All Things Mundane on June 7

It was a Dr. Phil moment: "You know the answer to this."

I had gotten up and staggered into the kitchen for my first cup of coffee. The formerly pristine ribs were still sitting on the stove. All night. I had rejoiced yesterday when I got the last package of St. Louis style ribs at Aldis. Gleefully, I cooked them up for supper, after adding a goodly amount of Cajun seasoning, of course. They were yummy.

But now ... do I risk food poisoning? I have always had a cast iron stomach, but ... So I googled it. Two separate sources told me to throw the ribs out. I did.

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There's  a lot of construction going on around here. I think they should send me an email when my favorite route home from Aldis is blocked off, making a detour necessary. (Who would send that email, you ask. I don't know, it's a rant.)

They are making yet another mini strip mall in Hadley, which amazes me. The amazement stems from the fact that both malls (yes, we have two that are side by side) have vacant stores. Lately, I have been in one of the malls only to go to the movies.

And the movie I saw was The Secret Life of Pets 2. I enjoyed it thoroughly, although the bad guy was really mean and scary and cruel to animals. But it had quite a few giggles and the cats acted like cats and the dogs acted like dogs ... what more could you want? (It's totally animated, btw.)

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Water Lilies of Monet, Amherst Cinema, 6/8/10

I was mistaken in thinking this was the Monet art film that I had already seen. I had liked it and its photography so much, I really wanted to see it again. Imagine my disappointment when the film began underwater ... there was a lot of blather about the physical lilies interspersed with a narrator with a flat affect telling us bits and pieces of Monet's life. When we finally get to see some of his paintings -- many of which I had never seen -- the camera panned so fast, I almost couldn't focus on the work. The movie was a big disappointment, but I did get to see lots of water. (I had not known that Monet had a floating studio at one point so he could be on the water as he painted it.) 

The gardens, btw, were a LOT more lush than when I saw them. But I'm pretty sure it was spring time because there were lots of tulips and it was raining a couple of times. These were the gardens not near the lily pond. It was great to see his house and the pond area devoid of people. It was very crowed with tourists when Mom and I went.

Yes, I know these are not water lilies, but they are in my front yard. The yellow ones I planted at the same time have not opened and I wonder if they will open.











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Above is a closeup of the flowers on the dogwood tree outside of the Amherst Senior Center.

I have been having fun serving lunch at the Senior Center (I've done it three times so far.). On Friday it was chef's salad with potato salad and pita bread. The "choice" was pulled pork on a roll. Another day when the choice was also pulled pork, the bag with the rolls disappeared before lunch. They had to have bread instead of a roll.

But I tell you, it was hard to make an artistic chef's salad! The plates weren't big enough. I finally figured out to put the potato salad on first and then arrange the rest as best I could. There was one slice of cheese, folded into two triangles. three slices of ham (also triangles) half of a hard boiled egg, tomatoes (that seemed to be in quarters), cucumber rounds, radishes, lettuce (of course), and red onions. We let people put on their own onion, but they sure sent a lot of onion!

My Onion Growing in the Back Yard (Chives)

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I finally got my lawn mowed! Wahoo! Phyllis (God bless her!) gave me the name of her neighbor who is now professionally cutting lawns and plowing in the winter. He did a great job but I know this is going to cost me an arm and a leg. Some of the grass was thigh high. I'll just have to think of it as three separate mows. 

And, in case you think I'm exaggerating when I speak of my 8 million weeds, look at my two raised beds ...

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On Saturday (today is Sunday) I brought a lawn chair to the front lawn of the Jones Library and sat knitting for Knit In Public Day. It was a national event. I got there early because I was going to the movie, but the Jones Library Stitching Group posted a nice picture of them on the lawn. It was fabulous weather, with a slight breeze and I made sure that I was in the shade of 'the big tree.' 

I was surprised to see a metal table with chairs attached but there were two people deep in conversation so I was glad I had a lawn chair. It quickly became apparent to me that one had mental health issues. How could I know? The steady barrage of words, the mounting hostility when recounting simple encounters. 

Yes, I did try to tune it out, but wouldn't your ears perk up when you hear, 'So I asked them if there was anything they needed to tell me before the exam because I have been medically assaulted before'? (The person explained that s/he didn't like being asked questions when in a hospital johnny.) I'm pretty sure that person was transgender from what they said. I was really glad when they left and I could just listen to the traffic.

