Mark and I went to one of our favorite restaurants for dinner last night, Carmen Anthony's in Avon. It has such a nice relaxing atmosphere and we enjoy their food selection. Mark had the special mussels appetizer and I ate 3 or 4 of the dainty morsels. I can't remember the last time I ate mussels--tried them once when we were first married but I prefer clams. For our main courses, Mark decided to try the special scallops dish and I stuck with my old standby, the crabcake. I love scallops but have stopped eating them lately because they seem to cause intestinal distress. I couldn't resist trying a couple of Mark's however--they were so tender and tasty!
We had just finished our dinners and I was looking forward to ordering my usual decaf cappucino when I started to feel very odd. In a matter of seconds I had a hot flash, cramping, and had difficulty breathing. My throat was closing and it felt like someone had stuffed cotton in the back of my mouth so I couldn't swallow my saliva. My vision was getting black at the edges but I managed to tell Mark that I thought I was having an allergic reaction and to ask the waitress if the restaurant had any Benadryl--they didn't. I was able to drink down 3 glasses of ice water which helped my breathing a little but not the choking cottonmouth feeling. Mark rushed me to the WalMart pharmacy, told the pharmacist what was happening, and she got some liquid Benadryl into me. Within a few minutes my symptoms slowly began to improve and the pharmacist recommended I let my doctor know since I will probably need to carry an Epi-pen. That was one scary supper! And I never got my cappucino.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Technical Difficulties
The video on my previous post seemed to stop working the evening of my posting so I'll try again even though it is nothing spectacular.
I think taking videos might use the camera battery faster than usual--I put a recharged battery in the camera a week ago and when I tried to take a photo today, the battery was dead. Just as I was going to my car after a haircut, I saw a large red-tailed hawk swoop by with a small mammal (mouse? chipmunk?) in its talons and alight in a nearby tree. I pulled my camera out of my purse and...nothing! Oh well, it would probably be difficult to see the hawk even with the telephoto lens, but I would have tried to take a picture.
I saw evidence of another mouse in the island on Tuesday morning so we set traps again and got lucky this morning. We'll set more tonight and if we don't catch anything, I'll sanitize everything yet again. This weekend we'll try to figure out how they're getting in. I hate everything about it--the thought of mice running over everything, having to trap the poor little things, and having to wash all the utensils before we use them just in case. Ugghh!
It's a beautiful day today--72 degrees right now, so Kita and I will be going for a nice long walk. Temps are predicted to be back in the 40s for the next couple of days before getting into the 50s, which I think is more seasonal.
I think taking videos might use the camera battery faster than usual--I put a recharged battery in the camera a week ago and when I tried to take a photo today, the battery was dead. Just as I was going to my car after a haircut, I saw a large red-tailed hawk swoop by with a small mammal (mouse? chipmunk?) in its talons and alight in a nearby tree. I pulled my camera out of my purse and...nothing! Oh well, it would probably be difficult to see the hawk even with the telephoto lens, but I would have tried to take a picture.
I saw evidence of another mouse in the island on Tuesday morning so we set traps again and got lucky this morning. We'll set more tonight and if we don't catch anything, I'll sanitize everything yet again. This weekend we'll try to figure out how they're getting in. I hate everything about it--the thought of mice running over everything, having to trap the poor little things, and having to wash all the utensils before we use them just in case. Ugghh!
It's a beautiful day today--72 degrees right now, so Kita and I will be going for a nice long walk. Temps are predicted to be back in the 40s for the next couple of days before getting into the 50s, which I think is more seasonal.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Volunteering
I guided at Hill-Stead on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. It's fun on so many levels!
Thursday I was on duty with Sis, the mother of one of Ross's friends from nursery school. Because their family lives in a neighboring town, the boys went to different elementary schools and we lost contact with them. We recognized each other immediately--not bad for twenty years later.
On Friday, Rene came through with a group of friends. Ross and her middle son were in the same elementary school and played together quite often, but their family moved after 3rd grade and we lost touch with them. We recognized each other right away too!
And during Sunday's Open House, one of the "playgroup moms" came in with a group. Gail and I sometimes run into each other around town so it hasn't been too long since we've talked. We 4 playgroup moms still exchange Christmas cards with notes saying we should get together, and now Gail and I are determined to make that happen next month. It's probably been 8 years since we last had lunch together--way too long.
I finally tried the video function on my camera to capture one of the wind sculptures on display at Hill-Stead, but I don't know how to turn it "right side up". Fortunately it doesn't really matter for this subject. I inadvertantly took another video as I was trying to figure out the symbols on the camera's display--you can tell the camera is being rotated while I'm walking around, almost enough to get motion sickness watching it! Maybe I should read the manual next time...
Taxes are done and ready to be mailed to the accountant--yippee!
Thursday I was on duty with Sis, the mother of one of Ross's friends from nursery school. Because their family lives in a neighboring town, the boys went to different elementary schools and we lost contact with them. We recognized each other immediately--not bad for twenty years later.
On Friday, Rene came through with a group of friends. Ross and her middle son were in the same elementary school and played together quite often, but their family moved after 3rd grade and we lost touch with them. We recognized each other right away too!
