Plans Were Laid...

Going to bed last night, nothing in the world sounded better to me to eat than waffles.  I put out the pancake mix, the syrup, and my waffle iron.  Ready to go.

Then, today, nothing sounded better to me to eat than a Gyro Plate from Mediterranean Grill.  It's this great little place with an interior that reminds me of the Five Guys where Hannah once worked.  So, all the waffle makin's are still on the counter, and my take-out tray is on the stove, making it easy to grab bites as I go by.

It's still bloody flippin' hot.  The restaurant had air conditioning, though, and there were no other stops for me to make, so I didn't have to get back out in the heat.  

The tape measures and fairy lights jar project is done.

Can you spot the issue, though?  Each light strand needs its own battery pack, and what are you supposed to do with all of those?  Not the smooth, quasi-magical look I'd like.  Still kind of fun, though, I suppose.

Names and Places

 Goldfish crackers are a genuinely universal experience, aren't they?  I don't know how many flavors there are, but it's a lot.  There were always some form/size package of them in the pantry when my children were growing up.  Hannah was a particulary big fan.  Remember the milk carton?

Still just brutally hot here.  When I got in the car after therapy today, the outside temperature registered 104.  

Time for some more introductions.

The Boston fern on the left, looking scraggly, is Billrussell.  The Jerusalem rose is Sally.  Second from right is something with the word "heart" in the name;  that's been christened "22."  On the right is Vince.  You can see all the debris the the weather of the week has left on the deck.  There's been more wind and thunder than rain, so there is the deck to clean and branches and pine cones to pick up in the yard.

You can also see a jerry-rigged lock system keeping the doors shut.  One day, completely out of the blue, the doors wouldn't open.  At least from the inside;  you can open them without any problem from the outside.  It's the weirdest thing.  When the cats were alive, opening the doors was a little iffy anyway.  They were both old, but could move if they saw something interesting.

And how was I ever going to deny that face an adventure?

Size and Position

 Did y'all know about these?

(By the way, the baby with the sunglasses does not have fangs.  A trick of the light.)

Then, you open to eat them, and you genuinely feel a little bad for eating babies.  But that feeling passes.

I know some are watching the Tour de France at present, has anyone been interested in the World Cup?  Me either.  I did watch the Argentina / England game.  I had an appointment with my psychiatrist that was scheduled during the first half.  Driving home, there was practically no traffic, which I finally realized was due to people being somewhere watching the game.

Framed.  But which way should it be hung?

The only "giveaway" is the artist's signature.

Can you imagine if this little guy were on a sofa?  My head would explode.

Possessions

 This is all my yarn in the world.

I honestly didn't realize I'd parted ways with so much of what I had.  I'm saddened and proud simultaneously.  Does that make any sense?

Hovering in the background is the little table and sleeping lion that greet you when you come in the front door.  On the little table:

I believe at one point I said I'd update you on plant names.  In the conch are artificial flowers.  They don't get names.  In front is Michi, in the scallop is Spat, and in the evening gown is Marsha.

On the bottom shelf of the table is the one thing that could get me back to teaching.  Working at my desk, if a student came by, I'd grab the frame and hold it up to them without even raising my head:

SPARK JOY OR GET OUT

Tuesday Things

 Oh, Sam.  You thoroughly delightful man.

It's a slightly darker world now.

There are a couple of purchases from Sunday I didn't share with you.  Dueling cats earrings:

I can hardly stand these.  Look at their little boots!

This

is a worry stone.  It's basically a small clay leftover that a potter has depressed and shaped a bit. It's rough, though they did have glazed ones.  We each got one, and joked about racing to see whose will wear through first.

Lastly, this note card which I bought to frame.

Couldn't be any cuter, huh?  Well, hang on.

CUTER!  The ears are amazing, but look at that eye.  It's both sleepy and adorable and squinty and threatening.  Plus, once I get it framed, I can't hang it upside down!

