is not your business, nor his pointing to the judge and then the jury and went on I'm suing him for and went down the line to all the things she did like cleaning the house, washing clothes, cooking, shopping, and taking care of the children. The jury came back with a verdict for my client. And gave her a nice sum of money for the economic condition we were in. I also did well.

And the next case I did even better it was turned over to me by one of my professors. A trust which the client wanted to discontinue. But whether ti could be done was within the discretion of the trustee. It had been on going for some time. The trustee was a rich brother who ran a business and he hired his brother (my client) who was with his wife spendthrift which was the reason for the trust. Any way I talked with the other side's lawyer who was a district attorney at one time. The rich brother would not agree to anything. So I put my case forward the told that attorney even if my client should lose as long as the rich brother held to the trust he would be facing another suit for another reason, etc. About a week later I got a call and there was an agreement and papers were signed and I received $33,000 in settlement. My fee was one third and I had to give my professor one third for his giving me the case. We lived on this for a while. We also went on the town on the night I paid the prof. off. Dinner with our wives and a Broadway production.

Wordy Wednesday

T Stands for CJ's Special Blend

The Eldest sent a gift for me for Mother's Day

Packaged beautifully. I wonder what could it be?

My own special blend of tea. 

I could pick out notes of vanilla and blueberry. In a text she told me the tea was Earl Grey (my favorite blend long before Picard ordered Earl Grey, hot) and chocolate. There are chocolate nibs in the tea.

The tea steeped for 3 minutes in the kitty infuser. I wasn't sure how the blend would taste. Blueberry and vanilla go nicely together. I thought they would also blend well with the bergamot in the Earl Grey. I wasn't sure how the chocolate would mix. Surprisingly, it was delicious with a bit of sweetener and splash of cream.

Thank you, my angel. So very thoughtful of you.

Drop by hosts, Bleubeard and Elizabeth's blog to find out what the rest of the T Stands For gang is up to. If you want to play, include in your Tuesday post a beverage or container for a beverage. Don't forget to link your blog to Bleubeard and Elizabeth's page.

THE Most Horrific Scene in the Entire Game of Thrones Series

Brienne of Tarth writes in the book, turns the page, and closes the book before the ink has dried 😱

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Some of the prep work before the house is to be painted, it was power-washed. The stairs got power-washed, too. They look brand new.

We had some beautiful weather. The humidity is on the rise and the Kleine Kerl is starting to come out of dem kleine Haus

A field of wishes

This side of the house has had the fascia board and soffit replaced with vinyl, the house has been painted (Benjamin Moore 838 Denim Wash), and the foundation has been painted grey. 

A new garden flag that will take care of Memorial Day (31. May though celebrated on the last Monday of May), Flag Day (14. June), and the Fourth of July.

I trimmed back the dead canes/stalks of the hydrangea. Last year, it only produced one small clump of flowers. Hopefully the trim will help. 

Some purple flowers growing in the lawn.

Ink's garden needs to be weeded. I was going to do this task today, but some spot showers might interrupt the work. Tomorrow's weather is supposed to be spectacular. So I will work on a commision today and take Monday off to work in the garden.

White choral bells upon a slender stalk.

Lily of the Valley deck my garden walk.

Oh, don't you wish that you could hear them ring?

That will happen when the fairies sing. - Girl Scout camp song.

Milkweed growing tall

Lots of buds on the honeysuckle

Pluck the buttercup, hold it under your chin to see if you like butter.

The lawn guy had righted the post lantern, but heavy winds knocked it over again.

The welcome sign from now through the Fourth of July

Himself is having mobility issues so he had to rethink his approach to having his vegetable garden. He bought a horse trough from the tractor supply, set it on top of saw horses, filled with soil, and planted peppers, cucumbers, and tomatoes. He used the plant pokes I made for him a few years ago. Fencing and a screen will hopefully keep Timex away.  The best part is Himself can do all the garden care by from the inside of the sunroom.

