technical troubles

Hey~

I have been away for a while, at the moment I am not feeling all that much better, but that was somewhat expected. My $1.99 "crakes" (croc fakes) are retired for the season, put away for all but use in the basement. They are day-glo ugly but convenient and now I fall down while wearing them...not helpful.

Movie from the last post won't play, too much data (gotta have music AND images AND animation, right?) I am learning, I am learning.

I am going to attempt to send out a "mass e-mail" that will let folks know we may be even MORE out of touch for a while. Our internet provider (Cox) has had consistent troubles throughout the area and I have been working on it from my end, assuming they would eventually clear it up, but it isn't looking good. With ongoing health care stuff and our MUCH NEEDED trip to the Cape, catch us by phone. Those of you who need those #s have them. Laughs delivered via phone from friends who loathe email have also been VERY welcome.

The collision of health issues and economy and internet/computer technical difficulties is turning out to be a bit of a blessing, despite the Halloween style (this "scorched earth" painting comes in handy for all kinds of references!) disguise. It is giving time to heal, regroup and prepare for winter, on the outside and inside. I can get by some of the personal trauma and we can keep on and get back to the new work. New work is always good~ the cure all.

I have been doing my best to follow my father's lead...that any day with time spent outside, even on the smallest chore (or in his case, HUGE chores) is a good day. It is best to take a walk, soaking up in the beauty of brightly colored leaves wafting by on the newly crisp wind catering in the new season. I have come to not only appreciate but adore the rare gems his (and our)gardening friends pass on, THOUGH I STILL WANT TO DIG THE DAMN HOLES MYSELF! Ah, to have it all. Before I was gifted with this life long dream of living on this Broad Brook land, I read and clipped WAY too many pictures and articles about what might seem to make up the perfect landscape. After more resistance than I would like to admit, I have learned there is no substitute for hands-in-the-dirt experience and the zig-zag way life has of bringing new and surprising influences on our now more user-friendly Better Home and Garden. Simplify, simplify, simplify.

Speaking of growing things...Anyone need a houseplant? My indoor gardening sufficed during my urban living phase and the population is WAY out of hand. This is Diva and her leaves are not supposed to be wilted like that. Everyone else is MUCH lower maintenance and like me, she is far too needy. I suppose my curtailed email time could be used to re-pot the poor thing and give her some crystals so she can hold her water better. She needs just a few gently drops...otherwise she pees her pot. But the potting bench is full of woodworking tools and it all seems...overwhelming. If she gets a new pot shouldn't everyone else?

Fa has been working on a big indoor project, pulling together more family genealogy than I had any idea we had, and there is plenty that is of interest to us. So we pass around plants, and new and old letters, and books about weather...the weather obsession is probably genetic, but luckily Donna shares it.

Mom has been dutifully dragging me about, stuck with the more mundane chore of sitting in waiting rooms, bringing necessities and her home-cooked specialties, both sweet and savory. I am afraid I am sometimes too exasperated to be as grateful as I should be and I am quite sure the protein shake recipes I mix up and walk over to share are not comforting in the same way at all, but the folks smile and politely thank me for my effort. Other friends have shared the driving/dropping off chores, and I have been grateful not only for those interventions but the moments I get to find out what THEY are up to...always welcome news.

Donna and I have the bizarre luxury of ignoring much of the news...not much we can do about most of this. Unsure of how I would feel after the November 3 go around with the oral surgery, and sure the lines at the polls will be LONG, Donna and I cast our absentee ballots a couple of days ago. What will be will be.

This is our first time our October/November trip to the cape will coincide with a presidential election of such contention. Those blessed "no computer no television" beach days may, for the first time ever, send us to the local tavern just to peek at the news once or twice. Our neighbor in the next cottage can give us the Boston Globe's view if I am desperate...this time Ken will be tracking more than just sports. Yeah...sad to say the cell phones go these days...until the last couple of trips we were glad to go without phone as well.

As always, thanks for the support.