Chore for the Day . . in two parts

I admit that some days my chore-of-the-day is designed to not take too much time.

Part 1

My simple chore for yesterday was to tighten the set screw on one of the light fixtures holding one of two bulbs in a floor lamp my grandfather made.  Easy! I grabbed the proper screwdriver for the tiny philips head screw and turned.

Part 2

Remove the screwdriver from the web of skin at the base between two fingers after it slipped off the screw head and into my hand.  Note: part 2 was not in the original chore-of-the-day plan, but allowances were made . . . swiftly!

It took me a couple of minutes to decide that the pain was not from having fractured my finger from the force of the blow, but rather that I had driven the screwdriver through a thick enough spot of skin front to back.

That was way more work than I want to do on any given day.  I told myself to skip the dishes until it stops hurting.

I’m glad my tetanus shots are up to date.

Another Event, Another Pie

It has been a busy end to a very busy semester here at work, but the light at the end of the tunnel shines brighter when we start the potluck events: a potluck on the last day for our interns, and then the potluck we have after they are done.

Since I haven’t put my Kentucky Derby Museum Pie recipe back in the file, it has been my go-to dish to bring to our events.

Dessert is so much fun to share, especially when it signals the countdown to Gram’s Summer Internship Part 1.

Mother’s Day 2013

This post is for me really, but to any mothers who stop by for a visit, my heartfelt wishes to you all on Mother’s Day. 

There are some of you, though, who will do what I have done . . . go quietly to the cemetery to leave flowers at the grave of a child you may be missing.  Whether your conversations are with yourself or others who go with you, I hope there are words spoken that make you smile after the tears.

~ 

Gram: Want to go with me to the cemetery to take some flowers to Mom? 

GN:  Nah, you can go. 

Gram:  Ok, I am going now.  I won’t be long. 

GN:  Grammy?  Can I just tag along and sit in the car? 

Gram:  At the flower shop or the cemetery? 

GN:  Yes. 

Gram:  Sure, Honey. 

GN:  Can I choose my own flowers? 

Gram:  Sure, Honey.  From the car? 

GN:  No, I’ll come in with you. 

Gram:  Ok.

GN:  Grammy?  Does it hurt more or less for you? 

Gram:  It hurts the same, just longer . . . 

GN: Grammy?  Would you care if I went to a sleepover? 

Gram:  Before the cemetery or after? 

GN:  After. 

Gram:  Okay. 

GN:  Can I use your cell phone, Grammy? 

Gram:  Sure. 

GN: (on the phone) Gram said I could sleep over, but I gotta go to the cemetery first.  We are taking some flowers to Mom and then I will go right home and pack my stuff for the night ok?  Hang on, I gotta go for a sec.  We are almost at the cemetery.  Talk to you in a minute.

GN placed her flowers where they needed to go, then stretched her arms to the sky and said:  Mama?  Could you ask Grammy to lighten up a bit and let me be a teenager? 

Gram:  Sorry, Sweetie.  Mom wasn’t listening to you.  She was busy talking to me.  She was just wishing me a happy Mother’s Day and thanking me for taking such good care of you.  She also asked me how I’ve been managing for so long. 

GN:  What did you tell her?

Ready to go pack for your sleepover?

~

Grammy Glam

I waited until the last possible moment to decide what to wear to the formal cake event last night.  I have to dress up on many occasions during any given year, but none of them are billed as formal, so I really didn’t know what to wear to the JROTC award ceremony.

When I picked GN up from school, I double-checked with her about clothing.  She said, “Just wear something nice, Grammy.  Master Sergeant said he didn’t care what the parents wore.  He wanted us to be dressed up.”

Whew!  Load off my mind.

Then before we headed home, I decided to see if my favorite thrift store was up to the challenge of a nice outfit for the evening.  It was.

Dress, frivolous ornamentation, and a shawl – $12! I was in and out of the store in ten minutes.  I love to wear fabrics with flower prints. The shawl was free! I am not a glammy grammy, but I clean up ok.

Sis’s Mystery Book Revealed

It took me a while to finish reading the book I guessed to be the only book my sister wanted to read a second time.  With hosting three interns at work for the past ten weeks, working extra hours three days a week and parking off-campus and walking to work to avoid paying for parking, time seems to get away from me.

I turned the last page of the book yesterday afternoon, then promptly wrote my sis a note, tucked it into the book, wrapped it for mailing and took it to the Post Office.  She should have it before the week is out.  I thanked her for the puzzler.  I love that kind of quest.

The book my sis wanted to read again is called Tomorrow is Forever by Gwen Bristow, published in 1943.  I would classify it as historical romance, however I noted more devotion and determination than romance.  The story line plays out at the beginning of  WWII, but there is something that had already happened to two of the characters during WWI.

I am not big on romance novels, but I wanted to see what my sis thought was good enough to read a second time.  I must admit there were passages I lingered over, but not for any romantic aspect.  There were many passages that were food for serious thought.  Even then, in 1943, the author had the courage, via a work of fiction, to remind readers that there are man reasons one becomes a refugee.  Tough the faces of refugees have changed since the book was published, the reasons for trying to find a better life are still essentially the same.

I thought parts of the book were actually creepy, but that got resolved at the very end, not explicitly, but implicitly.

