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The things in my head go 'round and 'round

This is my life. You can't have it.

Archive for the ‘home’

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Today was a pretty good day, over all

Published November 12th, 2009 in days off, home, indian summer, leaf nazi, neighbors | No Comments »

Today I bottled a batch of beer that should have turned out like an American Amber, but actually turned out quite a bit differently than what was expected.  Hit the highlighted areas and you can read about it.  I won’t waste your time now talking about it.

 

Though I was pleasantly surprised at the outcome, this could be another beer in our growing catalog.  Depending, of course, on how it tastes after conditioning in the bottle over the next couple of weeks.

 

Anyhooooo.  I have talked before about my neighbor the “Leaf Nazi“, and how one of our trees had it out for her.  Well today said tree gave it up and dropped its leaves.  And I, being the good homeowner I am, went out with my trusty leaf blower to get the leaves out to the curb.

 

And it worked wonderfully up until right after I finished with the leaves, and was putting the blower away.  This huge gust of wind came along and blew pretty much all of the leaves back into the yard. 

 

Stupid wind.  Now I have to do it all over again.

 

Maybe.

 

L8R

Now That The Holidays Have Come

Published November 1st, 2009 in Family, Michigan, detroit, food, holidays, home | No Comments »

So, Halloween has come and gone.  Most of the candy is out of the house.  The decorations have been taken down, and put away.  Now we get ready for the end of year holiday onslaught. 

 

More decorations to dig out and put up.  The time changed back an hour.  Which really messes me up this time of year.  I don’t have much trouble in the springing forward part, but this falling back really takes its toll.  I think because of all the darkness.  You get up in the dark, go to work in the dark, and then come home in the dark.  Dark, dark, dark.

 

Growing up, holidays took on a different feel.  I grew up in a good sized family.  2 Aunts, and 2 Uncles.  A smattering of cousins tossed in for good measure.  And that was just on my Dad’s side.  My Mom had 10 Brothers and Sisters, but we didn’t see them as much as they lived on the Detroit side of Michigan.  And we can’t remember my Grandparents.  Earl and Vida lived on a farm outside of the small town I grew up in.  Not a huge farm, but to me it was the greatest place there was.  And holiday dinners with my Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles, and cousins were wonderful.  Great food, people who loved you, and a warm house.  Gathered around the TV, or playing games in the dining room.  Taking naps on the floor listening to the adults talk.  Voices of people who loved one another. 

 

Those were good times.

Things I should be doing

Published August 4th, 2009 in Life, doldrums, home, mornings | No Comments »

I should be going to the gym.

I should be clicker training the dog.

I should be writing articles for submission.

I should be weeding the garden.

I should be cleaning off the carport.

I should be mowing the lawn.

I should be getting the parts of my mash tun.

But the neighborhood is quiet.  Almost as quiet as it is on Sunday afternoons.  And I can’t break myself away from the sound of this exquisite silence.

Verizon Vs Comcast

Published March 20th, 2009 in Princess, home, my opinion, repairmen, technology, television | 2 Comments »

As a loyal cable viewer, MLW and I have had Comcast since the day we moved into our abode. And we have had no real complaints. Just the usual grousing about the rate increases, the channels that we don’t get, the reception on some of the channels that we like, the slowness of the internet, blah, blah, blah.

We are spoiled. Admittedly so. And then Verizon FIOS came to town and we get interested. We read all of the BAZILLION pieces of information that inundated us daily in our mail. We talked to friends who had made the switch, and then we talked to a guy who was selling the package door-to-door.

Ok, I actually shut the door in his face when he came round to sell it. I am friendly that way. But I thought better of it, and when I saw him in the neighborhood later that afternoon, I went out and apologized for being an ass and invited him in.

Yes, I apologized. Make a note of this, because it doesn’t happen every day.

We jumped on the Verizon bandwagon. Ok. They bought me with $150 in cash, and a year of free stuff. Go figure, I am a “stuff” whore. Which brings us to today. I have a tech stringing line, and doing stuff to the back of my house, and to my “Box”.

I am not feeling it.

What I am feeling is that good feeling that you get knowing that every TV in my house is going to be able to watch whatever the heck you want to watch on them. Though I have my reservations about The Princess having access to Pay-Per-View available to her. As she hasn’t gotten the concept of who is ACTUALLY PAYING FOR HER PAY-PER-VIEW as of yet. But what ev’s, you know?

So we will see as the day progresses as to how good a feeling I have. Right now, I am without telephone. Big deal, I don’t answer it during the day anyway.

L8R

Merry Christmas

Published December 25th, 2008 in Family, Princess, holidays, home | No Comments »

The day has arrived, the presents have been opened, everyone is happy.

