I had a delivery today.

It was sent to me from Meredith.

Meredith’s packages can be quite delicious!

They can also be fun and unexpected- filled with exotic foods and pashmina scarves.  You never quite know what has caught her attention or fancy.

This, however, I expected because she had to have it diverted from her house in Chincoteague.  We had been watching for it the whole time we were in Chincoteague and it never showed.

But I never expected the packaging.

And it was delivered without any fanfare- no doorbell- no knock on the door- and it was delivered after dark .

They sent me “The Thinker” sitting on a toilet!

It’s a heated toilet seat, just like the one she has in Japan.

So here I am with a heated toilet seat that we are taking down to Chincoteague.

Because the downstairs bathroom is really very cold.

And Meredith wants everyone who comes to her home to be greeted with hospitality and warmth.

Being Meredith’s, agent in fact, is complicated, sometimes.

But it is ALWAYS fun.

I’ve broken yet another teapot.

sigh.

You may have noticed that I have a lot of pots.

Guess why?

Over the years I have personally broken at least 5 teapots.

Jordan has inherited this slippy and awkward hand condition and has broken at least 3 ( I thought it was more like 5, but he says no.)

And I changed the curtains in my bedroom- which look very nice, thank you.

But all that up and down and stretch and pull has aggravated my arthritis and now I’m limping (slightly).

And, in case you hadn’t noticed, my camera is not cooperating today- so no pictures of my sad and broken pot or my beautiful window dressings.

So, I’m taking a break – brewing some tea in another pot and going to have a cup of tea.

This is a picture from earlier this week.  This is the pot I broke.

Sometimes, I just need a cup of tea.

Especially around 4-ish on a day like today.

Pink and teal plaid boots!

OK- I know Piglet actually said ” … a balloon!”

But then, Piglet had never seen my boots.

I bought these during the Nor’easter in November, and when I went back in December they were waiting to cheer me up!

They are waiting there for me to return and walk on the beach in them, possibly in February. 

I am feeling particularly uncheered right now.  The sore throat and aching head and ears, plus a very annoying cough are bedeviling my days and nights and I can’t seem to shake them off. 

But when I was looking through the pictures in my album, these boots winked at me and said “Cheer up”.

I wish I had a pair here in Ohio.

I can’t believe that I’m writing a review of the Akron Art Museum, but have you been there lately? 

The renovation is finished and it is amazing how great it looks and how easy it is to access this very REAL museum right in the heart of Akron, Ohio.

Just recently it has come home to me how helpful and informative this relatively small museum has been in my life.

We went to the Baltimore Art Museum for a couple of hours whilst waiting for Blythe’s plane to come in the week before last.  They had an interesting perspective on Edgar Allan Poe- mostly of the illustrations done by Manet and a drawing by Henri Matisse of Poe that captures the brooding melancholy the author and poet manifested. You can see much of it online here.

(not quite Manet- these are MY renderings of the Raven on an envelope I had in my purse!)

But I was so happy to see my old friend, The Thinker, in his largest form displayed there.  I was first introduced to Auguste Rodin’s sculpture through the deep and intellectual show- “Dobey Gillis” in the early ’60’s.  If you are too young to remember, each show would begin with the troubled Dobey sitting in front of this statue and contemplating the woes of his teenaged life.  ( It was really  a kind of goofy show- not deep or intellectual- I just realized that MOST of you reading will have never seen this show and not get the tongue in cheek humor I was attempting.)  Over the years, I discovered that this statue was not a stage dressing but an actual work of art- and I have always been attracted to the story behind the statue. 

The Akron Art Museum, ( or is it called institute?)  had a wonderful show of Rodin’s work several years ago and we spent an afternoon there looking and reading and discovering much about this artist and his work and innovations to the art world.  Originally it was commissioned as a piece of a larger work by the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris.  Based on the characters of the Divine Comedy by Dante, the Thinker was originally entitled,” The Poet”, and was meant to represent Dante himself.  There are three sizes of this bronze sculpture, small, original size and monumental- the molds were made by Rodin and there are quite a few pieces that were cast by him and his family.  I learned all this and soaked in a lot of atmosphere in Akron, so when I saw “him” in Baltimore, it was with a feeling of meeting an old friend.  

I just sat and thought with him at first,

and then I played around a little- since I couldn’t look over his shoulder, I just looked through his folded arm.

Anyway- last week when I was in Columbus, we went to the Franklin Conservatory- read about it here.  And there I ran into the art of

Dale  Chihuly, premier glass artist- displayed throughout the gardens and displays throughout the gardens.  I again felt like I was encountering an old friend, because I had seen his work first in Akron.

So I just wanted to give some long overdue credit to Akron- not often perceived as a city of culture- for offering some very interesting and in depth programs on art and artists over the years.  If you get a chance- come to Akron and take a look for yourself.

( I bet you thought all I did was bake and babysit, didn’t you?)

First, you can watch all the scary weather reports about flooding and dangerous driving conditions that may close the bridge that connects you to  your home in Ohio.

Second, you can go out to the Bay and watch the water rise.

and rise even higher at high tide.

Third, you can go outside and get soaked whilst taking pictures of the rain on your rental and car.

Fourth, you can drive through flooded streets and cross over the old bridge in the pelting  rain and take pictures of the only way off of the island as you wait for the car ahead of you to slowly drive through about 10 inches of water.

I have never seen the water this high.  It made the whole experience of driving off island into a white knuckle event.

And it rained and rained all of the way to Ohio.  The Pennsylvania Turnpike is not a nice place to be when it is raining hard and you are surrounded by trucks going down the side of a mountain.

