Saturday, August 25, 2007
The peach orchard
George and I went to Smolak Peach Orchard in North Andover today. It was very hot, so there weren't a lot of people there and the fruit was just amazing. They had beautiful plums as well as peaches and we filled up a box for $20.00. I had never been there. The blue Italian plums were beautiful, but roped off with yellow police tape, because they are not ripe yet. I am hoping we can go back next weekend and get them as well.
The weather was 97 degrees and muggy as a swamp. The picking was replaced by fanning, as we stood in the shade and tried not to think about the sweat dripping down our faces. But it was worth it. We picked up a package of cinnamon doughnuts and brought them to our friends in Andover on the way home.
The peaches and plums taste just as good as they look, and I'm surprised we have not done this every year! It is going to be great to make a peach pie tomorrow.
Yum.
Have a great day.
The weather was 97 degrees and muggy as a swamp. The picking was replaced by fanning, as we stood in the shade and tried not to think about the sweat dripping down our faces. But it was worth it. We picked up a package of cinnamon doughnuts and brought them to our friends in Andover on the way home.
The peaches and plums taste just as good as they look, and I'm surprised we have not done this every year! It is going to be great to make a peach pie tomorrow.
Yum.
Have a great day.
George and his beautiful granddaughter Lucy
Lucy and her parents came to visit last weekend, and I took this great picture on the deck. A couple of very charming people!
Friday, August 24, 2007
Peaches!
Tomorrow George and I are going to a peach orchard. We got the idea from family who brought a beautiful peach pie to our house. Now we're hungry for more! The weather is going to be hot and humid and close to 100 degrees here. I'm taking a hat!
Mother had a flood last weekend and her carpet in the back room was soggy and had to be removed and she had to have a new water heater put in the basement, the second one in four months! It has been a crazy weather week in lots of places.
Have a great weekend!
Monday, August 20, 2007
Getting Things Done
I finished reading David Allen's book "Getting Things Done". Michael and I have had several discussions about this organizing system, and he taught me most of what I needed to know. But actually reading the book was one of the things on my list of "action" items, and I felt I really needed to read the complete book.
Last Christmas Michael and I had fun in a Staples buying me the organizer notebook, the blank pages, and getting my book set up for my lists. I worked with it for a month or so, and then let it slide. This weekend I finished reading the book and I'm going to start again. Starting over is a good thing, as long as you start at all.
Today I used the system called 43 folders, which is also called a "bring up" file. It is a term which has been around forever, but David Allen seems to think that it can't be improved upon. You make a folder for every day of the month, and another set for every month of the year. Thirty-one day folders and twelve month folders equals 43 folders. Then you file the pertinent materials for that day in the folder, and check it first thing every day and it "brings up" the items that need attention that day. It may not be a great system for actions that are important enough to act on immediately, but it works well when you have something that needs to be done six weeks or six months from now. Christmas cookie recipes can be filed under December, and when December first rolls around, there you are!
A big part of the book explains making a list of ALL the things that are important in your life that are pending, and separating them into groups of projects, action items, and resource materials. It is a great book, a great system to organize ALL your "stuff", and I'm ready to go!
Have a great day.
Last Christmas Michael and I had fun in a Staples buying me the organizer notebook, the blank pages, and getting my book set up for my lists. I worked with it for a month or so, and then let it slide. This weekend I finished reading the book and I'm going to start again. Starting over is a good thing, as long as you start at all.
Today I used the system called 43 folders, which is also called a "bring up" file. It is a term which has been around forever, but David Allen seems to think that it can't be improved upon. You make a folder for every day of the month, and another set for every month of the year. Thirty-one day folders and twelve month folders equals 43 folders. Then you file the pertinent materials for that day in the folder, and check it first thing every day and it "brings up" the items that need attention that day. It may not be a great system for actions that are important enough to act on immediately, but it works well when you have something that needs to be done six weeks or six months from now. Christmas cookie recipes can be filed under December, and when December first rolls around, there you are!
A big part of the book explains making a list of ALL the things that are important in your life that are pending, and separating them into groups of projects, action items, and resource materials. It is a great book, a great system to organize ALL your "stuff", and I'm ready to go!
Have a great day.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
But it's on sale!
George and I went to Lowe's last night to buy a new mailbox. The painters finished painting the house. As an added bonus, the contractor painted the old shutters that were in the garage and was able to put them up on the house. These are real shutters, with hinges, and they are green with a cut out of a pine tree at the top. They are 85 years old or more, and they are charming and wonderful. We are both thrilled to have the house looking so nice again. The painters trampled some of the plantings we had outside and raked over our snapdragons, but we will plant more next year, and it seems a low price to pay for such a job well done.
We were not successful at finding the mailbox we wanted, but I found a sale table with beautiful Waverly lamps in different styles and these charming flowered shades on sale. And the prices! The lamp base was marked down to $5.00 and the shade was $3.00. George had wandered off to the hardware department and when I found him I had two lamps and shades in the cart. He was surprised and a little confused about how we would use them. It didn't take me long to make a plan. My problem was that I wanted to buy another one, and I was pretty sure George was going to balk at the checkout, so I limited myself to two.
But I can't help myself. Today, I'm going back to Lowe's to get one more lamp. They are just too pretty and high quality to leave sitting there! I may not actually need them...but at that price they are irresistible.
Anyone need a lamp?
Have a great day!
We were not successful at finding the mailbox we wanted, but I found a sale table with beautiful Waverly lamps in different styles and these charming flowered shades on sale. And the prices! The lamp base was marked down to $5.00 and the shade was $3.00. George had wandered off to the hardware department and when I found him I had two lamps and shades in the cart. He was surprised and a little confused about how we would use them. It didn't take me long to make a plan. My problem was that I wanted to buy another one, and I was pretty sure George was going to balk at the checkout, so I limited myself to two.
But I can't help myself. Today, I'm going back to Lowe's to get one more lamp. They are just too pretty and high quality to leave sitting there! I may not actually need them...but at that price they are irresistible.
Anyone need a lamp?
Have a great day!
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Thanks for the flowers!
A beautiful bouquet of flowers arrived today from Michelle and Michael. They are beautiful. Thank you for the congratulations! It is turning out to be a very good week!!!!
Thanks!
Mommo
Thanks!
Mommo
Monday, August 13, 2007
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Sunday morning
It is a far from quiet Sunday morning around here. The painters came! George has been planning to have the house painted for three years, and the paint has chipped and the gutters are rotten and need to come down. It is a big production, both work-wise and investment wise. Nothing is as valuable as real estate these days, and we are both very happy that the house is going to look so nice when they are finished.
In the meantime, Thunder is hiding. They are thumping against the walls and she is wondering if the end of the world is near. I am here, Thunder, never fear!
Have a great day.
In the meantime, Thunder is hiding. They are thumping against the walls and she is wondering if the end of the world is near. I am here, Thunder, never fear!
Have a great day.
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