I am perplexed by the reaction of The Princess to her gifts. I had thought that at 13 a girl was beyond toys. But it seems that I was wrong. The biggest exclamations came from something called “moon sand”, and a “meeba”. I have to say that I have no clue what this items are, but as I am typing this The Princess is playing with her “meeba”. With a bow pasted to her head.

I love my girls.

Merry Christmas, have a safe and sane holiday.

Namaste.

The best part of the holidays

Published December 22nd, 2008 in Family, food, holidays, home | No Comments »

MLW and The Princess were just out in the kitchen making cookies. The sound of them talking is balm to my soul. Just talking about nothing in particular. That sound is the absolute sound of home.

It takes me back to my home as I was growing up. The sound of people who love one another talking in the kitchen while making meals, or cookies, whatever. Talking about life, sharing with one another.

As much as this season gets to me, moments like this are what keep me sane.

Namaste.

The sound of snow falling

Published December 16th, 2008 in cerebus, home | No Comments »

Pennsylvania finally got a little bit of snow today.  Around 4 inches where we live.

It started as big fluffy flakes.  I was leaving the grocery store after doing my shopping, and saw this big flake fall in front of me.  And then another one as I was unloading the groceries into the bed of the truck.

By the time I got home it was coming down pretty good.  I took Cerebus out into the park behind our house so that she could romp, and I could listen.  Cerebus in not your typical LabraDane.  She doesn’t like water.  If it is raining, she will run up your back to get back inside.  But give her some snow, and watch out.  She gets all playful and wants to romp.

And I just wanted to listen the sound of snow falling.

Rain makes a different sounds when it falls, depending on the amount of rain falling.

Snow makes the same sound no matter how much is coming down.  And it isn’t only the muffling of sound that it causes.  It has its own unique sound that it makes when it falls.

And that is the best that I can explain it.  You have to experience it on your own.   You have to stand in the middle of a snow storm, and listen to the sound that snow makes as it falls.

Namaste.

I love Sunday mornings

Published December 14th, 2008 in Blogging, Life, coffee, home, mornings | No Comments »

Especially Sunday mornings when I don’t have to work. I get to sleep in, which means that I still wake up around 6am and eventually get up around 7.

There is just something about not having to get out of bed when the alarm goes off. It just makes life that much sweeter.

Then a cup of fresh ground, fresh brewed coffee. Boot up the computer, check my sites, and write a couple of posts myself.

Life is good.

And I don’t know why Sunday is so different from any other morning.

It just is.

And I love it.

namaste.

Don’t ever give up

Published December 5th, 2008 in Family, Life, friends, holidays, home, my opinion | No Comments »

There you have it.  My Christmas gift to you.  The only one that will never wear out, or go out of style.

Whatever you do, don’t give up.

As my family well knows, I have my highs, and my lows.  And that is putting it mildly.  The highs are full of activity and grand ideas.  The lows are full of sulking, and silence.  I am either the life of the party, or the one in the corner dressed in black not talking to anyone.

Sorry people I love.  Just haven’t gotten the brain chemistry right as of yet.

Right now, being in a middle period, I am doing a lot of thinking of success.  What it means to me.  What I have, and what I don’t.  And whether or not all of that makes a difference.

And I keep coming back to the title of this little bit of rambling.

Don’t ever give up.  No matter what, because there is no real success or failure.  Everything happens the way that it is supposed to.

Say what?  Am I being real here?

You have better damned well believe it.  Here is an example.  I am making banana bread.  If I don’t add a particular ingredient, will it be ruined?  Or as they say here in Pennsylvania, ruin’t?  The answer depends on your perception.  If you look at the situation without emotion, the end product is a result of the process used to produce it.  The bread turns out the way it is supposed to because of what I put into it.

Wrap your head around that one for a minute.

I am also bottling beer today.  If I don’t put priming sugar in the wort before I bottle it, there will be no carbonation.  It will be flat.  And exactly the way it is supposed to be since I didn’t put priming sugar into it.  Process.  It is all about process.  What you put in to something is what you get out of it.  So there really is not success or failure, there is only your interpretation of the results.

Wow.  That makes my head hurt.

Remember that all through this part of the year when we are rushing around, and not really paying attention to what is going on around us.  You can spend all of your time not paying attention to anything, or you can be in the now.

So what does this have to do with succcess or failure?  I have my ideas, but let’s hear some of yours.

My family and I wish you and yours a safe, and sane holiday season.  And beyond that, we wish you and yours peace, prosperity, health, and love.

Namaste.

The Detroit Lions Lose on Thanksgiving

Published November 27th, 2008 in Family, Michigan, friends, holidays, home | No Comments »

A Thanksgiving tradition followed yet again this year.

My heart is as full as my stomach.

Even though I live 1000 miles to the east, my heart is always there along the banks of Lake Michigan. Tuned in to watch the Lions play whoever it is that they will be playing. And losing.

I love tradition.

Namaste.

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