How does your garden grow?

Saturday Afternoon at the Movies

This idea came from a Facebook meme:
Over 10 days, post your 10 all time favorite films. What movie has really made an impact on you or what films can you watch over and over and never tire of? Post either the movie poster, DVD cover or even a screenshot on your timeline. No need to explain.

Only I had a hard time picking out just 10 movies so my favorites over the next few hundred Saturdays 😸 in semi-alphabetical order:me favorite films. What movie has really made an impact on you or what films can you watch over and over and never tire of? Post either the movie poster, DVD cover or even a screenshot on your timeline. No need to explain.

Only I had a hard time picking out just 10 movies so my favorites over the next few hundred Saturdays 😸 in semi-alphabetical order:

Harvey (1950) James Stewart, Josephine Hull

If you haven't seen this movie, it's available for rent at Amazon and YouTube.

The Friday Five Good Things

Five good things that happened this week

1. Shelves had been waiting a year to be cut for the bookcase in the studio. I asked the handyman if he could cut them, and he did.

2. Organized the studio (again)

3. Happiness is not having to wait a year for the brand new toilet seat to be installed.

4. Message from Dad while grocery shopping. I saw a man who dressed just like he did, a bit mis-matched. Summer hat, tweed sport coat, trousers. Made me smile.

5. The Young One and I went to see Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, part of the Studio Ghibli Fest 2019

How was your week?

Throwback Thursday - The Notebooks

To clear up some confusion, the Notebook passages posted on Throwback Thursday were written by my father and found by me after he passed away. They were his attempt to tell the family history. He was in his late 80s or early 90s when he wrote them. Today's chapter:

In May of 1953, we moved to Natick. We purchased the house we are still living in. It was to be a beginning and then a bigger one. It did not happen. I had gone with your mother to see a number [ed: of homes] But your mother said to me that she would not wait any longer. Either I make up my mind or else. And even though our marriage was good and happy. She was going to jump into the water. We were young and somewhat innocent.

I was not seeing what I wanted to live in.After all I had lived with the Arnolds and I knew what was right. [ed: American]

So we began looking. We had a decent amount to put down. Which would make the monthly payments smaller. Also being a veteran our interest rate was locked in by statute to 4%.

We were shown a number of houses. Some were vacant and some lived in. Good, but not what I thought we should have. Uncle Fred had a house next door to him that was up for sale. But the price was too high. The seller would not come down.

We came to Natick [ed one town West of Uncle Fred and one town East of Uncle Joe] Mother was itching. We were despite the number of houses we had seen still innocents. 

We came to this house, that mother was not set on going back home without a contract. No more looking or else. We were brought by the Realtor up Walnut St.

We looked around. There was a cellar. It was brand new and the price was right and the builder's daughter lived next door [ed: And later she would sell to Himself's parents] Nice sell. Mother liked. She was all for it. Today, 06/14/07 your mother hates this house and will not admit her opinions when we signed papers to purchase. [ed: In all fairness to Ma and what Dad forgot is Ma suffered a massive stroke in 2003. So she wasn't quite the same after. A little like Pet Sematery by Stephen King. Dad expected her to make a full recovery. Poor old dude]

We signed mortgage contract and shortly after that we moved into the house. Mother noticed either on the day we moved in or day after that the Boy had the measles. And needing the room to be dark. Put up newspapers in the windows. In due course he was in good shape.

We also had our furniture and rooms as we would like them. We also were getting acquainted with the people in the neighborhood. We visited each other and for a good while we had my sister [ed: Emma] and Jack [ed her husband] came to visit and we had a lot of company over the weekend.IT seemed that we were always busy over the weekend. [ed: Ma had told me in the early when they first moved to "the country" all the relatives would come to visit on Sundays during the Summer. Ma ended up cooking for 40 people. chicken, sausage, lasagna, eggplant Parmigiana, salad, cookies as Italians don't have hot dogs and hamburgers as the main event for a cookout. 😸] Our weekdays were a lot better.