And during Sunday's Open House, one of the "playgroup moms" came in with a group. Gail and I sometimes run into each other around town so it hasn't been too long since we've talked. We 4 playgroup moms still exchange Christmas cards with notes saying we should get together, and now Gail and I are determined to make that happen next month. It's probably been 8 years since we last had lunch together--way too long.
I finally tried the video function on my camera to capture one of the wind sculptures on display at Hill-Stead, but I don't know how to turn it "right side up". Fortunately it doesn't really matter for this subject. I inadvertantly took another video as I was trying to figure out the symbols on the camera's display--you can tell the camera is being rotated while I'm walking around, almost enough to get motion sickness watching it! Maybe I should read the manual next time...
Taxes are done and ready to be mailed to the accountant--yippee!
Thursday, March 1, 2012
March Comes In Like a Lion...
Yesterday's snow turned to freezing rain and sleet overnight. Hopefully the temperature will rise enough to melt the ice on the roads by the time I go to Hill-Stead this morning for my shift. I wonder if the bad weather will keep visitors away.
Here's the view from our deck this morning. However, the greenhouse has several new blooms this week to make up for the snow outside.
It's also a first blooming for this Angraecum sesquipedale cross. Although the petals are not fully opened, this orchid is 6 inches across at its widest. I can't really describe its fragrance--sweet with a hint of spice (or did I just rub against the citronella plant on my way to take the photo?).
This little Dendrobium satellite 'Perfection' is just beginning to open. The colors are so clear and cheerful! The flower is only 2 inches at its widest.
March can be a long, dreary, muddy month--but it usually "goes out like a lamb". It's definitely starting "like a lion"!
Here's the view from our deck this morning. However, the greenhouse has several new blooms this week to make up for the snow outside.
Last week's bud on the Dendrobium species from Malaysia has opened and is almost two inches at its widest. First bloomings can be small and oddly shaped, improving as the plant matures. This one looks pretty good.
It's also a first blooming for this Angraecum sesquipedale cross. Although the petals are not fully opened, this orchid is 6 inches across at its widest. I can't really describe its fragrance--sweet with a hint of spice (or did I just rub against the citronella plant on my way to take the photo?).
This little Dendrobium satellite 'Perfection' is just beginning to open. The colors are so clear and cheerful! The flower is only 2 inches at its widest.
March can be a long, dreary, muddy month--but it usually "goes out like a lamb". It's definitely starting "like a lion"!
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
February Books
This month my book group read Stephen King's 11/22/63. Two of us were old enough to remember the Kennedy assassination and the other two were
infants. (I bought this in ebook format--1,002 pages on my iPad. The photo is from www.Amazon.com.)
Peony in Love was quite different than the other books by Lisa See that I've read recently. Carefully researched, the story centers around a 1598 Chinese opera, The Peony Pavilion, whose heroine starves herself to death so her spirit can be with the man she loves. The girl Peony in this book does the same and the story is told by her ghost. I'm sure it's a cultural thing, but I had a difficult time with this concept--I just don't believe in ghosts making people do all sorts of things, unless ghosts inhabit our subconscious...
In my line of work, I found this passage from the Author's Note very interesting:
No one knows for sure what killed the lovesick maidens, but it may have been self-starvation. We tend to think of anorexia as a modern problem, but it isn't. Whether it was female saints in the Middle Ages, lovesick maidens in 17th century China, or adolescent girls today, women have had a need for some small measure of autonomy...by starving themselves young women are able to shift the contest from the outer world--in which they have no control over their fates and face seemingly sure defeat--to an inner struggle to achieve mastery over themselves and their bodily urges.
Personally, I prefer Lisa See's stories about Chinese people in more recent events.
Happy Leap Day! Be careful, all you men out there--today's the day women do the proposing! ;-)
infants. (I bought this in ebook format--1,002 pages on my iPad. The photo is from www.Amazon.com.)
This is the first book by Stephen King that I've ever read. The first 100 or so pages were pretty entertaining--what one would expect from a very successful and prolific author. The premise was interesting too--what if someone could go back in time and make sure that Kennedy wasn't assassinated? The middle of the book dragged, but the pace picked up again nearer 11/22/63. I'll be curious to find out what the rest of the group thought about it when we meet tomorrow.
My opinion? While I'm glad that Stephen King writes books that keep people reading in this day and age, he's not an author I would be interested to read again. Pretty ordinary stuff actually...literature lite. I was disappointed to read in the Afterword that King had a researcher help him--no wonder he churns out a book or two per year!
Peony in Love was quite different than the other books by Lisa See that I've read recently. Carefully researched, the story centers around a 1598 Chinese opera, The Peony Pavilion, whose heroine starves herself to death so her spirit can be with the man she loves. The girl Peony in this book does the same and the story is told by her ghost. I'm sure it's a cultural thing, but I had a difficult time with this concept--I just don't believe in ghosts making people do all sorts of things, unless ghosts inhabit our subconscious...
