As I finished my workout around noon today, Tina came into the locker room to clean up. “We’re closing. We won’t open again until Tuesday,” she said. That’s how it goes in the mountains. When we get a forecast of snow followed by three days of freezing temperatures, we know that we’ll be stranded at … read more Snow prep
Tag: 2006
Unframed
I detest frames, and they detest me. Whenever I try to frame my art, the universe pushes back, hard. This morning I wasted more than half an hour trying to convert a frame with a sawtooth hanger into one with eye screws and wire. I must do this because it is a rule of display for … read more Unframed
Will the storm ever pass?
While we were eating lunch, my phone buzzed twice. It didn’t sound like a normal text message. EMERGENCY ALERT Tornado warning in this area until 2:15 pm TAKE SHELTER My phone is telling me to take shelter. My gut is telling me that today is a bad day. Tom hasn’t touched his soup yet. We … read more Will the storm ever pass?
The fabric of Phil
There’s this T-shirt I’ve had it for 20 years. Can’t get rid of it. If I’d follow the advice of William Morris and countless decluttering experts, I should toss this T-shirt because it is neither beautiful nor useful. I was weeding out clothes today, and I tried again to put it in the box. Couldn’t do it. … read more The fabric of Phil
All my cousins
I don’t know for sure, off the top of my head, how many cousins I have. More than 30. I’d have to go to the family tree chart and count. The photo here is from 2012, and it doesn’t come close to capturing everyone. And now two of them are gone. Tom only had five … read more All my cousins
Taken to the cleaners
Just about fainted when I opened the bill from the cleaners: The total was $4,178.50. This is for cleaning all of the textiles that were covered with debris when the tree fell on our house. The tree punched five holes in the roof, including several on the main floor and a big one in our bedroom … read more Taken to the cleaners
What do I call this?
When I had a photography business, I named it Baraka Photos. The name came to me in 2006, while we were living overseas, and before I’d even heard of Barack Obama. “Baraka” means gift or blessing in Arabic and Hebrew. It seemed like the perfect name for the way that I felt about the things … read more What do I call this?
MimOHsa!
I had a bunch of mimosas while driving today. Not the kind with champagne. I mean those trees with the pretty pink fringed puffballs that serve as blossoms. June is the time when you see them everywhere in Georgia. Not just in front of homes, but in vacant lots, anywhere that’s been left alone. This tree … read more MimOHsa!
The really big pharmacy
To start our vacation – a week in Booger Hollow – we took the long way into the forest. Along country back roads and up Forest Service 58 – following Noontootla Creek as it splashes its way down the mountainside – one of the prettiest drives in the Chattahoochee National Forest. Swallowtail butterflies love this road, … read more The really big pharmacy
Folding into comfort
I pushed a little button and felt myself sink back… aaaah! That’s the way I want to feel in my living room. Stretched out and relaxed. A little voice teases me: This is the kind of furniture old people buy. I’ve been spending a lot of time on our couch in the last couple years, particularly in … read more Folding into comfort