An Outing

Today the Geezer and I took Sheba to Halibut Point for walkies. The Geezer wanted to try out his new camera. Sheba and I just wanted to walk.

We saw a flock of Harlequin Ducks. (The picture is from the internet). They were floating in the sea, diving, and standing on tiptoes in the water, flapping their wings.

It's called Halibut Point because it's the place where sailors used to tack out (haul about) to avoid Cape Ann. Not because of the fish.

It was very clear and we could see the Isles of Shoals in the distance.

Deck the Halls

Here in all their glory are the excellent door wreaths sent by Daughter of COG. Plus, some greenery added to the planters, by The Bride.

The Bread and the Pie alluded to in an earlier post

COG and Son of COG had already helped themselves to bread. I'm told it's a particularly nice loaf. Probably due to rising overnight in the fridge.

Things I'll never understand: #1

This lovely colonial house (built in the mid 18th century) has always been one of my favorites. It's in a lovely setting on a quiet road.

It was yellow with black shutters. Imagine it with the autumn foliage around it.

But they've just painted it white.

White! Why would anyone paint a house like this white when there are so many historic colors to choose from.

I'm hoping it's just primer and they'll repaint it yellow. But I fear it's not so.

Thanksgiving Morning

The bread is rising and the pie is in the oven so Sheba and I had a little walk. It's mild and rainy this morning and supposed to get to 60 this afternoon.

It has been an unusually beautiful autumn. The colors aren't as intense as some years, but the leaves have stayed on the trees longer than usual. Many trees are bare,but there are still wonderful golden leaves in the undergrowth, as well as overhead. On many of the narrow back roads, the trees form a golden arch over you. When the sun shines through it makes one think of Lothlorien. But even in the rain it's lovely.

Wardrobe Science: Attention All Men, don't bother to read this.

On the plane home from Minnesota, I spent some time analyzing the 48 piece wardrobe shown in the latest Lucky magazine. 48 pieces that will keep you dressed in a different outfit each day for about a month.

Because I am a trained researcher, I performed a scientific analysis of the pieces in the article. Sister of The Bride suggested that I blog it as a way of saving it. So here goes:

First, there are really only 19 pieces of clothing, 6 pairs of shoes, and the remaining 20+ items are other accessories.

The wardrobe is based on neutral colors plus one bright color. The neutral colors are in three shades - light, medium, and dark - and they have different textures. Because they are all neutrals, you don't need to limit yourself to one color family, just be sure to have darks, mediums and lights and a variety of textures to make them more interesting. In addition, you need one bright - like red, orange, pink, bright green, whatever - that goes with all of the neutrals.

The Pieces:

Bottoms (6)
1 sleeveless form fitting dress in a textured dark neutral fabric that can be worn alone, or with a jacket or a top so it doubles as a skirt.
1 dark neutral skirt (in the article this was a strapless dress, but really, that is sooo not going to happen at my age)
1 dark neutral dressy trousers
1 light neutral textured trousers
1 pr jeans
1 light neutral print skirt

Tops (9):
1 dark neutral v-neck sweater
1 bright colored solid dress that can be worn as a tunic over pants, tucked in, or as a dress.
1 light neutral cardigan
1 light neutral tank that can be worn over blouses as a vest, or alone as a sleeveless top
1 printed blouse in your dark neutrals that can be worn tucked in or out.
1 medium neutral shell (sleeveless top)
1 dark neutral shell (sleeveless top)
1 medium neutral silk-y blouse
1 white cotton shirt

Jackets/Coats (3 or 4, depending on the shrug):
1 dark neutral jacket
1 dark neutral textured blazer
1 medium neutral coat
(1 faux fur shrug)(in parentheses because I'd never buy one) (But you could substitute some kind of dressy jackety thing)

Shoes (6 pairs):
1 dark neutral knee high boots
1 dark neutral high heels (dressy)
1 medium neutral medium heels (work)
1 light neutral heels
1 bright heels
1 medium neutral flats

Bags (3):
1 metallic for dressy
1 light neutral shoulder bag
1 dark neutral big satchel type bag

Jewelry (7 pieces):
2 necklaces in neutral metals that go with the neutral colors you've chosen
1 necklace with bright color in it
3 bracelets, 1 with bright color in it.
1 watch

Other Accessories (which I didn't analyze these because I wasn't very interested in them. I mean even a Scientific analysis has to stop somewhere.)

4 belts -
3 scarves -
5 pr hose (different textures in dark neutrals from dressy to casual)

How does anyone get through life without a sister?

We are off to get Kate a haircut, then spend the day walking the streets of Salem. It occurred to me in a flash of ecstasy last night that, with a sister, I could spend all day visiting old houses and even a reproduction of an 18th century India merchant ship, without worrying. A sister can keep up with me and enter into every passing house/O'Brian/dish/glassware thought with no problems at all.

I have gotten the free passes for the Peabody Essex museum from the library so I even have hopes that I can spend as much time as I want looking at the superb china and pottery exhibits there.

Bliss!

In the words of the immortal Jane Austen: Children of the same family, the same blood, with the same first associations and habits, have some means of enjoyment in their power, which no subsequent connections can supply.

OK, not one of her pithier sayings, but true nevertheless.

Ohmmmmmmm the Buddha Speaks

Son of COG just told us a Buddhist joke.

Q. What did the Buddhist say to the hot dog vendor?
A. Make me one with everything.

Friends of the Library Book Sale

I haven't blogged for a while. First, because I was in Minnesota doing Halloween and that was covered by other bloggers better than I could do it. Second, because since I got back.... I just haven't had time.

I've spent a lot of hours this week preparing for the Friends of the Library Book Sale. This was a small sale, our big ones are 3 days long in June and July. People donate books all year long and twice a month we sort them into boxes. I cream off the best ones to maintain a cart of books in the library proper where we sell the best books all year long. The others are stored until the sales.

At today's sale, we had a lot of kids books, and a year's worth of donated Christmas books, music and videos, plus we featured like-new books for Christmas gifts. We made $500+ in 4 hours, selling books at 50 cents for paperbacks and $1 for hard-cover. Plus, we had some of the best ones for $2.

I pulled out what I considered the very best ones at the end and replenished my cart and a second cart by the kid's library. Lots of great kids books. I wish I'd had this as a resource when the kids were younger. I would have been great to buy books for them at these prices.

I brought home 3 books for only $1.50. Of course, that means I'll get rid of 15 books - that's the rule the Geezer and I have now, 5 go out for every one that comes in. What did I bring back? Home: a short history of an idea by Witold Rybczynski, an architect who has written a lot of interesting stuff; Entertaining Satan: witchcraft and the culture of early New England by John Demos; and a mystery by a man, but it sounded interesting anyway, so I broke my rule about only reading fiction by women.

It was lovely to be around books again even for a few hours.