The frost danger has probably but who the hell knows because it’s Maine passed and now it’s time to fill that beautiful raised stone bed my husband built last year.
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My first trip to the nursery made me realize another trip is in order. Such a hardship.
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But look at our little crabapple tree.
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Finally in full bloom.
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So far… this is what will be living in the garden.
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I realized I chose too much pink and purple so the next trip will be for peach, red and maybe white to round it out.
The used car shopping continues. Miles upon miles of traveling only to be disappointed by condition or mechanical problems.
Funny part of this saga? We met up with a friend of ours on the journey who happens to sell cars on the side. When the husband told him what we were doing he gave me a strange look and said, “No offense, but I know money isn’t the issue. Why don’t you just buy new?”
To which I rolled my eyes, pointed, and said “Ask him”.
That launched my husband into his usual diatribe about how new cars are an over inflated rip off that depreciate as soon as you drive them off the lot. Then he got started on the car salesman two step. You know the dance… spend half an hour dickering on price only to be told to have a seat while he talks with his manager. Husband hates the whole process.
Because really, used car salesmen are so much better.
🤣
Our last stop of the day was a dealership almost 2 hours from home.
I immediately spotted the car I wanted him to buy.
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Don’t recognize the logo?
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Yeah.
Just a snazzy little runabout in which to do the weekly grocery shopping. Did it cost more than our first house? Sure. But money’s not an issue remember.
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Someone came in right behind us and put a down payment on this thing. To which I thought… what a giant waste of hard earned dollars… but hey, whatever floats your boat.
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This was the vehicle we came to see and might seriously be a contender.
I spent 5 hours following my husband from store to store looking for a new weed whacker last week.
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Don’t believe the people who tell you men hate to shop. When he’s looking for a new toy for himself? My guy will shop until I drop. We hit at least 7 different lawn and garden sections and then went back to the very first place we stopped so he could buy the very first one he saw.
And then?
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The man who owns a giant zero turn tractor and four push mowers… yes, four. Two of them self propelled. … started looking at new push mowers.
For me.
The person who doesn’t want one.
It was at that point I said enough… and made him take me for a nice late lunch.
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A fresh blueberry mojito was a good way to start.
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Every time I see this old tool art installation I want my husband to do something like it in the man cave.
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And every time, he says no.
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To start… it was butternut squash soup for the husband and some fabulous dry rub barbecue shrimp for moi.
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A basil limeade later?
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An amazing Bolognese with fresh pasta and a lamb, beef and pork ragu. It was so good I didn’t even notice what the husband ate.
And a fond farewell was bid to our loyal 13 year old washer and dryer.
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Our laundry room is small (it used to be a spare half bath) so I was a little worried the delivery men would have a hard time maneuvering the heavy appliances in and out. Lord knows my husband and I did.
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But before I could even blink they had the old ones unhooked and out the door. Granted they didn’t have far to go, but the way they did it with these amazing moving straps that wrap around their backs, over their shoulders and under the machines?
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Fabulous!
And now I totally want a pair.
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Viola!
While the drums are slightly larger than our old set, the machines themselves are actually a bit smaller so …. weee! I have a few extra inches of floor space to play with.
I was a little hesitant to go with the charcoal grey as we’ve always had white, but it looks more like black which blends nicely with our stove and fridge.
Before…
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After.
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These things were literally twice the price of our old ones so my fingers are crossed they have a long sudsy life.
Designed for athletic activity, lounging at home and … well, sweating.
While yours truly hasn’t worn a pair since the fiery heat of menopause started steering the Good Ship River, I know fancy trimmed sets are coming back in style and being worn in places other than the gym and your couch.
So if you’re wondering what one carries when strutting their stuff in fleecy finery?
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The answer seems to be a $38,450 purse.
While I suppose it’s true price is relative to income… my $200 Micheal Kors handbag might seem outrageous to some… I’m thinking shrugging the equivalent of a new car on my shoulder might give me pause no matter what my W-2 says.
Thinking that was an utterly ridiculous sum to pay for a handbag I did a little research and found some bargains.
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Used for under $25,000?
What a deal.
🥴
(Alright, it’s time for the disturbing image I promised. Consider this your warning. It’s perfectly alright if you stop reading now to save yourself the visual trauma.
Still here?
This image might be seared onto your retinas for days and I don’t want any whining or complaining that I sprung it on you unannounced.
Please have your eye bleach ready… you’re going to need it.
Okay.
If you’re still with me, the horror is on you.
When I compose a blog with only a few pictures I usually search Google Images for a funny related photo to set as the featured image. For this post I keyed in the word ‘sweatpants meme’ and I have to say… I was surprised at the penis-centric results that popped up. (Pun intended) I kept scrolling, looking for something G rated…. but found the following cartoon abomination first.
In keeping with the tradition if I have to see it, so do you…
After 13 years of faithful service… it’s time to say goodbye to our beloved washer and dryer.
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My husband (who DOES NOT shop for anything other than antiques) stood in line outside, in the cold, at 2:00am on Black Friday in 2010 to purchase this ( ultra fancy for it’s day) set as a Christmas present for yours truly.
I didn’t need or even want a new set at the time, but it was almost half price and he was thrilled with the deal.
Fast forward 13 years and the dryer (otherwise known as Lord Dudley’s bird watching perch) is kaput. It’s been acting up for the past few months… running one day but not the next… and after having two repairman unable to find the problem, it’s time to bid them a fond farewell.
So we shopped.
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(The husband’s good friend just got Covid so his mask paranoia is temporarily back.)
After checking the big box stores and the small mom and pop stores, we played Goldilocks and chose a set from a medium sized Maine store.
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We could have taken them home today, but of course I didn’t want blue.
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So we special ordered the graphite gray.
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Billed as “ The smartest washer in it’s class” I wondered what that entailed. A diploma? A degree? A doctorate?
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Turns out smart means Alexa…
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Sorry. I don’t care how smart it is…. I’m not talking to my washing machine.
As I was picking up some frozen pitted cherries for my morning smoothie at the grocery store, I saw something interesting I knew I had to try.
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Tru Fru.
Individual pieces of ripe fruit… flash frozen and covered in chocolate.
Nothing more.
And nothing less than delightful.
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I don’t have a huge sweet tooth but every now and then I like s little touch of dessert after dinner and these are perfect.
I take a few out of the freezer and let them sit 15-20 minutes before eating… and am now totally addicted.
The raspberry and strawberry have the deepest flavor… but the blueberry and cherry are good as well. They make a banana which I would love, but I haven’t found that one yet.
River's world..... 