Monthly Archives: October 2024

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Random around the house nonsense.

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It’s nearing the end of the growing season but my geraniums are in peak form. Go figure…

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Construction on the shed extension is progressing slowly.

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And look, it be fancy.

Windows.

🤣

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Lord Dudley Mountcatten finally decided the new porch wasn’t dangerous and explored.

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The stone was particularly interesting and warranted much sniffing.

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As did the new door’s glass panels.

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Please note Polly the Polyphemus moth is still cocooned … weeks past her/his hatching date. I fear we’ll have to keep it safe until next spring now.

🥴

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Poles and more poles are going up across the road.

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I can’t tell you how much I’m dreading seeing those giant greenhouses. Losing our nice view is depressing.

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Entire pitcher of sangria worths depressing.

😉

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This makes my heart smile.

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We had a surprise visitor the other day.

It was a childhood friend of my husband’s from Connecticut who had stopped by my BIL’s and wanted to drop in to say hello.

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After thoroughly checking out the husband’s new treasure, we moved into the man cave/Barn Mahal where I took a picture.

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(Husband’s brother on the left, old friend in the middle.)

If you look closely… in between my husband and his friend, you’ll see a framed photo on the wall.

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This photo, taken in Vietnam in 1968.

( Husband on the right, old friend on the left, brother next to old friend)

Three of those four men were reunited in our barn 56 years later.

That made my heart smile.

❤️

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Let’s play!

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Because it’s better than eating kale.

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Here are mine.

While reading The Life Impossible, which is set in Ibiza Spain, I read a chapter about a massive nightclub called Ku… think Studio 54 on steroids. It said Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballé filmed the video for Barcelona there so I had to check veracity.

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It’s true.

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Poor Freddie, gone too soon.

Next was a search about the benefits of glucosamine chondroitin.

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I’ve tried everything else for my knee pain, I figure it can’t hurt.

Search #3 was for the Say Hey kid.

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Being a baseball (and baseball history) lover, I just watched an HBO documentary on this amazing athlete and needed a few more facts.

Lifetime batting average? 302.

❤️

Your turn.

Last three searches… go!

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It’s in, but….

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The new door was seated but not quite right, so a temporary doorknob was installed overnight.

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Not attractive, but it kept the bugs out.

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His Lordship is not happy with the new decorative glass. It distorts his bird viewing and I’m sure I’ll hear more about this issue in the future.

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My husband rolled his eyes at the fancy door handle I bought, but it went in easier than most.

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If you can believe it.. a full day was spent making adjustments, shimming, un-shimming, moving, tweaking and leveling the door so it closed properly with no gaps. Wood had to be added on both sides of the frame since the door was slightly too small for the rough opening.

After that, insulation was stuffed in holes…

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Of which there were many because my always in a hurry husband measured the rough opening incorrectly.

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The height was fine, but the width was off by a good 2 inches…

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Which means all new moulding will be needed.

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Sigh.

🥴

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Day 7… a farm tour and a tearful goodbye.

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Our company was leaving in the afternoon and after a big late breakfast … we had just enough time to give them a tour of the organic farm across the street.

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It’s wonderful having fresh veggies so close .

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But the flowers are a nice new addition.

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Everything was green and lush.

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And blooming profusely.

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Yes, even the kale looked healthy.

🤢

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Being a good neighbor… I didn’t pick a free berry. Though honestly, it was tempting.

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We strolled and chatted and took pictures.

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And even caught a glimpse of the man cave/ Barn Mahal in the distance.

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So much works goes into running a farm.

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Day in, day out. Something always needs to be tilled, weeded, watered or harvested.

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This is our contractor’s boat.

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He’s a friend of our neighbor and is allowed free storage.

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Not sure you can see it in this photo…

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But I thought this was a bizarre staggered bloom flower. Very tall.

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A few more pictures…

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A few more blooms…

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And we headed back across the street…

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For one more picture before we loaded up the car and took our favorite people to the airport.