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By the way, did you notice that the lilies in the front yard are not surrounded by weeds? Inch by inch ...

I think the buds on this lily have been nibbled by those *&^%! lily beetles. I went right out and got stuff as soon as I saw one beetle, but it was "all natural." Well, that's great but it didn't work. So I had to go to the Hadley Garden Center and get the chemical stuff. I haven't seen any more beetles since I sprayed that stuff. 

Meanwhile, I got Cutters to keep the mosquitoes off me. They really love me! And I returned the WHITE sunscreen that didn't want to sink in for some clear sunscreen. In which order am I supposed to slap this stuff on? In the meantime, I'm practicing holding my breath due to the dueling scents. Sigh. Life used to be much simpler when we were ignorant of all of the dangers from the sun and mosquitoes.

Although ... I remember 'in the old days,' I could jump into Mom's Nova and be at the beach in 15 minutes. And then lay on the beach for an hour and barely be pink. Sometimes we used baby oil for that nice grilled effect. I never added the iodine to the baby oil like some of my friends. One guy, who was very light skinned turned orange. But I digress. NOW if I'm in the sun for ten minutes, I can feel my skin sizzling which is why I have become a fanatic for sunscreen. I also hate a dayglo nose.

What The ... ?

"What the heck is that?!" I exclaimed to the person stocking shelves at Stop and Shop. I was being approached by a tall (7 feet??) post with two googly eyes as it glided silently toward my shopping cart. The nice young man explained that was one of S & S's new robots and it's part of a fleet of robots used to alert staff to spills and obstacles on the floor.

I looked at the robot steadfastly and he acted as if he had the thought, 'Nothing to see here, move on.' The young staffer and I had a nice conversation where I learned that each robot costs about $50,000. (You may remember that the Stop and Shop union just recently walked out and picketed for a week in order to settle their contract without a hike of 75% for employee paid health benefits.)

The robots are programmed (naturally) to avoid going behind the customer service counter and cash registers. I had the thought that if the Russians can hack into our election machines, they could cripple us by making these robots go haywire with an ill-timed hack.

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I was chided by someone for not producing a blog entry lately. So here it is -- and I agree -- it has been a long time!

Yes, I have fully recovered from the cold and I am on my second round of poison ivy. I did get an anti-itch cream with a prescription and the co-pay was $25!! The original cost must be $100!! I am very grateful that I only have little (annoying) spots of the rash, which is contrary to my former extremely allergic state. I'm wondering if this keto diet has put some of  auto immune system to rights.

And my coffee sludge is no more. I purchased tiny filters for my refillable coffee pods. I'm dutifully putting the used coffee around the flowers outside and the filters are biodegradable.

Note to self: do not ever start a paragraph with a sentence which contains 68 words!

The dishwasher is coming this week, preceded by a disconnection of the old one and followed by installation of the new. That's 3 separate days of waiting for service personnel ...

Another note: it was fun taping and labeling the Senior Center newsletter. Do that next month.

My car has been fixed and it's sporting a new side view mirror and some paint. I only had to pay $50 because I had never put in a claim before, but the bill was so big, I figure my insurance premium will hit the stratosphere on the next renewal.

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Since I have been busy piling up adventures, I'll start with the most recent first. That would be yesterday, May 26.

Two friends and I went to the Sheep and Woolcraft Festival in Cummington, Massachusetts (about 24 miles away). It was a lovely sunny drive in the country. We got to see the young people (probably 4H members) showing their sheep. Sheep don't want to stand still with their head up for a seeming eternity. Consequently, they protest. Loudly. Baaaaaaaaa!

I enjoyed learning that it took 7 different breeds and 7 years to create the giant white angora rabbit who was sitting in his owner's lap. I should say engulfing his owner's lap because this rabbit was the size of a standard dachshund.