There were lulls in the downpour. 

There were umbrellas and slickers.

There were deep puddles of water everywhere.

It wasn’t like being at the beach – it was like joining a club of adventurous people who like the rougher side of nature. 

And you wouldn’t believe how many people were in Chincoteague because this is their favorite time of year. 

We saw a different face of this little island town.

And we liked it.  Even during the nor’easter.

Floods and high water and they had a Chili and Chowder Festival today that was being held on Chincoteague Bay under tents.  It looked so festive with the striped tents and the multicolored bright umbrellas.  We were tempted to stay.

But we came home to spectacular Ohio sunset.

Would you believe that is the start of my list for today?

It also includes -Lunch at Dan’s Dogs with Ally and Cynthia for Ally’s birthday!

And- find sheets for beds.

There is also-make meatloaf and chili and old fashioned hamburg patties.

It goes on for at least 12 more odd items that need to be done and checked off.

Because tomorrow Cynthia and I are leaving for Chincoteague, VA.

We have some business to conduct and some people to see-

and some bread to bake.

Cryptic, no?

I’ll tell you more about it later.

It has been consuming much of my time and keeping me up late at night.

And this is just the end of the beginning- I think.

Anyway- I’m going to be busy for the rest of the week- so- I thought you might like to see my lemon grass harvest .

You cut it at almost ground level- cutting only the thick stems at a diagonal.

Watch out for that long grass- it can be lethal- or at least very sharp.

It slices like a paper cut-with jagged edges!  Ouch!

Cut off the stem from the grass- this is the part that is used in Thai recipes like this one.  Once cut, you need to keep it in water or it will dry up.  If you aren’t going to be using it for a while- I’d chop it up small and freezw with a couple of tsps of water in an ice cube tray.

Now put the ends of the tall grass together and tie them tightly.

And then you can braid them together.

This reminded me of something I did last year in Hawaii.

This is the shot where I finally pulled my tongue back in! LOL!

Back to lemon grass-

Braiding and then weaving the ends

into a circle you can make the grass into a wreath.  (The fragrance of lemons

surrounds you as you braid and weave- it is almost intoxicating!)

It makes a pretty birthday crown and sceptre for the birthday girl.  It is also quite nice nestled in your lingerie drawer, the light scent of lemons is quite pleasant.  Or you could drop it into Chicken with rice soup for a lemon”y”  flavor!

Diced up fine- lemongrass is a great addition to your Asian cuisine.  ( The lemongrass is in the lower right hand side of the picture above.)

I may find a convenient spot with wifi when in VA and post something from there- otherwise- see you on Sunday!

Have I ever mentioned I’m an old classic movie buff?

I love the old black and whites especially.

Yesterday, we walked down to this pond at the apple orchard and checked out the swans.  They were a little ruffled to have us come up on them unaware and they are so ungainly and awkward out of water that I was almost embarrassed for them.

But it wasn’t until we went on our hay ride that I truly appreciated this pond.

I wish I was a better photographer- but this peach tree was planted on the far side of the pond in the above picture- and if you look carefully, you can see the broken branch laying on the ground. 

When we got closer and we could see the variety of the tree, I could almost hear Marlon Brando’s voice in my ear.

The name of the tree- CONTENDER!

” I could have been a contender!”

It really has been a blustery day here in NE Ohio.

I went for a walk with Cynthia and picked up fallen leaves.

I picked up leaves.

Cynthia just kept on walking so that I would have to scurry to catch up!

I felt like a squirrel by the time we got back!

But look at my leaves!

Aren’t they beautiful!!!

I also decided to get rid of some cans I had about the house.

I started saving them about two weeks ago-  and I ended up with 13 cans!

I took off all of the paper and washed them out.

Then spray painted them with a terracotta spray paint.

I had to wait to spray between gusts of wind on the deck!

Then I put duct tape around the edge so it wasn’t so sharp,

and made a handle out of wire and a bead, made holes on the sides with

a nail and painted a happy pumpkin face!

I made canned pumpkins!

And a couple loaves of french bread!

I like blustery days- the wind dries down the spray paint fast!

First of all, my house smells delicious!

I am making a Chicken, Lentil and Garbanzo Bean Soup that I found here.

It is called Moroccan Spiced Lentil Soup.

The first time I smelled sesame oil cooking , I thought it was strong and overpowering.  Now, my taste buds have educated my nose and it makes my mouth water!  I substituted sesame oil for the olive oil in this recipe because I  like sesame oil with these ingredients better.

On a different subject, that still concerns scent;

I have found enough Lavender wands to share with everyone in last week’s contest.  Unfortunately, I don’t have the funds right now to send them all in the mail.  So, if you want one and can come get it or would pay for the postage and handling, you may certainly have one!

These are available on a first come- first serve basis.

Cynthia already picked hers up.

Some of these are from last years harvest, so they are already quite dry- but since the lavender is tucked up inside the wand, if you roll them gently between your palms, the scent comes wafting out quite happily!

And- on a different subject altogether-

I started knitting again.

I have been so bad.

A friend of mine asked me to help her finish a purse project last year, and I just this week did it.  SHAME!!!

I really wanted to help, but I couldn’t even get my head into the idea of knitting at that time.  I am a binge knitter.  All or nothing.

One time I made 50 scarves in a 2 week period.  I just sat there knitting all day.

I had so much else to do, but I couldn’t STOP KNITTING!

Anyway- enough confessions.

But, as I said, I’m starting to knit again.

What crafts are you addicted to?