In my line of work, I found this passage from the Author's Note very interesting:
No one knows for sure what killed the lovesick maidens, but it may have been self-starvation. We tend to think of anorexia as a modern problem, but it isn't. Whether it was female saints in the Middle Ages, lovesick maidens in 17th century China, or adolescent girls today, women have had a need for some small measure of autonomy...by starving themselves young women are able to shift the contest from the outer world--in which they have no control over their fates and face seemingly sure defeat--to an inner struggle to achieve mastery over themselves and their bodily urges.
Personally, I prefer Lisa See's stories about Chinese people in more recent events.
Happy Leap Day! Be careful, all you men out there--today's the day women do the proposing! ;-)
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
A New Lunch Spot
Dorine and I got together today for lunch and she recommended a place in Canton called Flatbread Company. It's in a corner of the Shoppes at Farmington Valley but I never noticed it before!
Mmmmm...wood-fired brick-oven pizza...fun decor...casual and relaxing atmosphere--we were able to talk to our hearts' content. Dorine had the Jimmy's Free-Range Chicken Flatbread which looked absolutely delicious, and I had the veggie Canton Community Flatbread, which was delicious. We topped it off with the warm Homemade Brownie Sundae. With several vegetarian options, I think it's a place that Malima and Ross will enjoy.
I'm off to walk with Kita while the sun is still shining. We might be getting some snow tomorrow!
Mmmmm...wood-fired brick-oven pizza...fun decor...casual and relaxing atmosphere--we were able to talk to our hearts' content. Dorine had the Jimmy's Free-Range Chicken Flatbread which looked absolutely delicious, and I had the veggie Canton Community Flatbread, which was delicious. We topped it off with the warm Homemade Brownie Sundae. With several vegetarian options, I think it's a place that Malima and Ross will enjoy.
I'm off to walk with Kita while the sun is still shining. We might be getting some snow tomorrow!
Saturday, February 25, 2012
"The Sartorialist" Stories
I have been following street fashion photographer The Sartorialist for a couple of years now, and even better than his photos are the comments from other readers. Some of the fashions he posts can be pretty bizarre, and some comments are what I call the "kiss-ass" variety: Oooh, Scott, she looks fabulous in her sandals, miniskirt, bare legs, and fur jacket--you're a genius for showing us this look! while some are pretty realistic: Works as a concept but not practical.
Recently some commenters have remarked that Scott's work has changed. I've noticed this too, especially as he now has several corporate sponsors and is invited to all the big fashion shows. Originally he prided himself on being a fashion outsider photographing interesting looks he found on the street--now, not so much. Lately I realized that I make up stories about what I read into his photos:
This is Lapo Elkann, manager of brand promotion for Fiat. Scott oftens photographs him. Many commenters raved about this photo/person. I took a closer look after reading the comments and here's the story I've woven around this photo:
Mr. Elkann has been burning the candle at both ends lately--or has just come off one hell of a bender. The lapels of his jacket are filthy--surely he has minions who could bring this to a good dry cleaner. Some have wondered if this is a suit--the pants look to be a lighter weight material than the jacket and the colors don't quite match. Is that rumpled white blob supposed to be a pocket square or is it a used Kleenex? And the long stubble--did he lose his razor somewhere along with a couple of days? I know Americans are overly fastidious about personal hygiene, but something about this photo makes me wonder if he smells unwashed--either like a dirty old man or like someone struggling with his personal demons (substance abuse maybe?). He trying hard to look casually elegant--everything is fine, no, really!--but something's not quite right.
Teehee, I bet you didn't know I could be Queen of Mean! And just when I started to feel guilty about making up such a snarky story, I looked up his age--he's only 34! I thought he was easily 54!!! Maybe my fiction is isn't so farfetched...
Recently some commenters have remarked that Scott's work has changed. I've noticed this too, especially as he now has several corporate sponsors and is invited to all the big fashion shows. Originally he prided himself on being a fashion outsider photographing interesting looks he found on the street--now, not so much. Lately I realized that I make up stories about what I read into his photos:
This is Lapo Elkann, manager of brand promotion for Fiat. Scott oftens photographs him. Many commenters raved about this photo/person. I took a closer look after reading the comments and here's the story I've woven around this photo:
Mr. Elkann has been burning the candle at both ends lately--or has just come off one hell of a bender. The lapels of his jacket are filthy--surely he has minions who could bring this to a good dry cleaner. Some have wondered if this is a suit--the pants look to be a lighter weight material than the jacket and the colors don't quite match. Is that rumpled white blob supposed to be a pocket square or is it a used Kleenex? And the long stubble--did he lose his razor somewhere along with a couple of days? I know Americans are overly fastidious about personal hygiene, but something about this photo makes me wonder if he smells unwashed--either like a dirty old man or like someone struggling with his personal demons (substance abuse maybe?). He trying hard to look casually elegant--everything is fine, no, really!--but something's not quite right.
Teehee, I bet you didn't know I could be Queen of Mean! And just when I started to feel guilty about making up such a snarky story, I looked up his age--he's only 34! I thought he was easily 54!!! Maybe my fiction is isn't so farfetched...
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