And the yarn and the colors! I didn't buy any because I am such a bad knitter, that I feel I would be disrespecting these fabulous yarns. There were at least 4 people spinning yarn. One guy was so good at explaining the process and his batts (of pre-spun wool) were such beautiful colors that I asked if he had dyed them. Yup. (Well, his company which may or may not include a spouse did the dying.) I was absolutely fascinated by a woman who was weaving yarn on a frame using a crochet hook. She was doing single strand weaving. I had never seen such a thing and she was almost done after 5 or so hours. The approximately 4 by 3 foot piece of 'fabric' would be turned into a gorgeous cape-like garment. This one was in purples with a silver thread, but she had an equally gorgeous one in a burberry plaid.

The main attraction for me was the sheep dog trials. Prior to the trials, we were introduced to Reggie who is an Australian Kelpie puppy. His father was competing. I had never seen this breed and Reggie was brown and gold accents. He had gold dots over his eyes and maybe on his paws -- I don't really remember. Anyway, it's always great to meet a puppy who is just so overjoyed to see you and be patted.

The rest of the dogs were the standard black and white border collies. The first dog was up and he raced toward the sheep thinking, 'I am a rocket!! Nobody can catch me! I'll be done way before my seven minute time limit is up!!' Unfortunately, the three sheep became totally spooked by this object hurtling at them and they took off running faster than any sheep I have ever seen run. And that's how it went every time. Again, I have never seen such speed on both the dogs and the sheep. Since it was the third and last day of the trials, the sheep were very savvy about the course and they knew exactly where to go to elude the dog. In fact, one sheep hopped the fence. (I don't know whose job it was to fetch that sheep, but it was going to be quite a chase.) The goal was to get the 3 sheep through two sets of gates, a chute, and into a pen in under seven minutes. When the sheep neared the 'end of the course' which was a pen with shade, they veered that way when the dog and handler really wanted them to go toward a gate. So the dogs definitely had their work cut out for them to stop the sheep from 'going to the barn' before the trial was done.

Sorry, no pictures.

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Visit to the New Britain Museum of Art, New Britain, Connecticut: Georgia O'Keeffe exhibit. (64 miles one way). May 21, 2019

We couldn't have picked a better day for driving. It was sunny and not too hot, not too cold. Our merry band of three had a wonderful time!

The museum is small but had many wonderful works, including a room of Hudson Valley Landscapes, NC Wyeth, Winslow, and impressionists galore.

The O'Keeffe exhibit not only opened my eyes to many of her works that I had not seen, but the museum had collected many other artists' renditions of their interpretations of O'Keeffe.

I had thought her latest works were those sun bleached cattle skulls, but I was wrong. In her later life, she was taking many trips by plane and she did some views out of a plane window. At that time, she had lost her central vision (agony for an artist!) and she only had her peripheral vision to work with. One of the airplane paintings really enthralled me with its simplicity and skill in evoking the mood of flying.

I absolutely fell in love with a very small still life of a peach partially wrapped in a white napkin. I have always been a big fan of a still life, but this was exquisite in its simplicity. I also imagine that she was going to eat this sweet treat for an afternoon snack, but she decided to paint it first.

Georgia O'Keeffe, Peach

Georgia O'Keeffe, Cow Vertebra



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Canaletto and the Art of Venice, (May 25) movie at the Amherst Cinema: I admit that I knew nothing of Canaletto. He painted (mainly) the Grand Canal in Venice and he became the darling of English tourists who would buy one of his paintings as a souvenir of their visit to Venice.

These landscape paintings are beautiful and exquisitely architecturally detailed. The sunlight in the paintings is so fabulous that it makes other paintings of the time seem dim. Do look up some reprints of his work and you will see what I mean.

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Photographer, movie at the Amherst Cinema. This is a very sweet movie set in Mumbai. Much of the film has subtitles, but some of it is in English.

We first see a photographer at the Gateway to India and he is accosting tourists and asking them to buy a photo. He has a nifty box that enables him to instantly print a photo.

Finally, he convinces a shy young woman to let him take her picture. While he is concentrating on extracting the photo from the box, she is called away by her family and she runs off without her photo and without paying him. He tells his friend, another photographer, about the incident with less anger than one would think because he depends on the pittances he gets from the photos. But you can see that he is still thinking about her.

The rest of the movie not only shows quite a bit of the culture in Mumbai, but also how crowded it is there with many many people swirling around you when you are in public and what the private spaces of some of the citizens are like. There is a story about person to person connections which is the major portion of this movie.

