Good morning from the stratocumulus world of Florida! @Mart, your sunrise puts us to shame, but I sure hope this finds you feeling better.
Echo Dots remind me so much of my mom . When we bought her last single-story house, we put a Dot in every room. She used them for all things - calling us, music (Sarah Brightman her fav), making grocery lists, medication reminders, and making emergency calls if she needed them. Unquestionably, they afforded her several more years of independent living in her own home, and she loved them.
@Rose2, if it’s going to be cold, I always hope for snow, though I know it is a different story when one lives in hills and mountains. Mentioning the north leaves me pining for South Tyrol, unquestionably one of the most beautiful places on Earth.
@SheilaP, @Eliza, and @Chilli, aligned with you in the simple pleasures of Sunday meals,I decided to get up early and give making croissants a go . I think my butter was not cold enough, because a good portion seemed to run out on the cookie sheet while they bakes. They would not win any beauty contests and I look like I’ve been rolling in flour, but anything coming out of a warm oven masks the sins of mediocre baking. Still, don’t think I’m going to be invited to The Great British Baking Show anytime soon.
@zuludog I hope you are feeling better. Like you, my sleeping bag is unfurled but it’s currently being used to keep surfboards warm in the garage. Freezing can compromise the integrity of the epoxy and cause it to crack when my body weight and downward thrust cause them to flex on drop-ins and turns. I’m with @OldGreyFox; It is a bad, bad …bad situation when my sporting goods, in a sad and lonely state have to turn to each other for company and warmth rather than getting a workout outdoors. I would sure love to be on a summery alpine hike about now .
Well, it has been an insane 48 hours around here - unexpected company leaving, my daughter shifting around some coursework, and then having to frantically lead the the annual meeting of our condo association which has left me the project manager of major construction projects (piling wraps, structural stairwell replacement and moisture investigation) and foolishly remaining on as president for another year - without pay. I like the work and think it is good for my fraying frontal cortex, but I really should have “fool” stamped on my head .
@Bruce, every time someone mentions gutters and ladders , my PTSD kicks in remembering the historic rainy day in 2020 when I wore my dad’s yellow rain slicker and valiantly (which means “stupidly”) cleared out gutters on my parents house and dug French drains in the mud and downpour in a futile attempt to keep the water from seeping into basement. All was well, until a neighbor drove by and honked, and I realized how funny I looked - bare footed and legged in that giant coat. I would have given about anything about then for my dad to have seen that whole situation and in a fit of laughter and bossiness chasing me off to do the work himself. This brings me to wonder why your council went to all the trouble of fussing at you when, in the same amount of time, they could have cleared the gutters themselves .
Today I am valiantly taking on the mantel of vacuuming every last inch of this house with my tropical playlist humming, while I wish this winter away. Only dry croissants and hot chai can save me now… .
Have a cozy Sunday!