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Past a lovely stone church…

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With fabulous front doors.

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And this silly sign that always makes me laugh.

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Then the airport, where I had a good cry when we had to let them leave.

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Family isn’t always defined by blood.

Sometimes you choose.

And we chose well.

💕

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Let the crab walk begin….

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Now that we had a giant hole on the front of the house, it was time to fill it.

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Which meant moving the unbelievably heavy new door into position.

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It may not look like it, but this thing was an absolute beast to maneuver.

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My husband and his friend literally crab walked it across the lawn.

Three steps. Rest.

Three steps. Gasp for air.

Three steps. Regret not paying a contractor to do the job.

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Slowly… it got closer.

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And then? It had to be lifted up the two granite steps.

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Which was even worse.

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Please note my husband is engulfed by an unforgiving yew bush at this point.

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Finally, it was in.

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Though, as you can see….

Not without issues.

🥴

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Day 6… the barn, with a lobster meet and greet.

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On the last full day with our company, we honored their request. No more road trips, no more sightseeing…. just a relaxing day at home.

Or more specifically, the man cave/Barn Mahal.

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T. was like most men who cross its doorstep, instantly smitten and a wee bit jealous. I believe he mentioned wanting one, but I don’t think his wife was on board.

The day was spent playing Name That Crap..

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(Early vacuum cleaner)

Playing pool…

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With some interesting techniques…

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Shucking corn..

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And introducing our southern family to fresh Maine lobster.

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G. was a little leery at first.

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But ended up making friends.

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Never having cooked a live one before, T. was fascinated.

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And after some quality time with the bugs…

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Made his own friend.

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And then dropped him in the pot.

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Unfortunately it was at that exact moment our grill ran out of gas and things had to be moved indoors.

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Finally…

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We had a happy southerner.

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Back in the man cave, cracking instructions were given.

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And everyone enjoyed lobster.

Except me of course. I came up allergic to the succulent crustacean about 9 years ago and am unable to eat it without becoming violently ill.

Boo to that.

😫

The night ended with cocktails and a birthday cake that elicited a good bit of laughter.

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T.’s late father was a career Marine who, when done talking to his children would bark, “Dismissed!”

And since it was our company’s last night in Maine..

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It seemed an appropriate sentiment.

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Bye bye old door.

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And so it begins, the project I’ve been dreading.

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I get worried when my husband has to repair/replace something inside our home. He’s fine with rough carpentry and rustic places like the barn… but the house?

Where I have to live?

I prefer professionals.

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I was cringing the whole time he and a friend were removing the old front door…. and lost count of how many times I said be careful.

Note – he wasn’t careful. And it was the friend who put a drop cloth down on our brand new floor.

Thank you friend.

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The fact that they got it out in one piece without breaking the glass is a miracle.

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I think even the husband was surprised.

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Giant hole in the house?

Check.

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Door frame on a shrub?

Yup.

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There was even a door under the truck.

The reason for that placement was clearly above my pay grade.

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And now that we had a big hole, it was time to fill it.

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After checking to make sure there was no rotted wood underneath as was the case with the other two doors we replaced.

Thankfully all was well.

To be continued…

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Wrapping up day 5 with ice cream.

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After a marvelous seafood lunch and cocktails in Perkins Cove, we reversed direction and walked back.

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Where the views were still amazing.

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Spending time with some of our favorite people always makes me smile.

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The gardens surrounding the resort at the end are lovely.

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And are always worth a few photos.

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Saying goodbye to Ogunquit, we headed up Route 1 for a well deserved ice cream break.

After a bit of searching, we found an amazing little place with an anything but little selection.

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In case you don’t want to count, there are 74 flavors.

And if you can’t decide?

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Why have one when you can have 6…?

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Their bathroom was fun.

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And even though I couldn’t escape the pickles…

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A good time was had by all.

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❤️

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