It is sweet with no violence and no bad language.

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Finally, we had a sunny day after weeks of rain and clouds and cool weather (May 18)!

First, we stopped at the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge for lunch. It was delicious and elegant with old world charm. We were able to join a tour of the Inn which is held every Saturday at 11 a.m.

Entrance to the bar (tavern)

Before the dining room opened. It filled fast.

In a corner near the rest rooms.

This and the one below are original Norman Rockwell artist's proofs owned by the Red Lion Inn

Norman Rockwell signed them in pencil because pencil does not fade.

Visit to Naumkeag, Stockbridge, MA (61 miles) on May 18, 2019. This was the summer estate of Joseph Hodges Choate.

Driveway to main entrance is on the left

Path lined with daffodils is about 1/4 mile long.

View while lounging on Adirondack chairs.

After looking at these pictures (and there are more), I realized that I do not have one of the mansion. They may have called it the 'summer cottage,' but it was a big old place that could hold 5 kids, parents, guests, and some servants comfortably. The main entrance is brick, but the back side facing the rolling hills and acres of gardens was "rustic" shingled in cedar shingles.

And that's it! I'm done for a while.

I'm sure you have all bowed your head for a minute for those military who have passed on and I'm sure we are grateful for those who have served and are currently serving on this Memorial Day. I just wish we could eliminate wars so that our military could serve in peaceful times.

Have a wonderful week. Cheers!

The Sun Will Come Out Again, Right?

I'll try not to make this a colossal gripefest, but ... yesterday (Tuesday) I went out for the first time since Saturday due to a mega cold. And most days it has been overcast. So we're leading off with 'stock photos,' in other words, most photos were taken before the plague hit me.

Yes, the sun did warm the azalea enough for it to pop.

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I think it was last Friday, not sure when, but when I went for groceries, these neighbors were out ...

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When I got home from California, I had decided to use up any coffee k-pods I had to stop creating so much landfill waste. It turns out, there were no coffee pods left, just Irish Breakfast Tea. When my six reusable containers arrived, I was elated. That was until I found out what a pain in the rear it is to fill them. I even tried my trusty plastic funnel -- no, the neck was too small and promptly stopped flowing. So I use a teaspoon and lots of curses. Did I mention they leave a small bit of sludge in the bottom of the cup of coffee?

It occurred to me that if I filled them and left them out on the counter (in the pod rack), they might get stale. Luckily, I kept the box they came in so they fit neatly in the fridge.

While Phyllis (the Gardener) was here, I asked her if I could put coffee grounds in the garden. She enthusiastically said yes, and mentioned coffee grounds are particularly good for slugs. I immediately had a mental image of slugs at a coffee bar, but what she said is they will stay away from plants because their skin is sensitive and the coffee grounds irritate it.

I had to stop typing here for a coughing fit which reminded me to go to the bathroom ... 

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Last week before I got this cold, I was going to the gym around the corner.

This is the main entrance from the parking lot. The movie theaters are to the right.

The TVs below are impressive, but they don't have labels to indicate what network is showing (like the PF in Cathedral City) so it can be interesting trying to find which piece of equipment you want to be on. I do know I don't want to be in front of Fox network.

Below is my favorite ab piece of equipment. It's called a Cybex machine and I was not happy that it's out on the main floor where everybody can see me struggle. If you look to the back of the picture, that is the window facing the inside of the Hampshire Mall. Part of that window is frosted so people can't stare in at you, but it still is darker than I'm used to because it's artificial lighting as opposed to bright sunlight.

I have just watched Holzhauer win his 20th game of Jeopardy, putting his total winnings over $1.5 Million. He won over $100,000 tonight in one game -- usually about 20 grand was a lot. This guy is a phenom. He seems to have a perfect memory and has been widely read. Supposedly, his profession is 'sports betting.' I wonder if he was good at that ...

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Just to make me want to get out of the house more, I need calamine lotion. I have poison ivy on my wrist and hand. The only way I can think I got it is from a jacket I must have worn gardening last year. Or, it was the gloves I used to pull a few weeds last week. I wouldn't mind but there are 8 zillion more weeds I should have pulled. It doesn't seem like I did enough to warrant this rash!