I took notes and quotes as I read, I am nerdy that way.  I think most of the quotes I took note of gave permission to be human.  Not bad advice, really, and insightful for an author trying to write something uplifting in the middle of a war.

So that’s that as far as the mystery book goes.  I am so confident I have sent the right book to my sis that I didn’t feel the need to wait for any confirmation from her.

Chore for the Day

Most of the time, I choose my chore for the day.  Sometimes, the chores choose me and the day.

Yesterday, Goodnight and I were able to do some yard clean-up and early garden puttering.  I was outside when I heard a loud crash in the garage.

I calmly walked over so I could see what happened.

Gram:  Are you hurt, Honey?

GN:  No, Gram.

Gram:  would you go into the house and get flathead screwdriver and a claw hammer from my tool box please? I will show you how to fix this.

GN:  Sure!  Thanks for not yelling at me, Grammy.

Gram:  This was an accident and I will explain why it happened and after I give you a demo, you are in charge of the repair, ok?

GN:  Okay, Gram.

There are two strips in my garage that were there when Officer Friendly and I bought the house.  The strips are for hanging tools.  They have been working well enough for me not to need a different system, but I noticed there were not enough screws to support it properly and the holes in the sheetrock had no anchors.  The chore was on my to-do list for warmer weather than we had yesterday, but one strip needed fixing right away.

GN and I picked up the lawn tools and other things that had fallen when the strip crashed.  Then I had her remove the screws that were still in the wall.  I showed her how to put in the anchors, showed her how to straighten the metal strip with a few raps with the hammer, then had her reattach the strip to the wall with longer screws that went with the anchors.

She is much like me and prefer this kind of task over washing dishes or making her bed, so I let her do the work.  It’s good for her to learn this kind of maintenance anyway.

When she was done, we hung the tools and things that had fallen.  They will be much more secure now.

When the weather cooperates on another weekend, I will have her make the second strip more secure too.  She should be able to handle it start to finish without my help.  It is not about me getting out of my chore for the day.  I love that kind of task.  I think that it is important to teach Goodnight how to be a DIYer when possible.

Snow shovels, roof rake, ice chopper, crutches, and garage broom and dust pan are all back in place.  I use little velcro strips around some of the tool supports so they don’t separate and allow the tool to slip out.

Salad Bar-to-go improvement

I just recently wrote a post about my idea for easy salad bar fixings that are easy to take to picnics or pot licks, too.

Well, I decided that my salad bar fixings could like nice on my counter, too.  How about repurposing a wine rack?  Yep.  Found a wine rack at a thrift shop and it is perfect for the handy access I wanted for my salad toppings.

Kentucky Derby Museum Pie

The horses ran for the roses on Saturday.  I am not a bettin’ kind of gal, but I do like to watch the broadcast.

I don’t bake a pie every year because frequently, the weather is too warm to want to turn on the oven. Not so warm this year, so I pulled out the recipe I clipped from a newspaper many years ago and warmed up my house with a bit of pie-baking.  The recipe is online.  Just do a search for Kentucky Derby Museum Pie recipe and you will find it.

Bravo, Maestro!

There are a few rare things that will make me sit in the car to listen to the radio because I don’t want to miss a moment of broadcasting between turning my car engine off and walking from the garage to the house and turning on the radio again.  Last night was one of those times.

Minnesota Public Radio was broadcasting live from Orchestra Hall as Maestro Stanlslaw Skrowaczewski conducted the Symphony in C Minor by Anton Bruckner.  Maestro Skrowaczewski is the conductor laureate for the orchestra and while the music alone was enough for me to remain in my car, it was also my admiration for the maestro.

The Bruckner symphony was the only piece on the program last evening, but at nearly an hour and a half for the four movements, that is music enough for me.  It was also feat enough for me.  Maestro Skrowaczewski  deserved the ovation he received!  The concert commentator noted that a score had been placed on the podium for the conductor should have needed it to check a tempo or something, but the 88-year-old maestro never cracked it open.  I love it!  I respect it! I wish I had been there.

Following the performance, Maestro Skrowaczewski was awarded the Bruckner Society’s Medal of Honor.  The award goes to those whom the society wants to recognize for their contributions in promoting the appreciation and understanding of the  Austrian composer’s works.  Maestro Skrowaczewski stands in good company with others who have received the award: Paul Hindemith, Eugene Ormandy, Arturo Toscanini,  and Bruno Walter, to name a few.

Bravo, Maestro Skrowaczewski!  Bravo!

Matinee for Gram

I recently had the opportunity to attend a matinée at the cineplex.  I took Goodnight there with little warning because I figured she would find something of interest to her.  I would have actually sat with her at a movie of her choosing, but I spotted the poster for Quartet, starring Maggie Smith.

It is billed as a comedy, but I found it very touching as welL. I asked GN if she wanted to sit with me and watch a movie about people in a home for retired opera singers.

GN: Umm . . . I think I will try my luck with Oblivion, Grammy.

So we parted ways and I watched Quartet alone.  It’s just as well. GN would have been annoyed at my sniveling.

I enjoyed the movie very much. I think I even sniveled through the credits.  Don’t skip the credits if you go!