Sunday, November 17, 2013
The last two weeks have been busy-busy-busy.
My kitchen looks very spiffy. I put up a bunch of plates on the wall, my skills at getting them level are apparently minimal.
My kitchen looks very spiffy. I put up a bunch of plates on the wall, my skills at getting them level are apparently minimal.
Plates.
I made Brussel sprouts for the first time. In this blurry photograph you can see them. As they were cooking Buddy was lying next to me and I kept telling him to stop making smells and then I realized it was the sprouts. Not sure if I will make them again.
Roasted with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Out at the old Fort site they are busy stabilizing the ruins, plastering them.
Kitchen.
Mother arrived safely on the 11th. At 81.5 she is showing her age, tottering around unsteady and disrupting my routines so that sometimes I have to tell myself, "just relax."
Supper at Rosa's.
On Wednesday I had to go up to Phoenix to work for three days, doing some specialized excavation. The project is below a street next to a place where homeless people are fed. There are a lot of different people with different problems. I was lucky and didn't find a crack pipe.
Pit structure entrance and floor, sometime between A.D. 700 and 900.
Allen was nearby excavating a pair of pit structure fragments. We heard him call out excitedly when he found a fancy projectile point.
Allen.
It really was a remarkable point.
Point.
I got to work with Oslynn. We were roommates back in 1990-1991 and it was great to catch up.
Oslynn and Homer.
And now I am back home dealing with Mother problems. She complains that I do not treat her like an adult. There is, of course, a very easy solution to that problem.
Monday, November 04, 2013
After the kitchen was painted, I spent hours cleaning and then baking for the All Souls Procession Party 2013.
I made tombstone cookies and this year I had two new people to add- Carl and David Beebe. It makes me pause and think about the frailty of human life.
I drove over and picked Nick up and we applied our makeup and got dressed.
Richard asked me to pose next to the altar and I grabbed Grandpa F's banjo.
It was nice to catch up with friends.
I made tombstone cookies and this year I had two new people to add- Carl and David Beebe. It makes me pause and think about the frailty of human life.
I remember.
I made an altar, using many photographs I have purchased on Ebay of people from my hometown. A few personal items were added, and then a dozen red roses and a dozen gladiolae in yellow and white.
Altar.
Nick and Homer.
I had special out-of-town guests including Sylvia, who brought me her childhood Blue Willow tea set, which is adorable, and Ms. Jerryll.
Sylvia and Jerryll.
And of course it wouldn't be a party without some handsome bloggers.
Geoffrey and Michael.
Mitch and Sagan arrived and I showed him how to apply makeup. Not that I am an expert.
Sagan and Mitch.
Doug applied stuff to his hair and goatee and now he knows what he will look like when he reaches my age.
Doug.
People were at the make-up table right to the end.
Nick, David, and Eric.
Photo by Richard Whitmer.
At 5:30 I ordered everyone outside and a group photo was taken.
Procession attendees.
We walked down Congress and I handed out the gladiola to various women. One told me, "You just made my day!". When we reached Congress and Alameda, we sat for about 45 minutes, talking.
Evelyn.
Kameron.
The elaborate makeup designs of many participants made me realize I need to practice next year.
A beautiful family.
In the distance we could hear the drums.
Eric.
We walked over to Alameda Street and the procession arrived. The Urn passed by, filled with hopes and dreams and messages to loved ones who have died.
Urn.
And then my camera batteries died too. There are so many people now that it is impossible to see friends along the route, not like even five years ago. I skipped the finale ceremony and came home and started to clean up, luckily not a hard task to do. In a week my mother arrives for the winter and I will have a different life for a while.
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
I dropped a cupboard door on my 4th toe on my right foot this morning. I think it is broken. It moves weird. It does not hurt (yet).
My kitchen is still all torn up. It is crazy. It all has to be done tomorrow. It is crazy.
I carved a pumpkin. It is cross-eyed. I have pumpkin seeds roasting in the oven with Greek seasonings on them.
Jack.
My kitchen is still all torn up. It is crazy. It all has to be done tomorrow. It is crazy.
I carved a pumpkin. It is cross-eyed. I have pumpkin seeds roasting in the oven with Greek seasonings on them.
Saturday, October 26, 2013
I drove north to Phoenix to volunteer on a project the company is doing.
Sunset west of Interstate 10.
Beneath the street.
There are a lot of pit structures and soil mining pits, the latter excavated to get lime-rich dirt to make plaster for floors. The house below has an entrance pointing toward you, with large posts on either side. A wall groove extends around the perimeter of the house, where posts and possibly reed mats would have been placed. A circular hearth is in the center of the floor.
Pit structure.
The entrance is to the right.
I worked in two soil mining pits (AKA borrow pits). I found lots of pretty decorated pot sherds and pieces of shell jewelry.
Flying birds.
Mini backhoe.
The workers are friendly and we laugh at silly things.
He digs good trenches.
1873 kitchen.
I have been growing my beard out for a long time, but it started getting annoying.
Beardy.
Two unused gas lines are being removed.
Under the house.
Puff and Joey got down in the crawl space when I wasn't looking and I had to go down and drag Puff out. He was super naughty.
Kitchen is being repainted the same colors.
Kitchen.
Everything has to be done this week. It is crazy how much stuff I have to do.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
So the last couple of weeks have been mostly dull. I've been reading old Agatha Christie mysteries. Entering memorials on Findagrave. Made a mediocre pineapple upsidedown cake.
Buddy comes in every night and hangs out. He quickly destroyed the new chew toy I bought him, but the old one is impossible to rip apart. He has taken to being naughty and overturning flower pots. Inside, the cats have stopped barfing hairballs.
Chew.
At work I am finishing projects. Occasionally the bobcat or coyotes walk by the window. Recently a hawk swooped down for a visit.
Hawk.
Mummy arrives in a month for the winter. As usual, I am dreading the disruption in my life. But I will get over that.
Chew.
At work I am finishing projects. Occasionally the bobcat or coyotes walk by the window. Recently a hawk swooped down for a visit.
Mummy arrives in a month for the winter. As usual, I am dreading the disruption in my life. But I will get over that.
Monday, September 23, 2013
A weekend in 16 pictures.
1). We finished the dig on Friday.
5). We played in his pool in Palm Springs.
2). I drove the trusty Ford Focus west.
3). There are no saguaros in California.
4). I have not seen LaGrand since about 2006.
6). There are a lot of palm trees in Palm Springs.
7). On Saturday morning we went on a hike with his dog LeLe.
8). The canyon was glamorous.
9). LeLe likes her toys.
10). And she adores LeGrand.
11). We sat around and talked and talked. It was really relaxing.
12). That night I came across Mamie Van Doren's star.
13. On Sunday morning we went to the Coachella Preserve and saw the palms in the oasis.
14). They were beautiful and LeGrand was handsome.
15). I drove east with a dirty windshield.
16). As the desert whizzed by I realized I need to have more adventures.
Monday, September 16, 2013
I am 50.
Saturday, September 14, 2013
And a couple more artsy pictures from last week.
Forrest sparkles.
Hugs, photo by Travis.