I wonder if washing dishes by hand will help the rash go away. I haven't even thought about replacing the dishwasher. Even though I can order everything online, the thought of having a delivery and an installer come is too much for me right now. 

Luckily, before the cold hit, I had the hot water flow valve replaced so now I can have a hot shower. Of course, that was another nifty bill. ("They don't even make that valve any more!") Sheesh.

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I chortled the other day when I told my mother that  Aldis had eggs for 88 cents/dozen. Today she texted me and said her Aldis charged 89 cents/dozen. I think it's because they turned on the air conditioning for the hens. We're letting our hens here shiver or they can put on last year's sweaters.

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Last night I was up late coughing and I heard an owl outside hooting the night away. I have never heard an owl here before. Yes, I have heard the peepers (new frogs) when in the car but I haven't had the windows open to hear if the bull frogs are in song. 

On FaceBook, some state agency asked motorists to be wary of hard-to-see frogs and critters in the road. I'm so busy dodging potholes that I doubt I'd see a frog who's crossing the street to go on a date.  

We had more rain and more flooding so I think the golf course might be dried out by June 30th. We have two other golf courses in Town and I don't think they have the same flooding problem due to higher elevations.

A few years ago, we had a court ordered volunteer at the Library. His 'crime' was joy riding a golf cart around that golf course. I asked him if alcohol was involved and he said, "A lot." I think after he did his community service, they would wipe his record clean. I hope so. He was a nice kid.

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Speaking of education, I went to see a film about Klimt and Schiele. I knew very little about both artists, so I learned a lot. Next Saturday it's about Rembrandt. I asked the director of the Cinema if they would repeat some of the ones I missed during the winter and she was doubtful because only one company releases these films on a very limited basis. It seemed weird, but I'll just have to hope that I can see them sometime.

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I've been watching the Hallmark Movies and Mysteries channel. Apparently, they know it's me and all of my peers. I am now convinced by the barrage of ads that I need burial insurance to pay for a funeral, adult diapers, a life support scan (which appears to be an all over body ultrasound -- "Remember the first symptom of a stroke is a stroke!!"), and blood thinners for the a-fib I do not have. Sigh. 

I'll be putting up with these ads because I'm enjoying seeing the really old TV shows such as Perry Mason, Matlock, Psych, Monk, and others. If I watch the Inspiration channel, I get the Waltons and really old westerns. I don't remember what ads they are running, but they are all for old people too ...

Have a terrific week and take care of yourself. Life is too short to not enjoy it. Cheers!

Happy Easter 2019!

It has been an unusual day ... I say that in all seriousness because I started by going to the Easter Sunrise Service at 6 a.m. Yes. Me. The NOT a morning person. Obviously, I had to set my alarm, which meant that I woke at 4 a.m. instead of at the alarm at 5 a.m. That's o.k. because I ended up watching a Canadian mystery on TV.

It had actually stopped raining (it has been pouring) so we were able to have the service outside. Since it was 53 degrees, I had a thick sweater over my blouse under my faux leather jacket. Then the sun sort of rose; since it was an overcast day, there was no sunshine. But it was enough light to wake up the black flies ...

About the time I am yet again wondering why we insist on singing every verse to a hymn, I notice something which panicked me. My skirt was slipping down. I didn't wear a slip because this skirt is fully lined but I did need a camisole. Trying to be inconspicuous in front of a dozen people in a circle, I tugged on the skirt to hike it up. Shortly thereafter, I was able to scamper to my car forgoing the church breakfast.

Breathing a sigh of relief as I closed the garage door at home, I grabbed my key to get into the house. I used both hands because I have my keys hooked onto my purse. My skirt promptly fell down and hit the step as the outside garage door closed the last two inches. Phew!

My tulips need some sun.

The azalea too. These are by the front door.

The poor daffs have been beaten down by the rain. They don't seem to mind and they might perk up when the sun comes out. It got really warm yesterday (77 F. with LOTS of humidity) so I don't mind the clouds!

I made some breakfast and got to use my new re-fillable K cups for the first time. I wasn't too thrilled with the grounds on the bottom of my cup, but I'll get used to it. I decided that I had better do the last minute stuff before my nap. I didn't have to put the chicken in to roast until 10 a.m. or so.

