That's Gneiss! #73 ~ Neighborhood sights and strange signs
Greetings! Are you as happy as I am that spring has finally arrived? As soon as the cold spell broke the flowers started blooming everywhere. The cherry trees had blossoms overnight! It is a nice change after that last bitter cold spell.
The walks with the dog are quite enjoyable (other than his obnoxious slow pace, something he doesn’t do with Michael). There are so many interesting houses to look at, and lots of funky gardens. Here are a couple we pass regularly on one of our routes.
There are immaculate houses, and some that need a bit of tlc. No two are alike, which means it never gets dull as we wander from block to block. A far cry from the cookie cutter clones of Naval housing we used to walk through.
Have I mentioned that I don’t miss Oak Harbor at all? I really don’t. We have been so much happier since making the move, and now that we’re settling in it just keeps getting better and better. We’re close to Highway 2 over the Cascades, and will be trying out the Money Creek campground near Skykomish in June. There are all sorts of possibilities for exploratory day trips over that way too. We’re also going back to Newhalem for the 4th of July.
Life is starting to feel like a better version of normal at last. As soon as the house closes, we’ll be totally free of Oak Harbor.
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Yesterday we grabbed lunch at Cafe Zippy, and I think we’ve found a new favorite! It had a nice atmosphere, and good food at a decent price. Would return!
We also installed the weather station - hooray! There wasn’t really a perfect spot for it, so slapping it on the side of the shed will have to do. Perfect placement is an art, and I’ve actually read contradictory things about the best placement. Ultimately, you have to work with your specific situation - mine probably won’t register winds from the north very well. I don’t have a big open field handy!
I still need to get the station connected to the internet. Weather Underground has been undergoing some system maintenance this entire week and I’m unable to make any changes to my profile. What kind of maintenance takes an entire week?
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I’ve been poking through Nolan and Mia’s photos from their trip - there are so many good ones! Here are some interesting signage and translation fails…
Sorry, your fruit is not allowed.
That’s a mighty claim.
I’ll have some Bring the Book please.
Have a great week!
Tidbits
A very tempting design tool - so many possibilities!
Silicone drinkware - intriguing! Not just for drinking, either. I think I’ll grab a couple to use at work - I’ll report back!
March Mammal Madness not enough for you? How about Earthquake Cup?
I had some flashbacks to getting my geology degree while reading this article about Luna Leopold. His influence was strong in some of my classes.
Making: at last! Michael finished a pedal, so I did my thing on the inside of the enclosure.
Recently eaten: last night we tried out Tasty Indian Bistro. It was most excellent! I tried the Goa Coconut Curry with lamb, and Michael had the Homestyle Goat Curry. We were both very happy with our dinners.
Reading: I finished The Toll by Cherie Priest. It was okay, but not my favorite of hers. I much preferred her two books starring Lizzie Borden, who had a very good reason to use that axe. Speaking of dear Lizzie, I’m making my way through The Trial of Lizzie Borden. The news accounts of the day were quite fascinating, and spent a good deal of time describing what everyone looked like and what they were wearing - a person’s character could be built up or broken down depending on how they were described. Finally, after a long wait I got the audiobook of Michelle Obama’s Becoming, read by her. It is such a delight to hear her tell the story of her life herself. Man, do I miss the Obamas.
Videos of the Week
Trombone players get all the fun.
This one is even better…
Question of the Week
Just hit reply to send your answer, and I’ll share it next week. Always anonymous!
Seen any good movies recently?
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Last week I asked what you’re making these days.
I made a bundt cake today! My favorite recipe is from Martha Stewart.
The only hard part is the glaze. Definitely wait until the cake is completely cool before adding the glaze or it will turn out like mine did one year when I was in a hurry. I poured on the glaze and it melted right into the warm cake just like the wicked witch melted into the floor on the Wizard of Oz. Poof it was gone.
I also use butter instead of cream for the glaze and I get much better results. I'm not sure why the cream doesn't set up for me.
I also recently made some cards with some new rubber stamps from Buy Olympia. It's my favorite sale spot for unique, local gifts. I also buy my annual Nikki McClure calendar there each year. The stamps were on the sale site and I've really liked how the orchids stamp just seems to work for almost any occasion.
I've also been painting but less than I would like to be, but here is one of the latest...
I’ve been making bread every week for about a month. Sometimes buns, depending on anticipated meals. It gets us through the week, and it’s better than the stuff I was buying. I haven’t done the math, but I suspect it’s cheaper, too. My 5-year-old says it’s the best bread in the world. But he mostly eats chicken nuggets, so… consider the source.
I've been a busy book collagist this year. I've carved out and filled in 14 old books with my retro tableaux since January. I'm obsessed now with finding old books and have been hitting the thrift shops from here to Lincoln City searching for books and old magazines to take my scissors to! Here's a pic of my latest:
What am I making? Money. Which is good, but it's that back & forth, right? Money, commerce, art, music. But I need money at this point in my life. Until we can overthrow the system and/or implement universal basic income and/or win that Powerball this week. 😉
Not enough!
From the closest weather station until I get mine set up:
Current Temperature: 55 F (13 C)
Current Humidity: 79%
Wind Gusts: 7 mph
Precipitation: 0.00 in
Number of Subscribers: 97