Author: thecapeblog

Ron fixed the solar lights on the shed! It required buying a soldering iron, but I’m sure we’ll have another use for it down the line.

We delivered two truckloads of leaves to the transfer station, thus obliterating some big piles, mostly accumulated from the back yard.

I put up lights in the front and some artificial flowers in the window boxes and deck planters.

I also reorganized the bathroom linen closet, using the plastic drawers that Jimmy gave us. It worked out great, increased the shelf capacity by 50%. Having consolidated our belongings in a very inefficient way when Ron first moved in, we now may actually be able to find things.

We had a terrific time last night. Had dinner at the Spicy Lime with Craig and Owen’s parents and their friends. Then enjoyed a superb performance by Chucho Valdez and the Afro-Cuban Messengers at the Zeiterion.

It’s snowing this morning.

I needed have worried that Ron would feel deprived of live music once he left Zellerbach. We’ve seen a slew of great musicians this year, from Chick Corea and Gary Burton to Geoff Muldaur and Jim Kweskin.

For months, I’ve been looking for three specialty grooming items that Ron bought in bulk and had shipped in May 2011: hair ties, Rembrandt toothpaste and Pear soap.

For the last couple of days, I’ve also been looking for a box of outdoor Christmas lights and a yard power stake that we bought last year.

I turned the cellar and attic upside down, multiple times, and yesterday, I was able to locate everything – soap, ties, toothpaste and the outdoor light paraphernalia, the latter of which had been hidden by a pile of old clothing.

Brought leaves to the transfer station from the other day. We left the tarp! Luckily, the front end loader had picked it up and put it in the furniture pile before someone could steal it.

The leaf vacuum started then stopped. It’s out of warranty (bought it in April 2010, thank you, blog). Peter from Terminix was here for his November inspection. We bought a nice balsam wreath at Stop & Shop, put the red velvet bow on it, hung it on the storm door.

Did some last-minute raking here. Cleaned up the beds near the house and the oval. Planted the mum that was decorating the front steps at Edgewater.

Am I the only ones who finds these social media outlets depressing?

We managed to clear both yards of leaves before the small snow storm anticipated for tomorrow.

We had less than 2 hours of light by the time we got to Edgewater, but we made it. Ron did the back with the leaf sweeper. I used the lawn mower and was able to clear the day lilies, the grass garden and the shrubs in the front as well as the the front lawn. The truck is pretty much jam-packed.

It doesn’t look like we’ll have a lot left to do, although the beach tree in the back at Edgewater hangs on to its leaves even later than the oaks.

We cleaned up the garden in front of the fence here, too.

To celebrate our anniversary, Ron bought flowers and picked up a superb dinner at the Chinese restaurant in Dino’s plaza: Happy Family, shrimp in lobster sauce, hot and sour soup, shrimp fried rice, dumplings. I was barely able to waddle back to the computer to post this.

We had one of the best Thanksgivings, in Jaffrey, with Ron’s friends Betsy and David, and their family. Visited Sandy and Steve in Laconia the next day.

Ron was kvetching the other day about not seeing his friends and relatives, until I reminded him that ten times over the past two years, we’ve gotten together with same:

Townsend, MA
Vernon, VT
Martha’s Vineyard
Berkeley, CA (Thanksgiving 2010)
Williamsburg, MA
Kingstown, RI
Jaffrey, NH (Jim’s funeral)
Concord, CA
and we put up two couples at Sea Mist.

Thanksgiving with his friends in Jaffrey makes number 11.

Spent all day on projects: a good 6 hours (9-3) on setting up MRS for 2013 and 2 on new NEPS images and links.

Made clam chowder. Soup, salad and good bread for supper, my favorite.

Travel Guide for December 2012