Since I'm a Yankee and parsimonious, (that means cheap) I hadn't run the dishwasher. But then I thought, 'That's when I will need those dishes when my guest arrives.' So I reached for the dishwasher detergent and -- there was none. Nothing. Oh, phooey. Remembering that I had forgotten to buy aluminum foil, I decided to whip over to Walmart. They are around the corner from where I live.

Walmart only had pods, not the powder in a box. The little door that holds the pod in has been broken for years on my dishwasher, but necessity is the mother of invention and I figured there must be some way to use those things. So I get home and wedge the soap pod in and turn on the dishwasher. Nothing. That's not true. The dishwasher said, "RRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!" I turned the wheel back to start and it said, "RRRRRRRRRR" and I could hear water running -- barely. Finally, I decided that it wasn't going to work and I opened the dishwasher. Good thing because at that moment a small plume of smoke trickled out. I guess the motor burned up.

Yes, I have just finished hand washing a load of dishes. The chicken is in the oven and it's too early to make spaghetti squash mac and cheese. And the sun is coming out (11:30 a.m.)!

As I mentioned before, it has been raining. I live one street away from a golf course. At this time of year, they play SCUBA Golf. You think I'm kidding? I took pictures for you.

I'm standing at the very edge of the two lane road. When the trees leaf out and the underbrush fills in, you can only see the golfers in the far green area. (Yes, the grass really is this green!) I do not believe this course has any (planned) water hazards. But what do I know? I don't golf.

I think the sand trap is supposed to be a bit bigger ...

I hope you all have a wonderful Sunday and more! Cheers!

Home, Home Again

It was after Midnight by the time I got home, so technically it was today (Wednesday). I was delighted to see fresh cut tulips on my table (thank you, Farah!) and daffodils in the front yard. 

Mom says I should get rid of the empty pot, but I'm going to put pansies in there. I spent much of today being cold. The cars across the street had frost on them at 7 a.m. and it got up to about 60 sunny degrees. It's supposed to rain tomorrow.

One thing I noticed: gas is at least a dollar cheaper here than in Palm Springs (even at Costco).

Then it was off to get my car inspected, which should have been done in March ... I had to wait almost an hour. I guess everybody else was late too.

As I waited at Jiffy Lube for my inspection, I saw this woman approaching the waiting room from the parking lot. She had a white cane that the blind use and a very heavy-looking shopping bag in the other hand, so I opened the door for her. She thanked me. I told her the desk attendant should be right back because he had just gone onto the service floor. She said, "I've waited hours in this place before." No, she wasn't dropped off by anyone.

After that I headed to Greenfield to renew my license and to make it a "real i.d." It will be necessary to have a real i.d. to fly after October 2020 (I think). I was very proud of me thinking I had all of the documentation (passport, social security card, etc.) needed until they said, '... and the second proof of address is ...' I had brought a letter from my bank but it was over 60 days old. Luckily, the woman told me I could use my car registration because everything else listed my PO Box, except for the gun license. I trotted out to the car to retrieve it.

While I was waiting for 45 minutes or so at the Registry of Motor Vehicles, I got to do a lot of people watching since there were a lot of people there. One older couple was finally called up to the window. She was very with it and helped him with his oxygen tank when he seemed to keep forgetting that he had tubing which limited him in how far he could walk away from the tank. The woman seemed to be in her late 70s and he in his 80s. Imagine my surprise when he took the eye test for a driver's license! I hope when he's driving that he doesn't get a kink in his oxygen ...

I was a bit surprised that I passed the eye test again without my glasses. I started wearing my glasses full time when I started on my master's degree. I felt I needed a boost to read street signs. Prior to that, I only used them for reading even though I've known since high school that I'm slightly near sighted. Oh, yes, and of course it was a bad hair day so my license picture is even worse than usual.

Then it was on to Aldi's to buy some food since all I had was eggs. Although I did find some peanut butter cookies and ham that I had frozen. I may go to Stop and Shop wearing my union jacket to support the picketers tomorrow. 

I made an appointment to have the furnace cleaned. They said I hadn't done it since 2015. I find that hard to believe but I guess they are right. I have enough trouble cleaning the upstairs without worrying about the stupid oil furnace.