 

A Fun, HOT Day

Let's just say it was a bad day to wear white and order jeni's Milkiest Chocolate ice cream.  Thankfully, that was the last stop on Hannah's and my adventure.  

We started at Homegrown, at little store that we both love.  I got this "Madame Butterfly" print:

Hannah fell in love with this:

She, like me, has a gallery wall, and this got hung as soon as we got back to her place.

Then we went to bside, a little snack and coffee shop next to and partnered with The Deer and The Dove, which is Hannah's favorite restaurant in town.  Next, the ill-fated jeni's stop.  It was, I will say, the first time we ever went in that there wasn't a long, long line.  And there were these magnificent powerful super-cold fans inside, which were so welcome.

Not a whole lot coming up this week.  An appointment with my psychiatrist, a therapy session.  Then, probably staying in the air conditioning and dodging thunderstorms.  The South in Summer --- what can I say?

Results!

The loveseat is in place!!

Yes, I dropped it on my toe getting it out of the box.  (Said toe is swollen.)  The pillows don't color-match  but they're lions.  End table(s) and rugs are all that's left.

Guess what Mother Nature is providing now that my comfy seat is in place?

Deep, rumbly, Sam-Elliott's-voice thunder all day, with occasional downpours.  Perfect.

The socks are done!!

I'm as proud, maybe prouder, of these than almost any else I've ever knit.  Next I might give a scarf a whirl.  Nothing fancy, just something to test my endurance.  I'm pretty sure there's a Wool and the Gang kit around here that will fit that bill.

Off to see my daughter tomorrow.  In a shameless promotion of her employer, go try a Chick-fil-a peach frosted lemonade.  They do tend to come up with ingenious tastes in Summer.  For a number of reasons, I don't frequent CFA, but it is keeping a roof over my daughter's head, so...

Crushed

 Randolph Mantooth has died.  This makes me very, very sad.  I had a mad crush on him from his "Emergency!"

It was his hands and forearms that ignited my continuing passion for men's hands and forearms.  And "Emergency!" made me want to be a paramedic.  All the way through my first year of graduate school, as a matter of fact.  Then I taught my first class and knew I should be a teacher.

Thank you and rest easy, Randolph.

Stuff Everywhere

I have one of these now

My eyes are way uneven, and that is unquestionably a porcine nose.  I was afraid Tap would freak out when he saw me in it.  He didn't look twice.

Otherwise, I have gotten myself into well, a lot.

The lion on the back of the front door speaks for us all.  The big box is seating for the back porch.  It took me forever to find something I liked.  Fingers crossed that it works.  Next will be rugs.  They've been as elusive as appropriate seating.  Then, if space permits, an end table.  And a lamp.  It just goes on and on.

Thunderstorms rolling through right now.  One of the best things about the porch is sitting and watching it rain.  It's still hot during the day, which provides nothing interesting to watch.

Almost done with the second sock.  Stay tuned.

 

What Happened There?

I thought I had published this already.  Last night was weird, though.  I'd get really sleepy, I'd go to bed thinking that was it for the night, sleep two hours, then pop back awake.  This went on all night.  Aggravating.  Not restful.  Dotted throughout with super, SUPER oddball dreams.  

Sandpiper babies are just the cutest, don't you agree?  Plus, they're full of personality.  If you haven't yet watch the Pixar short "Piper."  It will be six of the best minutes you'll ever spend.

Several of my air plants are pupping, so I've gotten little, bitty containers for them.  This one caught my eye for one reason: the hands.

It's elegant and flow-y.  Then, something else caught my eye.

The fingers.  There aren't enough, and that one is just. . . wrong.  If any pups make it to this, it will have to be turned just so.

The Emmy nominations came out today.  You go, "Pitt" girls!!  Four of my favorites from the first time I ever saw them also nominated: Stephen Root, Dale Dickey, Richard Jenkins, and Laurie Metcalf.  All of them genuine, true actors.  If I hear that any of them are in something, I want to see it.  Root most especially.

Interesting things tomorrow.  Wait patiently.