We got water in the basement and I sued the builder and recovered a good amount. And I installed a pump and things worked out well.We still have a problem but I put down blanket etc. and everything remains dry. We also enjoyed our barbecues. And did a lot of planting flowers and landscaping and dug a trench in the front of the house and filled it with stones directing the water away from the house.

Wordy Wednesday

T Stands for IMPACT: The Adult Student Exhibition

On 18. April 2019, I attended the Opening Reception for the Worcester Art Museum Adult Student Exhibition. I think this was the first year that the exhibit had ever been given a title. Impact. I had forgotten to take a picture of the title wall, so the first image is a composite I made with the title wall and my students entries into the show.

Students, their families, friends, and faculty members were in attendance.

It's always hard to get beginners to exhibit something in the shows. The art shows help promote the classes and show prospective students what is done in the classes. I have my beginning students make an illuminated initial bookmark. It's a project that they can do, do with confidence, and be proud to have their piece displayed. 

After the bookmark class, I collect everyone's bookmark. This way, the entire class participates. Bookmarks are then hung on pussy willow branches with string, tiny clothespins, and artfully arranged in a vase. 

Continuing students that didn't want to enter a framed piece made Weathergrams.

One of my continuing students, B, gave me permission to display his calligraphy piece. "Flowers are the beautiful hieroglyphics of nature.

Steve Wage is another continuing student. He sometimes takes a painting class before my class so I get to see his works in progress. His paintings are luminous and though abstract, I always "see" things in them. Mountains, clouds, oceans. I like the way Steve captures the light and how when viewing, the images seem to shift and glow with the change in lighting.

An art reception wouldn't be complete without a few nibbles artfully arranged on the table in the new open area. The Education reception desk, other work stations, and faculty mailboxes used to be in this area. We had our choice of assorted cheese, crackers, and fruit. The water cups on the table are my entrance ticket to T Day.

The show is free and on view in the Higgins Education Wing until 24. May 2019.  Sadly, the goodies are gone, but you can enjoy the calorie-free, eye candy of the exhibit.

Drop by hosts, Bleubeard and Elizabeth's blog to find out what the rest of the T Stands For gang is up to. If you want to play, include in your Tuesday post a beverage or container for a beverage. Don't forget to link your blog to Bleubeard and Elizabeth's page.

Happy Mail

A package arrived from Tiggy in Scotland. What could it be? It was so securely wrapped it must contain the Crown Jewels.

A package wrapped in pretty paper.

A book. With quills on the cover.

Not just any book, but a hardbound, journal made by Tiggy. Inside a lovely note on a tag in an alphabet paper pocket. Some of the delicious papers, maps, music sheets,

Tiggy made the journal for me after she saw my post about the gratitude journal. Thank you, dear Tiggy. I'm so grateful for your friendship.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

I finally got a picture of the elusive, male cardinal

A mourning dove hung out on Ink

Then decided to survey the Zensical garden from the bird bath

A young, female cardinal stops by in the evening. She feeds from the ground so I think she might be one of the babies from the nest.

Timex telling me the bird feeder needs to be filled.

The Grosbeaks on their Saturday night dinner date.

The squirrel tried to climb the pole to the bird feeder but was stopped by the baffle.

Timex plays peek-a-boo among the debris from the latest rennovation

Old soffits and fascia being replaced with new vinyl.

Trying to harden the morning glories so they can be planted.

Lily of the valley buds

Somebody needs to weed

White and purple violets

With all the rain we've had everything is so green

Because of the work being done on the house some of the flowers got trampled. No Alpine Bells this year 😢

There has been no activity at the cardinal nest in over a week. The nest was so hidden we didn't get to see the babies fledge. Mrs. Cardinal would have moved to another nest to lay another clutch of eggs for the season.

 A hummingbird has been coming by to check on the honeysuckle. Looks like he'll have lots of flowers.

How does your garden grow?