I pulled up the driveway reflectors, one of which was smashed to bits by the plow. And, yes, the grass was plowed up in several places. Next year I will get taller reflectors and put American flags on the top. We will see how that goes.

It's hard to believe that a couple of days ago I was sitting by the pool sipping mojitos!

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Before I left (needless to say), Lee Anne and I went to Cardenas, the Mexican grocery store. I picked up ciccarrones to go with my mojitos. She called it "surf sized." I broke them up before the pool so that the others with us wouldn't have to do it.

Cheers!

Trip to Cabot Museum

Last week, Lee Anne and I went to the Cabot Pueblo Museum. We got to walk around the grounds waiting for the next tour. The sign below was just a tad off-putting.

Cabot built the whole thing by himself, scrounging lots of the building materials. When he arrived at Desert Hot Springs, there were a total of 9 homesteaders. When they decided they couldn't make it in the desert, he would buy their house and salvage the timbers. He never wanted to 'waste' any wood so he never cut the length of a timber. That's how the size of a room was determined.

The 'adobe' has lasted much longer than usual because Cabot added a handful of cement to each brick.

I really like the turtle in the (dry) fountain. Cabot had to go 7 miles one way to fetch water from the trading post until he befriended an Indian who gave him a map of an ancient Indian well. That turned out to be alkaline (not potable) and hot water. Later on, he dug another well and found cold, potable, water.

Needless to say, Cabot employed every means to conserve water, actively reclaiming grey water which he used to water his plants. At times, he would put water on a back patio creating a desert-style swamp cooler. He also used very small windows strategically placed to draw in breezes. He claimed that it never went above 85 F. in the house even when it was 120 F. outside in the desert. I am skeptical.

It's hard to see in these pictures, but the windows are pieced together from some shards as small as 4 inches by 6 inches. I don't remember seeing lead, as in stained glass windows; I believe he used wood in between pieces of glass.

Pictures were not allowed inside the Museum. They are tiny rooms and the first bedroom he made for himself looked like a coffin with an open door. The bed was raised and it's the only section that still has a dirt floor. It's very claustrophobic. In later years, he made a sweet apartment upstairs for his second wife, but it seems he kept to his old bedroom downstairs. If she got cold upstairs, she would bang on the floor and he would stoke the fire in the fireplace near his bedroom. If she was warm enough, she would close the damper.

Cabot was not only an entrepreneur, having made his fortune many times, beginning when he was 16 years old, but he was also an accomplished painter. He sold hand painted post cards to tourists at the trading post/train station. One tourist asked him how much for the painted leather vest he was wearing and Cabot took it off his back and sold it to him for $5. He added vests to his goods for sale. He also rented out rooms at his Pueblo to artists.

Below is the fantastic view from the Cabot Pueblo Museum. It was a lovely sunny and breezy day. We could have sat on a bench for hours under one of the trees in the garden.

More from the same outing below.

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Sunday, April 7th

Above, Mom and I are donning hard hats to see the club house at the new Del Webb estates. Basically, the club house is only framed. There were pictures of what will go where, but it wasn't worth the walk through. We were told that there will be a grand opening in December. (We had hoped for cookies. There were none.) 

When finished, there will be 1,029 free standing houses. There are about 5 basic models, beginning at about $400,000 with many possible upgrades. (White kitchen cabinets, instead of brown is $1,000. The landscaping package is $8,000 ...) 

The club house will sport two outdoor pools, one is covered. The other one allows you to enter as if it is a beach. 

Below is another upgrade -- the extra patio space. I liked the view. I think this was the higher priced model. We looked at the most expensive and the least. The most expensive was about 2200 square feet, the other 1400 square feet. I liked the smaller one better.

More view.

Outside of the sales office.

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Monday, April 8

Today is the first time this year that Palm Springs reached 100 F. I heard that on the TV weather so it must be true. I only saw up to 98 F. on my phone, but what do I know?

I did stay inside and finished the baby quilt and potholders. 

Before I finished the corners on the potholders

Then it was pool time! The pool was very refreshing. It is supposed to be cooler tomorrow, but I'll still go to the pool. Soon I'll be home and it will be hot with no pool.  

Have a great week! Ciao!